Comparing The Keurig Special Edition Single Cup Coffee Maker With The Hamilton Beach Brew Station Deluxe

Single serve coffee makers have grown tremendously in popularity the past year. One of the reasons for this is their convenience and ease of use. For many people, they are also actually more economical as there will be no left-over pots of stale cups of coffee to dump. With a single serve, you brew just what you are going to drink. You don’t have to buy endless bags of coffee beans to have the variety that you can enjoy with a single serve machine, using a perfectly portion of coffee in a K-Cup or a pod. Keurig has led the market in sales and its machines have a well-earned reputation for reliability and durability.

Another of the top ten best sellers, holding the 9th spot,  is the Hamilton Beach Brew Station, which is similar to an automatic coffee maker. Apparently, it is included in the single serve category because you can DISPENSE one cup of coffee at a time with this machine. It brews coffee into an insulated ‘coffee tank’ rather than a coffee pot. The coffee is kept warm inside just like a thermos and this eliminates the burned, scorched taste. However, you still have a full container of coffee which you may or may NOT drink completely. You can choose the 1 to 4 cup cycle for a smaller amount of coffee. With a true single serve you brew one cup at a time – just what you will drink.

Features of the Brew Station

• Four brew modes – Normal, Decaf, Flavor+, 1-4 cups
• Has a warmer to keep coffee at drinking temperature
• Programmable clock/timer with adjustable auto shut-off
• Dispense from the brewer – no carafe
• Has gold tone filter
• Uses your favorite coffee
• Price $80.00 to $95.99

Features of the Keurig B60 Special Edition

• Automatic Brewing System
• Brews in 30 to 60 seconds
• Programmable Controls
• Auto-On and Off
• Digital Clock
• Adjustable brew temperature from 187° F to 192° F
• Brews 3 cup sizes- 6 ounces, 8 ounces, 10 ounces
• Has de-scale indication for regular machine maintenance
• Uses K-Cups of coffee
• My K-Cup Filter is available for use with your favorite coffee roasts
• Price $119. to $129.99

Quality of Machines

Hamilton Beach Brew Station

• Complaints about tank leaking
• Many users say an additional paper filter is necessary to avoid fine grounds in your cup.
• No audible signal when brew cycle is complete.
• Lack of warning signal when 4 hour warming period ends.
• Must be cleaned monthly – no routine alert mechanism on machine.
• Several complaints of machine needing frequent repairs or lifetime of less than one year.
• No indicator on tank as to how much coffee remains.
• Longer brew times – does not brew in 60 seconds

Keurig  Special Edition

• Coffee strength sometimes not strong enough.This can be taken care of by adjusting the brew strength and cup size to make stronger or weaker coffee. Extra Bold K-Cups are also available for those who enjoy a bold cup of coffee.

These two machines are really quite different, although both have been grouped into the single serve coffee maker category.