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Hamilton Beach BrewStation Plus 12 Cup Coffee Maker Product Technical Details47535 Key FeaturesTypeCoffee MakerCapacity12 CupOperation...

H.B. Deluxe Brewstation is Much Better than the Original Hamilton Beach BrewStation Deluxe 47474 12 Cup Coffee Maker I absolutely LOVE my Hamilton Beach Deluxe BrewStation! I had the original BrewStation and had so many problems ...

I’d never really given too much thought to my coffee maker. I’d look at the amount of cups it held, the basket type. Nothing too in depth for the average coffee consumer. When I needed a new machine, I thought nothing of it. I imagined walking into the department store, see my coffee maker on the shelf, and be on my merry way. That’s the wrong way to start a shopping trip for a coffee maker, honest. I know from experience.

My older model Mr. Coffee 12 cup programmable coffee maker had a bit of an accident about 3 weeks ago. While washing the carafe in the sink, the side of the carafe cracked and cut my hand. I really didn’t think anything of this – I thought, “hey, a $10 carafe is better than a new $50 machine!” So off to the store I went the next day.

I walked in to Wal-Mart with high hopes and a gleam in my eye. Cheery, bright eyed and bushy tailed I walked into the house ware department. Boy, have things changed with coffee makers! Self grinding, two pot capacity, coffee/espresso combined, all the latest trends. I admit, advertising did suck me in. I was helpless. Out of the store I walked with a new Hamilton Beach Brew station coffee maker. I was trapped.

The main reason I bought the Brew Station was it promoted “Get rid of the carafe forever!” I’d fought with those nasty carafe accidents for years, and the idea of never having to go search for one was a pretty happy idea in my mind. I looked over the store model, and the machine looked so simple – in fact, too simple to use.

The Brew Station is designed for a “single serve” cup type of maneuver. Simply press your favorite mug or travel cup under the serve spout, and coffee is dispensed at your leisure. The Brew Station also promotes a “no-burn” 2 hour shut off feature; Since many traditional pots burn the coffee on warming trays, the Brew Station heats the coffee gently and shuts off after two hours (for safety).

The Brew Station comes complete with:

- Brew Station Machine

- Care and Instruction Manual

- Multiple paper filters (as a bonus!)

Out of the box came my Brew Station. Thoroughly did I read the manual and care instructions. I was sure to perform each instruction with careful attention. The moment of truth awaited: making that first pot of coffee. And here’s where things get truly sour.

Before I semi-rant over the wrong doings of this machine, I must first say that the coffee tasted excellent and the ease of not having a carafe to handle is, as promised, a blessing upon the consumer.

The Brew Station is rather awkward to fill with water and coffee grounds. The front of the machine (notice in the image the front with the name and the stainless steel area) comes off the base and acts as a “carafe” to use to fill with water. It resembles a bucket type carafe. When filling the bucket, as we’ll call it, you have to make sure not to overfill with water. There are six different level indicators on the inside which tell you when to stop; yet they are in black (the color of the inside of the bucket!) I had no idea these were there until I rubbed my hand across them and felt them. How in the world can you tell where to fill when the indicator is the same color as the bucket in which it’s placed?

The one other issue I have with the Brew Station is the lid for the machine. It spans the entire top of the machine, and requires you to move the entire unit away from any cabinets or objects above the machine (which my upper cabinets obstruct opening without moving the unit). With my old coffee maker, it was easy to just pour the water in, set up the grounds basket, and coffee was ready.

I’m not saying that the Brew Station is entirely bad or negative. Yes, the fact that you can press your cup against the back button and coffee easily dispenses into your cup. But having to forfeit ease of use and care is something that doesn’t sit well with me. So back the Brew Station went, and my search continues.

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