Product Review: Hamilton Beach BrewStation

My disclaimer is that I am by no means a coffee connoisseur. To me, Starbucks tastes burnt; I much prefer a pot of plan Maxwell House. At any rate, we happened to be in the market for a new coffee maker and selected the Hamilton Beach BrewStation. Our choice was largely based on other review we read, middle-of-the-road price, and the carafe-less feature of this pot.

As someone who usually prefers Maxwell House, I am by no means a expert on coffee taste. However, it seems to brew a decent cup of coffee-this is the most important requirement. The temperature is right; it keeps well in the reservoir for long periods of time, and I've never noticed a plastic taste that others have mentioned.

It's easy to use, but I am not fond of having to remove the filter basket and the reservoir tank to use to measure out the water to make a pot of coffee. I don't like the raised lines that indicate how many cups of water you have dispensed into the reservoir. It's much easier to measure based on the lines on a traditional carafe. Admittedly, we'll sometimes make a partial pot of coffee and have it combine with what was left of the previous pot. Since there is coffee already in the reservoir, we pour water directly into the tank. Many pot have some way to measure the water as it is poured into the tank, instead of just on the vessel you use to pour-that's not the case with this pot. We'll usually use a pitcher to measure out the water to pour into the tank.

This is an attractive coffee pot. The silver and black and space-age design adds to the kitchen. But, it is larger than I expected and takes up a lot of counter room and a lot of space in the dishwasher.

Overall, I'm satisfied with this coffeemaker. However, my next coffee pot will probably be a traditional pot with carafe. It's easier to use and takes less counter space.