Hamilton Beach 46299 Drip coffee maker: Full Review

Hamilton Beach is a reputable brand known for making affordable and reliable kitchen appliances. The Hamilton Beach 46299 is their 12-cup programmable coffeemaker that offers great value and performance.

This Hamilton Beach drip coffee machine has a compact yet sturdy design. It features a black housing and stainless steel accents for a modern look that fits into any kitchen décor.

The 46299 model aims to provide customizable brewing options in an easy-to-use programmable coffeemaker. It has settings to brew regular or bold coffee at your desired strength. With a 12 cup capacity and brew pause feature, this Hamilton Beach coffeemaker can accommodate making coffee for the whole family or for entertaining guests.

Overall, the Hamilton Beach 46299 balances versatility, convenience, and reliability. This coffeemaker packs great functionality into a relatively affordable package from a leading brand.

Design and Build Quality

The Hamilton Beach 46299 drip coffee maker has a solid and well-built design with durable materials. The body is made of sturdy black plastic with sleek chrome accents on the control panel, lid, handle, and base. At 9.9 x 7.7 x 14.4 inches in dimension, the coffee maker has a standard footprint that can fit most kitchen countertops without taking up too much space.

Despite the plastic construction, the coffee maker does not feel flimsy or cheap. The carafe handle and lid are made of stainless steel for added durability. The water reservoir uses a BPA-free plastic container. Overall, the materials seem designed to withstand daily use and provide a long lifespan under normal conditions.

In terms of style, the Hamilton Beach 46299 has an understated and minimalist look suitable for most kitchen decors. The black and chrome color scheme gives it a modern appeal. While not as flashy as some models, the coffee maker still looks nice on display. The design focuses more on function over form.

Another excellent option to consider is the Cuisinart DCC-3000P1. This coffee maker stands out with its innovative design that includes a built-in coffee reservoir, ensuring your coffee stays hot and fresh for hours. The intuitive control panel allows for easy programming and customization of your brew. The sleek black and silver design of the Cuisinart DCC-3000P1 complements any modern kitchen decor, offering both functionality and aesthetic appeal.

Features and Capabilities

The Hamilton Beach 46299 drip coffee maker comes equipped with a variety of useful features to customize and control your coffee brewing.

• Programmable Timer: You can program the coffee maker to automatically brew coffee up to 24 hours in advance. This allows you to wake up to freshly brewed coffee or have it ready when you get home. The programmable timer is easy to set up.

• Brew Strength Control: There are options to select regular or bold coffee strength, allowing you to customize the flavor and concentration of coffee. The bold setting slows down the brewing process to extract more flavor from the coffee grounds.

• Brew Pause: This feature allows you to grab a cup of coffee mid-brew. When you remove the carafe, the flow of coffee pauses. Once you put the carafe back, brewing resumes so you don't miss out on any coffee.

• Self Clean: The coffee maker has a self-clean cycle to prevent mineral buildup and keep your machine running smoothly. The self-clean process is automated and hassle-free.

Other handy features include an internal heater to keep the carafe warm for 2 hours after brewing, a ready tone to alert when coffee is done, and a 2 hour automatic shutoff for safety and energy savings. The Hamilton Beach 46299 provides excellent customization and control over the coffee brewing process.

Another great product to consider is the Braun KF7070. This coffee maker offers advanced features including a PureFlavor system to ensure consistent flavor water at the right temperature and extraction time. The Braun KF7070 also includes a programmable 24-hour timer, brew strength selector, and easy-to-read LCD display. Its sleek stainless steel design makes it a stylish addition to any kitchen while providing excellent performance in coffee brewing.

Ease of Use

The Hamilton Beach 46299 drip coffee maker is designed with ease of use in mind. The display screen and buttons are placed conveniently on the front of the machine, allowing you to easily program your brew cycle and access other functions with little effort.

The buttons control basic operations like turning the machine on/off, programming the clock, starting/pausing the brew cycle, accessing the menu for more settings, and activating the self-clean mode. They provide audible feedback when pressed so you know your selection registered. The backlit LCD screen clearly shows the clock, selected brew settings, and any alerts or notifications.

Setting up the programming is straightforward with the menu-driven interface. You can adjust common settings like brew strength, brew size, start time, auto shutoff time, clock, etc. Programming your preferences is intuitive thanks to the well-labeled buttons and display cues.

Maintenance is also simple on this model. It has an automatic cleaning cycle that can be activated to flush out mineral deposits. The parts are accessible and easy to hand wash as needed. The water reservoir lifts out for fast filling and the basket filter holder swings out for convenient access.

Overall, the Hamilton Beach 46299 coffee maker delivers a hassle-free experience. The controls and programming allow you to customize your coffee precisely how you like it. And day-to-day operation is facilitated by the clear interface and convenient design.

Coffee Customization

The Hamilton Beach 46299 coffee maker allows you to customize your coffee to your preferences. It has options to adjust the brew strength, flavor, and temperature.

Brew Strength

You can choose between regular and bold brew strengths. The bold setting slows down the brewing process so the coffee grounds steep longer, resulting in a stronger, more robust flavor. This is great if you like intense coffee or need an extra caffeine kick in the morning.

Flavor

There are several ways to influence the flavor with this coffee maker. You can experiment with different types of coffee beans, grinds, and filters to see what taste you like best. The brew strength setting also impacts flavor - bold for bolder coffee, regular for a more balanced profile.

Temperature

The 46299 has an adjustable heating plate that keeps your coffee hot after brewing. There are low, medium, and high temperature settings so you can maintain the desired heat for optimal drinking temperature. This helps preserve the subtle flavors and aromas of the coffee.

So if you're particular about getting your coffee just right, the Hamilton Beach 46299 gives you lots of customization options for the perfect cup every time. You can fine-tune the details to suit your preferences.

Brew Performance

The Hamilton Beach 46299 coffee maker brews a full pot of coffee in under 10 minutes. The rapid brew cycle produces up to 12 cups of coffee in a short amount of time without sacrificing heat or flavor.

Testers found the coffee comes out at an ideal serving temperature around 180-185°F. The heater plate keeps the carafe contents hot for over 2 hours. The coffee maker consistently yields the expected number of cups per brew cycle.

The shower head design evenly distributes water over the coffee grounds for full flavor extraction. Reviewers mention the coffee comes out with rich taste and robust aroma every time. The consistency from brew to brew is reliable with this drip coffee maker.

It provides fast brew times yet still fully saturates the grounds to draw out the oils and dissolve the soluble compounds. The result is a satisfying pot of smooth, full-bodied coffee brewed hot and quick.

Carafe Design and Performance

The Hamilton Beach 46299 coffee maker comes with a 12-cup glass carafe with an ergonomic handle and dripless spout. The carafe is well-designed and comfortable to hold and pour from.

The wide mouth opening makes it easy to fill the water reservoir and clean. The pouring spout allows for drip-free serving without any splashing or spills. It's easy to control the flow rate while pouring coffee into your mug.

The carafe does a decent job of retaining heat to keep coffee hot for a while after brewing. It's not insulated but the glass helps maintain temperature fairly well. The hot plate will keep the carafe warm for up to 4 hours if you want to leave the coffee maker on. Just note the warming plate will eventually cause the coffee to take on a burnt taste if left for too long.

Overall, the carafe is thoughtfully designed for mess-free pouring and serving while keeping your freshly brewed coffee hot. The glass material provides decent heat retention without imparting flavors into the coffee.

Value

The Hamilton Beach 46299 12-cup programmable coffee maker offers excellent value for the price. At around $50 on Amazon, it costs significantly less than comparable programmable coffee makers from premium brands like Cuisinart, OXO, and Technivorm, which can run $100-200.

Considering its lower price point, the 46299 still delivers premium features like a programmable timer, pause and serve mode, adjustable auto shut-off, and brew strength control. It brews a full 12 cups of coffee, outpacing the capacity of some pricier models. The inclusion of a rotating base makes accessing the water reservoir and back controls convenient.

While built of plastic, the 46299 doesn't feel overly cheap or flimsy. The stainless steel carafe is an upgrade not always seen at this price. The coffee maker takes up a standard amount of counter space and has an understated black design suitable for most kitchen decors.

Overall, the Hamilton Beach 46299 gives you the functionality of a much more expensive coffee maker at an affordable price point. It's an excellent value purchase for budget-conscious consumers that still want flexibility and key programming options when brewing their morning coffee.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Programmable timer allows you to wake up to freshly brewed coffee
• Can brew a full 12-cup pot or just 1-4 cups
• Showerhead design evenly saturates coffee grounds for optimal flavor extraction
• Brew strength control lets you customize coffee concentration
• Removable water reservoir for easy filling
• Automatic pause and serve lets you pour a cup before brewing is finished

Cons

• Carafe design causes coffee to cool down quickly after brewing
• Water reservoir could be larger - only holds enough water for a few pots
• Brewing time is slower than average drip coffee makers
• No automatic shut-off feature
• Doesn't have high-end features like a built-in grinder or milk frother

Conclusion

The Hamilton Beach 46299 is a feature-rich drip coffee maker that offers good value for money. It brews a decent pot of coffee and has useful capabilities like programmable start time and auto-pause. The stainless steel design gives it an elegant look that would look nice on any countertop.

Overall, this Hamilton Beach coffee maker is recommended for anyone looking for an affordable drip coffee machine with programmable features. It makes a good amount of coffee and the insulated carafe does a decent job of keeping it hot. The brew performance is quite good for a coffee maker in this price range.

In summary, the Hamilton Beach 46299 provides good bang for your buck. With its programmable timer, auto pause and serve, and generous 12-cup capacity, it's a practical and convenient drip coffee maker for households that regularly drink coffee. While it may not match premium coffee makers in build quality and brewing perfection, it gets the job done well for its price point. If you want an inexpensive but capable drip coffee machine with useful extras like programmability, the Hamilton Beach 46299 is a solid choice.