{"id":319,"date":"2015-07-07T20:41:06","date_gmt":"2015-07-07T20:41:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/buydontbuy.net\/?p=319"},"modified":"2016-06-28T15:17:18","modified_gmt":"2016-06-28T15:17:18","slug":"the-melitta-coffee-maker-46894a-hamilton-beach-has-done-it-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buydontbuy.net\/2015\/07\/07\/the-melitta-coffee-maker-46894a-hamilton-beach-has-done-it-again\/","title":{"rendered":"The Melitta coffee maker (46894A): Hamilton Beach has “done it” again!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gambler’s special!\u00a02-to-1 odds on this Melitta coffee maker by Hamilton Beach.<\/h1>\n

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SHORT VERSION:<\/em><\/b>\u00a0\u201cHamilton Beach has done it again,\u201d and by “it” I mean they’ve made a very questionable\u00a0product that looks nice. Their 12 cup coffee maker (46201) is a gamble, and this Melitta coffee maker is no different. Some say it\u2019s the greatest coffee maker ever built, but\u00a0many others swear they\u2019ll never buy another Hamilton Beach product again. The positive Amazon reviews on this product outnumber the negative reviews by 2 to 1. If that ratio is good enough for you, roll the dice on this Melitta coffee maker<\/a>\"\". If not, well…good choice.<\/p>\n

Skip to Review Summary \u2192<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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List price: <\/span>$79.99<\/span><\/del>
\n[asa]B00EI7DPTY[\/asa]<\/p>\n

\"Melitta<\/a><\/p>\n

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EXTERIOR<\/h2>\n

First, let\u2019s be clear about who manufactures this coffee maker: Hamilton Beach. Melitta is just putting their name on it, apparently looking to benefit from the name they\u2019ve built on selling coffee and coffee accessories. With that said, this \u201cMelitta coffee maker<\/a>\"\"\u201d (46893A) is a nice looking machine (thanks, Hamilton Beach!). It comes with either a glass carafe or a stainless steel thermal carafe, and it stands about 14.75 inches tall despite whatever it says on the Amazon product page. Flip open the lid to add coffee grounds\u00a0and you\u2019ll need about 21 inches of cabinet clearance. Unlike the Cuisinart DTC-975BKN<\/a>\"\" (read review here<\/a>), this Melitta coffee maker has the controls above the carafe which is a smart move given the leakage\/spillage owners often report (more on that later). Cone-shaped filters are to be used with this machine, and it also sports a backlit LCD display that is apparently very, very bright. Keep a pair of welding goggles nearby, you might need them.<\/p>\n

\"Review<\/a>
Amazon.com customer John P. Salvaggio can’t stop staring at the Melitta coffee maker’s hypnotic ultra-bright blue LCD display<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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REASONS TO BUY THIS MELITTA COFFEE MAKER (46893A)<\/h2>\n

Just like the legendary Hamilton Beach 12 cup coffee maker #46201<\/a>\"\" (read review here<\/a>), this Melitta coffee maker (again, made by Hamilton Beach) has a lot of rabid fans. Some claim that the water heats to over 200\u00b0 F which, for a coffee maker in this price range, is impressive. No wonder they love the coffee this machine makes! Brew temperature is crucial in the coffee making process, and if this machine is getting the water that hot then it\u2019s going to make you very happy indeed.<\/p>\n

\"Review<\/a>
Gotta admit, this Melitta coffee maker is a good lookin’ machine whether the carafe is glass (left) or thermal (right)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It comes with the option of a 10 cup stainless steel thermal carafe or a 12 cup glass carafe. Choose wisely because the carafe you choose will determine whether or not your Melitta coffee maker<\/a>\"\" has an adjustable warming plate. Some owners of the thermal carafe version believe that it has a warming plate that turns off automatically after brewing is completed, but this isn\u2019t stated on the Amazon product page and the owner\u2019s manual specifically says the warming plate is for the glass carafe model only. Most coffee makers that come with a thermal carafe don\u2019t have a warming plate at all, so this is not unusual. If you order the glass carafe model, your Melitta coffee maker will have a \u201cKeep Warm\u201d button that the thermal carafe console does not.<\/p>\n

\"Melitta<\/a>
Amazon.com customer “mzpoirot” digs this Melitta coffee maker’s fancy looks<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This coffee maker comes with a Brew Strength selector that can be set to regular, bold, and robust. Melitta, I mean Hamilton Beach, doesn\u2019t really say how this brew strength is achieved, so let\u2019s just assume that the machine slows down the flow of water for a longer brew time.<\/p>\n

Brew pause gives you 20 seconds to grab a cup in mid-brew, and of course that ultra-bright LCD display is there to make the coffee maker programmable.<\/p>\n

Melitta\/Hamilton Beach also suggest making iced coffee in this machine, but apparently this can only be accomplished with the thermal carafe model. To fill a glass carafe with ice and then let the coffee maker pour hot coffee into it would surely spell disaster, so don\u2019t even try unless you want to see what your carafe looks like when it shatters.<\/p>\n

To reiterate, people who like this Melitta coffee maker tend to LOVE IT. They say it makes great coffee. A few\u00a0even say they’ve\u00a0been using theirs for upwards of two to three years which is a good sign.<\/p>\n

REASONS TO NOT BUY<\/h2>\n

As I stated in my \u201cshort version\u201d at the beginning of this coffee maker review, positive reviews of this Melitta coffee maker outnumber the negative reviews by a margin of 2 to 1. As of this writing, 2,043 customers have given this coffee maker 4 or 5 star ratings while 1,079 gave it three stars or less, and most of those are 1 or 2 star ratings.<\/p>\n

\"Review<\/a>
Amazon.com customer Jack870 loves his Melitta coffee maker so much he made this Melitta meme. But he should have put Hamilton Beach on it, not Melitta<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A lot of the low ratings\u00a0are from Melitta coffee makers that have died unceremoniously after far too short a period. As with the 12 cup Hamilton Beach 46201 (review<\/a>), lots of very dissatisfied owners say that their Melitta broke down after weeks or a few months of use. Some even claim that, after jumping through the hoops Hamilton Beach customer service requires for warranty replacements, they received another unit that also died a quick death. That\u2019s not good at all. Many also say that it broke down after a year or so (darn that one year warranty!). As with any coffee maker, regular cleaning is necessary to keep it functioning properly, and it\u2019s possible that some of the breakdown victims just never bothered to clean it. Meanwhile, some of the more vigilant owners say this Melitta coffee maker needs to be cleaned quite often if you want it to continue to function.<\/p>\n

Those whose coffee makers actually work have another serious complaint: the coffee isn\u2019t hot enough. Many thermometer-wielding owners have gauged the brew temperature to be in the 170\u00b0 – 180\u00b0 F range which falls well short of the recommended brew temp of 195\u00b0 – 205\u00b0 F. So why do some of these Melitta coffee makers reportedly brew within the guidelines while so many others don\u2019t even come close? That\u2019s hard to say, but my guess is temperatures were taken at different times in the brew cycle. Measure the temperature at the start of brewing and it’ll be low, measure at the end of the brew and it’ll be much higher as the water has had time to heat up. This could account for the\u00a0discrepancy of\u00a015\u00b0 – 25\u00b0 F. Nonetheless, Consumer Reports\u00a0gives\u00a0this coffee maker a \u201cgood\u201d rating for brew temperature\u00a0which, oddly enough,\u00a0means that it\u2019s lower than it should be. In their words, it “fell short of recommended guidelines for brew temperature and duration.” How is that good? Meh. Anyway, let’s not forget that\u00a0those who haven’t quoted thermometer readings are making a subjective judgment. In the end, if you buy this coffee maker, all that matters is how it tastes to you.<\/p>\n

As always, carafe leakage is another popular complaint. With this Melitta coffee maker<\/a>\"\", though, it seems to be more widespread. According to Consumer Reports, the carafe is \u201cunwieldly to use, hold, pour from and empty.\u201d I like to gripe about Consumer Reports because I think they\u2019re a bit too generous with high ratings, so when they say something bad about a product, it\u2019s probably true. Leakage is reported to be a problem with both the thermal and glass carafes.<\/p>\n

If you get a glass carafe, there\u2019s an added bonus: it breaks easily. A number of owners have said that their glass carafe broke far too easily with just a gentle bump against a wall or countertop edge. One person even says that it needs to be treated as though it\u2019s as fragile as a Faberge egg. Ouch. And the final insult, as far as the carafe goes, is that other glass carafes apparently don\u2019t fit this machine. To buy a new one from Hamilton Beach is reported to cost about $30 total, after shipping is tacked on.<\/p>\n

\"Review
Amazon.com customer Ntrdx was none too pleased when his (her?) carafe went crrrracckk and spilled coffee everywhere<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Leaks don\u2019t come from just the carafe, though. Lots of people have also complained that the machine leaks water, and we’re not talking about an overflowing brew basket. It may be that water is leaving the reservoir and escaping the coffee maker en route to the filter basket, or in some cases it seems that the reservoir itself begins to leak. Either way, not cool.<\/p>\n

Plenty of unsatisfied owners have also said that their warming plate, once shiny and new, is now a nasty old disc of rust and grime. Some have reported this problem after a few months, others after more than a year. Are they making sure the warming plate is dry when not in use? I\u2019m sure some are, and others maybe aren\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\"Review
Amazon customer Hilleary’s three month old warming plate, all rusted out. Customer’s fault or shoddy materials? Hmm…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A couple of the convenience features are said to be problematic, but these issues seem less common. Brew pause, that thing where you take the carafe out for a cup in mid-brew, seems to not work for some people. And the warming plate, which is supposed to shut off after two hours, apparently has a mind of its own. Some also complain that the water level window isn’t very helpful if you want to make less than 6 cups. This wouldn’t be a problem if you’re using a glass carafe (just fill the carafe to where it says six cups), but the thermal carafe is another story. If you’re not good at guessing, you could pour water from a measuring cup.<\/p>\n

And the final reason to not buy this Melitta coffee maker…drum roll please…Hamilton Beach customer service! Yes, you deal with Hamilton Beach, not Melitta. After poring through hundreds of reviews of this and other Hamilton Beach coffee makers, I have yet to read a single review from someone who said that they had a good experience when contacting them. When a company requires you to cut the electrical plug off a piece of equipment and mail it to them before they\u2019ll replace a defective product, that\u2019s a major red flag. It\u2019s the customer service equivalent of sending a life insurance company your dead spouse\u2019s severed head in order to collect on the policy. Hamilton Beach, this needs to stop.<\/p>\n

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SUMMARY<\/h2>\n

About two thirds of the people who buy this Melitta coffee maker think it\u2019s awesome. It has some nice features and, if it actually brews coffee in the 195\u00b0 – 205\u00b0 F range, it\u2019s a steal at this price. I personally believe that if this machine were capable of doing that consistently, Hamilton Beach would have gotten it SCAA certified and upgraded the price tag (like the Bonavita BV1800SS<\/a>\"\" [read review<\/a>] and the Behmor Brazen Plus<\/a>\"\" [read review<\/a>]).<\/p>\n

Now, I want to be clear about something: the title for this coffee maker review is\u00a0“Hamilton Beach has done it again,” and by “it” I mean making a coffee maker of very questionable quality. That’s not a compliment.<\/p>\n

The many complaints of warm, but not hot, coffee are a big concern, as are the numerous other complaints that plague this coffee maker. In the interest of fairness, however, let’s acknowledge that\u00a0some of these gripes could probably be attributed to user error. Coffee machines need to be cleaned regularly, some carafes need to be poured in a certain way, and warming plates that aren\u2019t kept spotless may indeed rust over time.<\/p>\n

When a coffee maker leaks from the inside, however, that\u2019s not a user error. Coffee makers, even with no cleaning at all, should also last more than a few months before breaking. Fragile glass carafe? Possibly a user error, but Amazon reviewers have made a convincing case that it\u2019s not<\/a>\"\". Coffee not hot enough? Subjective, but numerous\u00a0thermometer readings show low brew temperatures.\u00a0Yes, you can preheat the thermal carafe to make the coffee hotter, but the hot water should be hitting the coffee grounds first. And yes, you can run a pot of water-only through the machine first and then run it through again for the actual brewing, but that\u2019s extra effort. It\u2019s not the customer\u2019s job to make a coffee maker do what it should have been designed to do on its own.<\/p>\n

On the bright side, not too many owners have\u00a0made the all-too-common complaint of “plastic taste” in their coffee. Some have, to be sure, but the proportion of plastic taste comments is much lower than with other coffee makers. Most people have said that giving the coffee maker the typical vinegar\/water rinse solved the problem. (for more on plastic taste, check out this article<\/a>)<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll close with a bit of comedy, courtesy of Melitta\u2019s marketing department (cue harp music, soothing voice):<\/p>\n

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\u201cMelitta will bring hundreds of years of European culture, refined craftsmanship and rich indulgence to life, right inside your cup.\u201d<\/h2>\n<\/blockquote>\n

LOL? If Melitta really wanted to pour European culture into my coffee cup, they probably shouldn\u2019t have chosen to put their name on a Hamilton Beach product.<\/p>\n

\"Review
This photo is actually on the Amazon product page for this Melitta coffee maker! The marketing department likes to lay it on pretty thick.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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RECOMMENDATION<\/h2>\n

DON\u2019T BUY<\/span> unless you\u2019re feeling lucky<\/a>\"\".<\/h1>\n

I mentally flipped a coin and said \u201cBuy\u201d on the Hamilton Beach 46201<\/a> because of all the positive reviews. I did that\u00a0despite its track record for dying prematurely among other things.\u00a0I\u2019m evening it out here. This Melitta coffee maker might be great, but there\u2019s a one in three chance you\u2019ll be sorry. Or, more optimistically, there’s a two in three chance you’ll be happy! This coffee maker, like the Hamilton Beach 46201, is a gamble.<\/p>\n

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Gambler’s special!\u00a02-to-1 odds on this Melitta coffee maker by Hamilton Beach. SHORT VERSION:\u00a0\u201cHamilton Beach has done it again,\u201d and by “it” I mean they’ve made…<\/p>\n

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