Hamilton Beach FlexBrew Trio (49902)

BREW PERFORMANCE: Fell short of recommended guidelines of 195°F or more, maintained for five or six minutes. CONVENIENCE: Fairly convenient to use, based on how easy it was to understand the controls, fill the reservoir, insert the filter, gauge the amount of remaining coffee, and clean the machine. CARAFE HANDLING: The carafe was fairly easy to use, based on how comfortable we found its handle, whether it dripped while pouring, its overall balance when full, and how hard it was to empty.

• FIRST-CUP SPEED: Did Not deliver the first cup very quickly when first turned on, which could matter if you're in a hurry.
• REPEAT SPEED: Did Not deliver subsequent cups quickly after the first, important if you're brewing for multiple people.
• TEMPERATURE CONSISTENCY: Did Not maintain temperatures very consistently from cup to cup, important if you're serving a crowd.
• SIZE CONSISTENCY: Dispensed cup after cup with exactly the same amount of coffee.
• BREWING RANGE: Allowed slight flexibilty in adjusting brew strength by letting you change settings, vary water volume, or add additional pods.

The Hamilton Beach FlexBrew Trio (49902) is part of the Coffee Makers test program at Consumer Reports. In our lab tests, Dual Coffee Maker models like the FlexBrew Trio (49902) are rated on multiple criteria, such as those listed below.

Brew time: Our measurements of time, rounded to the nearest minute, to brew a pot of coffee in its regular cycle, using 40 oz. of water in those models that make 8- 14 cups of coffee. The one- or two-mug drip models are based on 10 oz. of water.

Brew performance: For drip brewing, the ability to reach 195° to 205° F for five or six minutes, the industry standard for optimal brewing and an indication of the coffee's concentration.

Convenience: For drip and single-serve brewing, reflects ease of filling the reservoir, placing the filter, gauging the amount of coffee remaining, and cleaning up. It also reflects how clear we judged the controls.