Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Coffee Maker, Programmable BrewStation Dispensing Coffee Machine (47701)

Actually, I'd give it a 4.9 out of a 5.0 (perfect) rating system. I had an earlier version of the BrewStation for a whopping 9 years, and loved it (until it started turning on by itself, without being programmed to, and wouldn't shut off until I unplugged it). This model is much improved in a number of ways. In width, it has a narrower profile, which is nice. The power button is at the top, which means I can clearly see if it is on/off. I'm 5'6" and can't see the time (the display is at an upward slant) unless I stand on tip-toes, so if you're over 5'8", you'll love the clock, which keeps perfect time with my cable box.I've brewed 5 batches of coffee, using the default brew options setting, and they've all been delicious, down to the last cup. (I use Gevalia coffees.) For fun, I brewed a small batch of regular old Folgers, which I keep in the frig for emergencies, and it was as good as you could probably ever expect from it.Depending on what you're used to, you might think the coffee tank, filter basket, and lid fit together awkwardly at first, but you quickly become accustomed to it, and on the up-side, if you don't have them positioned properly, they won't load into the machine, which is a good thing in my opinion. You will need to slide the unit out/away from the wall and at least sideways (and back again) to get at the rear handle on the coffee tank, but the unit slides out easily on my counter. And said handle is big and comfortable to grip, which is important, because you are filling it with water at the sink. Extreme precision is not required to pour the water into the water reservoir, which is wide, and you can do it from either side of the unit. In fact, with level guides on both sides of the coffee tank, this coffee maker is very left- or right-handed friendly in every way. (My last one was not, although I am right-handed.)Also a plus, not a single drop of coffee has escaped onto the drip tray when the dispenser bar isn't being pressed. No leaks either.Bottom line, this is a great coffee maker, which does exactly what it should do and does it well.Note: On Hamilton Beach's website, this model is among their three highest priced BrewStations, even though several versions have come after it. That sold me on this one, in addition to good reviews. The price is much better on Amazon, but I made up the difference saved by opting for expedited shipping, because I needed it fast.

PhotoGraphics excellent review pretty much says everything you can about this coffee maker. Easy to use, easy to clean and appears likely to last (I've only had it a few months). No messy carafes to deal with, and makes a decent cup of joe. Highly recommended!Update March 2014:I have adjusted the rating down to 4 stars. It is everything that I said originally, including easy to clean...which you'll have to do ALOT if you have anything approaching hard water at home. It seems this model (or at least the one I got) is VERY sensitive to hard water. Never had a coffee maker have that big a problem with our (admittedly) hard water. I'm having to descale once every 3-4 weeks or else the brew cycle stalls, leaving you having to run the brew cycle 4-5 times in order to fill the dispenser.Still recommend the brewer, as the convenience and simplicity is outstanding...just keep the hard water thing in mind.Update April 2014:Adjusting the rating down (again) to 3 stars. The brew cycle is stalling now even after a thorough cleaning. Called Hamilton Beach Customer Service and they will send a replacement - but have to pay $15 shipping for it and send them a picture of the broken brewer's cord cut off in order to get it shipped. I explained this would leave me without a brewer for 3-5 days, so they agreed to "advance" ship it without the picture as long as I sent it to them promptly afterwards. I'm disappointed that I have to pay return shipping, but I like the brewer enough to give it one last shot.

I'm giving two stars instead of one for the forward thinking carafe-less design, the stylish look including the pretty blue clock, and the unburned quality of the brewed coffee. But we hate the machine....I purchased this coffeemaker via Amazon for my parents as a Christmas gift. I placed my order on December 9th, and received it on December 11th. It was not even taken out of the sealed box until Christmas Day. By February, it was barely working. The very day I was notified of the trouble, I contacted Amazon about a return or replacement, but we had just missed the return window by a matter of days.My parents said 3-4 weeks after they started using it, it began making a horrible loud noise when operating. At the same time, it emitted a smell reminiscent of melting plastic. Another issue is that it no longer makes nearly the amount of coffee it is told to make. If you put in enough water for 12 cups, you get 10 or less. If you put in enough water for 10 cups, you get 8 or less. The unused water remains in the water reservoir. The brew time has also dramatically slowed. I was there over this past weekend, and I can testify that it takes about 45 minutes to brew one pot of coffee! In the day and age of Keurig, that's unimaginable! My mother has followed all the steps for cleaning the machine, to no avail. The problems persist.In addition to the technical issues, they were really unhappy upon opening the box to discover that there is such a stingy limit on how much ground coffee you can use for a 12 cup pot. We are from Seattle and we appreciate our coffee strong. Using the "bold" option wasn't nearly enough to make up for not using enough ground coffee for a full pot.I submitted a complaint with Hamilton Beach detailing all of the problems I have listed here, and they require you send them not only the make & model, but the "Series Number," which is only slightly etched into the metal plate on the underside of the coffeemaker. Even though the reservoir was "empty" when I went to get the number for the submission, it still managed to dribble coffee and water all over me, and literally pour coffee all over the counter.PS - as an aside, and I'm not sure if this is a complaint against the Amazon shipping warehouse or Hamilton Beach - the sealed box was FILTHY when it arrived. I opened the Amazon shipping box, took out the sealed coffeemaker box, and found myself completely covered in a black film. I've never experienced that from any of my many hundreds of Amazon purchases before, so it may have just been a fluke, or it may have arrived to their warehouse that way from Hamilton Beach. Luckily, I noticed before I turned around and touched any of the other Christmas presents that had arrived that day!