Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

First, I bought this item at Walmart on clearance. Bought one for $10 intending to take up to the office. Our hot water spout on our water cooler at home (yes, it's that bad here) went out and this has replaced it. I ended up buying a second later at $9 (both included the free bag of pods) for the office since we're keeping the first one at home. My wife and I use it almost daily to make coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. We interchange the tea bag for a coffee pod (depending on the tea, I will either leave the bag in my cup or actually use the basket) and have great results. I prefer using this over the microwave for hot water as it doesn't take much longer and stays hotter longer. It's quick, efficient, and easy to clean. Hot chocolate will splash up on the basket if you put it in the cup first, so be warned. We've been using them for about three months with no problems. Here are my main talking points: 1. Single cup reservoir: you get about 8oz from a single brew and have to fill it up each time. This, to me, isn't that much of a problem as we keep it near our water cooler and I can get a 16oz cup of water from the breakroom at work to get me through the morning. I plan on buying a water jug for the office and will keep a gallon or so handy at my desk and just refill as needed. All in all, this is not a deal breaker for me although more expensive models have larger tanks (and a bigger footprint). For those making cups to go, this may not be the best option as you would want to brew two cups to get what you need. 2. Quick: thing brews quickly - doesn't take any time at all. I actually find that it's done before I'm ready to drink most days. It's also no louder than any other coffee maker that I've found although I'm referring primarily to the 8 or 10 cup machines here - never had a personal one. 3. Inexpensive: for my take, it was a test to see how much I like having a personal brewer. For the $10 I spent, I got 18-36 cups out of it (yes, I reuse my pods for a second cup sometimes... not terribly strong cup of coffee but I'm kind of cheap :o), get a $1.00 off coupon for the next bag of pods in store, and can even get another free bag for registering with Senso online (hello dummy email account!). So, for $10 it was a worthwhile investment and turns out, I love having a single cup brewer. 4. Works: it's not as fancy as the other makers you can buy, just fill it up and press the tab to get your cup started. Coffee comes out hot in no time, and you're ready to go. I can see maybe wanting some of the other features but, for the most part, this simple functioning machine does exactly what I need. 5. Versatility: As I said, we make coffee, tea, and hot chocolate in this thing. We put a tea bag in place of the coffee pod or just leave it in the cup to brew as the water comes down. For me, it depends on the tea and what I'm doing. For instance, when making a chai latte I will brew the bag in the cup and leave it for a few minutes, then add sugar and milk. Wonderful as going to the coffee shop. Also, it's got a small footprint that makes it easy to store - doesn't take up much room in our small kitchen or my desk space at work (cubicle environment). I use an extension cord at work but that is mostly due to where outlets are, and you can tuck away extra chord inside the machine if using close to the plug. I give it five stars because it meets or exceeds all my expectations - make sure you know what you want out of it and you will be pleased. This works GREAT for someone like me, with minimal expectations who just wants coffee on demand without the budget for the top tier makers. Even at $20, I think this is a great deal. Check Walmart first though - never know what you'll find! Side note: I'm still looking for a reusable pod for this to save money on pods (UPDATE: we're considering buying an Ecopad - tried product link but couldn't find the product we're actually looking at and it's difficult to know which is which so we haven't pulled the trigger)- $5 gets you 18 pods. I reuse each day so not terrible, but as stated I'm pretty cheap. 12/16/2011 - UPDATE: my wife purchased a Keurig B40 model at Walmart as an anniversary present for me so I can compare the two units a little bit. I will say that the K-Cups make a great cup of coffee (got 12 in the box with the machine) but I'm still not a fan of the waste. We have EcoBrew reusable cups arriving today or tomorrow from Amazon for it. My initial thoughts: this maker moves faster - the Keurig takes 4 minutes to warm up. This unit is also quieter and has a MUCH smaller footprint. Keurig has a reservoir (48oz) which is nice but still has to be filled every few days. Also, the B40 has a small cup and large cup size - why would I make a small cup if I can get a large cup out of it (remember, I'm cheap)? Larger setting is nice for travel cups though, and I found that the K-Cups are also reusable. I can get a couple small cups out of one cup or one large and a mediocre small. Still not a fan of the waste they produce though. Once up and going the Keurig actually makes faster. We've still go the other though, and I don't see us getting rid of it. I'll still use my other daily at the office as well. All in all, I personally feel like this little maker is on par with the $75 Keurig as far as what it produces in the end, just doesn't provide all the various options. 12/24/2011 - UPDATE: We decided today that the Keurig is going back to the store for a refund in favor of the Hamilton Beach - We're going to try the the Ecopad and maybe home made options. I'll report back in a few weeks on how it goes. 3/8/2012 - UPDATE: I no longer use the Ecopad. I found it more difficult to use because the cap is a separate piece and it has to be cleaned out after every use. We've taken to following another reviewer's tip: I get a filter for a small pot (maybe a 4 cup or less if available), add coffee (1tsp to 1tbls depending on your preference), and create a sack by twisting the top. I don't cut the excess off - I prefer to push it down to the side to ensure it doesn't open. If you overfill it, it will force it open and you'll have hot water and coffee all over the place. This has been the most effective method so far, and the least costly. We also use the Senso pods.