Two-way or dual coffee makers bridge the gap between single-serve and carafe machines. They allow you to grab a quick cup on-the-go and also brew a big pot for the entire family. In addition, they take up less counter space than a pair of single-serve and carafe units would.
If you’re on the lookout for the perfect coffee machine with k-cup option, there are a few important things to consider. For instance, some coffee makers are compatible with Keurig K-Cups while others aren’t. If you’re heavily dependent on K-Cups, you should stay away from units like the Hamilton Beach 49980A, despite it being a fantastic coffee maker. Furthermore, you have to think about size, features, programmability, ease of use, price…etc.
Fortunately, we’ve done all the necessary research so that you don’t have to. We’ve shortlisted five two-way coffee brewers, which we consider to be the best options available currently.
Hamilton Beach Flexbrew 49976
Pros:
● Easy to Use
● Programmable
● Auto shut-off feature
● Compatible with K-Cups
Cons:
● Takes up a lot of space
● Slow brewing time
The Hamilton Beach 49976 is a very popular choice among coffee brewers and for good reason. It’s quite user-friendly, with a very easy-to-navigate control panel laid out on the front. In addition, the buttons light up to let you know which brewing process is currently running. The 49976 offers three different ways to brew your coffee: ground coffee, soft pods, and K-cup pods.
The 49976 is programmable, meaning that you can set a specific automatic brewing time within a 24- hour window. It’s also got an auto-shutoff feature than turns off the machine after two hours of idle time.
The only drawbacks are that it’s quite bulky for a two-way coffee maker and brewing time is relatively slow.
Ninja Coffee Maker Cf085z
Pros:
● Very user-friendly
● Programmable
● Offers a variety of brewing controls
Controls:
● Some may find the brewing temperature to be a bit too low.
Like the Hamilton Beach 49976, the Ninja Coffee Maker CF085Z is also very user-friendly. In fact, even absolute beginners will have no trouble brewing a delicious cup of coffee with this machine. This is because features like the Auto-IQ one-touch intelligence (which automatically dispenses the right quantity of water based on the brew type and size selected) remove guesswork from the brewing process.
In addition, the Ninja Coffee Maker CF085Z offers:
● An automatic brewing timer
● Auto-shutoff
● Brew strength and size controls
● A milk frother
The only complaint we have is that it doesn’t reach very high brewing temperatures.
Hamilton Beach 49980a
Pros:
● Compact
● Programmable
● Inexpensive
● Brew Strength control
● Auto-off feature
Cons:
● Not Compatible with K-cups
The Hamilton Beach 49980A is perhaps one of the most popular two-way coffee brewers around. It’s got two separate reservoirs: one for the single-serve side and the other for the carafe portion. The latter is marked in volume units so that you don’t accidentally overfill it.
The 49980A is compatible with loose coffee and soft pods but no K-cups. If this is a deal-breaker for you, a good alternative is the aforementioned FlexBew 49976. However, the 49976 is not nearly as compact as the 49980A.
The 49980A offers all the standard features that we’ve come to expect from the best two-way coffee makers. This includes automatic brewing and shut-off, hot plates, brew-strength control, easy-to-navigate control panel and so on. And the best part is that it costs just $54!
Cuisinart SS-15
Pros:
● Serves up a variety of brew sizes
● Charcoal water filters enhance the taste of coffee
● Programmable
● Auto-off feature
Cons:
● Quite large
● Carafe tends to drip
Cuisinart is known for putting out fantastic coffee makers and the SS-15 is no exception. It offers three single-serve brew sizes (6 oz, 8 oz, and 10 oz) and on the carafe side, you’re able to make five 12-ounce cups of coffee at once.
The temperature-adjustable hot plate is something we particularly love about this coffee maker. With it, you can keep your automatically-brewed coffee warm until you’re able to get to it. In addition, the SS-15 features:
● A power loss backup system which remembers your temperature settings
● An indicator which informs you when the unit needs to be cleaned
● Emergency stop to pause the brewing process
● An auto-off feature
The SS-15 has two significant issues, however. Firstly, it’s not compact enough for smaller kitchens. Secondly, the included carafe is prone to dripping.
Cuisinart CHW-12
Pros:
● Hot Water on Demand
● Programmable
● User-friendly
● Safety Lock
Cons:
● A bit too loud
Rounding off our list, we have another offering from Cuisinart: the CHW-12. This coffee maker is not in the least bit bulky but still houses a water reservoir that can brew 12 cups of coffee in one go.
Like all the other coffee makers on our list, the CHW-12 offers automatic brewing and also throws in a self-cleaning system. The CHW-12 is quite user-friendly, allowing even first-time brewers to brew a flavor-filled cup of coffee in no time. In addition, this coffee maker is able to dispense hot water on command, which is extremely useful if you also enjoy tea and hot cocoa often.
The only complaint we have with this machine is that it can get a bit loud while brewing.
Which One Should You Buy?
Depending on your specific needs and preferences, our recommendations would vary. However, if we had to choose just one dual coffee maker from the list above, we’d go with the Hamilton Beach 49976. While it is quite bulky and a bit slow to brew, it offers all the features we’d expect from a top coffee maker at a very reasonable price.