Which Fits Your Budget? Hamilton Beach vs Mr. Coffee
You want great coffee and a smart buy—will Hamilton Beach brew better or will Mr. Coffee save your cash?
Get coffee. Not drama. You want good coffee without waste. This guide pits the Hamilton Beach 49980RG against the Mr. Coffee 12-Cup. You get clear facts. You get a plain choice. We compare design, taste, speed, cleanup, and cost. You decide what fits your cup and budget right now, friend.
Dual Brew
Hamilton Beach 2-Way
Mr. Coffee 12-Cup
Hamilton Beach 2-Way
Mr. Coffee 12-Cup
Hamilton Beach 2-Way
Mr. Coffee 12-Cup
Hamilton Beach vs. Mr. Coffee: Which Programmable Coffee Maker Wins?
What Each Machine Is: Design and Key Features
Hamilton Beach 49980RG — Two-way brewer, aimed at flexibility
You get two machines in one. You brew a full 12-cup glass carafe. Or you brew a single 14 oz cup or travel mug. The unit mixes a glass carafe side and a single-serve grounds funnel. It has a permanent mesh filter. You can program it up to 24 hours. You pick bold or regular brew. The body is black with stainless accents and a larger counter footprint. Many parts are not dishwasher safe.
Mr. Coffee 12-Cup — Classic drip, aimed at simplicity
You get a straight drip brewer. It makes up to 12 cups in a glass carafe. It keeps things simple. You can program Brew Now or Later. You can pause the cycle to grab a cup mid-brew. It has a warming plate and auto shut-off after four hours. The lift-and-clean filter basket is easy to access. It has fewer brew-strength options than the Hamilton Beach.
Feature Comparison
Brew Quality and Performance: Taste, Speed, Consistency
Taste and strength — cup and carafe
You judge by sip and by pot. The Hamilton Beach lets you pick bold or regular. A single cup can taste sharp and full. The bold setting pulls more oils. The permanent mesh filter adds body. You may see a few fines in the cup. The carafe brews rich coffee when full.
The Mr. Coffee makes clean, steady drip coffee. It has fewer strength options. A fresh batch tastes balanced. Late pours can taste thinner. You will not get the extra heft a mesh filter gives. It keeps a neutral, familiar profile.
Speed and temperature — how fast and how hot
Consistency and extraction — evenness across a pot
You watch for weak middle cups. The Hamilton Beach holds strength better with the bold setting. Single-serve extraction is focused and steady. The permanent filter can let more oils through, which changes mouthfeel. The Mr. Coffee gives even extraction early. Near the end, the brew can thin. The Grab-A-Cup pause works, but it can cool the mid-stream and change extraction. If you grind too fine, both risk over-extraction. If you grind too coarse, the last cups taste weak. Test like this: brew one single cup on the Hamilton Beach. Then brew a full pot on each. Compare the first, middle, and last pours.
Day-to-Day Use: Ease of Use, Cleaning, and Reliability
Filling and programming
You fill the tanks and set the clock fast. The Mr. Coffee uses a simple LED display and a Brew Now or Later button. The Hamilton Beach gives you 24-hour programming and bold/regular buttons. Both panels are clear. Buttons respond with a firm click. The Hamilton Beach sits wider on your counter. The Mr. Coffee fits tight spaces.
Single-serve removal and filter access
The Hamilton Beach has a removable single-serve grounds basket. You lift it out. You dump grounds. You wipe it clean. The Mr. Coffee has a lift-and-clean filter basket. It swings out. You empty the paper or permanent filter and rinse.
Cleaning the carafe and wet spots
Both carafes are glass and hand wash only. Rinse right after use. Watch the spout for drips. A slow drip will form if you pour too fast. The carafe lids seal well but need a wipe under the rim. The Hamilton Beach’s permanent mesh filter traps fines. It needs brushing more often.
Noise, cord, and counter fit
Both machines are quiet for drip brewers. You hear water and a low hiss. Cord length is typical; expect 2–3 feet behind the unit. The Hamilton Beach is heavier and takes more counter room. The Mr. Coffee is lighter and easier to slide.
Build quality, reliability, warranty, and service notes
Both feel plastic-forward with metal accents. The Hamilton Beach feels beefier. Common user notes:
Price and Value: Cost, Running Costs, and Who Should Buy
Upfront cost (Amazon)
You pay about $89 for the Hamilton Beach 2-Way (12-cup + single-serve).
You pay about $62 for the Mr. Coffee 12-cup programmable.
The Hamilton costs more. You get more functions.
Running costs: filters, pods, and coffee
The Hamilton uses ground coffee and a reusable mesh filter. That cuts filter costs to near zero. It does not work with K-Cup pods.
The Mr. Coffee will use paper cone filters or a permanent filter. Paper filters add a small per-brew cost.
Long-term value: durability and repairs
You want a unit that lasts. The Hamilton Beach feels heavier. It holds up if you clean it. It gives more brew modes. Parts are common. Warranty is usually one year.
The Mr. Coffee is lighter and simpler. It is cheaper to replace. Some users report control failures after a year or two. Service options are limited for both.
Who should buy
Final Verdict: Pick for Your Routine
Hamilton Beach wins for most users. It brews a pot and a single cup. You get more use for the price. Mr. Coffee wins on price. It makes a plain, reliable 12‑cup pot.
Choose Hamilton Beach if you brew solo then serve a pot. Choose Mr. Coffee if you want a cheap 12‑cup that just works. Ready to pick? Order the one that fits.
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I’ve had the Hamilton Beach 2-way for about 6 months and honestly, it’s been great.
I use the single-serve every morning (I live alone) and the 12-cup when friends come over.
The programmable feature actually wakes up my apartment lol — coffee ready when I am.
Cleaning is easier than I thought, though the carafe gets water spots if you don’t dry it.
If you like flexibility, this is a smart pick. Taste wise it’s comparable to other drip machines I’ve owned.
Yep, Michael — it’s a basket filter for the carafe and the single-serve has a small basket that works with your own grounds. No pods needed.
Nice — can you use a reusable filter in the single-serve side? Trying to avoid pods.
Thanks for the firsthand take, Rachel — super helpful to hear about using both modes. Glad the programmable timer is working well for you!
I was deciding between them and ended up buying the Mr. Coffee because it was on sale. Program works fine but the keep-warm plate does burn the bottom layer of brewed coffee if left on too long.
Also — FYI — the Hamilton Beach’s single-serve looks tempting but double-check the water reservoir size if you’re making multiple cups back-to-back.
Anyone else notice the brew times are different? Mr. Coffee seems faster but less robust flavor.
If anyone wants, I can add a short section in the article about grind size and water temp tips — seems like readers are finding that useful.
Thanks @Lily — I might try bumping the grounds next time. Also trying a medium-dark roast helped with body.
Agree on brew time — Mr. Coffee is quicker but I felt Hamilton Beach gave deeper body. Personal preference tho.
Yep the plate is a culprit. I set a phone timer to switch it off after 30-40 mins and that helped.
Good observations, Aisha. Keep-warm plates on many machines will alter flavor if left on for hours. For stronger flavor, some readers reported using a slightly finer grind and a bit more coffee per cup in the Mr. Coffee.
I love how both companies promise barista-grade coffee and then deliver warm bean water 😂
Kidding aside, if you want reliability for years, go with the simpler Mr. Coffee. Fewer bells = fewer things to break in my experience.
Agree on durability, but the Hamilton Beach’s flexibility is worth it if you actually use the single-serve feature.
Haha — I hear you. Simpler machines do tend to be more durable for some folks. Thanks for the perspective, Mark.
Long post warning — I tested both for a month each because my mornings are sacred.
Hamilton Beach pros: programmable, single-serve + carafe combo is genuinely useful, decent build, can use your own grounds (no pods). Con: it’s a bit bigger on the counter and the single-serve basket can be fiddly at first.
Mr. Coffee pros: affordable, straightforward, smaller footprint for basic use. Con: not the best for making one cup quickly if you don’t want a whole pot — it’s optimized for pots.
Maintenance tips: descale every month if you’re on hard water, rinse the basket daily, and if your machine has a lid gasket check it for coffee oils that build up. PS — taste differences are subtle; grind, roast level, and water make the biggest impact.
Also worth mentioning: fresh beans vs stale preground matters WAY more than the machine choice, imo.
Fantastic rundown, Sonia — love the maintenance tips. Monthly descaling is underrated advice.
Thanks for the descaling tip. I always forget and then my coffee tastes meh for weeks 😅
George: it’s slightly louder with the dual-path plumbing but nothing terrible. Might depend on unit/age though.
Noted — I’ll include a brief maintenance checklist in the article update. Good call, everyone.
Did you find the Hamilton Beach louder than Mr. Coffee when brewing? Mine sounds like a tiny lawnmower.
I had a weird issue with the Mr. Coffee I bought — after a few months it started leaking at the water reservoir seam. Customer service replaced it but just a heads-up.
Also, pro tip: use a mesh reusable filter instead of paper for richer oils and less waste. Works with both machines in the review.
Anyone else had leaking problems or was I unlucky?
Mesh filter = game changer. Less paper trash and fuller bodied brew, agreed.
Thanks @Tom — I’ll check gaskets and seals when I get a replacement.
Sorry you had that experience, Lena. Thanks for flagging it — we’ve seen a handful of readers report leaks with certain Mr. Coffee batches. Good to check the unit when you unbox it.
I had a leak once from the carafe gasket on an older Hamilton Beach. Replacing the gasket fixed it.
Bought the Hamilton Beach after reading this post — love the programmability. Price was decent for the combo functionality. No regrets.
Picked the Mr. Coffee 12-cup because I just wanted something simple and cheap that works. No frills, just brew now or later like it says. Tip: use cooler filtered water for better taste.