If you want to start your day with that ‘perfect cup of coffee’ but don’t like the hassle of making it yourself, then you need a good coffee maker. There are so many brands and models available in the market that it can be really tough to make a choice.
Today we will review a coffee maker that comes from a company that has established its reputation in the market by being consistent with quality. Here’s our detailed review of the Hamilton Beach 49981A Single Serve Scoop Coffee Maker.
Hamilton Beach had a humble beginning in the 1910 when they started making universal motor driven appliances.
The company soon grew at an exponential rate and they started producing food mixers, floor polishers, meat grinders, juice extractors, fans, and even jewelers’ motors. In 1960 they made their first-ever coffeemaker.
Today Hamilton Beach offers a complete line of espresso machines, one-cup coffee makers and coffee grinders.
The manufacturer claims that the 49981A Scoop Single-Serve Coffeemaker is one of a kind, and it has been designed to brew hotter and better tasting coffee within minutes.

Contents
49981A Scoop Single-Serve Coffeemaker
Why is it the best?
But, before we go into finding out how true that is, let’s take a look at the exterior facade of the coffeemaker.
When we looked at the machine, we could see that it comes from the house of manufacture that has been in business for a really long time. The coffeemaker oozes quality and looks classic.
It is made from high quality stainless steel which adds a lot of durability to it. On the top, there is a lid to add grounded coffee and there’s a built-in stand for coffee mugs. There’s ample space to use different sizes of coffee cups.
On the side, there are two buttons for ‘Regular’ and ‘Bold’ so you can choose the type of coffee you want. You don’t need to use K-Cup packs or other pre-packaged coffee pods that are expensive.
It uses inexpensive coffee grounds to give you an incredibly good tasting cup of coffee. The mesh scoop filter enables you to enjoy different flavors such as caramel, hazelnut, or vanilla from a variety of brands such as Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts.
This Scoop Coffeemaker uses ground coffee to gives you perfectly brewed delectable coffee, cup after cup. In just 90 seconds you can brew coffee for an eight-ounce cup and in less than two and a half minutes you can enjoy a travel mug full of hot steaming coffee, café style.
The Scoop Coffeemaker is easy to use and it works in just three simple steps – scoop, place, and brew. It comes with a steel mesh scoop that helps to filter the freshly ground coffee.
There are not too many options to confuse you because the manufacturer believes that making a great tasting cup of coffee shouldn’t take too long.
The Good Housekeeping Research Institute has awarded this product with the “2012 Good Housekeeping Very Innovative Products (VIP) Award.”
It has also received high ratings and rankings from the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) for using coffee grinds instead of pods or packs. Thus users get the benefit of getting their own strength, flavor, and cup size.
Features of the Hamilton Beach 49981A Single Serve Scoop Coffee Maker
- Measures 7.6 x 9.8 x 13.5 inches
- Weighs 5.4 pounds
- Made from stainless steel
- Single-serve scoop filter
- Brews up to 14 oz. into a standard mug or travel cup
- In-built stand for coffee mugs
- One steel mesh scoop filter
Advantages
- It costs only a few pennies per cup as compared to competitor brands
- You get an 8 oz. cup of your favorite coffee in less than 2 minutes
- It is easy to use with simple instructions and steps
- Simple settings allow you to get the regular or bold flavor
- The auto shut down feature makes the product energy efficient
- Easy to clean as all parts are dishwasher safe
- Works great when you are camping or on the go
- The machine is highly durable as it boasts a stainless steel construction
- You can get the perfect flavors and Starbucks or Melitta styled coffee right at home
- It takes the math out of making coffee as the scoops are properly labeled
- Extensive drip tray which doesn’t drip
Disadvantages
- Some people may not find the coffee hot enough
Summary
The Hamilton Beach 49981A is a well-made, durable, and easy to use single-serve scoop coffee maker that can brew 14 ounces into a travel cup or coffee mug. In less than a minute, you can enjoy a hot and great tasting cup of coffee.
You don’t need to use K-Cups or expensive coffee pods to create a cup of coffee using this coffeemaker. It allows you to use inexpensive coffee grounds to prepare the perfect cup of your preferred choice of flavor.
Comparison
We compared the Hamilton Beach 49981A with the Chefman Coffee Maker K-Cup InstaBrew Brewer and found that the latter is made from plastic and steel, while the product in review is completely made from steel. Both the coffeemakers are compact in design and they share similar features like auto shut down, dishwasher safe, and so on.
The Hamilton Beach 49981 costs more than competitor products but the quality of construction and awesome features make it worth the money spent.
Verdict
If you are looking for a coffee maker that allows you to enjoy your own flavor of coffee and drink as much or little as you like, the Hamilton Beach 49981A is the best bet. The coffeemaker boasts a full steel construction and comes equipped with features that make it easy to use. It is also easy to clean and maintain.
This is an award-winning coffeemaker by Hamilton Beach and when you take a closer look at it, you can understand why. Overall, we highly recommend this coffeemaker to all.