The Hamilton Beach FlexBrew Single-Serve Iced and Hot Coffee Maker, model 49921, brews from a pod or from ground coffee, hot or iced, and makes an 8 oz cup in about 90 seconds. Hamilton Beach sells it for $87.99 with a removable 50 oz tank.
What is the Hamilton Beach FlexBrew 49921?
It is a single serve coffee maker that does not tie you to one kind of coffee. Hamilton Beach says you can make iced or hot coffee with your favorite brand of pod, such as a K-Cup pod, or with ground coffee, which it calls two ways to brew. The box includes a single-serve pod holder, a single-serve brew basket for grounds and a cup rest with a storage area for either.
That matters because the usual complaint about pod machines is pod cost and pod choice. A machine that also takes loose grounds lets you buy a bag of coffee you like and use it, or keep pods around for speed. Nobody has tested the machine here, so everything below comes from Hamilton Beach's own description and figures.
Hamilton Beach FlexBrew 49921 specs
| Model | 49921 |
|---|---|
| Ways to brew | Pod (such as K-Cup) or ground coffee, hot or iced |
| Brew time | About 90 seconds for an 8 oz cup |
| Sizes with ground coffee | 8, 10, 12 or 14 oz |
| Sizes with a pod | 8 or 10 oz |
| Water reservoir | 50 oz, removable, up to 6 servings per fill |
| Tall mug clearance | 7-1/2 inch tumbler or travel mug, with the cup rest removed |
| Weight | 6.44 lbs |
| Included | Pod holder, single-serve brew basket, cup rest with storage |
| Price | $87.99 |
The maker's page does not state wattage, warranty length, an automatic shut-off time, dimensions or colors, so none of those appear here.
How does the FlexBrew brew with a pod or with ground coffee?
You choose the holder. For a pod, you use the single-serve pod holder; for ground coffee, you use the single-serve brew basket. Hamilton Beach lists the hot sizes as 8, 10, 12 or 14 oz when you brew with grounds, and 8 or 10 oz when you brew with a pod. The size range is narrower with pods, so a 12 oz mug from a pod is not on the list.
Speed is the headline figure: an 8 oz cup in about 90 seconds. Hamilton Beach pitches this at first thing in the morning, when waiting is the problem. The page does not say how long the machine takes to heat before that first brew, and it does not give a time for the larger sizes.
The cup rest holds a standard-size cup and removes to make room for a tumbler or travel mug up to 7-1/2 inches tall. That is a bit more headroom than the 7 inches listed for the Keurig K-Iced.
Hamilton Beach says the machine does iced and hot coffee, and that having both lets you adjust your cup to your mood and the season. It does not describe how the iced mode works, such as whether the coffee brews onto ice or is chilled first. Check that detail in the manual if iced coffee is the reason you are buying.
The removable 50 oz reservoir is rated at 6 servings per fill. That is enough for a household's morning coffee without refilling between cups, though a bigger tank, like the 1.66 liter one on the FlexBrew Trio, goes further.
Hamilton Beach FlexBrew 49921 vs FlexBrew Trio
The Hamilton Beach FlexBrew Trio Coffee Maker is the bigger sibling. It has three brew modes: a pod single cup, a grounds single cup, or up to 12 cups into a carafe. Its tank holds 1.66 liters, it offers 5 single-serve sizes and it brews a single cup in 90 seconds. No retail price is recorded for the Trio here, so check Hamilton Beach's store for its current price.
The 49921 has the same two single-cup ways to brew but no carafe, and a smaller 50 oz (about 1.48 liter) tank. Choose the Trio if you sometimes need a full pot for guests or for a household of several people. Choose the 49921 if you only ever make single cups and want a smaller machine, at $87.99.
Hamilton Beach FlexBrew 49921 vs Keurig K-Iced
The Keurig K-Iced Single Serve Coffee Maker is priced at $129.99, which is $42 more. It has a 42 oz removable reservoir, brews 8, 10 and 12 oz iced cups, shuts off automatically 5 minutes after the last brew and has a Strong Brew option for hot coffee. It fits travel mugs up to 7 inches tall.
The FlexBrew has the larger tank at 50 oz and costs less. It also takes ground coffee in a basket supplied in the box, while the K-Iced relies on the My K-Cup filter, which is sold separately. The K-Iced lists a stated auto shut-off and a Strong Brew button, neither of which is on the 49921 page. If you want a machine designed around iced coffee with a shut-off, the K-Iced is the answer. If you want pods or grounds and a lower price, the FlexBrew is.
Is the Hamilton Beach FlexBrew 49921 worth it?
At $87.99 it costs more than the $71.00 Keurig K-Mini and less than the $129.99 Keurig K-Iced. What the money buys is a machine that takes a pod or a scoop of your own coffee out of the box, with the grounds basket already included, so no separate reusable filter is needed.
It is worth it if you drink one or two cups a day and want to switch between pods and grounds depending on the day. It is less compelling if you only use pods, since a cheaper pod brewer does the same job. And it makes only a single cup, so a household with several coffee drinkers will find a carafe machine faster.
Who should buy the Hamilton Beach FlexBrew 49921 (and who should not)
Buy it if you want to use both pods and your own ground coffee, if you drink iced coffee through the summer and hot coffee through the winter, or if you need to fit a tall tumbler under the spout. The 90 second brew time suits a rushed morning.
Skip it if you want a carafe, a stated automatic shut-off or a stated warranty before buying. Skip it too if you want a pod machine with 4 or 6 oz sizes, since the smallest cup here is 8 oz.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Hamilton Beach FlexBrew 49921 use K-Cup pods?
Hamilton Beach says it works with your favorite brand of pod, such as a K-Cup pod. It also brews ground coffee using the single-serve brew basket that comes with it.
How long does the FlexBrew 49921 take to brew a cup?
Hamilton Beach lists about 90 seconds for an 8 oz cup.
What cup sizes does it make?
With ground coffee you can choose 8, 10, 12 or 14 oz. With a pod the choices are 8 or 10 oz.
How big is the water tank?
The removable reservoir holds 50 oz, which Hamilton Beach says is enough for up to 6 servings before refilling.
Can it make iced coffee?
Yes. The model name and the maker's page both list iced and hot coffee. The page does not say how the iced setting works, so read the manual if that detail matters to you.
Will a travel mug fit?
A tumbler or travel mug up to 7-1/2 inches tall fits once you remove the cup rest. With the rest in place it holds a standard-size cup.
