Hamilton Beach Front-Fill 12-Cup Coffee Maker, 46310

3.8

(5)

Verdict

The top plug-in performer for brew strength and user-friendly filling, with excellent clean pouring. An easy recommendation if you want a bold cup, simple daily use, and strong overall efficiency.

Pros

Design, ergonomics & footprint 4.8 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 reviews 4.8
Brewing performance & consistency 4.8 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4 reviews 4.8

This machine brews reliably with evenly saturated grounds and hot, flavorful coffee around 180°F, maintaining full strength across full pots and smaller 1–4 cup batches without overflowing the filter basket, and this test confirms it as one of the most efficient brewers with very high TDS measurements.
Cup, tray & carafe handling 4.3 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4 reviews 4.3
Water system, maintenance & descaling 4.3 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4 reviews 4.3
Capacity 4.0 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4 reviews 4.0

The 12-cup carafe and reservoir support brewing for a crowd or smaller 1–4 cup batches, with simple scoop-per-cup guidelines and markings, and a full 12-cup pot translating to roughly six standard 12-ounce mugs since each programmed cup is about 5 ounces.
Overall user experience 4.0 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4 reviews 4.0

Overall feedback paints this as a simple, reliable everyday coffee maker that brews good-tasting coffee at roughly a cup per minute and is easy to live with thanks to front-access loading, auto-brew, and a quiet brew cycle, despite minor quirks like a fiddly, sticky-button clock set procedure, the lack of a brew-complete beep, and brew temperatures that may feel less hot than a percolator for some users.
Automation & sensors 3.8 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4 reviews 3.8

Programmable auto-brew with bold and small-batch modes, a two-hour auto-shutoff, and a clean-cycle reminder make daily use convenient and safer, though the lack of a brew-complete beep and the multi-button clock setting sequence with somewhat sticky buttons can make programming feel fiddly.
Heating-element power 3.7 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 reviews 3.7

Brew temperatures landed around 179°F and the warmer increased heat after an hour, keeping coffee very hot, though the warming plate can run extremely hot to the touch.
Speed & time-to-cup 3.5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 reviews 3.5

Cons

Assembly & Setup 3.3 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4 reviews 3.3
Filter 3.0 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4 reviews 3.0

This brewer does not include a reusable filter but works with standard 8–12 cup basket paper filters or a compatible reusable basket, and the reservoir accepts an optional drop-in water filter cartridge that typically must be purchased separately to help improve taste.
Build quality & durability 2.7 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 3 reviews 2.7