The Hamilton Beach 2-Way FlexBrew 49983 seems like a really great idea. Indeed, there are other similar coffeemakers on the market. There’s a regular drip brewing setup on the left, and a K-Cup-compatible cartridge brewing system on the right. Yet our instantly-brewed colleagues down the hall at Consumer Reports say that this model is potentially dangerous because the warming plate for the drip side heats up when the instant side is in use.

Yes, that is kind of pointless. They point out that other dual brew machines don’t work that way: when you’re making coffee from a cartridge, the warming plate doesn’t heat up. Even other dual brewers from Hamilton Beach don’t work that way.

Having the plate turn on isn’t just pointless, though: a user might not know that the warming plate heats up while the other side is in use and the carafe is in the sink being washed, and burn their hand when they reach for their cup from the K-Cup side.

Yes, you should read every page of the manual and all warnings before using a new appliance, but you probably don’t. There’s a little “HOT” sign that lights up in front of the warming plate while the machine is on, which is good, but people in general can be pretty stupid.

Hamilton Beach has more faith in humanity than we do, and assured Consumer Reports that this product is safe. If you have one and want to return it, though, they’ll give a refund or exchange.

Hamilton Beach dual coffeemaker deemed unsafe by Consumer Reports [Consumer Reports]

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