Coffee might not be essential to life (although the jury is still out on that one), but it does show up every day of the week. The ubiquitous brown beverage that supplies a caffeinated jolt to imbibers can be enjoyed seemingly in a million different ways. However, before the cream and the sugar quandary comes up, how to brew it must first be addressed.
The Hamilton Beach (Model 49983) Two-Way Deluxe Coffeemaker ($99.99; available in August) is actually even more versatile than the name would imply. While true that the coffeemaker is designed to brew into either a travel mug or a full-sized carafe, it varies the possibilities by extending the capabilities on the to-go side of the appliance; either ground coffee or K-cups can be used to brew a single serving.
When the weekend finally rolls around and things slow down, the countertop appliance converts to a full 12-cup coffeemaker with nothing more than a turn of the dial. Understanding that timing is everything, the single cup side can deliver a brew in as few as 2.5 minutes, while the carafe side is programmable for up to 24 hours in advance and has an auto-shut-off feature just in case the snooze button wins a few times.