Famiworths Single Serve Coffee Maker, Bold Brew

Some weird features or lack of features. No warming element in the bottom. Makes a pretty good cup of coffee. I like that the basket is really big. I don’t like that you can’t leave the doors open to allow it to dry between uses unless you unplug it. (If you don’t the “door is open” light flashes continuously) The water tank capacity is smallish -the max limit is below my usual size of large mugs. But it is ok for the price. It does the job.

I researched every single-serve coffee maker and read a LOT of reviews before selecting this one. I’m so happy with it! I’ve used it daily for a month, and it’s not showing any problems. It’s a no-frills pod machine for a cup up to 10 ounces. I use a mug for 8 ounces so have no problem with splashing over the top when it dispenses. You can select regular or bold strength with buttons on the side. I’m a new coffee drinker, so the regular strength seems full-bodied, not weak. The two lights on the side stay white after I’ve removed the used pod. When I set it up for the next time, the lights flash red. This is supposed to mean it needs to be descaled, but it’s done this since the first day. I don’t care about the lights, so I haven’t taken the time to look it up. A small packet of descaling crystals came with it. I’ll figure that out eventually. In the meantime, this is doing exactly what I wanted in a small coffee maker. I love it!

PROS:
Small, slim design for a small space
Very easy to set up and use
Good coffee strength
Turns itself off after the coffee dispenses
Brews very quickly
The coffee is hot
Has measurement levels for the water
Descaling crystals included

CONS:
The dispenser drips a little after the mug is removed (the tray catches the drips)
There might be splashing as it fills a coffee cup vs a mug
The water measurement insert might not be completely accurate, so use a measuring cup the first time
The white and red lights are confusing (but I haven’t taken the time to read about them)

Loving that it can be used both ways.

This review is for:
Famiworths Single Serve Coffee Maker for K Cup & Ground Coffee,
With Bold Brew, One Cup Coffee Maker, 6 to 14 oz. Brew Sizes,
Fits Travel Mug, Classic Black — (Amazon Item: B0BC8PYLQC)
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BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front)
This turned into a long review so I’ll summarize it here:
* I’m happy with the machine and if asked, would recommend it to friends and family. And you. *
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• MY EXPERIENCE
For many years I used a (carafe-type) Keurig coffee machine along with a third-party Eco-Carafe filter so I could use my own choice of loose grounds. That combination also allowed me to use over twice the amount of grounds found in a K-cup, making for a very strong single cup of coffee. When the Keurig machine died I started using an Aeropress, which makes an excellent cup of coffee. I’d recommend the Aeropress to anyone who enjoys their coffee and wants a full-flavored cup. Although I very much like my Aeropress I switch back and forth between it and this machine when I want a cup of brewed coffee faster or with a little less fuss.

That brings me to this Famiworths Single Serve Coffee Maker. I’ve been using this machine along with my Aeropress for several months and am happy with the purchase. On most days I make my first cup of coffee with the Aeropress and make any subsequent cups with the Famiworths machine. There’s a distinct difference in flavor between the coffee produced by these machines. Coffee from the Aeropress is similar to that produced by a French Press, and allows you to let the grounds steep to your liking. Using the same amount of grounds, I’ve found the Famiworths makes A DARNED GOOD CUP OF COFFEE but does not extract quite as much flavor as the Aeropress. However, I expected that as the grounds spend much more time in contact with the hot water when using the Aeropress.

• OPERATION & POINTS OF INTEREST:
1. As stated, the Famisworths brewer does not extract as much flavor as the Aeropress but it’s pretty darned good – and since I use my own favorite grounds, it produces coffee at least 2 heads and 4 shoulders above any Keurig-type pod-only brewer you’ll find.

2. It has a very small footprint, so occupies minimal counter space in my small kitchen.

3. I have a collection of short to tall coffee mugs and travel mugs, and all of them easily fit under the brew basket of this machine.

4. The water reservoir is emptied each time a brewing cycle is completed. So, the water reservoir should be filled according to how much coffee you want to brew. There are measurements inside the reservoir so you know how much water you have poured in.

5. To brew your cup of coffee, there are two interchangeable… ‘modules’ I’ll call them. First, there’s a removable filter basket to hold your loose grounds. The other module is a removable K-cup holder. Both work well for their intended purpose.

6. The filter basket has a ‘maximum’ line marked inside. I found that 2.5 rounded Tbsp of grounds just about reaches that line, and is what I use for a 14 oz. cup of coffee.

7. It’s simple to operate. Just add a pod or coffee grounds, add water, then press one of the brew buttons.

8. There are two brew buttons. One is labeled ‘Regular’ and the other button is labeled ‘Bold’. The difference between them is how fast water is pumped through the grounds.

9. What happens when one of the brewing buttons is pressed (14 oz. water in the reservoir):

a.) When pressing the Regular button –
Water is pumped through the grounds at a steady rate until the water reservoir is emptied.
0:00-3:10 – Water in reservoir is heated
3:10-4:13 – Heated water is pumped at regular speed until the reservoir is emptied

b.) When pressing the Bold button –
Water is pumped through the grounds at perhaps half speed for about 45 seconds before switching to regular speed until the reservoir is emptied.
0:00-3:10 – Water in reservoir is heated
3:10-3:55 – Heated water is pumped at slow speed
3:55-4:45 – The remainder of the heated water is pumped at regular speed until the reservoir is emptied

10. Button Lights –
The two buttons are located on the side and are situated vertically, with the Regular button situated above the Bold button.
– One White Button: When either button is pressed to start a brew cycle, that button will flash while the water is heated, stop flashing but stay lit while water is being pumped, and turn off when the brew cycle is completed.
– Two White Buttons Flashing at the Same Time: Indicates the coffee grounds chamber lid is open.
– Two Buttons Flashing Red Alternately: This occurs every 150 brew cycles and serves as a descaling reminder. The buttons will continue to flash whenever the brewer is plugged in – until a descaling cycle is run.

11.Descaling –
– Pour 14 oz. of descaling solution into the water reservoir.
– Press both brew buttons for 2 seconds to start the descaling process.
– After the descaling process is completed – Run 14 oz. of plain water through the brewer (3) times to ensure all of the descaling solution is removed.
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• TIPS TO CONSIDER:
1. Reducing splatter during the brew cycle
If you’ve previously owned a drip coffee maker you know that dropping a small stream of coffee into a cup results in accumulating coffee splatter on the front of the brewer. I found that a small can of tuna fits nicely in the depression of the drip tray of this brewer, and that will raise my coffee mugs enough to reduce splatter.

Also, the shape of the tuna can bottom prevents it from easily sliding around or off of the drip tray. And the lip on top keeps the mugs from sliding off. (All of my mugs fit inside the raised ring on top of the can.) It’s almost a perfect solution, but I may remove the label and spray paint the can black in the near future.

2. Containing drips and splatter after the brewing cycle has completed
From what I understand all K-cup brewers follow the Keurig design of pushing air through the K-cup at the end of the brewing cycle. The air helps to push out the last few drops of water from the K-cup, as well as helping to clear and dry the needle and other parts. This brewer is no exception, ending every brew cycle with a short period of forced air. That works great for K-cups but has little to no effect when you’re using the brewing basket for loose grounds. So like all drip coffee makers, occasional drops of water will continue dripping from the grounds for several seconds after completion of a brewing cycle. I never use K-cups and usually switch out the full cup of coffee with an empty cup to catch those last few drops. This prevents the drops from hitting the drip tray and producing a light splatter.

At the end of the brew cycle I also open the front lid and bounce the coffee filter up and down a few times to help the last of the drops to pass through the grounds.

3. Simplifying the task of adding water to the reservoir
I’m over 6 ft. tall but I still got annoyed at having to lean over the top of the brewer – peering into the water reservoir to see how much water was in the reservoir – every time I wanted a cup of coffee. To eliminate this small annoyance I marked a plastic water bottle with a 14oz line so I can measure the water out of the tap and then blindly pour it into the reservoir.
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• OBSERVATIONS:
As stated above, I like and recommend this coffee maker, but here are some additional observations that may be of interest to you.

1. Third-party baskets for loose grounds won’t fit.
I love my stainless steel Ekobrew reusable filter which fit two Keurig machines I’ve used previously, but it will not fit in this machine.

Why? On the module that accommodates K-cups, the sharp needle that pierces the K-cup tops is not in the ‘standard’ center position, which (as far as I’m aware) prevents the use of all after-market reusable filters/baskets for K-cup machines.

2. Errant flavor
Comparing the flavor of coffee brewed in my Aeropress to coffee from this machine, there’s more to the story than just how long the grounds are steeped. There’s something else subtle in the flavor – and I think it’s the very faint taste of plastic. Either I’m becoming accustomed to the subtle flavor, or it’s slowly dissipating. I believe it’s the latter. Keep in mind that since it’s subtle and I can’t definitively identify the rogue flavor, I could be wrong as to the source.

* UPDATE, One month later
After daily use that faint errant flavor has disappeared.

3. BPA FREE (I didn’t base my purchase on BPA content, but just wanted to check.)
Based on responses to posted questions, the product description used to state the machine is BPA-free but I could not find that info on the product page. It seems the product materials have changed, and to ensure the brewer is still BPA free I sent an email to the seller/mfr. Here is part of their response:

“All plastic parts in contact with food are free of BPA and other toxic chemicals.”

Based on that response it’s reasonable to assume there is BPA in some of the brewer’s plastic, but not in any of the plastic that contacts water or coffee grounds. But since every bit of plastic on this brewer appears to be the same material, I’d feel better if their response was more detailed and that the BPA-free claim was still part of their public product description and specifications.

4. Auto Shutoff for an Empty Water Reservoir
Like most coffee drinkers, I sometimes make coffee when I’m half asleep. And in those instances I have very occasionally forgotten to add water to the water reservoir. So I asked the seller if there is an auto-shutoff to protect the heating coils when no water is present in the reservoir. The response I received seems to indicate there is indeed an auto disconnect to protect heating coils when no water is present. Still, I wouldn’t want to make a habit of testing this fail-safe feature. Here is the seller’s full response:

“Our unit working in the state of no water 15-40S temperature controller will be disconnected, the heat pipe will no longer continue to heat. After the temperature of the thermostat returns to normal, the user adds water and starts the machine again, and can continue to work.”