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If you are looking for an economical way to enjoy the same coffee you would from a first-class café, Hamilton Beach has created a line of single-serve scoop coffee makers. All it takes is a scoop of your favorite ground coffee and the touch of a button.
We are going to take a closer look at the Hamilton Beach 49981 and the Hamilton Beach 49981a. We will consider their appearance, features, and the quality of the brew. Once we have added a comparison chart and some pros and cons, we will decide which is the better coffee maker.
The Hamilton Beach 49981 and the Hamilton Beach 49981a are almost identical, so we will start with their similarities.
Hamilton Beach 49981 vs 49981a – Similarities
Quick Glance
Let’s review the specifications side by side.
| Name | Hamilton Beach Single Serve Coffee Maker 49981 | Hamilton Beach Scoop Single Serve Coffee Maker, Fast Brewing 49981A |
|---|---|---|
| Image |  |
 |
| Size | 9.8 x 7.6 x 13.5 inches | 8.35 x 6.7 x 8.67 inches |
| Weight | 5.58lbs | 5.25lbs |
| Material | Stainless steel | Stainless steel |
| Maximum Capacity | 14oz | 14oz |
| Brewing Speed | 8oz cup in 90 seconds, travel mug in 2.5 minutes | 8oz cup in 90 seconds, travel mug in 2.5 minutes |
| Settings | Bold/Regular | Bold/Regular |
| Scoop | 2 measuring lines for accurate amounts | 2 measuring lines for accurate amounts |
| Filter | Steel mesh | Steel mesh |
| Warranty | 1-year limited | 1-year limited |
| Price | Check Price on Amazon | Check Price on Amazon |
Measuring the Ground Coffee
The scoops of the Hamilton Beach 49981 and the Hamilton Beach 49981a have two measuring lines so that you can get the exact amount of ground coffee. This ensures you don’t overfill the scoop and prevent the coffee from brewing correctly.
Coffee Types
If you are looking for more than normal coffee, the Hamilton Beach 49981 and the Hamilton Beach 49981a are ready to be used with a variety of coffee brands such as Starbucks. The mesh scoop filter allows you to brew a range of coffee flavors includes caramel, hazelnut, and vanilla.
Capacity and Speed
The Hamilton Beach 49981 and the Hamilton Beach 49981a have been designed for speed without reducing the flavor or strength. An 8oz cup of coffee will be ready in 90 seconds and a full travel mug in two and a half minutes. The maximum capacity is 14 ounces.
Settings
Both of these coffee makers are incredibly simple to use. Once you have loaded your ground coffee, you just need to choose between bold or regular and the process will begin. The Hamilton Beach 49981 and the Hamilton Beach 49981a automatically shut off once the brewing has finished.
Ease of Use
Aside from just “scoop, place, and brew”, the Hamilton Beach 49981 and the Hamilton Beach 49981a have an adjustable stand so that you can put your cup as close to the spout as possible. If you collapse the stand, you can fit your travel mug in the coffee makers. They also have a wide drip tray to catch any spills.
Materials
The Hamilton Beach 49981 and the Hamilton Beach 49981a are made of durable stainless steel. This makes them long-lasting and easy to clean.
The Scoop Filter
The Hamilton Beach 49981 and the Hamilton Beach 49981a come with a steel mesh scoop. This means you will never have to worry about paper filters.
Award-Winning Coffee Maker
These coffee makers won the 2012 Good House Keeping Very Innovative Products award. As well as this, the Industrial Designers Society of America ranked the Hamilton Beach 49981 and the Hamilton Beach 49981a high for its use of ground coffee while still being able to create flavored coffees.
Warranty
You will receive a one-year limited warranty with the Hamilton Beach 49981 and the Hamilton Beach 49981a.
There is only really one slight difference between Hamilton Beach 49981 and the 49981a in terms of specifications.
Difference Between Hamilton Beach 49981 and 49981a
Appearance
They are both made of stainless steel with black features and the bold and regular buttons to the side. The main difference is in their size.
Hamilton Beach 49981
This coffee maker is 9.8 x 7.6 x 13.5 inches and weighs 5.58 pounds.
Hamilton Beach 49981a
The weight is very similar at 5.25 pounds, but it is more compact at 8.35 x 6.7 x 8.67 inches.
The Winner Is- The Hamilton Beach 49981a
Read next – Hamilton Beach 49465 vs 49467: Which Coffee Maker is Better?
Pros and Cons
Just before our final verdict, we will look at some pros and cons of these Hamilton Beach coffee makers.
Hamilton Beach 49981
Pros:
- It’s a very quiet coffee maker
- The bold setting makes a very robust coffee
- It’s well built and easy to clean
Cons:
- The coffee isn’t hot enough for some people
Hamilton Beach 49981a
Pros:
- It looks great and doesn’t take up a lot of counter space
- The speed and capacity are better than many other brands
- The coffee is hotter compared with the Hamilton Beach 49981
Cons:
- The coffee might not be strong enough for everyone.
Read next – Hamilton Beach 46201 vs 46205: Which Coffee Maker is Better?
The Final Verdict
After reading through many reviews, we noticed that some people had issues simply because they didn’t read the instructions properly. The measuring lines are there for a reason, if you put too much ground coffee in it won’t make it stronger, it just means there isn’t sufficient room for the coffee to brew. If you overfill it, it may leak.
When testing the Hamilton Beach 49881 and 49981a, we followed the instructions to a T and had absolutely no issues. The coffee came out at the right strength for what we had set the machines for. We were very impressed with the flavors that we brewed too.
We loved the design features, in particular the adjustable stand for cups. It was a small detail, but it added to the ease of use. Both the Hamilton Beach 49981 and the Hamilton Beach 48891a were easy to clean. We just removed the parts and rinsed them off.
It was very hard to choose between the two because they were so similar. Nevertheless, we felt that the Hamilton Beach 48891a was the better coffee maker. The main reason for this is that the coffee was that little bit hotter and this was enough to win us over.