Coffee & Espresso · Head-to-head
Ninja PB051 Pods & Grounds Specialty Single-Serve Coffee Maker vs Hamilton Beach FlexBrew Single-Serve Iced & Hot Coffee Maker (49921)
Which should you buy? Our verdict on both, pulled from our full The Best Single-Serve Coffee Makers: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) comparison.
The Ninja covers more ground than anything else here: pods or grounds, sizes from a 6 oz cup to a 24 oz travel mug, an Over Ice style, a concentrate for milk drinks and a built-in frother. The Hamilton Beach gives you the core of that, pods or grounds plus iced or hot, with a removable 50 oz tank, for less money and a smaller footprint.
Ninja PB051 Pods & Grounds Specialty Single-Serve Coffee Maker
Buy itThe most flexible single-cup brewer here: pods or grounds, seven grounds sizes up to 24 oz, an Over Ice style and a fold-away frother.
- Brews pods (with the included Ninja Pod Adapter) or grounds, with 6, 8, 10 or 12 oz pod sizes and 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 18 or 24 oz grounds sizes.
- Four brew styles, Classic, Rich, Over Ice and Specialty, where Specialty makes a concentrate for lattes and similar drinks.
- A 56 oz removable reservoir, a permanent filter in the box, room for a travel mug up to 8 inches tall, and a removable fold-away frother.
- Ninja's page does not name which pod brands fit the pod adapter, so check your usual pods before you commit.
- The biggest unit here at 15.08 x 7.36 x 16.14 in and 7.8 lbs, so it needs real counter space.
- Pod brews top out at 12 oz; the larger sizes are grounds-only.
Hamilton Beach FlexBrew Single-Serve Iced & Hot Coffee Maker (49921)
Buy itPods or grounds, iced or hot, with a removable 50 oz tank and an 8 oz cup in about 90 seconds, for less than the Ninja.
- Takes pods (Hamilton Beach names K-Cup pods as an example) or ground coffee, with a pod holder and a single-serve brew basket included.
- The removable 50 oz reservoir covers up to 6 servings before a refill, according to Hamilton Beach.
- Brews an 8 oz cup in about 90 seconds, and the cup rest lifts out for a tumbler or travel mug up to 7-1/2 inches tall.
- Hot sizes are limited: 8, 10, 12 or 14 oz with grounds and only 8 or 10 oz with a pod.
- No frother, no concentrate setting and no strength setting listed on this model's page.
- Hamilton Beach does not publish the iced brew size or the warranty on the product page.
Side by side
| Ninja PB051 Pods & Grounds Specialty Single-Serve Coffee Maker | Hamilton Beach FlexBrew Single-Serve Iced & Hot Coffee Maker (49921) | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict | Buy | Buy |
| Best for | Anyone who drinks a mix of quick pod cups, big travel mugs of fresh grounds and the occasional milk drink. | A household that wants pods on busy mornings, grounds on slow ones, and iced coffee in summer without a big outlay. |
| Price tier | $$ · mid-range | $$ · mid-range |
The bottom line
Our overall pick is the Ninja PB051 Pods & Grounds Specialty Single-Serve Coffee Maker - The most flexible single-cup brewer here: pods or grounds, seven grounds sizes up to 24 oz, an Over Ice style and a fold-away frother. Choose the Hamilton Beach FlexBrew Single-Serve Iced & Hot Coffee Maker (49921) instead if a household that wants pods on busy mornings, grounds on slow ones, and iced coffee in summer without a big outlay.
Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Single-Serve Coffee Makers: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).