Tag: Coffee & Espresso Machines

What’s the one kitchen appliance you use every single day, no matter what? For me and my husband, it’s our coffee maker. We usually burn through an entire 10-cup pot well before lunchtime on any given weekday. Ditto on weekends, actually.

I have a feeling that a lot of you reading this are in the same boat. In fact, seven in 10 Americans drink coffee every day, with the average amount being a little more than three cups of coffee, according to the National Coffee Association. That’s a lot of joe. Which begs the question: What’s the best coffee machine to make these cups at home?

There are all sorts of ways to make coffee at home, with French presses, pour overs, Aeropresses, and more. But automatic drip coffee makers are (usually) the easiest to use and probably what you grew up with. They all work, generally, the same way: Water heats, then flows through a shower head that disperses the water over the ground coffee. The brewed coffee then drips downwards into a carafe. (Hence the name!) These kinds of coffee makers can make upwards of eight to 12 cups of coffee, with the ability to brew smaller amounts, too. 

To find out which coffee maker was best, I rounded up nearly a dozen of them, focusing mainly on ones that had thermal carafes, as they keep coffee hotter longer than models with glass carafes, which also have a tendency to scorch coffee due to the hot plates beneath them. (Although I did pick a glass option, just in case, because I know it’s a matter of personal preference.) Here’s a little overview before we get deeper into the testing.

I’m a professional kitchen equipment tester. The former Tools Editor here at Kitchn, I also previously worked at America’s Test Kitchen and my reviews on topics like stand mixers, induction burners, toaster ovens, and multicookers have been published in Cook’s Illustrated, Cook’s Country, and on the America’s Test Kitchen website. My work has also been featured on America’s Test Kitchen’s and Cook’s Country’s television programs. And again, I make (and drink) a lot of coffee!

Great coffee from a coffee maker seems like a pretty crucial requirement, right? Well, a lot of the machines struggle to do just that. The best coffee makers brew full-bodied, smooth coffee. And there are a couple of reasons some are better than others. For starters, my favorite machines (excluding my budget-friendly pick) are certified by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), which means they meet the SCA’s Golden Cup standard for brew strength.

The standard considers coffee-to-water ratio, time of coffee-to-water contact, temperature, and more. It can get pretty technical, but the standard is two tablespoons of ground coffee per six ounces of water. The worst coffee makers of the bunch call for about half that amount, leading to watery, weak coffee. Now, you might be wondering if you can just use the correct Golden Ratio amount to “fix” these weaker machines? Unfortunately, you can not, as their brew baskets are also much smaller and this would cause them to overflow, as coffee expands when wet. 

As for the other reasons why some machines do better than others: My favorite ones maintain a brewing temperature of around 200°F and make a full pot of coffee in eight minutes or less, both of which are critical for extracting proper flavor and strength from coffee beans. Of course, you also care about how well the coffee makers are able to keep the coffee hot once it’s brewed. All of the ones I tested (even the ones that didn’t make my final list), were able to keep the coffee hot, well above 135°F, which is when coffee starts to become tepid, for three hours.

Operating a coffee maker shouldn’t feel like a chore. The best models are super straightforward to use, with easy-to-understand control panels and clearly labeled buttons. I also prefer models that have easily accessible water reservoirs and clear water-level markings, which makes them a cinch to fill up. I like brew baskets with handles, too, so it’s easy to dispose of the grounds post-brewing. 

If you want a coffee maker with lots of bells and whistles, you can find that. And if you want something super basic that does a fantastic job, you can get that, too. A lot of the coffee makers that I tested have different features, like programmable brewing timers and the ability to make a single cup of coffee. It’s all about what you want and think you’ll use. For more information about which machines have what, see below. 

I judged all of the machines on the following criteria, on a scale of one to five (one being the worst and five being the best):

This SCA-certified coffee maker brews consistently amazing coffee and is supremely easy to use. (Like, seriously amazing.) It doesn’t have fancy features: Just a switch to turn it on and off. But if you’re like me, that’s all you need. It takes this machine about 6 minutes to brew a full pot of coffee and it keeps it piping hot for much longer than 3 hours. The carafe is easy to pour from, with a wide lip, and if you want to have a cup of coffee before the machine finishes brewing, the coffee maker will automatically pause to allow you to do so. I also love the clear markings on the front of the water reservoir — which is easy to fill — and that the brew basket is simple to remove and has a handle. If you love coffee and want a coffee maker that does its job and does it well, the Moccamaster is a worthwhile investment. And it’s a favorite among a LOT of coffee pros, too.

Who it’s best for: Someone who wants a straightforward, no-frills coffee maker that works. And works incredibly well.
Good to know: In addition to the carafe’s brew lid, it also comes with a travel lid, which keeps the coffee hotter for an extended period of time and doesn’t leak. Use this lid if you’re bringing your carafe outside to, say, a fire pit. It comes with a five-year warranty. 

Unlike many other coffee makers with glass carafes, this model by Technivorm makes consistently smooth, full-bodied coffee and keeps it warm for hours — without scorching it. (Note: At about 100 minutes, this coffee maker shut off automatically, however at the 2-hour mark the coffee was still at 136°F). Like its sibling thermal carafe model, it brewed a full pot of coffee in about 6 minutes and its reservoir was a cinch to fill and had clear water level markings on the front. Its brew basket has a handle, making it super easy to insert and remove. In addition to its power switch, this coffee maker has a switch on the front that allows you to brew either a full or a half carafe of coffee to Golden Cup standards. 

Who it’s best for: Anyone who prefers a glass carafe coffee maker and wants the ability to have the half-carafe Golden Cup option. 
Good to know: Comes with a five-year warranty. While these aren’t the new, KBGV select model, Moccamaster also makes gorgeous, colorful glass carafe models.

This smaller coffee maker is seriously impressive — and reasonably priced. Its shorter stature means that it can easily get tucked away on a shelf if you need it to live somewhere that’s not on your counter. It brews consistently good, full-bodied coffee and takes about 7 minutes to make a whole carafe. It also keeps coffee hot for hours and while the water reservoir is narrow and therefore a little tough to fill, the control panel is clearly labeled and the machine is super easy to use. This coffee maker allows you to brew a single serving of coffee right into a mug and even comes with a separate brew basket for this smaller amount. 

Who it’s best for: If you need a space-saving coffee maker and/or want the ability to brew single-serving cups of coffee. 
Good to know: OXO also has this coffee maker, which has an auto-brew function.

If you want a coffee maker with a ton of features, this is the one for you. It makes consistently great, velvety coffee and brews 8 cups of coffee in less than 6 minutes. It’s also easy to use, has a fairly intuitive control panel, and keeps coffee warm for hours. I love the large handle on the brew basket, the clear markings on the front of the water reservoir, and that the reservoir has a large opening that is easy to fill. As for those extra features, here’s what this Breville model offers: Gold mode (which has been certified by the SCA), fast mode that makes 12 cups of coffee in less than 7 minutes, strong mode that brews stronger-tasting coffee, cold brew mode, and over ice mode to make stronger coffee to account for the dilution that happens with ice in iced coffee. You can also adjust bloom time, brewing temp, and flow rate, as well as brew a single serving of coffee and even buy a pour-over adapter for it. And it also has an auto-start setting.

Who it’s best for: Someone who wants the ability to really personalize their coffee experience and loves playing with additional features. 
Good to know: This coffee maker will tell you when it’s time to descale, flashing a notification on its screen. It comes with a two-year warranty.

If you can’t or don’t want to spend a lot of money on a coffee maker, I get it. This coffee maker is the best of the budget-friendly (under $100) models I tried. Its coffee is weaker than my top picks, but significantly better than others in its price range. It takes about 10 minutes to brew a full pot of coffee, but it’s intuitive to use and I like that the brew basket is positioned at the front, which makes it easily accessible. The water reservoir, however, is located at the back and harder to see, but it is much larger than some of the other cheaper coffee makers I tried. It keeps coffee hot for hours, too, and it has an auto-brew setting.  

Who it’s best for: If you need a coffee maker, but can’t or don’t want to spend a lot of money on one.
Good to know: This machine comes with a one-year warranty. 

We will do our homework, going wildly in-depth with our testing. But we’ll condense the info into easy, breezy summaries, so that you can see what we picked and why, and then move on your life. Because we know you’re busy!

Do you have a question about coffee makers? Let us know in the comments!