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There are a lot of ways to get your caffeine fix: espresso machine, pour-over, French press, moka pot. But my preferred method is a classic coffee maker — something that’s quick-brewing, simple to use, and produces multiple cups in one go.
Before I set out to write this piece, I was under the impression that this was a novice choice, something that only people who cared more about convenience than the intricacies of their morning cup would keep on their counter. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Sure, there are a lot of not-so-stellar machines out there (think: the random coffee maker at your Airbnb), but the market is also full of options that give your brew as much nuance and balance as any other method. I’ve tried quite a few over the years, from the $20 model I had in my first apartment (that one coffee pro swears is actually good) to the fancier model with more advanced mechanisms I use now.
To help you find the maker best suited for your own routine, I describe those machines below, along with a myriad of others that the baristas, roasters, and coffee-shop owners I consulted with rely on for a solid, fuss-free cup (or two, or three). I also included a couple of dedicated cold-brew makers for the iced-coffee enthusiasts. And if you’re interested in all the other coffee gear I’ve written about, you can read my guides to the best coffee grinders, electric kettles, espresso machines, and milk frothers.
What we’re looking for
Capacity
This is a straightforward point, of course, but the capacity of a given coffee maker should be a factor in whether or not you choose it for your own setup. Most on this list brew up eight or 10 cups, with two slightly bigger at 12 cups, and one smaller at four cups. There are also three machines that are able to brew a single cup at a time, helpful if the day-to-day coffee consumption in your household doesn’t require a giant pot. With these, the “small” designation I give refers to the capacity, not to the dimensions.
Size
While not quite as large as most espresso machines, coffee makers take up a considerable amount of counter space — certainly enough that it’s an important aspect to consider when buying one. I’ve noted the dimensions of each.
Temperature hold
Most coffee makers on this list brew into a stainless-steel thermal carafe, which keeps your coffee warm for a few hours without reheating it from below. This method is generally preferred by the pros since it doesn’t lead to burnt-tasting coffee. Three models we’ve noted, however, don’t do this, and two are for iced coffee.
Best coffee maker overall
Capacity: 8 cups | Size: 12. 4” x 6. 8” x 12. 2” | Temperature hold: Thermal carafe
The Bonavita Connoisseur has been my everyday coffee maker for a year now. I gave it the best-in-class badge because it satisfies the ideal-coffee-maker trifecta: It’s simple to use, it’s available at an approachable price point, and, most crucially, it makes delicious coffee. I simply measure grounds and pour water into their respective chambers the night before so in the morning, all I have to do is click the “on” button; even when making a full pot, it brews in just a few minutes. And when I go back for my second (or third) cup, the insulated stainless-steel carafe has kept the coffee plenty warm without heating from below and making it taste burnt. The coffee this machine delivers is delicious. I’ve used everything from fancy small-batch beans sourced from a local coffee shop to Dunkin’ Donuts pre-ground, and without fail, I find myself sipping on a smooth and balanced cup.
To figure out why it works so well, I tapped a couple of professionals who also love the machine. One key reason is its ability to brew at the proper temperature. According to Ken Nye, owner of Ninth Street Espresso, few coffee makers “consistently bring water to that 198–202 degree range,” which he calls the “broadly agreed-upon standard.” As Nye explains, the Connoisseur also “maintains that temp throughout the brewing process.” The smoothness is thanks to its flat-bottomed basket that “spreads the grounds out evenly,” says George Howell, owner and founder of George Howell Coffee, as well as the showerlike spout that ensures consistent water distribution and extraction.
One disclaimer: When the lid is secured on the pouring vessel, it doesn’t fit underneath the brewing basket on its platform. But this doesn’t bother me enough to give it a knock. I simply keep the finished coffee on the counter until it’s done and cleaned, and the lid sits nicely on the top of the machine itself when not in use.
Best less expensive coffee maker
Capcity: 12 cups | Size: 8.6” x 12.9” x 13.5” | Temperature hold: Reheated from underneath
If you don’t want to spend the money on a more advanced machine, this Mr. Coffee machine will get the job done totally fine. I used it for a few years before switching to a stove-top percolator to save counter space (more on that below), and was never disappointed. It produced a smooth cup and was super simple to operate: I simply measured my ratio of ground beans to water and flipped the “on” switch.
Jamie McCormick, co-owner of the East Village coffee shop Abraço, tells us he prefers to keep things as simple as possible when it comes to coffee machines. “People make a big to-do over a lot of nothing” when it comes to brewing equipment, he says. He thinks a plain old Mr. Coffee is a first-rate choice for any “amateur coffee roaster who wants to flatter their grounds.” But he also has an expert piece of advice: Since it doesn’t have a high-tech mechanism for distributing the water evenly like some of the other models on this list, he says you can open the top flap while it’s brewing and “stir the grounds to make sure they all get hydrated.”
Best small coffee maker
Capacity: 3 cups | Size: 5.5” x 11.7” x 14.9” | Temperature hold: Thermal carafe
Balmuda’s coffee maker, which came out in the spring, brews up to three cups at a time, a smaller capacity than any other on this list (the OXO model below has specific settings for yielding a cup or two at a time, but does allow you to make up to eight). But for anyone who doesn’t need a giant pot, it brews a fantastically strong and nuanced cup.
It works almost like an electric pour-over: You fill the back chamber with water, put your grounds into a cup at the top lined with a paper filter (just as you would for an actual pour-over), and the machine spurts out water in a sporadic and fountainlike way over the top, agitating the beans as it goes. The whole process takes only a few minutes. There’s a regular setting, a strong setting (though I didn’t notice much difference between these two), and an iced setting that dispels the water slower. The coffee doesn’t come out cool, but after I set it in the fridge for a couple of hours, it was clear the extraction process worked: It made my Dunkin’ pre-ground beans taste amazingly like fancy cold brew. Like Balmuda’s Instagram-famous steam toaster and electric kettle, it’s a sleekly designed product, too, with a matte black exterior, stainless-steel details, and a slim profile.
Best less expensive small coffee maker
Capcity: 8 cups | Size: 9” x 14.8” x 16.1” | Temperature hold: Thermal carafe
This model comes highly recommended by Noah McKeown, a general manager at Go Get Em Tiger in Los Angeles. “The real selling point for me is that it has a valve hole in the lid for the coffee to brew directly into the carafe,” he says. “It traps heat and aromatics better, and it’s safer because the liquid doesn’t splash out.” Beyond that, there’s an insert that allows you to brew one to four cups of coffee instead of five to eight, and another that allows you to brew only one. The settings for those smaller amounts are slightly different so that it pulses out less water at a time and there’s a bit more agitation when it hits the ground beans. Like the Balmuda, “it’s almost like making a pour-over but in your automatic coffee maker,” McKeown says. For recipe developer and cookbook author Samah Dada, having such a range is a huge plus. “In the morning I’ll brew a larger pot, but then in the afternoon when I need to chill a bit on caffeine and only want a cup, I’ll use that setting,” she says. The maker has a pedestal you can flip up so your mug sits closer to where the coffee comes out to avoid splashing.
Best stove-top coffee maker
Capacity: 12 cups | Size: 8.86” x 7.28” x 10.83” | Temperature hold: Reheated from underneath via stovetop
This is the coffee maker I used at home for several years before I moved on to the Baratza — but I still love it (so much so that I’ve even kept it stored away for potential future use). It’s made entirely from stainless steel (save for a handle on one side and a little glass knob at the top), and using it is simple. You fill the main chamber with water (there are lines inside that tell you how many cups you’re adding), and then scoop your coffee grounds into a filter cup, no paper required. The filter cup slides neatly on top of a thin pole inside the main chamber, followed by a perforated disk on top, and then you seal it shut with a tight-fitting lid. The brew time, first over medium-high heat, then over a slightly lower flame, is little more than ten minutes. Alison Carroll, founder of Wonder Valley, shares my enthusiasm for the percolator. For her, the analog process evokes a sense of nostalgia, and eliminates the need for electronics in the morning, which she appreciates. “It requires a bit of patience and attention to watch the color change through the sightglass, but it makes a damn fine cup of coffee,” she says.
The vessel takes up no counter space, is exceedingly easy to clean (whether you’re handwashing or throwing the pieces in the dishwasher), and — though you have to keep your eye on it — is about as unfussy as it gets when it comes to actual coffee preparation (no standing there with a tea kettle pouring an even stream of water over grounds). Bonus: You can brew a big batch of tea in it, too.
Best high-end coffee maker
Capacity: 10 cups | Size: 12.3” x 6.5” x 14” | Temperature hold: Reheated from underneath or thermal carafe
The Technivorm Moccamaster was the second-most-recommended coffee maker by the experts I spoke with for this story. It’s pricey, but those who use it say it’s worth the premium if you want to invest in the best equipment out there. Like the Bonavita Connoisseur, the Moccamaster has stable temperature control and even brewing. Suyog Mody, founder of Driftaway Coffee, explains that while the “brewing mechanics” are similar to those used in less expensive drip coffee makers, the Moccamaster is “made with better parts and solid construction. I’ve been using it daily for years with zero issues. It’s just no fuss. And honestly, it looks good on the kitchen counter.” (That’s one point on which John Gourley, the front man of Portugal. The Man, agrees: “Not only does it look amazing, but it’s just a drip-style coffee maker that’s probably the thing we use the most in our house.”)
While the design is certainly appealing and the construction quality means it should last for a long time, the experts wouldn’t endorse this coffee maker if it didn’t also make a quality drink. “I taste coffee from all types of brewers, and this one gives a consistently better cup,” says Jim Munson, founder and president of Brooklyn Roasting Company. Ally Walsh, co-founder of Los Angeles’s Canyon Coffee, agrees, noting how smooth the brew comes out every time. There could be some science behind that. “It has nine holes or orifices instead of one, so the water spreads out over the whole area of a coffee filter. Plus the heater works very fast. You get coffee much faster,” says Bill Nye, the Science Guy, who makes his coffee in this machine. Another innovation he points out is the funnel shape of the lid, “which greatly reduces the evaporation rate while the thing’s sitting there on the burner. Why doesn’t every machine have this?”
Jerad Morrison, co-founder and co-CEO of Sightglass in San Francisco, is also a fan of the Technivorm but prefers a slightly different model. His favorite has all the same attributes, but instead of dispensing your coffee into a glass carafe on top of a burner plate, it goes into a stainless-steel thermal one (just like the Connoisseur). “It keeps coffee plenty hot for several hours,” he says, “without changing the flavor or making it taste burnt.” This thermal-carafe model only comes in neutral colors, but the glass has a bunch of shades to choose from.
Best coffee maker with built-in grinder
Capacity: 10 cups | Size: 9.75” x 9.5” x 15.5” | Temperature hold: Thermal carafe
The reason to invest in this machine is clear from the name: It comes with a built-in burr grinder. Yes, it’s on the spendier end, but grinders are quite pricey on their own — not to mention they take up additional space in your kitchen. Beyond the convenience, “the Capresso drip yields the cleanest-tasting cup,” says Kat Odell, author of Day Drinking. Finally, it boasts that thermal carafe that, as I’ve pointed out, many of the experts prefer over a hot plate.
Best coffee maker that also makes espresso
Capacity: 10 cups | Size: 12” x 8.75” x 15.04” | Temperature hold: Reheated from underneath
If you want a single-unit coffee maker that can do it all, this Ninja fits the bill. It comes recommended by Strategist writer Arielle Avila who regularly uses the classic brew method (for a carafe of coffee), as well as the “specialty” setting that turns out a thick coffee concentrate, similar to espresso and used in the same manner for milk-based drinks like lattes and cappuccinos. The machine also has the capability of making iced coffee. Other bonuses include the attached milk frother and a kick stand that pops out of the side should you want to fill a single mug instead of a big carafe.
Best pod coffee maker
Capacity: Single-serve five or eight ounces Size: 16.2” x 5.6” x 12.8” | Temperature hold: None
This Nespresso, recommended by textile designer Caroline Hurley and clothing designer Alex Crane (both coffee fanatics), also turns out single servings of espresso (using smaller pods) and coffee (larger pods). They’ve used it every day for a few years and love it because “it’s just so easy,” Hurley says. You simply place a pod into the slot at the top and click a single button. The maker heats up and brews in seconds, then automatically deposits the used pod in a container in the back to empty and recycle (with some specific guidelines).
Crane says he appreciates that it only produces one cup at a time so he can watch his consumption. He also notes that it makes “a gentle sound, unlike some others that sound so loud and sinister.” Hurley, meanwhile, says it tastes just as fresh as when you grind your own beans and appreciates that the company offers a wide variety of flavors in a tester pack — “like jelly beans but for coffee” — so you can decide what you like best.
Best cold-brew coffee maker
Capacity: 4 cups | Size: 9.5” x 9.53” x 14.7” | Temperature hold: Cold
Cold brew makers are not exactly plug-in electric coffee makers, but they’re important nonetheless, especially for any iced-coffee-year-round people. This one is a favorite of Dennis Ngo, chef and co-owner of Brooklyn restaurant Di an Di. “I got hooked on the smoothness and low acidity of cold-brewed coffee,” says Ngo. “It lets me tinker with different beans and concentrations. It also stacks for storage, which is an absolute requirement for my tiny New York apartment.”
Michael Philips, director of content and copy at Blue Bottle, recommends the Toddy Cold Brew System, a similarly priced model that he’s been using for nearly two decades in his own home. It’s a little over twice the size (67 ounces instead of 32), but that’s something he appreciates: He brews the concentrate once a week or so and is able to drink one to two cups a day from that amount before he has to start the process over. He’s also partial to the paper filters (the maker includes three to start that you can replenish). While they aren’t reusable like the stainless-steel, fine-mesh strainer that comes as part of the Oxo, he says that they “produce a much cleaner cup” with “absolutely no grit.”
Best compact cold-brew coffee maker
Capacity: 8 cups | Size: 4.3” x 4.3” x 12.2” | Temperature hold: Cold
If you want to get even more compact, the folks at Brooklyn’s Parlor Coffee endorse this Hario jug that can brew and then live in your refrigerator — which, though smaller overall, actually holds more coffee. “I like the simple design and function,” says communications director Stephanie Dana (something we’ve heard time and time again about Hario’s products). “It’s also multifunctional — I use mine for cold-brewing tea or even decanting a bottle of wine.”
Some more coffee makers we’ve written about
Our experts
• Arielle Avila, Strategist writer
• Alison Carroll, founder of Wonder Valley
• Alex Crane, clothing designer
• Samah Dada, recipe developer and cookbook author
• Stephanie Dana, communications director at Parlor Coffee
• George Howell, owner and founder of George Howell Coffee
• Caroline Hurley, textile designer
• Jamie McCormick, co-owner of Abraço
• Noah McKeown, general manager at Go Get Em Tiger
• Jerad Morrison, co-founder and co-CEO of Sightglass Coffee
• Jim Munson, founder and president of Brooklyn Roasting Company
• Dennis Ngo, chef and co-owner of Di an Di
• Ken Nye, owner of Ninth Street Espresso
• Kat Odell, author of Day Drinking
• Michael Philips, director of content and copy at Blue Bottle
• Ally Walsh, co-founder of Canyon Coffee
Additional reporting by Nikita Richardson and David Notis.
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