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Coffee lovers rejoice! Whether your days are powered by caffeine or you’re a decaf type, you’ll appreciate having one of the best coffee makers in your kitchen. And fortunately, there are plenty of coffee machines on the market to fit your preference.
Whether you want to make a single cup of coffee, a full carafe or pot of coffee–there’s a pot for you. Prefer a built-in coffee grinder or lean towards coffee grounds you can just scoop into the filter basket? We’ve got you covered.
We tested the leading coffee makers–drip, combination coffee/espresso machines, and French Presses–to find out which ones truly deserve the distinction when making a perfect cup of coffee, barista-style cappuccino or latte. Ahead, read our thorough reviews, and find out which coffee maker is right for you.
Best Overall Coffee Maker: Oxo Brew 9-Cup Coffee Maker
- Dimensions: 15 x 8.3 x 17.2 inches
- Brewing capacity: 9 cups
- Descaling indicator: Yes
- Programmable: Yes
I test a lot of coffee makers and usually rotate them out every quarter. However, I must admit that the stainless steel OXO Brew 9-Cup Coffee Maker always spends more than its fair share of time on my countertop. I love the look of it, and although the coffee machine is roughly the same height and width of the average coffee maker, it’s only 6.5 inches in depth, so it doesn’t take up much room on the countertop. I also love the unique conical shape, but if it’s too modern for your taste, the company also makes a more traditional looking 8-cup coffee maker.
If you don’t like punching a bunch of buttons and dials, you’ll love this drip coffee maker because it has a single button for setting the time, programming the timer, starting the coffee maker, and selecting the quantity (2–4 cups or 5–9 cups). The display shows the time and the brew status. When the coffee is ready, the freshness timer will start and count up to 60 minutes. I’m a fan of stainless steel carafes, and this one has a double-wall stainless steel thermal carafe to ensure hot coffee for a long time. For those who can’t wait on a full pot of coffee to brew, there’s a pause and pour feature: When you remove the carafe before the brew time, the cycle will automatically pause for 60 seconds, so you can pour a cup of coffee and then place the carafe back in place for it to continue brewing.
Another neat feature: Inside of the coffee pot there is a removable silicone mixing tube that blends the coffee while it brews. The OXO Brew 9 Cup, which is a Specialty Coffee Association certified home brewer, uses a rainmaker showerhead that evenly disperses water over the coffee grounds - and this contributes to better flavor extraction. It also has temperature-control brewing to keep coffee between 197.6–204.8°F. The OXO Brew 9 Cup is the perfect drip coffee maker and consistently provides a delicious cup of joe without a lot of fuss.
Pros:
- SCA Certification
- Simple controls
- Pause and pour feature
- Rainmaker showerhead
- Thermal carafe keeps coffee hot
- Internal mixing tube in carafe
Cons:
- Water tank isn’t removable
Best Built-In Scale: Wolf Gourmet Programmable 10-Cup Coffee Maker
- Dimensions: 10.83 x 9.06 x 14.38 inches
- Brewing capacity: 10 cups
- Descaling indicator: Yes
- Programmable: Yes
The Wolf Gourmet Coffee Maker not only has those iconic red knobs (which can be swapped out for black or stainless steel options instead), but it also offers the level of quality and precise temperature control that you would expect from Wolf. Full disclosure, the coffee maker matches my Wolf Countertop Oven and also my Wolf Griddle, Stand Mixer, and Knife Set, so I’m obviously a fan of their kitchen appliances—and not just because of the matching hardware. It’s made of stainless steel, and the carafe is made of thermal stainless steel to keep your coffee warm. Since the basket loads from the front, there’s no issue with bumping into the upper cabinets.
The coffee maker has two knobs and an LED display panel. The mode-select bezel on the top knob is for choosing between manual, Accu-Brew, or clean mode, and the actual knob controls the brew strength when in Accu-Brew mode.
When in Accu-Brew mode, the scale ensures that I’m adding the right amount of coffee. Here’s how it works: I set the desired number of cups to brew, add water, and select brew strength. Next, I add coffee to the filter basket until the scale icon appears on the LED panel. If I doesn’t appear, I haven’t added enough coffee to match my selections. If I happen to add too much coffee, the display will flash bars over the top of the scale until I either remove the sufficient amount of coffee grounds–or add more water to make the calculation correct.
The bottom knob is used to set the clock, program the coffee cycle, and choose the cup quantity. In addition to displaying the time, the display panel shows the coffee scale, brewing status, and time since brew (up to an hour), and it also reminds me to change the water filter. The water reservoir is detachable for easy filling and cleaning, and there’s a detachable water filter (in case your tap water is less than desirable). Wolf does a perfect job of extracting just the right amount of flavor for a quality coffee-drinking experience, and that’s why it’s one of the best drip coffee makers.
Pros:
- Removable water tank
- Iconic, swappable knobs
- Thermal carafe
- Adjustable brew strength
- Auto pause
- Rainmaker showerhead
Cons:
- Pricey
Best Coffee Maker for Coffee Snobs: Ratio Eight Matte Stainless Coffee Maker
- Dimensions: 9 x 14 x 13.5 inches
- Brewing capacity: 8 cups
- Descaling indicator: No
- Programmable: No
Available in several shades and trims, the Ratio Eight is one of the coolest looking coffee makers I’ve seen. But it’s not just good-looking, this coffee maker is also designed to function like a drip coffee maker that mimics the depth of flavor of handmade pour over coffee, and it does so quite well (giving your favorite coffee shop some serious competition).
Made with hand-assembled premium materials, the Ratio Eight coffee maker consists of precision-machine aluminum, a handblown borosilicate glass carafe and supply lines, hardwood, and a stainless steel showerhead. You can also get the model with the thermal carafe (although it’s almost $200 more). The power cord is detachable, which made it easy to store on my countertop, and though it looks complex, it’s really easy to operate. Touch one button to turn it on, and that’s all you’ll need to do until the coffee is ready. The coffee maker goes through a sequence of phases: bloom, brew, and ready. Each phase is illuminated on the side of the coffee maker, so you always know what’s going on.
Water is delivered at or very close to 200 degrees, which is considered the perfect temperature for brewing coffee, and the high-quality coffee machine has sensors that adjust the brewing time based on the amount of water. The carafe comes with a custom stainless steel filter, but can also be used with Chemex paper filters. I love pour-over coffee, but not the hassle involved, and one of my favorite features on this coffee maker is that it lets me see and smell the brewing process without having to manually brew the coffee.
Pros:
- Impress the heck out of your friends
- Stainless steel spiral showerhead
- Bloom cycle
- Customize colors and hardwood
Cons:
- Expensive, and the model with a thermal carafe is even more expensive.
- Water tank is not removable.
Best Grind Control: Breville Grind Control
- Dimensions: 8.5 x 16.3 x 12.5 inches
- Brewing capacity: 12 cups
- Descaling indicator: Yes
- Programmable: Yes
A coffee maker with a built-in grinder? Yes please! I love experimenting with various types of freshly-roasted coffee beans (light, medium, and dark), and the Breville Grind Control Coffee Maker has an integrated grinder with stainless steel burrs. The grinder can hold up to half a pound of coffee beans, the six adjustable settings let me choose the right strength depending on the coffee bean, and I can look at the screen to view grind time and grind settings. However, I can turn the grinder off when I want to brew ground coffee.
The Breville Grind Control Coffee Maker uses a 12-cup thermal carafe, but it also accommodates various other sizes as well. For example, I can brew directly into a coffee cup or a travel mug using the intuitive controls, and the latter is quite convenient when I’m about to leave the home—not to mention that it eliminates the need to wash the carafe. The coffee maker has a soft-opening swing-out door that houses the coffee basket and filter. This makes it easy to fill and clean the basket. There’s also a brew pause feature (20 seconds) for pouring a cup of coffee in the middle of the brew cycle.
Pros:
- Built-in grinder
- Can also use ground coffee
- Thermal carafe
Cons:
- Water carafe is not removable.
Best Smart Coffee Maker: Café Specialty Drip Coffee Maker
- Dimensions: 7.3 x 14 x 12.5 inches
- Brewing capacity: 10 cups
- Descaling indicator: Yes
- Programmable: Yes
For the coffee drinker who also adores all things well designed (raises hand), the Café Smart Specialty Drip Coffee Maker will fit the bill, and it’s an easy choice for one of the best drip coffee makers. The sleek and contemporary machine is an aesthetic delight, but it’s not just pretty to look at—it’s also a powerful and tech-savvy pick that reliably brews up to 10 cups of delicious and barista-quality coffee. This coffee maker will deliver top-tier java at a brew strength customized to your liking. The machine is, in fact, certified by the Specialty Coffee Association.
Did we mention that it’s a smart coffee maker as well? It’s Wi-Fi–enabled, and it can connect to your phone via the SmartHQ app. Not only can you control it from your phone, but you can also connect it to a smart speaker and issue voice-to-brew commands (including directions for the amount of cups, brew strength, and temperature). You can get your coffee going without even getting out of bed (or even opening your eyes).
Though I appreciate these ease-of-use features, I tend to use the programmable coffee maker the good old-fashioned way: manually selecting my choices via the simple interface. It’s available in three colors: matte white, stainless steel, and matte black. My coffee machine has a thermal carafe, but you can also select the model with a glass carafe.
Pros:
- Wi-Fi–enabled
- Thermal carafe
- Three color choices
- SCA–certified
Cons:
- Water tank is not removable.
Best Multifunctional Coffee Maker: Ninja DualBrew Pro Specialty Coffee System
- Dimensions: 11.39 x 9.13 x 15.54 inches
- Brewing capacity: 12 cups
- Descaling indicator: Yes
- Programmable: Yes
Another top pick is the multifunctional Ninja DualBrew Pro Specialty Coffee System. When unpacking it, I was surprised to discover so many parts and accessories. The first thing I noticed was the Ninja pod adapter on top, which is used to brew pods. However, removing the pod adapter revealed the brew basket for coffee grounds. After inserting the coffee grounds, the brewer lid is pulled forward until it closes, and it was hard to tell that the adapter was ever there. The digital control panel displays a variety of functions. On the right side of the panel are the choices for brew style: classic, rich, over ice, or specialty. The programmable digital clock is located in the center, surrounded by the eight brew volumes to choose from, ranging from a small cup (eight ounces) up to a full carafe.
The intelligent hot plate is set to remain on for two hours, but the time can be changed to remain on for up to four. The coffee maker has a hot water mode with a separate water line. There’s a dial on the left side of the machine, and when you turn it on, the control panel displays a water temperature button and two options: hot and boil. As if those aren’t enough features, the coffee maker also has an integrated milk frother. A glass carafe is included, but there’s also a single-serve cup platform for a smaller cup of coffee. The Ninja DualBrew Pro Specialty Coffee System is a jack of all trades that provides a lot of versatility for coffee drinkers.
Pros:
- Uses pods and ground coffee
- 4 brew styles and fold away milk froth feature
- Supports various cups sizes
- Removable water tank
Cons:
- Glass carafe
Best Coffee Maker for Glass Carafes, Travel Mugs, and Cups: Braun MultiServe Coffee Maker
- Dimensions: 13 x 7.1 x 15 inches
- Brewing capacity: 10 cups
- Descaling indicator: Yes
- Programmable: Yes
In addition to making great coffee, the lightweight Braun MultiServe coffee maker is ideal for people who like to have options. For starters, it comes in three different color options: black, stainless steel, or white. Using the control panel, you can choose between light, gold, or bold coffee, as well as iced. And if you just want some hot water for tea or hot chocolate, you can increase or decrease the water temperature and then select the water feature to dispense it. The coffee maker also has a clock, and it is programmable, so your morning cup will be waiting for you each day.
Although the coffee maker has a glass carafe, it can also accommodate a travel mug or cup (on the cup shelf). Using the dial, it’s possible to select various sizes: 5, 8, 12, 16, or 20 ounces, or half a pot, or a full pot of coffee. The freshness countdown lasts for an hour before the coffee maker turns off. Though the coffee maker emits three loud beeps when it’s through brewing, there’s also a safety feature: There’s a hot-surface indicator light on the bottom, and it remains red until the plate cools down.
Pros:
- 7 brewing sizes
- SCA certified
- 4 brew choices – including over ice
- Removable water tank
Cons:
- Glass carafe
Best Brew Settings: Breville Precision Brewer Thermal Coffee Maker
- Dimensions: 14 x 9 x 16
- Brewing capacity: 60 ounces
- Descaling indicator: Yes
- Programmable: Yes
The Breville Precision Brewer Thermal in brushed stainless steel is another high-quality and programmable coffee maker that makes a superb cup of joe. It’s a no-brainer choice for one of the best drip coffee makers. The 60-ounce coffee maker has two brew baskets: One is wide and has a flat bottom (for larger amounts of coffee), and the other one is smaller and cone-shaped (for smaller quantities). Although the water reservoir isn’t removable, it’s surprisingly wide, eliminating any concern about spilling water all over the place, as some of us are prone to do when distracted. Another nice touch is that the reservoir measures water in both ounces and cups, in addition to having line indicators for a cup, half a carafe, and whole carafe. I tend to brew between 16 and 20 ounces, and when it’s less than 20 ounces, the Breville Precision Brewer is intuitive enough to notice this, and then it automatically adjust the brew settings to ensure that I’m getting a robust flavor.
The coffee brewer has simple functions: one dial, one start and cancel button, and an LCD screen. There are several brew settings to choose from: fast, gold, strong, over ice, cold brew, and My Brew. When using the My Brew setting, the coffee can be customized by bloom time (from 30 to 60 seconds), brew temp (between 197 to 204 degrees is recommended), and flow rate (slow, medium, fast). When the brew cycle has finished, the clock displays the time since brewed.
Pros:
- Various brew options including over ice and cold brew
- Dual filter baskets
- Thermal carafe
- SCA certified brewer
Cons:
- Water tank isn’t removable
Best Pour Control: Zojirushi EC-YTC100 Fresh Brew Plus 10-Cup Thermal Carafe Coffee Maker
- Dimensions: 8 x 10 x 14.8 inches
- Brewing capacity: 10 cups
- Descaling indicator: Yes
- Programmable: Yes
Zojirushi is known for making excellent rice cookers. However, their 10-Cup Thermal Carafe Coffee Maker consistently brews great-tasting hot and iced coffee. The controls are simple and easy to understand. The basket swings out and is detachable for cleaning, and the water reservoir—also detachable—is wide enough to make it easy to fill.
There’s a steam vent on top, but I’ve never observed enough steam coming out to affect my cabinets (granted the coffee makers sits a fair distance away from them). This is another coffee maker that offers convenient extras. For example, the stainless steel thermal carafe has a button that you can press while pouring coffee to control how much comes out. If you’re a heavy-handed pour, you know how important this feature is. This coffee machine is also a good choice for people who like (optional) audible notifications. It beeps once when brewing has started, five times when the brew cycle has finished, and 10 times when the automatic shut off function has been activated.
Pros:
- Drip prevention
- Removable water tank
- Thermal carafe
- Iced coffee option
Cons:
- Steam vents from tops so keep safe distance from cabinets
Best Coffee Maker with Espresso Capabilities: De’Longhi Magnifica Evo Coffee and Espresso Maker
- Dimensions: 9.44 x 14.17 x 17.32 inches
- Brewing capacity: 8 ounces/60 ounce water tank
- Descaling indicator: Yes
- Programmable: Yes
If you want to hone your barista skills, impress your friends and family members, and spend less time at the coffee shop, consider the De’Longhi Magnifica Evo Coffee and Espresso Machine. Not only does it brew delicious coffee, but the high-quality machine can also make espresso, cappuccino, latte macchiato, over ice, and customized latte. The machine can also dispense hot water for hot chocolate and tea. The LatteCrema System technology uses a manual froth maker to create textured art, and the frother can be used with regular milk and also alternative milks.
In addition, the coffee and espresso maker has a conical burr grinder with 13 settings, but it can be bypassed to use ground coffee instead to make a pot or cup of coffee. Even though the programmable coffee and espresso machine has a lot of functions, using it was a breeze. That’s because of the color touch icons on the top of the coffee brewer.
Pros:
- Coffee and espresso maker
- Uses coffee beans and ground coffee
- Built-in burr grinder
- Adjustable manual frother
Cons:
- Only makes a single cup of coffee at a time.
Best Counter Space Saver: Bonavita Connoisseur 8-Cup Performance Coffee Brewer
- Dimensions: 12.2 x 12.4 x 6.8 inches
- Brewing capacity: 8 cups
- Descaling indicator: No
- Programmable: No
This petite pick is another one of the best drip coffee makers we’ve tested—and it’s indisputable proof that good things really do come in small packages. The Bonavita Connoisseur 8-Cup Performance coffee brewer is a compact coffee maker that’s simple, beautiful, and makes great tasting coffee. There are no LED screen and no buttons, except for the power button. This ensures a consistently good brewing experience without jumping through a lot of hoops. There’s an optional pre-infusion mode that pauses the showerhead and gives the grounds more time to bloom. You’ll know when this mode has been enabled because you’ll see a flashing light and hear two beeps.
The Bonavita Connoisseur has a detachable filter basket, and the water tank has a generous opening to make it easy to pour water without spilling it. And the lid on the stainless steel thermal carafe has a lever to control the amount of coffee being poured from the drip machine.
Pros:
- SCA Certified
- Thermal carafe
- Simple operation
- Rainmaker showerhead
Cons:
- Water tank not removable
Best Bean Hopper: Cuisinart Grind & Brew Coffee Maker
- Dimensions: 8.13 x 15.5 x 9.98 inches
- Brewing capacity: 12 cups
- Descaling indicator: Yes
- Programmable: Yes
Cuisinart makes a variety of coffee makers, and the Cuisinart Grind & Brew Coffee Maker is a more budget-conscious option that’s packed with features. I love this model because the half-pound bean hopper has a sealed lid, which keeps the coffee beans fresh. I can just fill the hopper up and they remain fresh for several days until I use the burr grinder again. There’s also an auto-rinse feature when cleaning, which prevents any coffee grounds from entering the brew basket. When I want to use ground coffee, I can turn the coffee grinder feature off.
The machine uses a showerhead to evenly distribute water over the coffee, and it has three flavor strengths: bold, extra-bold, and regular. It also has a brew pause feature for interrupting the brew cycle for 20 seconds to grab a cup of coffee. In addition, the convenient “Empty” warning will flash on the LCD screen if the filter basket has not been emptied since the last brew cycle.
Pros:
- Built-in coffee grinder
- Sealed bean hopper
- Can use ground coffee
- Auto-rinse
Cons:
- Water tank is not removable, and is rather slim.
- Glass carafe
Best Single Serve: Keurig K-Café Smart Single Serve Coffee Maker
- Dimensions: 11 x 12.7 x 12.1 inches
- Brewing capacity: 1 cup from 2 to 12 ounces
- Descaling indicator: No
- Programmable: Yes
If you love coffee, but would rather not make a full pot, the Keurig K-Café Smart Single Serve Coffee Maker lets you make smaller sizes: 6-, 8-, 10-, and 12-ounce cups of coffee. However, I like that it can also make 2- and 4-ounce shots for cappuccinos and lattes. The coffee maker has five different strengths and six temperature settings. It is also Wi-Fi–enabled, and after downloading the Keurig App, I have access to step-by-step instructions on how to make different types of coffee drinks. In addition to being smartphone-compatible, the single-serve coffee maker also works with voice assistants like Alexa.
The machine uses Keurig K-Cup pods, and also has a hot- and cold-milk frother with three different speeds. The 60-ounce water reservoir is removable, which makes it easy to fill and clean. But since the water tank holds a good deal much water, it doesn’t have to be refilled often.
Pros:
- Makes coffee, cappuccinos, and lattes
- Hot- and cold-milk frother
- Removable water tank
Cons:
- Only uses pods
Best French Press: Espro P7
- Dimensions: 6.7 x 10.1 x 3.8 inches
- Brewing capacity: 32 ounces
- Descaling indicator: N/A
- Programmable: N/A
If you want a portable coffee maker that you can use anywhere, or you just like the idea of idea of being totally in control of the brewing process for the perfect cup of coffee, the Espro P7 French Press is for you. It requires no electricity, just hot water and coffee grounds. After mixing the two, it needs to sit for four minutes before pressing the plunger. And unlike many French press options that leave a lot of grinds in the coffee, the Espro P7 uses dual micro filters to keep sludge out for a great taste every time. (And although this is an article on the best coffee makers, it also makes great tea!)
Made of stainless steel with double wall insulation (and an insulated lid), the device can keep coffee hot for hours. The stainless steel is also shatterproof, making it a durable choice. The Espro P7 is available in both 32-ounce and 18-ounce sizes and in several colors, including polished stainless steel, Aegean blue, brushed stainless steel, cranberry, matte black, and matte white.
Pros:
- Doesn’t require electricity
- Durable design that’s easy to use
- Several color choices
- Keeps grit out
Cons:
- Expensive for a French press
Want more caffeine coverage? We’ve got a bevy of beverage stories. Whether you’re looking for the best gifts for java aficionados or trying to figure out how to create the perfect at-home coffee setup, we’ve got you covered.
- The Best Gifts for Coffee Lovers: Find something for everyone, from coffee mugs to Mokapots.
- The 7 Best Cold Brew Coffee Maker: Cold weather is not deterrent for cold brew.
- 11 Beautiful Alternatives to Your Automatic Drip Coffeemaker: Expand your coffee-making horizons with the best French presses, pour-overs, and more.
- Creating Your Ideal Coffee Setup at Home: Working from home? Discover everything you need to brew coffee with the best of them.
- The Best Espresso Machines for Pulling Robust, Smooth Shots: When fresh espresso awaits, it's easier to resist the temptation to press snooze.
