In the coffee-brewing world, French press, cold brew, pour-over, and Aeropress enjoy all the buzz. Many coffee makers can offer great-tasting coffee, but only a handful can boast of delivering your exact desired specifications conveniently. The ability to couple user’s specific needs and brewing is what the luxurious options offer.
Like purchasing any coffee-related products, finding the right coffee maker always boils down to personal taste, preference, and lifestyle. For beginners, it’s best to start with a simple model yet able to customize the brew for a perfect beverage.
Before talking about key factors to consider when purchasing a coffee maker, check out the best coffee makers, according to America’s Test Kitchen, Wirecutter, Consumer Reports, and Food and Wine.
America’s Test Kitchen, Wirecutter best coffee makers on the market today
AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN & COOKS ILLUSTRATED
Here’s a review of America’s test kitchen’s top choices:
Top 1 – Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine
Earning the first spot is Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine with its integrated conical burr grinder to grind on demand for delivering the perfect freshly-ground amount into the portafilter. This way, it ensures you get your preferred bean taste.
This model features digital temperature control, PID, which ensures precise delivery of water at the right temperature for maximum Espresso extraction. This unit delivers a steam wand performance for hand texturing micro-foam milk to create latte art and enhance the flavor.
Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine comes with a grind sie dial to offer intuitive yet simple control over whatever bean you choose to grind. Further, this model has an innovative grinding cradle to provide a hand-free operation since it grinds the beans directly into the machine’s port filter.
Pros:
- 1-year limited warranty
- Hand free operation
- Multiple settings
- ½ lb bean hopper capacity
Cons:
- There’s a learning curve with this model
Top 2 – Bonavita BV1900TS 8-Cup One-Touch Coffee Maker
When it comes to reliable coffee makers featuring some solid functions to ensure a great-tasting cup of coffee, then you want to opt for Bonavita BV1900TS 8-Cup One-Touch Coffee Maker. This mid-range affordable brewer is ideal for brewing non-acidic, non-bitter cups of coffee.
This unit sports a simple design without missing out on essential bells and whistles to help brew coffee itself for people with rather bleary eyes. Unlike the previous Bonavita 1800 model, this machine rocks a flat bottom basket instead of a cone-shaped basket, which gets rid of even ground saturation.
Furthermore, the showerhead, filter basket, and carafe lid are dishwasher safe for a convenient cleaning experience. Also, it’s equipped with a powerful 1500W heater to maintain the optimal brewing temperature of 195 degrees F to 205 degrees F.
Pros:
- Compact and small design for thermal carafes
- One-touch operation mode
- Made with BPA-free plastic
- Easy to clean
- Large water reservoir
Cons:
- The pre-infusion settings can be challenging to set
- Requires proper maintenance
Top 3 – Technivorm Moccamaster Coffee Brewer Handmade Coffee Maker
Do you want the best automatic drip coffee maker? Then you want to consider Technivorm Moccamaster Coffee Brewer. This product has a simple mode of operation and a noise-free brewing process allowing you to brew a full carafe in less than 7 minutes. This model is equipped with a special copper boiling element to heat water rapidly and offer more control of the brewing temperature between 196 – 205 degrees F.
Also, Technivorm Moccamaster Coffee Brewer is designed to go off when its water reservoir is empty. Thanks to its cone-shaped brew-basket design, this coffee maker helps maximize coffee aroma, flavor, and complexity. This product is engineered using durable metal housings and BPA-free plastics.
Further, its pre-immersion drip-style system offers the ideal coffee bloom using the super-precise, natural pulse action. Even better, it’s backed by a 5-year manufacturer’s warranty to assure customers of quality, content, and performance.
Pros:
- Easy to operate
- Quiet brewing process
- An exclusive copper heating element
- Five-year warranty
Cons:
- Requires lots of attention
Top 4 – Capresso Infinity Conical Burr Grinder
For coffee aficionados looking for a coffee maker with a wide range of precision grinding, the Capresso Infinity Conical Burr Grinder might be your best bet. It offers the widest precision grinding range to suit the preferred brewing method from percolators, pour-over brewers, French press, drip coffee, espresso, and Turkish.
That’s not the only incredible thing about Capresso Infinity Conical Burr Grinder. This machine features commercial-grade conical steel burrs coupled with an advanced cutting design to ensure high precision grinding.
Again, its removable upper burr contributes to convenient cleaning. Plus, Capresso Infinity Conical Burr Grinder comes with a safety mechanism to prevent the grinder from operating without placing the bean container properly.
Pros:
- 16 grinding settings
- Easy to clean
- Safety lock system
- Offers maximum aroma and flavor
Cons:
- Durability issues
Wirecutter best coffee maker
Let’s check out wirecutter’s top picks
Top 1 – OXO BREW 9 Cup Coffee Maker
The OXO BREW 9 Cup Coffee Maker is arguably the best drip coffee maker out there. This unit features a microprocessor-controlled brew cycle that easily replicates the pour-over method to deliver up to 9 cups of great-tasting coffee.
What’s more? This model heats water for your coffee at the right temperature and maintains it between 17.6 – 204.8 degree F to ensure your cup of coffee turns out just the way you love it. In addition, OXO BREW 9 Cup Coffee Maker has a rainmaker shower head that disperses water evenly over coffee grounds for full flavor extraction and uniform saturation.
The model sports an intuitive LED interface coming with a backlit screen to display the machine’s status. Here’s more. OXO BREW 9 Cup Coffee Maker has a single dial for programming the number of cups and a 24-hour start timer. Also, its double-walled carafe enjoys your brew stays fresh and hot.
Pros:
- Insulated thermal carafe
- SCA-certified
- Easy to use
- Makes up to 9 cups of coffee
Cons:
- Tends to leak
Top 2 – Mr. Coffee Easy Measure 12 Cup Programmable Coffee Maker
The Mr. Coffee Easy Measure 12 Cup Programmable Coffee Maker makes it to wirecutter’s list of the best coffee makers – and for a good reason. This unit delivers consistently great-tasting coffee with its simple color-coded measuring system that ensures the right quantity of water and coffee ground every time.
Also, it offers an improved coffee taste with the aid of its two-step advanced water filtration system to minimize impurities for a better coffee taste. The first stage removes about 97% of chlorine using activated carbon, which also offers particle filtration. The second stage has an ion exchange resin to eliminate calcium, causing hardness in water.
To achieve the fullest flavor, this machine automatically pre-soak your coffee grounds for about 30 seconds to release the carbon dioxide before brewing. Other handy features of Mr. Coffee Easy Measure 12 Cup Programmable Coffee Maker includes a 4-hour freshness indicator to prevent having stale coffee; Grab-a-cup auto Pause to allow grab a cup of coffee before the end of the brewing process.
Pros:
- 1-year limited warranty
- Automatic clean cycle for easy cleanup
- Includes lots of handy features
- Larger brew basket
Cons:
- Lacks a gold-tone filter
Top 3 – OXO Good Grips 32 Ounce Cold Brew Coffee Maker
Want to splurge on the best cold-brew coffee maker? You should consider OXO Good Grips 32 Ounce Cold Brew Coffee Maker. This model is equipped with a perforated Rainmaker that distributes water evenly over the coffee grounds to ensure maximum flavor extraction.
What’s more? This machine sports a simple Brew Release switch to control the filtration process. OXO Good Grips 32 Ounce Cold Brew Coffee Maker brews smooth, low-acid concentrate for hot or cold coffee anytime.
This unit includes an ultra-fine stainless steel mesh filter that is easy to clean and reusable. Borosilicate glass carafe has measurement markings and includes 10 paper filters. Plus, its compact design offers a small countertop footprint for easy storage and easy disassembly for cleanup.
Pros:
- Quick cleanup
- Brew-Release Switch offers easy control
- BPA-free vessel
- Rainmaker top for even water distribution
Cons:
- The bottom O-ring seal tends to leaks causing a lot of mess
- bottom o-ring seal leaks and makes a mess
Top 4 – Rancilio Rocky Espresso Coffee Grinder: Best espresso setup for beginners
This machine is the best espresso setup for beginners. It’s equipped with commercial-grade grinding burrs and grinds your coffee beans directly into a portafilter for easy operation. It’s equipped with a powerful 166W direct drive motor delivering a noise-free grinding experience.
Rancilio Rocky Espresso Coffee Grinder comes with a 0.65lb tinted hopper capacity. It features simple controls to allow you to change the grind setting by simply unlocking the lever. This coffee grinder grinds a pound of whole bean coffee to a coarse or fine powder in seconds.
Pros:
- Powerful 166-watt direct-drive motor
- Quiet operation mode
- Commercial-grade grinding burrs
- Simple controls for easy use
Cons:
- Not compatible for grinding oily beans
Consumer Reports
Here’s a list of the best coffee maker according to the consumer reports’ team:
Top 1 – Cuisinart DGB-800 Fully Automatic Burr Grind & Brew
If you want a freshly-ground, freshly-brewed coffee, then opting for a Cuisinart DGB-800 Fully Automatic Burr Grind & Brew is a decent choice. This model is equipped with an innovative DirectFlow grind assembly grinds directly into the brew basket.
That’s not all: this machine comes with an AutoRinse feature to provide a convenient cleanup experience. Further, it has an intuitive control offering three flavor strengths. Plus, it comes with a large display to provide a clear, personalized selections view.
Pros:
- Three flavor strength options
- AutoRinse feature for hassle-free cleanup
- Adjustable auto-shutoff
- Includes charcoal water filter to get rid of impurities
Cons:
- The grinder a bit noisy
Top 2 – BELLA (14755) 12 Cup Coffee Maker
Next is the BELLA (14755) 12 Cup Coffee Maker with a brew strength selector to allow users to customize their coffee. Also, you can make a full carafe taste in small quantities using its 1-4 cup feature.
This sturdy model is equipped with an easy-to-read backlit LCD display which lets you brew day or night. Further, it has a special cleaning cycle to ensure your coffee retains its optimum flavor. BELLA (14755) 12 Cup Coffee Maker features a space-saving, compact design; easy-to-clean, durable components; and user-friendly controls.
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Convenient cleanup
- Includes a brew strength selector
- Easy-to-read backlit LCD display
Cons:
- Condensation issue with the water
Top 3 – BUNN Heat N Brew Programmable Coffee Maker
Earning a spot on Consumer reports’ top list of the best coffee makers is BUNN Heat N Brew Programmable Coffee Maker. It features Heat N’ Brew Technology to provide ideal water’s brewing temperature before it starts brewing your coffee.
Thanks to its programmable brew start, users can set the brew time before sleeping and wake up to a perfect cup of coffee. It has an exclusive drip-free carafe, which offers the cleanest pour. Its spout design and lid ensure a drip-free pour experience.
Pros:
- Auto Warmer Plate
- Convenient stair-step water level indicator
- Programmable brew start time
- commercial-style sprayhead
Cons:
- Clogging issue
Food and Wine
Need more options? Check out this list of the best coffee maker from Food and Wine
Top 1 – Keurig K-Classic Coffee Maker
The Keurig K-Classic Coffee Maker takes the lead. This model brews a wide range of k-cup pod sizes. This unit delivers the strongest brew with the 6-ounce pod sizes.
It has a large 48-ounce water reservoir, which allows users to brew more than 6 cups before having to refill. This way, it saves time and simplifies your morning routine. Also, the water reservoir is removable for easy refills.
Pros:
- Simple button controls
- Easy to clean
- Auto-off feature
- Large 48-ounce water reservoir
Cons:
- Requires a learning curve
Top 2 – Cuisinart DCC-3200P1 Perfectemp Coffee Maker
If you love premium-quality coffee makers, then you want to opt for this unit. Cuisinart DCC-3200P1 Perfectemp Coffee Maker features a stainless steel construction to deliver a stylish and modern to any kitchen counter.
This unit can brew up 14 cups or as little as 1-4 cups. It offers a good start with a perfect coffee at the right temperature. Also, it includes a reusable gold-tone filter for an easy brewing experience.
Pros:
- Self-clean feature
- Fully Automatic with 24-hour programmability
- Reusable gold-tone filters
- Stainless steel filter
Cons:
- Filling this machine can be challenging.
Top 3 – CHEMEX Pour-Over Glass Coffeemaker
For coffee aficionados who love to enjoy the purest flavor experience, the CHEMEX Pour-Over Glass Coffeemaker is a go-to. This unit is made of nonporous Borosilicate glass to absorb chemical residues or odors.
Also, it allows users to reheat their refrigerated coffee without losing flavor. This model comes with a simple, elegant design and packs a lot of bells and whistles.
Pros:
- Rich coffee flavor
- Easy to use
- Hassle-free cleanup experience
- Elegant design
Cons:
- Durability issues
Things to Consider Before Buying a Coffee Maker
Speed
Coffee makers that brew fast allow users to make batches in a short period. Speedy models should brew your coffee ground within 4 – 8 minutes. If your coffee maker brews too fast in less than 4 minutes, your coffee will be under-extracted and over-extracted if over 8 minutes.
Temperature
Brewing temperature indicators ensure that users get a decent cup of coffee every time. The model should be able to heat water between 195 – 205 degrees F for a perfect coffee cup.
Maintenance
This is often ignored when purchasing a new appliance. Models with easily removable components offer the snappiest cleanup.
HOW THEY TEST
- These products were shortlisted based on the following:
- How does it perform when making espressos and cappuccinos?
- Does it make coffee at the right temperature?
- How easy is setting, using, and cleaning the machine?
Conclusion
Hopefully, this article helps you pick the best coffee maker America’s Test Kitchen to make a great-tasting cup of coffee and simplify your morning routine.
