It’s no secret: The world loves coffee. Whether you’re a latte aficionado or a straight-up black drinker, there’s nothing like the convenience of a home brew to start the day. But which to choose from? We did some research and talked to baristas and coffee experts to pick the best drip coffee makers.
“When it comes to controlling the consistency of strength and flavor, there is nothing like the pour-over method,” Josh Romyn, a manager at Vancouver’s Birds & the Beets, tells SELF. With this method, the coffee grounds are continuously saturated with fresh water for most of the brewing time. You might’ve noticed your local barista carefully pouring hot water over a paper filter filled with coffee grounds into a carafe—that is this method at work.
Though this is common at your local coffee shop, it’s not exactly the most conducive to making coffee at home, since it’s pretty time-consuming. “Sometimes the ease of a drip machine is nice, especially at home,” Romyn says. A drip machine uses the same idea as pour over, though with an automatic and less exact process. Fill a tank with water, and it will heat and saturate the coffee and then steep it in a pot. What you trade in control is made up for with convenience, since there’s no need to separately heat water and then gingerly pour it over carefully measured grounds.
When choosing a drip machine, Romyn says to look for a style that comes closest to that coveted pour over cup method, which means features like a showerlike spout and a flat-bottomed basket for even saturation of the coffee grounds. You should also look for a coffee maker that reaches the optimal brewing temperature of 198 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit for the best flavor of coffee. All of these features lead to consistency and getting the most flavorful cup, he says. Models that are simple to use and durable also get extra bonus points.
1. Bonavita Drip Coffee Maker
This well-rounded machine comes recommended by both Jackson O’Brien, a barista from Minneapolis’s Peace Coffee and Josh Romyn manager at Birds & the Beets. Though the machine measures on the smaller side at only an eight-cup capacity, they love it because it consistently brings water to the optimal brewing temperature of 198 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit, ensuring peak flavor extraction from the beans. Its double-walled thermal carafe keeps coffee warm for longer, and its flat filter basket and wide shower head are similar to a café-style pour over, but with less mess.
2. Mr. Coffee Switch Coffee Maker
The most affordable option on the list is from Mr.Coffee. It’s no-frills, but that’s why Jamie McCormick, co-owner of New York’s Abraço, recommends it. If you’re looking for something simple to use but with features such as auto pause—which allows you to grab a cup while brewing—a filter tank window to prevent overflows, and a handled filter basket for easy cleanup, this may be the machine for you.
3. OXO Brew Coffee Maker
Another compact option is from Oxo, which happens to be certified by the Specialty Coffee Association for meeting its exacting homebrewing standards. This machine is beloved by baristas for brewing directly into the carafe, which traps heat and aromatics better than others, and for mimicking that café pour over experience. If you’re not in the mood for a full pot, it has a setting that allows you to brew one to four cups of coffee instead of five to eight.
4. Technivorm Moccamaster Coffee Maker
At the higher end of the price spectrum is this machine by Technivorm Moccamaster, which was recommended by multiple experts. Baristas love it for its large brew capacity, reliability, and consistency. “At home, I’m looking for a pour over experience, and this machine gives it to me without me having to put in the work. It also lasts. I’ve had mine for years without any issues,” Mark Hombrebueno, from Vancouver’s Nemesis Coffee, tells SELF. It comes in a wide array of colors, so it can match every kitchen color scheme and look covetable on your countertop.
5. Capresso 465 Coffeeteam Digital Coffee Maker
The built-in burr grinder—which grinds up coffee—is what gives this machine its cult status. A quality grinder alone can cost $100 and take up additional counter space, so it’s great that this is a two-in-one option. It’s also programmable, allowing you to set it the night before for the perfect morning cup. The model’s thermal carafe keeps coffee hot for longer and avoids the heating plate method that can often scald the coffee instead of preserving its heat.
6. Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker
The specifications abound on this machine. It has four brew methods: classic, rich, over ice, or specialty brew, allowing you to customize your cup exactly to your liking. The specialty setting mimics espresso, and the machine’s attached milk frothing wand is great for making lattes, cappuccinos, or flat whites—giving you true home-barista status. It also has six settings for the size of brew rainging from cup to full carafe.
7. Ninja Hot and Cold Brew System
Another beloved machine by Ninja, this one is coveted for its ability to brew both hot and iced coffee and tea. Like many of its double duty competitors, it doesn’t require disposable pods. The thermal carafe keeps beverages warm or cold for longer than a glass model. With separate baskets for coffee and tea, you’ll never get crossover flavoring from one to the other.
8. Hamilton Beach 2-Way Brewer Coffee Maker
A more affordable option, this model has all your basics covered and also offers an additional spout for when you just need that one cup. It’s straightforward and easy to use, but still has convenient features like programmability, auto shutoff, and brew-strength selection for a lighter or bolder brew. The height for the single serve is tall enough to fit a travel mug, perfect for those get-up-and-go mornings.
9. Cuisinart Glass Carafe Coffee Maker
Experts love this machine for its ability to heat, brew consistency, and large capacity. It consistently gets the water to that barista-approved brewing temperature of 205 degrees Fahrenheit, ensuring you get maximal flavor each time. It’s also programmable, features auto shutoff, and uses easy-to-clean reusable mesh filter baskets. And it’s compact for its size, so you don’t have to give up too much kitchen real estate.
10. Breville Precision Brewer Thermal Coffee Maker
Also on the pricier side is this model from Breville. It’s worth the investment for its rapid speed brewing: You can get a full pot in just over eight minutes, compared with up to 12 minutes for other machines on the market. It’s also highly customizable, with features to adjust everything from hot or cold, exact water temperature, and the ability to use both cone or flat-basket filters.
11. Black + Decker Programmable Coffee Maker
One of the more basic models on the list and with a price point to reflect it, this Black and Decker machine is great for those who just want a simple quality pot. It has convenient features like auto-pause, programmability, and a removable dishwasher-safe brew basket. It also has an additional feature that many lower-priced models lack: a showerhead-like design, which allows for the barista-approved even saturation of grounds.
12. Smeg Retro Style Coffee Maker
This machine from Smeg hits all the notes that baristas love in a home machine, and it comes in that coveted retro look characteristic of the bran. It’s a solid machine with features like brew strength, 24-hour programmability, and an environmentally friendly filterless basket. It gets coffee expert points not just for design, but also for having the showerhead-like spout instead of a single stream.
13. Braun Brewsense Drip Coffee Maker
What sets this machine apart from other makers is its unique carafe lid that seals in the fresh flavor by minimizing air exposure and the anti-drip system that lets you pour with precision at any time during the brewing cycle. “Also, you get that Braun stamp of quality and reliability with every pot,” Max Milton, a barista from La Colombe, tells SELF.
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