Coffee is one of those universal things that people bond over. From enjoying a fresh cup when you wake up to catching up with old friends over a steaming mug of java, coffee has been said to be the ultimate comfort beverage. So why settle for a mediocre cup when making your own brew?
When it comes to purchasing a coffee maker for home use, not just any machine will do. Keep reading to learn about the variety of models/features, red flags to look for and, ultimately, the best machine to fit your lifestyle.
Coffee Maker Brands and Models
Some of the top brands of coffee makers include Bunn, Braun, Cuisinart, Krups, Black & Decker and Mr. Coffee. Each of those brands has a wide variety of models under their brand umbrella. Consider the following when choose a model:
Cup Capacity
Are you generally brewing coffee for one person or fourteen? Determine how many cups of coffee you would like to be brewing at any given time. This will narrow your coffee maker options immensely. Single cup machines tend to be smaller, while larger machines can brew up to twelve cups at a time.
Size of Machine
If you live in a tiny apartment with an even smaller kitchen, you definitely want a model that is compact enough to fit on your counter. Conversely, if you’re lucky enough to have a huge kitchen, you might opt for a larger, more impressive looking machine. Size usually correlates to the number of cups a machine can brew at one time (see above).
Coffee Maker Prices
Exactly how much are you willing to pay for your new coffee maker? There are many features that impact cost, including brand, amount of features and size. Smaller machines tend to be less expensive than larger machines, while less features signals lower price tags.
Look of Machine
More and more, brands are catering to consumers by offering machines to coordinate with any kitchen. From glass and stainless steel carafes; red, green and any color in-between machines; sleek and streamlined to cute and compact, choose the machine that best matches your style and your kitchen’s look and feel.
Coffee Maker Features
Automatic Drip
You’ve heard the expression “like watching water boil?” The same could be said of watching coffee drip. An automatic drip lets brewers turn on the coffeemaker and leave it unattended. It’s a popular feature and not hard to see why.
Built-in Timers
Busy lives require machines that make them easier. Enter coffee makers with built-in timers. Brewers can add water, filter and coffee grinds to the machine the night before, set the timer and wake up to the aroma of fresh-brewed coffee. This is especially important to those of us who need that first sip ASAP to get the morning started right.
Automatic Shut-Off
If you’re not familiar with the smell of burnt coffee, consider yourself lucky. This feature lets the machine shut off when it’s been idle for a certain amount of time (usually one hour).
Hot Plates
Most coffee makers (especially one cup coffee makers) feature hot plates to keep your coffee warm post-brew. This feature eliminates the need to drink immediately after brewing. It also allows coffee to maintain the same temperature when someone goes back for second and third cups.
Auto Pause
This handy feature lets you briefly interrupt the brewing process to pour a cup for yourself. When you replace the carafe after pouring, the brewing process resumes.
Water Filters
Certain machines offer charcoal filters to purify water before it enters the coffee machine; others allow brewers to hook up a bottled water supply directly to the machine. If the water in your area is less than desirable, this may be an appealing feature.
Coffee Makers: Green Flags & Red Flags
Green Flag: Easy Clean-Up
There’s nothing more frustrating than picking coffee grounds out of small crevices (i.e.: a messy machine). Choose a model that makes clean-up a breeze and you’ll be thanking yourself later.
Red Flag: Odd-Shaped Filters
If you have to go to five corner stores before you find a filter that fits your machine, you may want to consider getting a new one. Oddly-shaped filters ensure that consumers purchase filters made by the same company as the coffee machine. It’s inconvenient and a bit sneaky. Stick with machines that use traditional cone and basket style filters – or opt for machines with built-in filters (a nice option for the eco-friendly brewers out there!).
Green Flag: Warranties
Any brand confident in the quality of its product will usually include a 1-3 year warranty against defects.
Red Flag: Too Many Bells & Whistles
If your coffee maker comes with twenty different attachments you’re never going to use (or might lose), it’s probably not the machine for you. Additionally, the cost of the machine will reflect those accompaniments. Don’t pay more for a machine that’s more than you need.
BEST BASIC COFFEE MAKER: 12-Cup Cuisinart Brew Central DCC – 1200 (~$65)
Featuring an automatic-drip, small-batch setting, water filter, programmable timer and adjustable-temperature hot plate, Cuisinart’s most popular coffee maker, the Cuisinart Brew Central DCC - 1200, is our top pick for best basic machine. It features a stainless steel, modern look that will fit into any kitchen, is easy to clean and features a three-year warranty against defects. Viewpoints users give it an average of 4.43 out of 5 stars, and imdobies of Austin, Texas comments that this “durable drip coffee maker brews a fine cup o’ joe.”
Buy the Cuisinart Brew Central DCC - 1200 >>
BEST VALUE COFFEE MAKER: 12-Cup Mr. Coffee JWX27 (~$50)
If you need a simple, straight-forward coffee machine that will consistently make great cups, the Mr. Coffee JWX27 is the one for you. Although this model doesn’t have a small-batch setting and features plastic housing (as opposed to stainless steel), it does have a pause-and-pour function and built-in water filter. One reviewer on Amazon describes it as a “Good basic coffee maker!” and gives it 5 out of 5 stars.
Buy the Mr. Coffee JWX27 >>
BEST COFFEE MAKER FOR A SINGLE PERSON: 1-Cup Black & Decker Brew ‘N Go (~$25)
If you just need one cup, this is your machine. The Black & Decker Brew ‘N Go is inexpensive, easy to operate and includes a travel mug that perfectly fits the large 15-ounce serving size. The permanent filter eliminates the cost and waste associated with paper filters, making it perfect for the busy single on the go. Gus from Annapolis, Maryland writes on Viewpoints that “it’s great when you just want one cup of coffee in a hurry.”
Buy the Black & Decker Brew 'N Go >>
BEST COFFEE MAKER FOR ENTERTAINING: 10-Cup Krups XP1500 (~$90)
While this buying guide only focuses on coffee makers, we just had to include the Krups XP1500 dual espresso/coffee maker, which is great for entertaining. Whether making coffee in the morning or espresso post-dinner, guests (and hosts) can get both. A large coffee pot accommodates up to ten guests, while the actual machine is easy to use (during the party) and easy to clean (after the party). Includes a one-year warranty. One 5 out of 5 star review on consumerreports.com called it “convenient, easy to clean, east to use” and “the most-used appliance in our kitchen next to the microwave.”
Buy the Krups XP1500 >>
BEST COFFEE MAKER FOR A GOURMET: 10-Cup Technivorm Moccamaster KBT741 (~$299)
If you’re a gourmet, then you know that the optimal temperature at which to drink coffee is 200 degrees Fahrenheit, and the Dutch-built Technivorm Moccamaster delivers just that (and is certified by the Specialty Coffee Association of America). The carafe is thermal, which helps maintain this temperature, and the machine has a pause function to make sure you get your cup exactly when you want it. The progressive design will be a conversation piece in itself – one to have, of course, while drinking an exceptional brew. One Amazon reviewer summed it up this way: “The overwhelming consensus is that the TechniVorm (TV) is the Rolls Royce of batch coffee makers. I got one as a gift and I agree.”
Buy the Technivorm Moccamaster KBT741 >>
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