Best Coffee Makers: Machines To Help You Rise and Shine

If you’re a fan of coffee, you’re in good hands. A 2020 study by the National Coffee Association found that a massive 62% of Americans drink coffee daily, with the average coffee drinker consuming three cups per day. If you rely on a chain like Starbucks or a local equivalent for your coffee, that adds up to a lot of money spent over a year.

That’s why many Americans choose to brew their own coffee at home. Not only does it save money, but it can also save you time and cut down on disposable cups littering the planet. Choosing a coffee maker can seem intimidating, though, with so many options available on the market.

Our list of the best coffee makers of 2024 is designed to make your choice easier, so you can get started making coffee at home with less hassle. All prices are of the time of writing, but prices change, so be on the lookout for deals!

Our best coffee makers picks

Now you know the difference between the most popular types of coffee makers, it’s time to look at your options. Here are our recommended coffee makers for 2024 in each of the previously mentioned categories.

How we selected the best coffee makers

A substandard coffee maker can become a daily source of frustration, which is why we heavily researched and put the top appliances to the test. In order to get our list of best coffee makers, we first considered the most common types purchased by consumers. Next, we narrowed down our list by scouring reviews to find an initial list of promising coffee makers. We then compared key factors like price, design, construction, reliability and put the finalists to the test to find the best coffee makers.

What to look for when choosing a coffee maker

When shopping for a coffee maker, consider a few factors before making a purchase.

Budget

You also need to consider your budget. For example, if you want to make espresso at home but don’t have a very high budget, you should look at manual or stovetop machines rather than more expensive automatic ones. There are many different types of coffee makers on the market, and each comes with a different price range. Your budget may help direct you toward one type of coffee maker over another.

Counter space

Finally, consider the available space you have in your kitchen. If you have a large kitchen with plenty of counter space, an automatic machine that lives on your counter full-time won’t be a huge deal, but if you’re short on counter space, you’ll need to find a smaller model or one you can store in a cabinet when not in use.

Extra features

Do you want a machine that will whip an expresso-based drink like a foamy cappuccino or a frothy latte, or do you just want a simple cup of java to start your day? Some coffee makers offer a lot of bells and whistles to appeal to your inner barista, but they add additional cost to the machine.

Cleaning requirements

Cleaning out tiny machine parts can be time-consuming and even frustrating, so before you purchase a machine, check out the manufacturer’s recommendation for cleaning. If you need a coffee maker, you can easily clean or even throw it into a dishwasher; you’ll want to make sure you know this in advance.

Capacity

If you just want a grab-and-go cup for one (and don’t mind the decidedly un-eco-friendly K-cup), a single serve coffee maker like the popular Keurig K-Cafe, but if you have multiple coffee drinkers in the house or entertain frequently, you may want to invest in a drip machine that brews up a full pot in a reasonable amount of time.

Complex vs. simple

The first thing you need to determine when choosing a coffee maker is the type of machine you want. Do you want something easy and fuss-free that does all the work for you? An automatic or capsule drip coffee maker may be your best option. But if you want to be more hands-on with the process, many manual options, like the HARIO Technica, are available that produce a variety of coffee strengths.

When should you replace a coffee maker?

In general, the average coffee maker should last at least five years, if not more. But how do you know when it’s time to replace it with a new model?

The most obvious time to replace your coffee maker is if it stops working. Before buying a new machine, contact the manufacturer to see if yours is within warranty or if they offer any repair services. If the answer is no, it’s time to replace it with a new one.

You might also want to replace your coffee maker if your tastes or your budget have changed. If your current coffee maker is the cheapest one you could find with your first paycheck, you might prefer to get a fancier model now that you have more disposable income. Alternatively, you may have developed a taste for better coffee, and your basic model may no longer brew to your standards.

If you have a capsule coffee maker but want to make the switch to something less wasteful, you may want to try a different type of coffee maker that doesn’t end up with pods in the trash. Pods can also be expensive, so in the long run a different type of machine might be cheaper.

Types of coffee makers

Before you start shopping for a coffee maker, you need to determine what kind you need. There are many types of coffee makers you can buy, but narrowing down your options is easier than you think. Here’s a little about each type of coffee maker to help you determine which one you need.

Drip coffee maker

A drip coffee maker is perhaps the most easily recognizable kind. To make coffee, you add cold water to the reservoir and ground coffee to the filter. When you turn it on, the machine heats the water and pushes it through the filter, saturating the ground coffee and depositing the brewed coffee into a glass carafe that typically holds 8-12 cups of liquid. The carafe rests on a heating element that keeps the coffee warm so you don’t have to drink it all at once. But don’t leave it sitting for too long, or the coffee will begin to taste bitter.

Pour-over coffee maker

If you don’t have much kitchen space and don’t want to brew multiple cups at a time, consider a pour-over coffee maker. To make pour-over coffee, you’ll place a cone-shaped filter into the pour-over brewer and add your ground coffee (typically a coarser grind than for a drip coffee maker). You’ll then place the pour-over brewer over a cup and pour hot water into it in batches. The brewed coffee then drips into your cup, ready for you to drink. A pour-over brewer is also smaller than a drip coffee maker and can typically fit in a cabinet when not in use.

Single-serve capsule coffee maker

A single-serve capsule coffee maker is an easy way to brew coffee with the touch of a button. The coffee is housed inside a capsule, or pod, which slots into a spot in the coffee maker. When you press the button, hot water is pushed through the pod and into your cup below. This is a really easy way to brew coffee and means you can try multiple different kinds of flavors. However, it’s not the most eco-friendly way to brew coffee as the empty capsules end up in the trash, and eventually, in the landfill.

French press

A French press is another option if you don’t have the counter space for a full-time coffee maker. You’ll combine hot water and ground coffee inside the glass container and allow it to brew for about four minutes. Once it’s ready, you’ll push down on the plunger to force the coffee grounds to the bottom, and then pour the brewed coffee into your cup. A French press produces a full-bodied cup of coffee and may not be to everyone’s taste.

Cold brew coffee maker

Cold brew coffee is all the rage right now, and you can make your own at home with a cold brew coffee maker. Using this type of coffee maker, you’ll steep coarsely ground beans in cold water for a few hours, or ideally, overnight. Once it’s brewed, you can drink it immediately or store it in the fridge in a separate container.

Espresso maker

For those who like a strong shot of coffee in the mornings to wake them up quickly, an espresso maker is a good option. Like a drip coffee maker, an espresso machine heats water and pours it over ground coffee beans. An espresso machine does so at a higher pressure, resulting in a stronger coffee that’s typically served in a small cup or used as the base for a mixed coffee drink, like a latte.

Stovetop coffee maker

A stovetop coffee maker does exactly what you would expect — makes coffee on the stovetop. This type of coffee maker consists of two parts. The bottom part sits on the stove and is where you add the cold water. The top part sits above the water and contains the ground coffee. When you turn on the stove and the water heats, steam creates pressure that forces the water through the top part and through the beans. The resulting coffee is strong and resembles espresso.

Grind and brew coffee maker

Rather than investing in a separate grinder and coffee maker, you can get a grind and brew coffee maker. This type of machine is similar to a drip coffee maker in the way it brews coffee, but instead of adding ground coffee to the filter you add whole coffee beans to a compartment. The machine then grinds the exact amount of beans for the coffee you’re making. This results in a very fresh coffee, as the beans haven’t been pre-ground and retain their richness during the brewing process.

Percolator

A percolator is a good way to ensure your coffee is very hot when you pour it. Using this type of coffee maker, you add coarse coffee grounds to the top of the machine, and hot water is directed to the grounds using a tube. The water repeatedly saturates the ground coffee, resulting in a strong and hot cup.

Siphon coffee maker

Finally, a siphon coffee maker uses water that is at a slightly lower temperature, which creates vapor that passes through the coffee grounds and turns back to water. It’s a more gentle method of brewing than many others, though the resulting cup is still very flavorful.

Are expensive coffee makers worth it?

The answer to this question depends on how picky you are about your coffee and how much money you have to spend. If you’re used to expensive coffee-shop brews, you might be disappointed with the flavor that a cheaper machine produces. But many people just aren’t in a position to throw down hundreds of dollars on a coffee maker.

Once you’ve determined what kind of coffee maker you want to buy, take a look at the top-rated options, such as ours above, so you can get an idea of the price range you’re looking at. If you can afford one of the more expensive models with high ratings, it might be worth splurging to get the best of the best. But if your budget is low, there are many high-quality coffee machines on the market that don’t cost an arm and a leg. Do your research and read reviews to determine the best pick for your situation and your budget.

No matter which coffee maker you choose, you need to make sure it checks all your boxes to produce your perfect cup. Consider our recommendations while doing your research.

Frequently asked questions

What are the different sizes of drip coffee makers?

The different sizes of drip coffee makers in terms of how much coffee they can make at one time are often single servings, four, six, 10, 12, and 14 cups.

Is a bean or pod coffee machine better?

Bean coffee machines are better overall for the environment. Pods end up in the garbage and in landfills. Regarding taste, some individuals love pod coffee; others prefer freshly ground coffee beans for their morning cup. It’s really up to the individual to decide whether a bean or pod machine is better overall.

What are the disadvantages of bean-to-cup coffee machines?

Most bean-to-cup machines are large and take up quite a bit of space in a kitchen. In addition, they may be more difficult to clean than an average drip coffee maker. Bean-to-up coffee machines may be loud, which you don’t want in the early morning hours. Last, they are usually much more expensive than non bean-to-cup options.

Are cheap coffee machines worth it?

There are a few downsides to purchasing a cheap coffee machine; these include water not getting hot enough, bitter or silty coffee (if the filter doesn’t work well), and they may break more easily than a well-constituted machine. You can find affordable coffee makers that work well because affordable does not necessarily mean “cheap” in terms of quality.

What is the most successful coffee brand?

In terms of dollar signs, Starbucks ranks as the largest coffee chain around the world, with a $35.976 billion revenue in 2023.

Additional reporting by Maya Dollarhide.