The 10 Best Coffee Makers
Updated by · How we research
Brewing temperature, capacity and cost per cup separate these 10 coffee makers: drip, pod, pour-over and French press. The Moccamaster KBGV Select leads. When users buy our independently chosen editorial choices, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
Cup counts on coffee makers run small: makers count a cup as 4 to 5 ounces, so a 10-cup pot fills about five mugs. A coffee maker brews ground coffee with hot water, and the type decides how. Drip machines fill a carafe for a household, pod brewers make one cup at a push, and pour-over cones and French presses need only a kettle.
Editor's Notes
October 19, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Admin:
Leading the list now is the Moccamaster, back in its current version, the Moccamaster KBGV Select, which is on the Specialty Coffee Association's certified list and carries a five-year warranty. The Mueller Austria Ultra and the old Technivorm Moccamaster KBG are no longer sold, and several other old picks were older models. The Chemex Classic, Secura French Press and Ninja CE251 stay.
The question readers ask most is how to make one cup without pods, so Hamilton Beach The Scoop is new. So are the OXO Brew 9-Cup for its thermal carafe, the Cuisinart DCC-3200, the BLACK+DECKER CM1160B-1 as a cheap pick, the Keurig K-Elite and the Nespresso Vertuo Pop+. The BUNN GRB came close, but it left this list once over reports of weak coffee, and we found nothing new to change that.
We couldn't find independent temperature tests for most budget machines, so the text says so wherever that applies.
November 23, 2020:
The main criteria for inclusion in this category is the ability to brew coffee - not espresso or flavored drinks, but standard black coffee. If a machine does more than that, it's a plus, but you won't find any fancy espresso makers here. If you want something that makes a lot of drinks, the Keurig K-Cafe Special Edition, DeLonghi Nespresso Vertuo, and Ninja Auto-iQ are good options. The ability to make single-serve java is why the Cuisinart SS-15 and Hamilton Beach 49980A are just hanging on and remain on the list.
But the main concern here is coffee, and the debate is between quality versus value. The Ninja CE251 is relatively inexpensive, but annoying if you have to move it around, and the Technivorm Moccamaster is fancy, but pricey. The difference in cost between these two may be the deciding factor if you're not enough of a connoisseur to tell the difference in flavor.
Ultimately, a lot of these makers belong to categories of their own, and those categories should be considered when ranking them. Pour-over evangelists may be disgusted that the Secura French Press outranks the Chemex Classic, but the fact is that the difference between the Secura French Press and your average French press (its VORP, if you will) is greater than the difference between the Chemex Classic and the average pour-over. A dishwasher-safe, stainless steel French press that can froth milk deserves a high spot.
The top choice is the Mueller Austria Ultra because it does the main restriction for this category, classic black coffee, really well. It's inexpensive, durable, keeps coffee hot, and has features like automatic shut-off and a sneak-a-cup function. For those who want "Just coffee," it's tough to beat.
March 27, 2019:
In addition to the fact that it operates at the optimal temperature, we also noted that users tend to highlight the ability of the Technivorm Moccamaster to produce thick, smooth coffee with little to no leftover sediment, something that many models claim to do but few actually accomplish.
Removed several items from the list, including the AdirChef Grab N’ Go (the design of its power button could pose a fire hazard), the Hamilton Beach Black (consistently weak, flavorless coffee), the Hamilton Beach Flex (multiple reports that the unit only lasts a few months before breaking down), and the Bunn Velocity (utilizes a fast brewing process that tends to result in watered-down, tepid coffee).
Included the Chemex Classic and Mueller Austria French Press to give users viable manual alternatives to standard automated coffee machines. When used properly, both routinely produce rich, tasty coffee, and people seem to appreciate the hands-on brewing process, which can produce a feeling of accomplishment and enhanced control over the final product. Also added the Cuisinart SS-15, which is the full package: it includes 12-cup and single-serve capabilities, and comes with stainless steel milk frothing pitcher, a reusable to-go cup, a sample pack of pods, and a one-year warranty.
Special Honors
Fellow Aiden The Fellow Aiden is a programmable drip brewer that the Specialty Coffee Association certified in 2024. It brews a single cup or a full batch, lets you set the water temperature, and connects to an app for saved brew recipes. It sells near the top of the home market, and we couldn't confirm current listing data for it, so it sits here instead of on the main list. fellowproducts.com
Drip, Pod, Pour-Over Or Press: The Types Of Coffee Makers
A drip machine heats water and showers it over grounds in a paper or mesh basket, then fills a carafe.
Start with how many cups you drink and how much fuss you'll accept. A drip machine heats water and showers it over grounds in a paper or mesh basket, then fills a carafe. It's the default for a household, and the best ones, such as those on the Specialty Coffee Association's certified home brewer list, hold the water hot enough for a full extraction.
Pod machines, such as Keurig's K-Cup brewers and Nespresso's Vertuo line, make one cup at a push. They're quick and tidy, but each cup costs more, and you're tied to one capsule format. If you want one cup at a time without pods, look at a grounds brewer like Hamilton Beach's The Scoop, a reusable K-Cup filter, or a manual method.
Manual brewers need a kettle but no outlet. A pour-over such as the Chemex gives a clean, light cup through a thick paper filter. A French press steeps grounds and then strains them through steel mesh, for a heavier cup with some sediment. Electric percolators and stovetop moka pots are other options, and espresso machines are a separate category.
Brewing Temperature, Carafes And What A Cup Means
The Specialty Coffee Association's brewing standard calls for water between about 197.6 and 204.8 degrees Fahrenheit (92 to 96 Celsius). Machines on its certified list have shown they reach that range in a reasonable brew time. Many budget drip machines and basic pod brewers make no temperature claim, and we found no independent tests for most of them. Tom's Guide, which has published results for close to 100 machines, still ranks a Moccamaster as its top drip brewer.
Capacity numbers need a second look. Most drip makers count a cup as about 5 ounces, so a 12-cup pot is 60 ounces, or about seven 8-ounce mugs. Moccamaster counts its 40-ounce pot as 10 cups.
Then the carafe. A glass carafe on a warming plate keeps coffee hot but slowly cooks it, so plan to drink it within an hour or so. A thermal carafe, like the OXO's double-wall steel jug, holds heat with no plate at all. Filters matter, too: paper gives a cleaner cup and less cleanup, while a permanent mesh filter saves buying paper but lets more oil and fine grounds through.
Cleaning, Descaling And Safety
Minerals in tap water build up inside any coffee maker and slow it down. KitchenAid says a 50/50 mix of white vinegar and water works to descale a drip brewer, followed by a few plain-water rinse cycles. Pod brewers and machines with a descale light have their own procedure in the manual, and hard water means descaling more often. Rinse the basket and carafe daily, and wipe a wood collar like the Chemex's instead of soaking it.
Coffee makers draw up to about 1,500 watts and hold scalding water. Plug them straight into a wall outlet rather than an extension cord, don't open a pod brewer mid-brew, and retire a cracked glass carafe. Recalls in this category are mostly about burns. In June 2026 the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a recall of Kidisle coffee makers that can clog and spray hot liquid or steam. You can check any brand at SaferProducts.gov or on the CPSC recalls page. We found no recall for any model on this list.
How we researched this
We compared 17 coffee makers, including drip, pod, pour-over, French press and percolator models, read makers' specifications and listings, checked the Specialty Coffee Association's certified home brewer list, read what independent reviewers have published, analyzed owner feedback patterns, and checked every brand for recalls with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best single serve coffee maker without pods?
A grounds brewer such as Hamilton Beach The Scoop makes one cup from loose ground coffee in a mesh basket, with no pods or paper filters. A Keurig with a reusable filter, a pour-over cone or a small French press also work.
What are the main types of coffee makers?
Automatic drip machines, pod and capsule brewers, pour-over brewers, French presses, electric percolators, stovetop moka pots and espresso machines. Drip and pod machines are the most common at home.
How hot should a coffee maker brew?
The Specialty Coffee Association's standard is about 197.6 to 204.8 degrees Fahrenheit at the grounds. Brewers on its certified list meet it. Many budget and pod machines don't publish a brewing temperature.
How many ounces is a cup on a coffee maker?
Usually about 5 ounces. A 12-cup drip maker holds about 60 ounces, which fills roughly seven 8-ounce mugs. Check the maker's own count, since some brands use a smaller cup.
How often should I descale a coffee maker?
Follow the manual or the descale light. Hard water builds up scale faster, so descale more often if you see slow brewing or white deposits. A 50/50 vinegar and water mix works for most drip machines.
What's a good cheap coffee maker that still brews well?
A Chemex or a French press costs little and gives you full control of water temperature with a kettle. Among electric machines, basic 12-cup drip brewers cost the least but rarely publish their brewing temperature.
