These days, a coffeemaker is as important an appliance in many kitchens as a refrigerator or oven. However, there are thousands of them on the market, so it can be a challenge to determine which one you should buy.
Our best lists for coffeemakers will provide you the best choices for the major types of coffeemakers on the market today, including drip coffeemakers, best budget coffeemaker, grind and brew, best overall coffeemaker, and best percolator. Our picks were done after many hours of research and testing, so you can be assured that one of our best picks will be a high-quality, feature-packed product that produces really tasty java.
Best Coffee Maker Overall:
Coffee has had a very important role in many societies, going back thousands of years. The earliest evidence we have of people drinking coffee is from the 15th century in the south of Arabia. Today, coffee is used by millions of people around the world for enjoyment, energy, and just as a pleasure of life. We judged our top coffeemakers on the quality of the coffee, convenience, programmable features, and unusual and useful features, such as a steel carafe, or no carafe at all.
Cuisinart Brew Central DCC-1200 Coffee Maker
We were highly impressed by the hundreds of excellent consumer reviews that this Cuisinart coffeemaker has online. We like the really good taste of the coffee that it produces...some of the highest scores in our many tests. Also, it has many programmable options and a very handy small batch option. Read Full Review »
Capresso MT500 Coffee Maker - Stainless Steel with Black 440-05
Many coffee experts think that a thermal coffeemaker produces the best-tasting brew. This thermal coffeemaker from Capresso features a thermal carafe that really gives this coffee a smooth, pleasant flavor without the bitterness associated with so many other coffees. The many high marks this product receives from consumers on Amazon also makes it a good buy. Read Full Review »
Cuisinart DCC-1100 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker
We think that this coffeemaker produces a really good-tasting cup of brew for under $60. Cuisinart put a lot of functionality and high quality parts into this product. You can really tell it when you take a sip from your first cup of coffee from this best buy. The water filter is a great addition and ensures that the water going into your coffee is of good quality. Read Full Review »
Technivorm KBT-741 Brushed Silver Coffee Maker
We were impressed that this is one of the few coffeemakers on the market that has been certified by the Specialty Coffee Assn. of America because the coffee is brewed at the proper 200 degrees F. This gives coffee the best flavor possible. Also, we loved the thermal carafe that maintains the temperature after brewing and does not give the brew a bitter and acidic flavor as is typical with glass carafes. Read Full Review »
Cooking.com$309.95Amazon.com
Cuisinart DCC-2000 Coffee Maker
We like this Cuisinart because it introduces the concept of a coffeemaker without a carafe - in the home. We liked this because there is something appealing about just putting your coffee cup in the machine and pressing a button, and getting great tasting coffee. It also gets solid reviews on Amazon; our impression is that reviews would be higher but some people just react negatively to a coffeemaker without a carafe. We loved it, though. Read Full Review »
Best Budget Coffee Maker:
Our Budget list of coffeemakers shows that you do not need to spend hundreds of dollars for a quality cup of brew. While it is true that these coffeemakers do not have all of the high quality innards and functionality of more expensive products, we think that the budget-minded coffee lover will be really impressed with the quality of coffee and the number of features from these fine budget models. In judging these coffeemakers, we tried to balance the cost (generally under $60) with good coffee taste and programming and features.
Cuisinart DCC-1100 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker
We appreciate the combination of great tasting coffee and excellent features in a budget product. Another thing that impressed our testers was the high numbers of 4 and 5 star ratings on Amazon from hundreds of reviews. We think this is definitely a best buy in the budget category. Read Full Review »
Hamilton Beach Ensemble 43253 Red 12 Cup Coffee Maker
We were impressed by the features and great tasting coffee from this Hamilton Beach best buy. We liked the simple water filtration system, and the 4 and 5 star reviews on Amazon gave us the assurance that we were looking for in a budget product. Read Full Review »
Amazon.com$36.00
Mr. Coffee VBX23 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker
This Mr. Coffee product might sound 'old hat,' but the fact is that it still produces a good cup of coffee at a very reasonable price of under $35. It has good standard features, and we liked the fact that it has plenty of four and five star ratings on the Internet from consumers. Mr. Coffee is still doing something right after all these years. Read Full Review »
Delonghi Programmable Black Drip Coffee Maker DCF212T
We were impressed with the front access design of this solid budget product. The 'Aroma' button option gives the coffee a more full flavor. It is quite an impressive addition on a budget coffeemaker that retails for less than $40. Read Full Review »
Amazon.com$35.99
Black & Decker Brew 'N Go DCM18S Coffee Maker
We liked this product from Black & Decker because it produces some really good coffee and pours it straight into a travel mug. You do not have to worry about a carafe or transferring the coffee into your mug. We think this is a great choice for the busy professional, and for a mere $20, it's a steal. Read Full Review »
Best Grind and Brew Coffee Machine:
If you are a serious lover of good coffee, we strongly recommend that you consider one of our great grind and brew coffeemakers. These devices differ from regular coffeemakers in that the grinder is built right into the coffeemaker. This makes grinding and brewing a breeze. You simply put the gourmet coffee beans in the grinder, close it up, add water and turn it on. You will have aromatic, rich gourmet coffee in minutes.
We judged these products by evaluating the quality of the coffee grinder. A burr grinder is the much-preferred option. These grinders slowly pulverize your coffee beans between two wheels without a lot of friction. This provides a much richer coffee taste. Other features we looked for included many programming options, a pause and brew feature, and a quiet grind cycle. We also looked closely at the consumer reviews, as quality and reliability is of great importance in these more complex products.
DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica Super-Automatic Espresso/Coffee Machine
We like the great amount of flexibility that this coffeemaker offers, as well as its very high quality parts. One of these is its excellent burr grinder that is the quietest in our testing. The top of the line internal parts include a stainless steel boiler that gives you superior heat distribution all through the brewing cycle. Read Full Review »
Cuisinart Grind-and-Brew 12-Cup Automatic Coffee Maker - Black & Stainless
We were impressed with all of the features on this affordable grind and brew coffeemaker. Our testers like to see such impressive features on affordable products such as the showerhead that helps to produce really good coffee at the proper temperature. We also liked the generally favorable reviews of this coffeemaker at Amazon. Read Full Review »
Cuisinart DGB-700BC Grind-and-Brew 12-Cup Automatic Coffeemaker
We were impressed with this Cuisinart because it is a high performance product with a lot of good features. With the addition of a burr grinder, you end up with extremely high quality coffee at a very affordable price with this model from Cuisinart. Read Full Review »
Cuisinart DGB-900BC Grind & Brew Thermal 12-Cup Automatic Coffeemaker
We liked how this fine coffeemaker from Cuisinart features a high quality burr grinder and a thermal carafe. It is this sort of attention to detail that makes it produce a really tasty cup of coffee at a reasonable price (under $200). Read Full Review »
Krups Grind and Brew KM7000 Coffee Maker
We thought that this coffeemaker provided a good mix of price and performance. We liked the fact that it had a good quality burr grinder. We have had coffee ground with high speed blades and you really can tell the difference in the final product. Slow burr grinders are the way to go. Read Full Review »
Amazon.com$138.67
Best Drip Coffee Maker:
Automatic drip coffeemakers are a dime a dozen these days. There are so many out there, the choices are overwhelming. We, however, have helped to narrow down your choices to five great picks. We picked our drip coffeemakers based upon the quality of the coffee they produced for their price range. We also took a close look at features, such as a removable drip basket and the efficiency of the built-in water filter. Some of these picks are regular glass carafe products, but we also have some excellent thermal carafe choices here, and also a single-cup drip coffeemaker if you are the only coffee drinker in your home.
BUNN NHBB Velocity Brew 10-Cup Home Coffee Brewer
We thought this Bunn product was a best buy because of its many great programmable options, and also because it is capable of making 10 cups of coffee in only three minutes. We also really were impressed by the 4.5 star overall consumer reviews at Amazon, from over 500 individual reviews. Read Full Review »
Cuisinart Brew Central DCC-1200 Coffee Maker
This Cuisinart is a really good buy at under $70 and produces some of the best coffee in our testing in its price range. It has many excellent standard features, a very effective water filter, and it routinely receives 4 and 5 star ratings at Amazon. Read Full Review »
Keurig Platinum B70 Coffee Maker
We were really impressed with the quality of the coffee from this single cup product from Keurig. There are many excellent options on this product, such as the five brew size choices and the showerhead needle to provide you with the best coffee flavor. It receives 4 star ratings at Amazon, so we think it is worth your consideration. Read Full Review »
Zojirushi Fresh Brew EC-BD15 Coffee Maker
We liked the taste of the coffee that this thermal drip coffeemaker produced. You could really tell the difference with the coffee being in a thermal carafe opposed to a glass one on a heating element. It really makes a difference when you are drinking the coffee after it has been sitting for an hour or two. The taste is much better. We also liked how easy the water gauge was to read, and we appreciated the many programmable options on the easy-to-read side control panel. Read Full Review »
Technivorm Moccamaster CDT Coffee Maker
We were impressed with this drip coffeemaker's ability to always produce coffee at the perfect temperature. Brewing temperature and the temperature in the carafe is extremely important for the best-tasting coffee. We also liked the thermal carafe that keeps the coffee hot without 'cooking' it on a heating element. Read Full Review »
Best Cold Brew Coffee Maker:
Virtually all of the coffeemakers you think about involve heating elements and hot water. But did you know that you can also brew coffee cold? The major advantage of cold brewed coffee is that it removes most of the acid from the beverage, which makes it much easier on sensitive stomachs and people with acid reflux.
Cold brew coffee came about in 1964, when a chemical engineering student at Cornell, named Todd Simpson, developed a cold brew system that made a cup of hot coffee with 70% less acid. This is where the term 'toddy' originated. Keep in mind that cold brewing coffee takes 12-24 hours. But with some planning and preparation, you can have your cold brew coffee ready to go in the morning when you are.
Toddy Cold Brew Coffee Maker
We liked the unique cold brewing system that this coffeemaker uses. We also like how well the product is made and the high quality guide and recipes that are included. Most people do not know how to use a cold brew coffeemaker so it is nice that the company keeps this in mind. Read Full Review »
Ronco Brew System White - CT1000WHGEN
We really liked the quality of the cold brew coffee that this Ronco product delivered. It is quite a bargain at less than $10. It is one of the least expensive cold brew coffee makers on the market today. Read Full Review »
Best Percolator Coffee Maker:
Coffee percolators were once the most popular way to make coffee. However, they were largely replaced in the 1970s by auto drip coffeemakers that most people have in their kitchens these days. However, you should consider a percolator because many coffee enthusiasts say that the coffee produced is more robust and hotter than what comes from autodrip machines. We judged these products based upon the quality of their parts and their ability to avoid the typical problems of percolator coffee - overheating the water, overextraction and recirculating brewed coffee through the bean.
FarberWare Classic Yosemite 50124 Percolator
We liked the hot and rich coffee that this percolator produced. We also did not have any problems with the coffee recirculating through the beans, as can happen with some models. The good ratings on consumer websites also are a major plus. Read Full Review »
Amazon.com$18.72
Medelco 8 Cup Glass Stovetop Percolator
This percolator did well in our tests because of the hot, fresh, tasty coffee it made, and also because of the great borosilicate glass carafe that will not break or crack. If you have ever used glass carafes in the coffeemaker world (who hasn't?), you know that these items are somewhat fragile. This carafe can take a lot of abuse and never be worse for wear. The 4-5 star rating on consumer websites for this product are a confidence booster, as well. Read Full Review »
Presto 02811 12-Cup Stainless Steel Coffeemaker
We liked this percolator because it made really great coffee without allowing the grounds to get into the coffee like with some lesser products. We also liked the high consumer ratings and the interior parts being made of steel, not aluminum. Read Full Review »
Amazon.com$62.99
Hamilton Beach 40616 Percolator
We liked how quickly this product was able to brew up to 12 cups of coffee. Having to wait for a long time for coffee to brew in a percolator is a real drag, but it was not an issue with this one. We also really liked how few grounds got into the brewed coffee. There was not any problem with brewed coffee going through the grounds, either. Read Full Review »
Amazon.com$40.24
West Bend 54159 Classic Stainless-Steel 12-Cup Percolator
This percolator excelled at producing really hot coffee. One of the complaints that many people have with autodrip coffeemakers is that the coffee never gets really hot. That is not a problem with this solid West Bend percolator. The rich flavor also impressed our testers, as well as the many consumers who give this product high ratings online. Read Full Review »
1) water temp is not ideal
2) bottom heating changes the coffee flavor
3) cannot stir to get proper blending