If a morning cup of coffee is an essential part of your daily routine, you don’t want to risk a bad brew. Whether you’ve perfected a pour-over ratio or just want something fresh, fast, and caffeinated, we found the best home coffee maker for every caffeine need.
We’ve tested over 30 coffee makers and espresso machines. Our pick for the best drip coffee maker is the SCA-certified Café Specialty Drip Coffee Maker, which offers customization, simplicity, and a consistently rich brew. If you’re looking for the happy medium between high-quality coffee and low cost, the Braun BrewSense is the best budget coffee maker we tested.
Our picks for the best coffee makers
Best drip: Café Specialty – See at Amazon
Best budget drip: Braun BrewSense – See at Amazon
Most versatile: Ninja Dualbrew Pro – See at Amazon
Best programmable: Breville Precision Brewer Thermal – See at Amazon
Best espresso: Gaggia Classic Evo Pro – See at Amazon
Best budget espresso: Casabrews – See at Amazon
Best pod: Nespresso VertuoPlus – See at Amazon
Best pour-over: Kalita Wave – See at Amazon
Best French press: Bodum Chambord – See at Amazon
Best drip coffee maker
Café Specialty Drip Coffee Maker
What makes this coffee maker the best I tested is its combination of simplicity and customizability. It’s also extremely consistent — every cup of coffee brewed at every setting tasted just like it should.
Sleek design with a new grinder option. The attractive Café Specialty Drip Coffee Maker looks simple, but it delivers a stellar performance and earns our title of best drip coffee maker. It’s made primarily of stainless steel with a matte black finish, copper accents, a reusable titanium-plated filter, and a vacuum-sealed thermal carafe. It’s worth noting that the original machine does not have an integrated coffee grinder, but the newest version does.
Brews rich, customizable, consistent coffee. Most importantly, this SCA-certified machine (read more about why that designation is important in our FAQs below) produces some of the best tasting coffee I tried in my tests. You can brew at multiple strengths: “gold,” “light,” “medium,” and “bold.” I made coffee at multiple settings, and all were good, with the “gold” and “bold” having a more well-rounded, full flavor and a slightly heavier body.
Simple, precise, and reliably high-performing. The combination of simplicity and customizability qualifies this machine as one of the best coffee makers. It’s also extremely consistent — every cup of coffee brewed at every setting tasted just like it should.
Best budget drip coffee maker
An affordable machine with all the key features. When we tested 12 coffee makers under $150, the Braun BrewSense 12-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker topped our list as the best budget coffee maker. We appreciate the large capacity carafe and small batch brewing option — both were quick to perk (14 minutes for the full carafe). For one of the cheapest and best coffee makers, the BrewSense has all the essential features. There’s 24-hour programming and the chance to grab a cup before a brew cycle is finished.
Adjustable keep-warm time and temperature. Though most coffee makers have a keep-warm setting, the Braun allows you to adjust the time and temperature. The default turns off the coffee maker after two hours, but you can set it to stay on for up to five hours. You can also set the temperature at low, medium, or high to prevent spoiling the coffee’s flavor, depending on how long it may sit on the warming plate.
Read our full Braun BrewSense review.
Most versatile
Ninja Dualbrew Pro
The Ninja Dualbrew Pro offers all the same features and brewing options as the Ninja Specialty, with the addition of an attachment that allows the user to brew coffee from pods.
A drip machine with pod compatibility. In my tests, the Dualbrew Pro performed very similarly to the Ninja Specialty. If you want the option to use coffee pods (and the best Keurig isn’t right for you), this is essentially the Ninja Specialty Brewer with that added feature.
It’s a versatile machine with multiple brew options. This is a low-fuss option for people who want one of the best home coffee makers plus a pod machine. The Ninja has many of the same features as our other top picks: a timed auto-brew function, adjustable coffee strength, an iced coffee setting, and a fold-out frother for cappuccinos and macchiatos.
A few minor flaws in the design. The only notable drawback is its lack of a reusable filter basket, though you can now purchase one separately. Switching between the pod brewing and standard brewing functions was a little awkward, and regardless of which setting we used, there was either a loose plastic cone or pod brewing attachment.
Read more about the machine in our full Ninja DualBrew Pro review.
Best programmable
Breville Precision Brewer Thermal
If you’re looking for a coffee maker to just get the job done there are simpler and more affordable options. But for the coffee aficionado who wants complete control of the brewing process, the Breville is the best maker you can get right now.
A highly customizable programmable coffee maker. The Breville Precision Brewer is a programmable home coffee maker that offers unmatched control over every variable in the brewing process. With a 12-cup capacity, the Breville is perfect for making large batches of coffee, but we found that it performs well at lower volumes too. Most of the customization is done using the small, backlit display screen and a single dial. The menus are simple to navigate, but the print is tiny, so we caution those with vision impairments.
Multiple brew presets make it very versatile. When it comes to brewing, the Breville offers multiple preset brewing modes: “Fast,” “Gold” (the recommended setting), and “Strong.” The coffee I made on both the “Gold” and “Strong” presets was fully extracted and full-flavored, with the second cup a bit darker and more robust. It also offers presets for making both iced coffee and cold brew, and you can purchase an attachment to swap out the brew basket with a pour-over device like a Hario V60 or Kalita Wave.
“My Brew” creates your perfect cup. The thing that really sets this brewer as one of the best coffee makers is the customization available in the “My Brew” setting. In my tests, I could modify almost every major variable in the brewing process, including the bloom time, water temperature, and water flow rate. The Breville Precision is the best programmable coffee maker we’ve found.
Best espresso
Gaggia Classic Evo Pro Espresso Machine
For its price, it doesn’t get much better than the Gaggia Classic Evo Pro. This compact machine is a straightforward way to learn the ins and outs of espresso.
A machine for true espresso enthusiasts. The Gaggia Classic Evo Pro is a stripped-down espresso machine built for enthusiasts who want full control over their brew. It may look simple, but it delivers café-quality, full-bodied shots once you’ve mastered its rhythm. There’s a learning curve — you’ll manually time your extractions, adjust grind size, and fine-tune tamping to hit that perfect 20 to 30 second pull.
Recent upgrades make it even better. Gaggia recently upgraded the Evo Pro’s design with a brass group head, stainless steel portafilter, and a nonstick-coated boiler that resists mineral buildup. These small but smart updates make it feel sturdier and more reliable than before.
Check out our guide to the best espresso machines and full Gaggia Classic Pro review for more.
Best budget espresso
Casabrews Espresso Machine
The Casabrews Espresso Machine is a sleek, compact machine that is simple and quiet to use. It consistently makes flavorful espresso with excellent crema.
Compact, durable, and easy to use. The Casabrews Espresso Machine punches well above its $120 price tag, offering a sleek stainless steel build and surprisingly consistent performance. It’s compact, heats up in under a minute, and reliably pulls smooth, full-bodied espresso with rich crema — making it one of the best budget-friendly machines we tested.
Consistent espresso with a pressure gauge aid. Its simple front panel includes buttons for power, shot size, and steam, plus a pressure gauge that helps beginners perfect their grind and tamping technique. The removable 34-ounce tank holds enough water for 17 double shots, and the included portafilter and filters are sturdy and easy to use (though a better tamper is worth the upgrade).
Strong steam wand and simple cleanup. A powerful steam wand rounds out the setup, producing thick, creamy foam and unscrewing easily for quick cleaning. Affordable, compact, and beginner-friendly, the Casabrews delivers impressive quality for its price.
Read our full guide to the best budget espresso machines and our full Casabrews Espresso Machine review for more.
Best pod coffee maker
Nespresso VertuoPlus
The Nespresso VertuoPlus takes all the work out of making espresso at home. It’s a sleek and user-friendly machine that brews coffee and espresso at the touch of a button and has an adjustable water tank so it can fit wherever you need it to.
Espresso-quality coffee with the ease of a pod machine. For those who want espresso-like coffee without the financial investment or learning curve, Nespresso machines are a simple alternative. When we compared Nespresso vs. Keurig, we found that Nespresso machines and pods are pricier, but make better coffee. The VertuoPlus stands out as our preferred Nespresso model due to its combination of rapid, consistent brewing performance and user-friendly features. It’s one of the best coffee and espresso makers out there.
One-button brewing for fast, foolproof results. The VertuoPlus’s biggest selling point is its ease of use and speed of brewing. With just one button, it automatically adjusts brew settings based on barcode-scanned capsules. For coffee aficionados, this means you’re entirely removed from the brewing process and, therefore, can’t change it to reflect personal tastes.
A swivel water tank adds convenience for small spaces. It’s a bit larger than other competing models, but that’s due to the worthwhile elements of a spacious used pod container (holds 10) and 40-ounce water tank. You can actually swivel the water tank to accommodate your counter space, which our small kitchen testers really appreciate. All in all, the VertuoPlus offers an excellent balance of convenience and affordability for those looking for the quickest and easiest cup of coffee possible.
Read our full guide to the best Nespresso machines.
Best pour-over
An inexpensive manual option for maximum control. Pour-over is a more labor-intensive way of making coffee, but the method is beloved by coffee enthusiasts because it is fully customizable, from the temperature of the water to the concentration of grounds. The Kalita Wave has a flat bottom with three small holes to create an even, steady drip of coffee. As you pour, the water saturates all of the grounds instead of funneling to one point, which you see in traditional cone-shaped pour-overs. The Wave comes in multiple colors and materials, but we recommend either glass or ceramic because that keeps the temperature steady.
Best for small batches. Due to the required ruffled filter, it has a slightly smaller capacity than other brewers. So, if you’re brewing for a group, we recommend the Chemex — it has a larger body that holds more grounds and produces full-flavored coffee.
Read our guide to the best pour-over coffee makers.
Best French press
Bodum Chambord French Press
The Bodum Chambord is as timeless as French presses get. It’s unfussy and operates smoothly, and replacement parts (screens, braces, etc.) are affordable and easily attainable.
The standard in French presses. When most people think of a French Press, they envision the Bodum Chambord. The Chambord’s classic design, ease of use, and affordability have made it one of the most popular and iconic pieces of home coffee gear in the world — plus, it’s a perennial winner in our coffee maker tests.
Rich coffee with minimal sediment. The filter does a great job of forming a seal and filtering out coarse coffee grounds. Like most French presses, finer grounds and sediment often make it through standard filters. Ultimately, you’ll get a viscous, full-flavored cup of coffee, but a little bit of sediment at the bottom of your mug.
Durable build, though the glass beaker needs care. The Chambord’s metal frame, lid, plunger, and filter hold up well over extended use. You’ll just need to be careful with the glass beaker because it will crack if you’re rough with it. Thankfully, Bodum offers replacement beakers and other parts at a reasonable price. The Bodum Brazil is our favorite budget French press coffee maker and is essentially the same as the Chambord but with a more durable plastic beaker.
Read our guide to the best French presses.
What type of coffee maker should I get?
The best coffee maker for you will depend on your preferences and how much time and effort you want to put into the process. Here’s an overview of the major coffee machine types and their best uses:
You should also consider capacity. If you’re the only coffee drinker in your household, a 12-cup carafe is probably overkill. Large-capacity coffee makers are great for regular dinner party hosts or houses that go through several cups a day. You don’t want to waste coffee grounds and time by brewing more or less than you need.
Do I need a coffee grinder?
For the best tasting coffee, yes. After roasting, all of the flavorful oils and sugars start to decay and the gasses inside the coffee beans leak out. Pre-grinding your coffee long before brewing dulls the flavor. The best coffee grinder, plus fresh beans, avoids that fate.
“The coffee starts to lose volatile aromatic compounds as soon as it is ground,” says Gaultieri, founder of Joules and Watts coffee. By breaking up the beans, releasing more gasses, and exposing the organic compounds and oils to the air, the coffee spoils even more quickly.
How we tested the best coffee makers
Dylan Ettinger/Business Insider
With a decade’s worth of experience within the specialty coffee industry, I’ve worked as a barista, helped open a cafe, and worked behind the scenes in packaging and distribution. For additional expertise, I spoke with Max Gaultieri, barista, roaster, and founder of Joules and Watts coffee in Malibu California, and Jessica Rodriguez, who heads the Certified Home Brewer program at the SCA. For each drip coffee maker, I used the Peru Eufemio Dominguez Aguilar Cajamarca from Joules and Watts coffee roasters in Malibu, California.
Ease of use: We considered if we could smoothly and quickly set up each coffee maker, the complexity of cleaning, and whether there were awkward controls or components that seemed likely to break or get lost.
Brewing: For machines that had customizable brews, we used recommended presets as well as “strong” or “bold” settings to determine if the cup was over or under-extracted. Since taste is subjective, we looked for consistent results above all else.
Capacity: An elementary but important specification, we tested drip coffee machines ranging from 8 to 12 cups of brewing capacity. If you drink more than one cup a day or are serving a larger group, these coffee makers will help satisfy caffeine cravings. However, if you’re only making one or two cups a day, you may not want to devote the counter space to a big machine and should consider a Nespresso or French press.
Materials: Consider what the coffee maker is primarily made of (stainless steel, plastic, glass, etc.). You’ll find that coffee makers often have either thermal carafes or warming plates to keep coffee warm after it’s brewed. In drip coffee makers, Jessica Rodriguez warns, “If a brewer has a heating plate to keep the carafe warm, it is really important that the plate does not raise the temperature of the brew, which can have a negative impact on the flavor.”
Keep in mind that some coffee makers, like French presses and cold brew makers, are typically made with glass or plastic because the brew is meant to be consumed immediately or cooled quickly. With non-metal constructions, be aware of fragility (glass) or possible staining (plastic).
Coffee maker FAQs
Dylan Ettinger/Business Insider
How do I clean my coffee maker?
For most drip coffee makers, a 1-to-1 mix of white vinegar and water will do the trick. Fill the water reservoir with the mixture and run through one or two brew cycles. Rinse out the reservoir with clean water and run brew cycles until the vinegar smell is gone.
Always be sure to check the manufacturer’s instructions before cleaning. Some coffee makers require specific cleaning solutions, have dedicated descaling functions, or are just finicky and need a delicate hand.
Do more expensive coffee makers make better coffee?
Expensive can mean many different things in the world of coffee. The range goes from $20 pour-over drippers to $4,000 espresso setups. More complicated machines require more durable materials and take longer to build, which is why any of the best espresso machines worth buying cost more money.
There’s a little more wiggle room with the best drip coffee makers. Our top budget coffee machine, the Braun BrewSense, competes with pricier models. Still, the cheaper you go, the shoddier the construction, and the sooner you’ll need a new machine. Brewing a good cup of coffee requires water at a consistent temperature, evenly saturating coffee grounds at a steady rate. To get the best results, you need precise mechanics and that increases the price.
What sets an SCA-certified home brewer apart from other coffee makers?
The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) has a program that rigorously tests coffee makers and certifies the ones that perform to their standards. Any SCA-certified brewer is proven to produce high-quality, consistent cups of coffee.
As Jessica Rodriguez, Certifications Program Manager at the SCA explains, “Multiple production units are submitted and tested at 1L and full capacity for adequate brew basket space to hold the SCA Golden Cup ratio of 55g/L, that they can reach and maintain a brewing temperature of 92 – 96C, the total water contact time falls between 4 – 8 minutes, the total dissolved solids of each brew falls between 1.15% – 1.45% and is consistent from extraction to extraction, and that there is good beverage clarity. Submitted brewers are also subjected to a uniformity-of-extraction test procedure that analyzes the spent coffee bed for the evenness of extraction.”
