A coffee maker can refer to any of the wide range of machines used to brew coffee. The type of coffee maker you use will determine the style of coffee you get, including everything from espresso to drip coffee or cold brew.
By using the best coffee maker at home, you can have fresher tasting coffee, customize your drink to your exact taste, and save money on cafe drinks.
At A Glance:
OUR TOP PICK: Technivorm Moccamaster KBT
FOR ESPRESSO: Breville BES840XL Infuser
MANUAL BREWING: Kalita Wave
9 Best Coffee Makers 2024
The best coffee makers are hard to knock down from all the available options. But we hope this list gives you a good idea of the variety available for home machines. Here are our picks for the best models of the main types of coffee makers, along with their brewing capacity, ease of use, and their main advantages.
image product details
Best Overall Technivorm Moccamaster KBT Technivorm Moccamaster KBT
Automatic crip coffee maker
16.1 x 13 x 6.7 inches
10 cups
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Best Drip Coffee Maker Breville Precision Brewer Breville Precision Brewer
Automatic drip coffee maker
14 x 9 x 16 inches
12 cups
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Best Espresso Machine Breville BES840XL Infuser Breville BES840XL Infuser
Espresso machine
11.5 x 13.7 x 13.3 inches
61oz
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Best Single Serve Coffee Maker Nespresso Pixie Nespresso Pixie
Single-serve coffee maker
4.4 x 12.8 x 9.6 inches
24 oz
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Best Pour Over Kalita Wave Kalita Wave
Pour over coffee maker
4.8 x 4.5 x 2.5 inches (4 cup model)
2 cups, 4 cups
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Best Cold Brew Coffee Maker Oxo Good Grips Brewer Oxo Good Grips Brewer
Cold brewer
9.5 x 9.5 x 14.7 inches
32 oz
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Best French Press Frieling French Press Frieling Stainless Steel French Press
French press coffee maker
5.5 x 5.5 x 8 inches (17 oz size)
8oz, 17oz, 23oz, 36oz, 44oz
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Best Portable Coffee Maker Aeropress Coffee Maker Aeropress Coffee Maker
Immersion brewer
4 x 4 x 9.5 inches
8 oz
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Best Stovetop Espresso Maker Bialetti Moka Express Bialetti Moka Express
Stovetop espresso maker
n/a
1-18 cups
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Best Overall
1. Technivorm Moccamaster KBT
Type of machine: Drip
Dimensions: 16.1 x 13 x 6.7 inches
Capacity: 10 cups
Brews with: Ground coffee
Technivorm Moccamaster KBT
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The Moccamaster KBT is an automatic drip coffee machine that can make up to 10 cups of coffee at once. Technivorm, a Dutch brand specializing in premium hand-assembled drip coffee makers, produces this coffee beauty. The Moccamaster KBT features a stainless steel casing, plastic water reservoir, plastic filter basket, and a stainless steel thermal carafe. Thermal coffee makers like this one are designed to keep your coffee hot longer than glass carafes.
Technivorm Moccamaster is very easy to use, like most drip coffee machines. Fill the water reservoir, add coffee to the filter basket, and switch the machine on. The machine will switch off once the brew cycle is complete. You can opt to brew a half carafe by adjusting the setting on the brew basket.
The advantages of the Technivorm Moccamaster KBT coffee maker are its durability and ability to make the best-tasting coffee. It features a copper boiling element for fast heating and pulse brewing for better extraction. The Moccamaster KBT is an SCAA-certified coffee machine, which means it uses the brewing temperature, ratio, and brew time required by the Specialty Coffee Association Golden Cup recommendations.
The downsides to the Moccamaster KBT are that it’s more expensive than most popular coffee makers and takes up more counter space. The Technivorm Moccamaster retails at about $359.
For more details, read our Technivorm Moccamaster review.
Best Drip Coffee Maker
2. Breville Precision Brewer
Type of machine: Drip
Dimensions: 14 x 9 x 16 inches
Capacity: 12 cups
Brews with: Ground coffee
Breville Precision Brewer
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Breville Precision Brewer is an automatic drip coffee machine with a 12-cup capacity. Breville, an Australian brand known for user-friendly kitchen appliances with integrated technology, has manufactured this machine. The Precision Brewer has a brushed stainless steel casing, a tough plastic water reservoir, and a stainless steel thermal carafe. There is also the option of a model with a glass carafe.
This 12-cup coffee maker is easy to use thanks to the intuitive controls, but it does have more settings to adjust than other drip coffee machines. The easiest method is to select one of the presets (Gold Cup, Fast, Strong Brew, Ice Coffee, Cold Brew, My Brew) then press start. You can also adjust the bloom time, water temperature, and flow rate for more customization. It
This programmable coffee maker has many advantages, including the large capacity coffee pot, PID water temperature control, the level of customization, choice of flat or cone filter baskets, and the ability to brew to SCA Golden Cup Standards. As well as making drip coffee, the Breville Precision Brewer can make cold brew coffee and brew iced coffee.
The downsides to the Breville Precision Brewer are the high price and the more complex settings. This brewer’s retail price starts at $352. You can learn more about this machine in our Breville Precision Brewer review.
Best Espresso Machine
3. Breville BES840XL Infuser
Type of machine: Espresso machine
Dimensions: 11.5 x 13.7 x 13.3 inches
Capacity: 61oz
Brews with: Ground coffee
Breville BES840XL Infuser
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Breville Infuser is a semi-automatic machine with a 61 oz water reservoir. Breville manufactures it. The majority of this machine is made from stainless steel and aluminum. Still, there is some plastic on the water reservoir and the bottom of the portafilter. All plastic parts are BPA-free.
Breville Infuser requires some skill and experience to use. This is because it’s a semi-automatic machine with a manual milk frother. You need to grind your beans separately, then fill, tamp and insert the portafilter. Press either the 1 shot or 2 shot button to start the extraction. The machine will automatically stop after the preset volume has been extracted. Milk frothing is done manually by operating the dial on the side of the machine.
The advantages of the Breville Infuser are:
The preinfusion feature.
PID temperature control.
Programmable shot volume.
High-pressure steam wand with auto-purge.
The pressure gauge on the front panel helps you monitor the ideal pressure for preinfusion and extraction.
The downsides to the Breville Infuser are the learning curve required to use the machine and the limitations of a single boiler. The Breville Infuser retails at approximately $568.
Best Single Serve Coffee Maker
4. Nespresso Pixie
Types of machine: Single Serve
Dimensions: 4.4 x 12.8 x 9.6 inches
Capacity: 24 oz
Brews with: Nespresso capsules
Nespresso Pixie
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Nespresso Pixie is a single-serve (pod) machine with a 24 oz water reservoir. Pixie machine is designed by Nespresso but is manufactured and sold by both Breville and De’Longhi. There may be some design differences between these two, but the brewing mechanisms are identical. Nespresso Pixie is made of predominantly plastic but features aluminum siding.
The Pixie is straightforward to use. You insert a Nespresso capsule to make coffee, then press the single-shot or lungo button. The espresso button is preset for 1.35oz, while the lungo button is set for 3.7oz, but you can adjust these volumes. The machine will automatically switch off after 9 minutes.
The advantages of the Nespresso Pixie are its ease of use, compact size, and fast start-up time. It’s ready to brew within 25 seconds of switching on the machine. The ability to program shot volume also gives you some control over the strength of your coffee.
There aren’t any downsides to the Nespresso Pixie, but it doesn’t include a way to heat or froth milk, so it’s not suitable for someone who wants cafe-style drinks such as lattes or cappuccinos. The Nespresso Pixie is priced at $199 for De’Longhi models or $220 for Breville models.
Best Pour Over
5. Kalita Wave
Type of machine: Pour over
Dimensions: 4.8 x 4.5 x 2.5 inches (4 cup model)
Capacity: 2 cups, 4 cups
Brews with: Ground coffee
Kalita Wave
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Kalita Wave is a manual pour-over brewer. Kalita Wave is available in 1-2 cups or 2-4 cups. Kalita, a Japanese brand specializing in manual drip brewers, manufactures the Kalita Wave. This coffee maker is available in glass, ceramic, copper, or stainless steel. The glass models feature a lass dripper cone with a plastic brim.
Kalita Wave is considered to be much easier to use than other pour-over brewers. To make a coffee, you need to place a paper filter in the brewer and add the coffee. With the brewer sitting over a cup, slowly pour water over the coffee grounds in a circular motion. Total brew time will be approximately 3 minutes.
The main advantage of the Kalita Wave is that it’s much more forgiving than other popular pour over coffee drippers, and, therefore, easier to get a good cup of coffee. The wave design helps to slow down the water flow to the ideal rate needed for brewing. The flat-bottom filter with three holes reduces channeling and creates a more even extraction.
The downside to the Kalita Wave is that it doesn’t give you as much control over the brew as some drip brewers. It’s also limited to use with Kalita brand filters, which are not as cheap or as readily available as standard filters. The price of the Kalita Wave starts at approximately $24 for a glass 1-2 cup model. Watch Home Grounds’ video on Kalita and four other top pour over coffee makers: