The Best Coffee Makers, According to Coffee Experts
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Every morning, the bleary-eyed journey from bedroom to kitchen ends at the coffee maker. It’s a daily ritual that balances necessity and joy, all centered around a simple household appliance. As a result, it’s worth checking out the top coffee makers available today. Even if you love your current coffee setup, you may find a brewer that offers different features and styles of coffee.
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Fortunately, purchasing a quality coffee maker doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, Morgan Eckroth, the 2022 US World Barista Champion (yes, it’s a thing apparently), tells us it’s better to “invest in good coffee over your brewer.” There are reliable options that’ll serve high-quality beans well, be it a drip brewer, a French press, or a pour-over.
What the Experts Say
For this piece, SPY consulted several experts to get tips for purchasing a coffee maker, insight on different brew methods, as well as specific product recommendations.
We interviewed Morgan Eckroth, a barista and content creator who won the 2022 US Barista Championship and finished runner-up in the 2023 World Barista Championship. Jiyoon Han, a Q Grader, Cup of Excellence Judge, and the founder of Bean & Bean Coffee, spoke with us, too. We also got in touch with multiple team members at Atlas Coffee Club, including co-founder and Executive Creative Director Jordan Rosenacker and coffee roasters Alejandro Martinez and Colby Cox.
“What matters to one person in a coffee maker might significantly differ from another’s priorities,” says Han. “The perfect coffee maker is one that not only meets functional criteria but also resonates with the individual preferences and lifestyle of the coffee drinker.”
The coffee industry, once specialized to a degree that became inaccessible, has progressed past gatekeeping. People can now make delicious drinks customized to their taste right from home, and there are machines that can deliver something close to a local shop. “I think the communication behind the science of brewing coffee is a lot more public now,” Eckoth notes. “With that, we’re seeing a lot of new products and brewers come out that dive into all the individual aspects of coffee.”
This array of options is sourced directly from these experts and covered in our top picks below.
BEST OVERALL
Bonavita Connoisseur 8-Cup Drip Coffee Brewer
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There’s no one-size-fits-all brewer, but the Bonavita Connoisseur has something for all manner of coffee lovers. Eckroth has owned and used the same Bonavita Connoissuer for four years and sums it up by saying, “It’s at the intersection of affordable, quality, and intuitive.”
The 8-cup capacity is large enough for a multi-person household, and the thermal carafe keeps coffee hot for hours without altering its flavor. It’s among a select number of brewers certified by the Specialty Coffee Association, meaning it’s been tested to meet a series of brewing standards regarding water temperature, brew time, extraction rate, and more.
One of the few drawbacks is that it’s not programmable, so it can’t be set up at night to automatically brew in the morning. However, the brewing performance and quality of materials make up for it.
BEST SPLURGE
Moccamaster KBGV Select
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Moccamaster has long been one of the preeminent names in the coffee industry, largely due to its award-winning drip brewers. This model, the KBGV Select, takes the brand’s signature technology and adds some user-friendly features to brew a pot of coffee that’s both tasty and convenient.
It looks the part of a luxury coffee maker, too. “One of the things I really like about the brewer is the aesthetic,” says Eckroth, who’s used the KBGV Select for over two years. “It’s super customizable with colorways, which is fun.” There are 18 colors to choose from, many of which are near-impossible to find in other drip brewers. Eckroth adds that the KBGV Select is particularly adept at brewing coffee that’s “high-clarity, bright, [and has] complex acidity.”
The price will likely kill a caffeine buzz or two, but Moccamaster brewers are well-built and come with a five-year warranty.
BEST BUDGET
Kalita Wave 185 Coffee Dripper
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Like many pour-over brewers, the Kalita Wave 185 is affordable and offers a lot of control over the coffee blend. What sets it apart from other pour-overs is its large capacity at a forgiving range of 16 to 26 ounces. In Han’s words, “[It’s] friendly for beginners but suitable for enthusiasts and professionals alike.” No wonder all three sources that SPY spoke with recommended the item.
“Whether I’m searching for tasting notes at work or starting my weekend with the family, the Kalita Wave is my go-to brew method,” Martinez says. This sentiment is echoed by Eckroth, who tells us, “It’s consistently my most used brewer.”
The Kalita Wave 185 varies slightly in price based on the material you select (glass, ceramic, or stainless steel). All of their brewers feature a flat-bottomed design that tends to produce coffee that’s sweeter and has more body than that of a conical brewer.
BEST POUR OVER
Chemex Eight Cup Classic Coffeemaker
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Chemex has become the quintessential pour-over brand in part because of its aesthetic: a simple, hourglass-shaped carafe, accented with a wooden collar. Naturally, such sophistication led it to become James Bond’s preferred brewer in the 1957 novel, From Russia With Love. Yet, the Chemex also epitomizes pour-over coffee when it comes to taste. The thick paper filters “remove sediments and oils” in the coffee, leading to an exceptionally “clean and bright cup,” says Han. It accentuates the specific tasting notes listed on a bag of coffee beans better than many other coffee makers.
Colby Cox has been using a Chemex for the better part of a decade and recommends the 8-cup model because “It’s just big enough to serve a couple of people if you want.” Despite the artisanal feel, Chemex coffeemakers are less expensive than standard drip brewers and don’t require much coffee expertise to use. You can toy with ratios and grind sizes to fit your preference over time, but brewing is as straightforward as pouring hot water over coffee grounds.
BEST FRENCH PRESS
Secura Stainless Steel French Press
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French-press coffee, in comparison to drip and pour-over, has a richer taste and longer-lasting mouthfeel. Secura’s Stainless Steel French Press achieves this coveted flavor profile while keeping the coffee hot longer thanks to its double-walled insulation. The durable steel means the French press should stick around for years, too. “You can drop it down a flight of Parisian stairs and it will dent to heck but still work,” Cox says.
Cox calls French presses in general “a sneaky VIP in any kitchen,” as they can be used for “tea, cold brew, [and] infusing flavors into your alcohol or cooking oils.” This multi-purpose device sounds even better when it costs little more than a couple of bags of coffee beans, like the Secura French Press.
BEST COLD BREW
OXO Cold Brew Coffee Maker
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Cold brew can be made with a household setup of a Mason jar, cheesecloth, and rubber band, but specialized devices like this one from OXO make the process easier, cleaner, and more effective. The OXO Cold Brew Maker is slightly pricier than most competitors but offers more when it comes to ease of use and the quality of materials.
Martinez says the coffee never comes out “muddy or over-extracted” and emphasizes that “clean-up is super easy since there’s no brew bag or paper filter.”
With a 40-ounce capacity, you get a lot of coffee per batch, especially if you make cold brew concentrate. Yet, the item doesn’t take up much room in the fridge because the brewing container can be separated from the dispensing stand.
BEST TRAVEL
AeroPress
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“The Aeropress is popular among travelers and campers for being very light and portable,” Han tells us. “All you need, in addition to the AeroPress itself, is water, and you can make coffee in the mountains or in the desert.”
The advantages go beyond that, too, as many coffee drinkers use it as their primary home brewing device. One unique aspect of the AeroPress is that it can produce coffee that’s similar to drip or espresso depending on the coffee-to-water ratio used, as well as the grind size. It also brews extremely quickly (two minutes is usually recommended) and comes at a low price. The AeroPress XL is a good alternative for those who want to make larger servings.
Frequently Asked Questions About Coffee Makers
How do you clean a coffee maker?
For non-electric coffee makers, a quick rinse with soap and water after each use does the trick. Electric coffee makers don’t need much day-to-day cleaning other than rinsing the coffee pot; however, they should undergo a more thorough cleaning process, known as descaling, roughly every six months. Descaling removes mineral buildup and, in turn, prolongs the life of an electric coffee maker. It’s typically done with a combination of distilled vinegar and soapy water, but many brands sell descaling products, too.
How do you make cold brew?
Cold brew is made by letting coffee grounds (preferably coarse-ground) steep in cold water for 12 to 24 hours, depending on preference. This method differs from iced coffee, which is brewed with hot water and then chilled. As a result, cold brew is generally sweeter, richer, and less acidic.
If you come across the term “cold brew concentrate,” it refers to cold brew that’s meant to be diluted with water or milk before drinking; otherwise, the flavor would be strong to the point of unpleasantness.
How much caffeine is in a cup of coffee?
An 8-ounce cup of coffee contains 90 to 100 milligrams of caffeine on average. This is truly a rough estimate, though, as many small factors affect caffeine content. Using hotter water, more finely ground beans, a longer brew time, and of course an extra scoop or two all increase the amount of caffeine in your cup. That’s not to mention that every type of coffee has its own unique level of caffeine.
For reference, the FDA recommends a maximum intake of 400 milligrams of caffeine per day.
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