We Drank a Lot of Coffee To Find the 13 Best Coffee Makers of 2024

Best Overall

Cuisinart Programmable Coffee Maker

Orig. $100 $80 at Amazon $100 at Target $100 at Wayfair

If you dream of waking up to a fresh pot of coffee each morning, then a programmable coffee maker is the best brewing device for you. One of our favorite options is the Cuisinart 14-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker. The stainless steel construction on this machine lets it blend into any kitchen décor. It can brew a small amount or a full carafe of 14 cups, so it's good if you need a little joe or a lot. We found the 1-4 cup feature really helpful, as we usually don't drink more than that in a single day.

Another key feature is the item's temperature control. With the touch of a button, you can set the carafe temperature to low, medium, or hot. We found the strength and temperature of the coffee to be exactly as we expected each time, and think the coffee maker is well-designed and handy for large gatherings.

The 24-hour programmable setting lets you schedule your brew for the next day as you are finishing up the current one, and it has a zero- to four-hour automatic shut off so you won't worry if you rush out of the house, travel mug in hand. A reusable GoldTone filter eliminates the need for pesky paper filters, saving you an early morning trip to the store.

Even after 1.5 years of use, we are still sold on this coffee maker, too. Although there is a small amount of wear and tear (the numbers are starting to fade on the pot even though we hand wash it), the screen is a little too bright, especially at night, and filling it has a small margin of error before it spills, it still makes a great, strong cup of coffee with fewer grounds. We keep it on the medium setting and find it stays at the perfect temperature for hours.

Grounds or Pods: Grounds | Capacity: 14 cups (70 ounces) | Dimensions: 7.75 x 9 x 14 inches | Warranty: 3-year limited

Best Versatile

Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker

Orig. $170 $130 at Amazon $170 at Wayfair $170 at Home Depot

Who says you need to be a pod person to achieve fantastic single-serve coffee? This Ninja coffee maker offers a wide range of drink options, including a single cup, and you know your coffee will be extraordinary since this is one of the few machines certified by the Specialty Coffee Association.

The Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker has six brew sizes in all, starting at one cup and working all the way up to a full carafe. Pick your favorite coffee beans and craft an array of hot or cold drinks, including brewed coffee, iced coffee, and even lattes, macchiatos, and cappuccinos, courtesy of a milk frothing wand. We love the machine's versatility and found the frother works exceptionally well. The frother also folds away when you're finished, saving valuable counter space.

Note that this brewer doesn't make true espresso. Instead, it produces a rich coffee concentrate meant to be an espresso substitute—it's not as strong as espresso but works well enough for lattes and cappuccinos.

This coffee maker can be purchased with a glass carafe or, for a slightly higher price, a thermal carafe, which is more durable and retains heat longer (but is hand-wash only). Both options are affordably priced, especially considering the variety of features with which the machine is equipped.

Grounds or Pods: Grounds | Capacity: Single serve and 10-cup carafe (50 ounces) | Dimensions: 12 x 15 x 8.8 inches | Warranty: 1-year limited

Best Pour Over

Chemex Classic Series Coffeemaker

Orig. $46 $39 at Amazon Orig. $67 $49 at Walmart $40 at Williams-Sonoma

Still one of the most gorgeous and useful brewing devices ever invented, the Chemex undoubtedly deserves its place in the permanent collection of New York City's Museum of Modern Art. Its stunning hourglass shape, subtle wood and leather accents, and ease of use make the Chemex an ideal blend of form and function.

Unlike most pour-over brewers, the Chemex is suitable for large groups, as it comes in sizes of 6, 8, and even 10 cups. The proprietary Chemex filters contribute to a clean, sweet, articulate flavor in the cup. Remember to rinse the filters before brewing because their thickness and material can lead to a strong papery flavor. You probably want to drink up before your coffee gets cold, too. The Chemex isn't insulated, so it won't stay hot for long. 

Taysha Murtaugh, editorial director for The Spruce Eats, has used a Chemex for years and says she would absolutely recommend it to anyone who has the time to commit to brewing café-quality coffee. Plus, it's stylish, doesn't require electricity, and is more efficient to clean than a French press.

She said pour-over makers take some time to master and require continuous monitoring while brewing, so they're not ideal for those who are short on time. But when you can spare a few moments, it's a nice experience that will make you feel more connected to your morning cup.

Grounds or Pods: Grounds | Capacity: 3, 6, 8, and 10 cups | Dimensions: Varies by capacity | Warranty: 1 year

Best French Press

Frieling Double Wall French Press

$140 at Amazon View on Target $120 at Wayfair

French presses are a wonderful alternative brewing device for all coffee lovers. They are known for making a cup of joe that's stronger than what most drip machines can accomplish. They are also compact and usually affordable. Unfortunately, the Frieling Stainless Steel French Press is on the expensive end, but for those who want the best French press out there this is the way to go.

The item's double-walled stainless steel carafe provides top-notch heat retention, so you can grab a cup long after brewing. We tested it ourselves and found that the stainless steel is durable and won’t shatter like glass beakers. It's available in a variety of sizes, starting at 8 ounces and going up to 44 ounces. You can also purchase it in a number of stylish finishes depending on what you prefer for your kitchen.

It's easy to clean too, as all parts are dishwasher-safe, but smudges do show pretty easily. If you do choose to wash it by hand, that's no problem either. It took us no more than a minute to take it apart, and once everything was washed and rinsed, it was a breeze to put back together.

Grounds or Pods: Grounds | Capacity: 8, 17, 23, 36, and 44 ounces | Dimensions: Varies by capacity | Warranty: 5 years

Best Keurig

Keurig Single-Serve K-Cup Coffee Maker

$189 at Amazon Orig. $220 $160 at Walmart $200 at Wayfair

No other name is as synonymous with pod-based brewers as Keurig. The brand revolutionized the coffee game by focusing on speed, convenience, and ease of use one single-serve cup at a time. The K-Café is the brand's top-performing and most versatile machine.

Not only does it brew the quick and consistent coffee that so many know and love, it also gives customers the ability to make lattes and cappuccinos. There's a setting for bold coffee shots, similar to espresso, and it comes with a dishwasher-safe milk frother. After testing the K-Café firsthand, we found that the frother is great for an amateur latte or cappuccino. It’s not at the same level as what an expensive espresso machine can make, but it’s definitely a close second.

You can brew regular coffee in four sizes (6, 8, 10, and 12 ounces) and even select a stronger setting for those who want a little more punch in their cup. Perhaps the main drawback is that this machine is fairly large for a pod-based coffee maker. We found it oddly shaped because of the two wings on each side of the K-Cup pod holder. Aside from that, the K-Café will make every day a little more delicious with all the different drinks it can brew.

Grounds or Pods: Pods | Capacity: 6-, 8-, 10-, and 12-ounce servings | Dimensions: 12.5 x 15.3 x 11.7 inches | Warranty: 1-year limited

Best Espresso

Breville The Barista Express Espresso Machine

Orig. $750 $700 at Amazon Orig. $677 $675 at Walmart $700 at Target

For those tired of drinking the same old drip coffee every day, an espresso maker is a worthwhile investment, especially if it has the ability to froth milk for lattes and cappuccinos. And this espresso maker, the Breville Barista Express, is one of the best options you can find. It may be a little pricey for the casual coffee drinker, but it can brew a bevy of café-quality drinks in minutes. The machine even has a built-in burr grinder for the freshest possible coffee, as well as digital temperature control and a sensor for when it's time to clean the machine. During testing, we discovered that it's easy to clean but it requires frequent upkeep, usually after each use.

We like the Barista Express overall as it consistently delivers excellent espresso. Breville manufactures several highly reviewed espresso makers, and this one is somewhat of a middle ground as far as cost and convenience. Its value for money and the quality of this machine make it a terrific option for those who have a keen interest in espresso but are unwilling to spend thousands of dollars. It's sold in three striking colors—stainless steel, cranberry red, and black sesame—and is widely available in-store and online.

Grounds or Pods: Grounds | Capacity: Single serve | Dimensions: 12 x 11 x 13.5 inches | Warranty: 1-year limited

Best Dual Brewer

Espressione Stainless Steel Espresso and Coffee Maker

Orig. $450 $280 at Amazon $350 at Walmart $350 at Target

The Espressione Combination Coffee and Espresso Maker is the best of both worlds. On one side of the machine is a drip coffee system with a 10-cup glass carafe. On the other, a manual espresso filter and a built-in milk frother for whipping up specialty drinks, like lattes and cappuccinos, right at home.

The item has advanced features like electronic temperature control, programmable volume and strength settings for espresso, and a double spout for brewing two espresso shots at once. While all of these controls can be daunting at first, as well as the manual espresso head, once you get the hang of it, this is a high-quality and versatile machine. We found it especially strong in two of the most important areas: flavor and value for money.

Other key features include a heating plate to keep your pot of coffee warm, a thermoblock heating system that reaches ideal brewing temperatures faster and holds that temperature for longer, and finally the rare capability to work with both ground coffee and E.S.E. pods.

Grounds or Pods: Grounds and E.S.E. pods | Capacity: Single serve and 10-cup carafe | Dimensions: 14.6 x 11.4 x 13 inches | Warranty: 1-year limited

Best for Pods

Bruvi Brewer BV-01

Orig. $398 $348 at Amazon $348 at Bruvi.com

A common pitfall of pod-based brewers is that the coffee often tastes similar from cup to cup, even when using different pods. There are a few reasons for this, including that coffee pods are less fresh than whole-bean coffee and that there may be limitations of the brewers themselves. This isn't the case with Bruvi, however. The brand uses higher-quality coffee (and more of it) in its signature B-Pods for a noticeably stronger and more dynamic flavor—something we noticed ourselves when testing the Bruvi BV-01 firsthand.

The machine automatically adjusts seven different brewing details, like water temperature and bloom time, to match the type of B-Pod used. Customers can then adjust several other features manually, like serving size, boldness, and even the amount of acidity. Bruvi brewers can make cold brew too, along with standard drip coffee.

One of the drawbacks is the price; it's more on par with a home espresso machine than a drip coffee maker as far as the cost goes. However, the coffee is consistently better than the majority of other pod options out there while offering the same quickness and simplicity. Another is that the pods are only sold online, so you can't run to a brick-and-mortar store to pick some up.

Electric: Yes | Grounds or Pods: Pods | Capacity: 1 to 16 ounces | Dimensions: 12.6 x 10.2 x 11.5 inches | Warranty: 1 year

Best Splurge

Technivorm Moccamaster KBGV Select Coffee Maker

$359 at Amazon $360 at Williams-Sonoma $359 at Nordstrom

The Technivorm Moccamaster KBGV certainly comes with a high price tag, but it's one of the best coffee makers you can find. In fact, it's one of the few coffee makers to meet the Golden Cup Standard—a set of guidelines established by the Specialty Coffee Association to achieve a higher-quality cup of coffee.

Handmade in the Netherlands, this brewer has features you won’t find elsewhere, like a core copper heating element that keeps brewing temperature within the optimal range of 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit and brews a full carafe in roughly five minutes.

Such speed is just one key factor in the Golden Cup Standard, says Peter Giuliano, the Chief Research Officer at the Specialty Coffee Association and Executive Director of the Coffee Science Foundation.

"Our standard is that [a coffee maker] has to get to 195 to 205 degrees within one minute of turning on," Giuliano adds, "and it needs to stay there for the duration of the brew. That’s more challenging than you might expect. Most brewers that we test either get too hot or stay too cold, but the good ones can maintain that ideal temperature."

Another top-grade feature of the Technivorm Moccamaster is its brew basket settings that let you control the length of time the coffee is steeped, and therefore control the strength of the brew. The item has an outlet arm—adding to the eye-catching design—that evenly saturates the coffee grounds every time. And when brewing is finished, the machine shuts off for safety. Keep in mind, though, that it is pretty wide, and requires a bit more counter space than other coffee makers.

Grounds or Pods: Grounds | Capacity: 10 cups (40 ounces) | Dimensions: 12.75 x 6.5 x 14 inches | Warranty: 5 years

Best Non-Electric

AeroPress Original Coffee Maker

$40 at Amazon Orig. $40 $33 at Walmart $40 at Target

The AeroPress started with a small but fervent following in the early 2000s and quickly gained traction, becoming one of the most popular and recognizable non-electric coffee makers available today. It's affordable, easy to use, and a great travel companion—plus it makes a delicious cup of coffee.

Due to its immersion brew style and plunging method, AeroPresses are often seen as alternatives to French presses—comparable products with marked differences. Perhaps most importantly, an AeroPress uses paper filters to keep coffee sediment out of the bottom of your cup; this means no grit in those final sips, as well as a less acidic taste.

While some users rely on an AeroPress as their primary at-home coffee maker, the item may be better suited as a companion piece, a partner-in-crime to another coffee maker, as it only produces one or two cups at a time. We tested the item ourselves and think it's a wonderful brewing device for those who regularly make one cup of coffee at a time or travel often. But coffee lovers who make large batches may prefer something like a Chemex instead.

Grounds or Pods: Grounds | Capacity: 8 ounces | Dimensions: 11.3 x 5 x 4.25 inches | Warranty: 1-year limited

Best Cold Brew

OXO Good Grips Cold Brew Coffee Maker

$52 at Amazon $52 at Williams-Sonoma $52 at Food52

Even though cold brew takes a long time to make, the process is actually incredibly simple. And that's especially true when you have a device like the OXO Good Grips Cold Brew Coffee Maker. We tested the item over several weeks and gave it an excellent rating in a number of key areas. The cold brew it produced was consistently tasty and all the parts feel durable and well-made.

There are four pieces to put together before brewing, but after that all you have to do is scoop coffee grounds and cold water into the top container and wait 12 to 24 hours for a smooth and refreshing drink. The glass carafe is the only dishwasher-safe part, so the other pieces need to be washed by hand. We didn't find this to be a major inconvenience, however. The 32-ounce capacity is also large enough for at least a dozen servings of cold brew concentrate, meaning it's unlikely you'll have to clean the item every day, unless you drink a ton of coffee.

The OXO Cold Brew Maker is around the same price or perhaps slightly more expensive than other cold brew makers out there. But given how impressed we were with the item, we think the price is reasonable.

Grounds or Pods: Grounds | Capacity: 32 ounces | Dimensions: 9.5 x 9.5 x 14.7 inches | Warranty: 2 years

Best Space Saver

Nespresso Essenza Mini

$180 at Amazon $180 at Walmart $180 at Target

At just over 4 inches wide, the Nespresso Essenza Mini delivers good coffee without dominating your kitchen counter. It only weighs about 5 pounds too, so it's light as well as compact.

Upon testing the item, we found it easy to use, like most Nespresso machines. It also brews fast. All we had to do was pop in a Nespresso capsule—OriginalLine pods only—select one of two size options, and we were enjoying an espresso shot in less than a minute.

Another benefit of the Essenza Mini is that it's one of the most affordable Nespresso machines available. So if you're interested in trying the well-known Swiss brand for the first time, this is a low-investment place to start. Pod-based espresso in general doesn't quite live up to the real thing—but that's expected. The espresso from the Essenza Mini is still strong and has a light layer of crema on top. It just doesn't surpass the quality of a thousand-dollar commercial espresso machine.

Grounds or Pods: Pods | Capacity: Single serve | Dimensions: 4.3 x 12 x 8 inches | Warranty: 1 year

Best Thermal Carafe

OXO Brew 12-Cup Coffee Maker with Single-Serve

$300 at Amazon $300 at Crate & Barrel View on Oxo

Thermal carafes have three advantages over glass carafes. Stainless steel is more durable, keeps coffee hot longer, and most importantly it preserves coffee flavor because no hot plate is needed. The OXO Brew 12-Cup Coffee Maker offers these benefits and many more, one of which is the ability to brew a single cup of coffee when needed. Most drip coffee makers struggle to make less than four cups because of the speed at which water pours through the grounds. In contrast, this coffee maker comes with two filter baskets—a large basket for brewing five to 12 cups and a small one for four cups or less. A downside is that both baskets require paper filters, which you'll go through fast if making small batches of coffee every day.

We tested this coffee maker for 30 days and give it a glowing review. The coffee itself was strong and well-balanced from first cup to last. It also stayed at an optimal drinking temperature (above 140 degrees Fahrenheit) for eight hours. One of the only criticisms we have is that the water tank isn't removable and, as a result, is difficult to fill if the machine is underneath a cupboard.

The OXO Brew 12-Cup may stretch some budgets, as it's expensive for any type of brewing device. Even though there are cheaper thermal coffee makers out there, few have this performance, consistency, and unique single-serve function, which is why we think it's an all-around worthwhile pick.

Grounds or Pods: Grounds | Capacity: 12 cups (60 ounces) | Dimensions: 12.25 x 8 x 14.5 inches | Warranty: 2 years