Savor Your Morning Brew & Make It A Ritual With These 7 Drip Coffee Makers
Savor Your Morning Brew & Make It A Ritual With These 7 Drip Coffee Makers
Technology may have yet to catch up with your dreams of having coffee directly deposited into your veins, but if the best part of waking up is java in your cup, it might be worth investing in a drip coffee maker. Initially invented to automate the pour-over coffee making process, these machines can yield cup after cup of your favorite brew with little effort on your part. Given that the National Coffee Association estimates that Americans drink an average of three cups of coffee per day—so, nearly 1,100 cups per year—isn’t it about time you picked up a quality coffee machine? We think so too.
We’re here to spill the beans on the best drip coffee makers on the market, but if you simply can’t get enough, check out our recommendations for the best cold brew and single-serve coffee makers.
Our top picks
How we picked these products
You ready to rise and grind? To find the best drip coffee makers, we consulted our friends at the Good Housekeeping Institute. Their team of on-staff experts—which includes all types: engineers! data analysts! registered dietitians!—rigorously put everyday products to the test (and then more and more tests) in their New York City-based labs to determine which ones you can trust. They evaluated the drip coffee makers on a variety of factors, including performance, ease of use and assembly, temperature consistency, cleanability, noise level during operation, features, and, of course, taste.
Breville Precision Brew Thermal Coffee Maker
Breville
Amazon
$329.95
With the capacity to brew up to 14 cups in about 15 minutes, life can’t get more brewtiful than with the Breville Precision Brewer Thermal. Featuring adjustable brewing temperature, bloom time, and flow rate options, this gadget can make a carafe of coffee, single servings, and even cold brew. Per the Good Housekeeping Institute, "one of the most unique features of this coffee maker is that it can also make pour over coffee—however it needs a separate attachment."
In addition to the three keep-warm settings, this machine boasts thoughtful details like a "Golden Cup" preset and a "brew and pause" feature, so your impatience can be rewarded with a quick fill-up mid-brew. Because the lid flips up to access the water tank and basket, you may need to pull this machine out from under your cabinets when it’s time to fill the tank and basket, but that’s about as difficult as things get with the Precision Brewer. Unlike the thermal carafe, the water reservoir isn’t dishwasher-safe; however, its larger opening makes it easy to hand wash.
Black + Decker 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker
BLACK+DECKER
Amazon
$38.63
Who says cheap coffee has to taste gross? The Black + Decker 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker not only makes a cup of joe that would make Lorelai and Rory Gilmore swoon, but it remains consistent in its efficiency and temperature. According to the Good Housekeeping Institute's kitchen tech experts, "while this model could not brew using water at optimal temperatures... [it] was one of the few that could keep coffee acceptably hot for the entire 2 hour keep warm period."
With the ability to generate up to 12 cups of coffee at a time, this compact machine may be simple in terms of features, but that also means it’s a breeze to operate. The convenient digital display even includes 24-hour auto brew and sneak-a-cup functions, so nothing gets between you and your java.
Wolf Gourmet Automatic Drip 10-Cup Coffee Maker
WOLF GOURMET
Amazon
$599.95
It may be the most expensive option on our list, but you get what you pay for with the Wolf Gourmet Automatic Drip Coffee Maker. This machine is just as good as the Breville Precision Brewer Thermal in terms of performance, speed, and ease of use, but if you want a model that has some extra features to make your brewing experience even more accurate (and you have the cash to spend), this is our recommendation. In convenient accubrew mode, you can choose your preferred strength and number of cups, and the built-in scale will determine the exact amount of coffee grounds you’ll need in order to get the perfect cup, every time.
Perfect for those who love a scorchingly-hot cup of coffee, the Good Housekeeping Institute's testers found the "temperature of just brewed coffee is hotter compared to others." Plus, its LCD panel tells how long it’s been since each batch has been brewed, so you can always guarantee a steaming fresh cup.
Capresso 5-Cup Mini Drip Coffee Maker
Capresso
Amazon
$39.99
Perfect for a dorm or someone who doesn’t need anything more than a compact, simple coffee maker, the profoundly programmable Capresso 5-Cup Mini Drip offers a two-hour keep-warm feature and automatic shut-off function for those late-night or early-morning study sessions. It may not be as fast or user-friendly as our other picks, but it’s still a solid compact option with a unique plastic reusable filter, easy-to-read control panel, and cup measurement markings in the water tank.
The Mini Drip also doesn’t brew a very hot cup of joe, but the Good Housekeeping Institute's kitchen tech experts found that’s quite common, saying "Many coffee makers take time to heat up and if only brewing a small number of cups it doesn’t give it a lot of time to heat up before finished." If convenience is what you’re after, this is a breeze to clean, thanks to its dishwasher-safe carafe and detachable flip-top lid.
Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker With Glass Carafe
Ninja
Amazon
$169.99
Are you pretty sure that’s 90% iced coffee running through your veins? Perfect for those who prefer an espresso-based drink (but not a traditional espresso), the Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker offers a lot of brewing options, including classic, rich, and, yes, iced coffee. The possibilities are endless with this machine, which has multiple size choices—including cup, XL cup, XL Multi-serve, half carafe, and full carafe—and even a specialty brew feature to make concentrates for lattes, cappuccinos, and macchiatos.
While it doesn’t make the most flavorful coffee out of all the models on our list, the Ninja makes up for its shortcomings with its speed and thoughtful details like a fold-away milk frother, a two-hour keep-warm feature, an intuitive control panel, and a “drip stop” feature so you can pour yourself a cup mid-brew.
It also includes a removable water tank with side handles for an easier grip and a measuring spoon that attaches to the side of the machine so you don’t have to worry about losing it. It’s good to note, though, that the glass carafe is hand-wash only and has a small opening, which the Good Housekeeping Institute noted "may be hard for larger hands to get in and clean."
Capresso CoffeeTEAM TS Drip Coffee Maker
Capresso
Wayfair
$280.14
There’s no “i” in “team,” but there is an “i” in “incredible coffee” (actually two, but who's counting?!). A well-rounded, delicious cup of joe (or 10) is exactly what you’re in for with the Capresso CoffeeTEAM. Sure, you can use it to brew some pre-ground coffee, but if you want to kick things up a notch, this machine comes with a conical burr grinder built into its design. After you grind down your beans to whatever fineness you desire, the CoffeeTEAM directly deposits the mixture into its basket and begins brewing to your desired strength.
Though the Good Housekeeping Institute noted that the thermal carafe "did not hold heat very well," and will only keep your coffee hot for about an hour, the CoffeeTEAM's speedy turnaround ensures you won’t go long without a fresh cup.
Hamilton Beach FlexBrew Trio Coffee Maker
Hamilton Beach
Amazon
$112.00
Though the Good Housekeeping Institute's kitchen tech experts found it to be "bulky and plastic-y looking," there's more to this coffee maker than meets the eye. The Hamilton Beach FlexBrew Trio is perfect if you love the simplicity of a single-serve coffee maker, but know there are some mornings when it takes a full pot before you even consider rolling out of bed,. This combination single-serve/drip coffee machine is compatible with K-cups and reusable filters, while the full-carafe mode gives you the option of regular or strong brew.
It also features a convenient "pause and pour" function for those days you can’t even wait for the pot to finish filling. Granted, it could produce a hotter cup and the 40-ounce water reservoir makes it a little bulky, but the FlexBrew Trio is still a great option if you, like Hannah Montana, want the best of both worlds.
Isn’t it about time you invested in a quality coffee machine? We think so too, and we’re here to spill the beans on the best drip coffee makers on the market.