REASONS TO BUY
Brews good-tasting coffee
Very simple and straightforward
Automatic preinfusion
Consistently delicious coffee
REASONS TO AVOID
Brew basket sits directly on carafe
Larger than other 5-cup machines
Expensive
Bonavita One Touch 5-Cup Review
This coffee maker brews a great cup of coffee, for a machine that isn't programmable
This is a great coffee maker for someone looking for a simple machine and a decent cup. We didn't much like the brewing basket sitting on the carafe, requiring us to clean up the grounds before we could get that first hot cup.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
RELATED: Best Drip Coffee Makers of 2024
Our Verdict
The Bonavita One Touch 5-Cup is a fairly impressive drip coffee maker. It consistently hits an optimal average brew temperature, and though it is not programmable, we love that it has an automatic pre-infusion mode. These features allow it to brew a better-tasting cup of coffee over some of the less expensive options on the market. We're less enamored with its brew basket that sits directly on the carafe and how large it is for a 5-cup machine. Still, if you want a small capacity unit that makes great coffee without requiring you to learn a whole bunch of settings, this may be the right fit for you.
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Bonavita One Touch 5-Cup is a very simple machine, but that didn't stop it from impressing us over other comparable models. With no programmable features but consistently high brewing temperatures, the Bonavita puts out a pretty great cup of coffee. See how it measured up in our best drip coffee maker review.
Performance Comparison
With only one button and no complicated interface, this coffee maker is pretty straightforward to use. It doesn't have much in the way of extra features, but it does have a pre-infusion option, allowing for even extraction of flavor from your favorite coffee.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Brew Quality
The Bonavita fared pretty well in our brew quality testing. There is no ability to change or adjust your water temperature, but the machine brews at an average temperature of 201.5°F, right in that optimal perfect flavor extraction range. Though the pre-infusion mode isn't adjustable, we do appreciate that the One Touch gives you that option. The Bonavita uses V-style filters, and we thought the water distribution was pretty good — as long as we used the manufacturer's recommended amount of grounds. The recommended 6.5 tablespoons to 900 grams of water makes a weaker coffee, but adding a few more grounds (to hit the recommended coffee-grounds-to-water ratio) won't cause a huge mess. However, the water distribution wasn't as consistent and clean when more grounds were used. With all things considered, the Bonavita put out a good cup of coffee, better than most.
This brewer had decent water distribution, as long as we used the amount of grounds recommended by the manufacturer, which is less than we like to use.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
User Friendliness
We found the Bonavita is one of the simplest machines to use. There is only one button to worry about, no complicated interface or programming, which also means no customizing. The push-style button feels like a switch but is circular, and it has a red indicator light on the left side. When the button is held down for five seconds, the pre-infusion mode is activated. The indicator light flashes, and the machine stays in pre-infusion mode until the button is held again for five seconds or the machine is unplugged. This means whenever you turn on your machine again, the pre-infusion mode will still be activated for the next brew. We liked that the brewer automatically shut off when the brewing process was done, giving you peace of mind if you're in a rush to get out the door. We were sad to see there is no way to offer a sneak-a-cup feature, as the brew basket sits directly on top of the carafe. This also means you'll have to deal with the coffee grounds before you get that first steaming cup. We did not appreciate having to deal with grounds first, but some people might not mind so much.
The brew basket sits directly on top of the carafe, leaving no way for a sneak-a-cup feature on the Bonavita One Touch.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
The water reservoir is located on the left side of the machine. It is a translucent dark gray plastic with medium gray indicator lines. They are moderately easy to see but would be easier to read if they were lighter. The tank opening is five inches wide but is split in half with a pipeline in the center where the water is pulled from the tank to the filter. The carafe pours a bit slowly, not super smoothly, but it could have been worse. You have to hit the tab above the handle to get it to open up and pour, which helps keep your coffee warm in the stainless-steel carafe. There is no hot plate or warmer on the Bonavita One Touch, and the carafe lost a lot of heat when we left it to sit for an hour. The pour lid is slightly inconvenient to take off and put on, but we found the handle comfortable to hold, even for those with larger hands.
The lid for the One Touch carafe goes on a little specifically but prevents spills, as you have to press the tab to pour.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Ease of Cleaning
We appreciate that the Bonavita has several dishwasher-safe parts and pieces. The brewer lid, shower head, carafe pour lid, and filter basket are all top rack safe, making cleanup easier. The basket has a big handle, which is great. However, it is also the lid for the carafe, which we found annoying to take off after brewing. The stainless steel exterior wipes clean easily with a soft, damp cloth and mild dish soap. For cleaning the carafe, the manufacturer recommends using a cleaning powder. There are no built-in indicators during the descaling process, and the manufacturer says not to use vinegar. This means you will have to buy the descaling liquid or citric acid to clean your machine regularly.
We appreciate the conveniently dishwasher safe parts on this model, making clean up easy.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Consistency
Impressively, the Bonavita proved to be fairly consistent. It reached an average brewing temperature of 201.5°F, not varying more than a degree or so from one brew to the next. We were pleased with the consistent and tight time window of brewing, averaging six minutes and 12 seconds.
This machine kept a consistently high brewing temperature, giving us better flavor extraction and a decent tasting cup of coffee.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Should You Buy the Bonavita One Touch 5-Cup?
The Bonavita is simple to use, impressively consistent, and makes pretty good coffee. However, dealing with the annoying brew basket before you can even get to your morning caffeine hit was not optimal for us. The Bonavita is also a bit expensive, and it takes up more room than the average 5-cup machine. If you don't mind cleaning up your grounds before you enjoy your morning coffee, and you have the counter space and don't mind spending a little more for a tastier cup, this may be the coffee maker for you.
Our biggest hang up was having to deal with the grounds before getting to enjoy our coffee, not a deal breaker, but not necessarily our favorite thing.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
What Other Drip Coffee Maker Should You Consider?
The Bonavita One Touch 5-Cup is simple and streamlined, but it is not without its disadvantages — like a high price tag. You might consider the moderately customizable, significantly less expensive Ninja 12-Cup. Or, if you're willing to pay a bit more for an extremely personalized and highly customizable experience, you could try the Breville Precision Brewer.
This is a simple machine, but brews a tastier coffee than other lower end one touch machines.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
—Kendra Ridenour
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