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A fragrant and delicious cup of coffee can set the tone for your day. To ensure consistent quality brewing, we've taste-tested coffee from hundreds of brewing contraptions and found the top 10 coffee makers to share with you, from drip and espresso machines to French presses and pour-over units.
We consulted baristas and coffee connoisseurs alike to participate in back-to-back taste tests with our panel to rank each machine's coffee on its flavor, finish, and acidity to ensure top-tier taste.
We found that most will be happy with the Ninja 12-Cup Programmable CE251. It is easy to use, clear, and has good taste at a fantastic price. If you want the absolute best taste and are willing to pay hundreds more, the Technivorm Moccamaster KBT makes an ambrosial cuppa that could make anyone spring out of bed no matter the waking hour.
To get the most out of your machine, see our review of top-rated coffee grinders. And, we have a separate assessment of espresso machines if you prefer espresso to drip coffee.
Editor's Note: We updated this review on May 19th, 2025 to add more details of our testing process and the coffee makers we recommend.
Who this is best for: I think the Technivorm Moccamaster KBT is the best coffee maker available today. It's an exceptionally high-quality, handmade drip coffee maker. After our extensive taste tests, I found this to be a fantastic machine that's suitable for those who want a quick and simple cup of java bliss every morning.
In our testing, this machine was able to brew a 6-cup pot of coffee in about 4 minutes. “That's crazy fast!” as one of our testers put it. Coffee connoisseurs who enjoy fine-tuning their brew thanks to the drip stop switch that can be used to manually add preinfusion or extend the brew time to your liking — a much-appreciated feature for those who like to tinker with their coffee.
How it performed in our taste tests: The Technivorm Moccamaster KBT is the best overall coffee maker we've tested to date. It extends that first-sip feeling to the last drop of each cup it brews. In our tasting trials, testers found the brew to be intoxicatingly delicious. “Every sip I take of this coffee is a spiritual experience,” noted taste tester Rachael Lamore.
Our entire taste panel was blown away by the rich, complex, balanced flavor and luscious weight and texture of the coffee made by the Moccamaster. Lead taste tester Lesley Robinson said, “I loved the coffee made by this machine. It was an eye-opening experience to see how amazing home-brewed coffee can be.”
Should you buy it? In the world of drip coffee makers, the Technivorm Moccamaster is an S-tier machine that brews marvelous coffee. However, I know that some coffee drinkers highly value the convenience of programmable features and dishwasher-safe parts (every component of the Moccamaster must be hand-washed). No other machine can contend with the Moccamaster on pure flavor, but the price and lack of programmable convenience could be where some draw the line in the sand.
How Big is a Cup of Coffee?
While a standard cup of any liquid is 8 ounces, that's not the case with coffee. Because coffee contains nutritional components, the medical industry has defined a single serving of coffee as 6 ounces. Also, some coffee tools, like the Moccamaster, use European 4-ounce cup measurements. Keep this in mind when choosing a coffee maker that proclaims a certain number of “cups” it will brew, as most coffee mugs you're likely to have at home will hold 8 to 12 ounces — which is more than one cup of coffee!
We popped the lid off the brew basket so you can see the Technivorm Moccamaster in action. The gentle drips from the showerhead completely soak the grounds in the cone basket for even and balanced flavor extraction.
Who this is best for: The Ratio Six Series 2 is a great choice for coffee nerds (like me) who really enjoy the coffee-making process. It's an interestingly designed machine. It's beautiful to look at and seems super basic to brew with, given its one-button operation. However, the unique modular stack design of the carafe, brew basket, and heat guard creates some extra steps that aren't required when operating most other brewers. When both setting up the machine to brew and then preparing to pour your first cup, there's some fiddling that must be done with this stack. Overall, it's still a pretty quick brewer, but you can't just grab your carafe and pour your coffee when brewing is complete. It's a minor inconvenience, and those who enjoy participating in the ritual of the process won't mind it in the least.
How it performed in our taste tests: The coffee brewed by the Series 2 was sensational. One of our taste testers even wrote, “After I drank this coffee, my immediate reaction was 'Wow'.” They expounded on the flavor notes, using excited hand gestures and joyful facial expressions while dropping descriptors like “I love the chocolatey sweetness,” "there's a hint of caramel," and “licorice and rye” to express the complex flavors (and emotions) they experienced. One of our taste testers went so far as to say the coffee was “a significant improvement over the pour-over” that they were comparing it to.
Should you buy it? The exceptional flavor is a direct result of the machine's excellent brew quality. The Series 2 has a gorgeous showerhead that delicately and evenly soaks all of the grounds in its brew basket. Those droplets grace the grounds at just the right temperature, too. It is a little pricey for a coffee brewer, and the extra steps required during the brewing and cleaning processes aren't a selling point for many — but those who appreciate the art of coffee and care for quality devices will find the experience to be well worth the price.
Removable water tank makes filling and cleaning easy
A solid suite of programmable features and customization options
REASONS TO AVOID
Hot plate is weak
Takes some time to brew a full pot
Who this is best for: If you can't bear to fuss with an overabundance of programmable features but still want a decently tasty cup of coffee, the Ninja 12-Cup Programmable offers a great balance. Impressively, it strikes this balance at a much lower price than some of its closest competitors. This machine is great for those wake-up-and-caffeinate types, as well as people who want to simplify their morning routine.
The Ninja is also among the easiest brewers to use. The intuitive interface makes for a pleasant user experience. This is especially important for those 5 am wake-up calls when you still aren't awake enough to go through a meticulous 12-step brewing process to get your morning cup. With this brewer, what you see is what you get — there is no guesswork involved. Starting a brew process is as simple as adding the filter, grounds, and water, choosing the brew type, and pressing brew. If navigating buttons first thing in the morning is still too much, you can prep your basket and grounds the night before and schedule brewing to start before you wake up. It even beeps when the brew is ready.
How it performed in our taste tests: Members of our taste test panel loved the coffee brewed through the Ninja for its “balanced” flavor profile that tasted “delightful, with smooth but bold flavors perfectly blended together.” Considering all of this, it's definitely a superb value.
Should you buy it? While the Ninja is a great machine, it doesn't have any brew customization beyond a Classic vs. Rich choice. Also, its brew times are a tad slow, clocking in at 7 minutes 48 seconds on average for a 6-cup pot. But at its price point, this brewer is unbeatable.
Who this is best for: If your budget is already at its limits, but you really want a drip coffee maker that makes good, drinkable coffee that you'll look forward to every morning, the Black+Decker 12-Cup Thermal is a good option. Plus, it even comes with handy extras like a programmable auto-brew, a freshness timer, a strong brew option, a sneak-a-cup feature, and an insulated stainless steel carafe.
How it performed in our taste tests: Just because a drip coffee maker has a very low price tag doesn't mean it makes bad coffee — the Black+Decker 12-Cup Thermal proves that even inexpensive drip machines can make a smooth and satisfying pot of joe. Our team of taste testers was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the java produced by the Thermal. “I didn't find the coffee to be aggressive or too bold. The flavors were present but not offensive, and the mouthfeel was light and easy to drink,” one taste tester said. Essentially, this drip brewer made coffee that was on the lighter side of the coffee spectrum. “I found the flavor to be light and soothing,” other tasters noted.
Should you buy it? Given its affordable price, we were also impressed by its temperature accuracy and features. Plus, it's rare to see an insulated thermal carafe on any budget-friendly drip coffee machine, and it's a welcome bonus. That said, it's not a perfect machine. The water tank is a bit small and awkward to access, the coffee is good but it's not great, and it's a bit on the slow side, taking about 7 minutes to brew a 6-cup pot. You won't find a better machine at its low price, but if you can spend a few more dollars for better quality coffee and a more user-friendly experience, we tested several drip brewers that took things to the next level and beyond.
Who this is best for: If you're all about the tactile nature of brewing with a French press and appreciate the elegance of the plunge and pour, but the risk of finding excess coffee grounds in your cup is off-putting, consider the Secura Stainless Steel to be your knight in shining armor. It excelled in our filtration tests, letting nary a granule of coffee bean slip through its filter. This resulted in super clean coffee that was smooth and easy to drink.
How it performed in our taste tests: We couldn't ask for much more from a press. The Secura Stainless Steel reinforces the brand's high-quality reputation by producing a consistent cup of ideally brewed coffee. “It makes some of the tastiest and cleanest coffee I've had from a French press,” noted taste testers. It's also one of the most insulating, keeping our coffee piping hot longer than any other press in our tests. And let's not forget to mention that it's available in several dazzling colors.
Should you buy it? At a fair price, the Secura makes top-tier coffee, is well insulated, and is surprisingly durable. “When I dropped the lid during my testing, the filter basket bent,” tester Lesley Robinson said. But the steel was easy to bend back into shape, and it continued to perform as if nothing had happened. For these reasons, the Secura Stainless Steel is our favorite French press.
Known for their ease of use and rich, full-bodied brew, a French press is an inexpensive way to make your morning coffee. The Secura Stainless Steel is the best one we've tested.
Who this is best for: Those who find joy in a sweeter cup of coffee will appreciate the Fellow Clara press. Our taste-testing panel agreed that it brewed a noticeably sweet brew without any added sugar. Regarding the enhanced filtration system, tester Robinson noted, “I found it lets more sweet carbohydrates through.” What's more, the elegant design and double wall vacuum insulation raise the press to a level of chic that will impress when you pour a cup for your guests.
How it performed in our taste tests: The Fellow Clara has a unique filtration design that lets you pour coffee without worrying about aligning the lid perfectly. It also allows a moderate amount of grounds through, though we believe this is what lends to the consistently sweet and balanced cups of coffee it produces. “The viscosity is a bit thicker, but I don't mind,” Robinson said.
Should you buy it? The Fellow makes thick, lush coffee that blankets your tongue with sweetness, and it's super sleek, but it is expensive for a French press. We're not fans of the plastic filter cover steeping in hot water every day, which may release microplastics into your coffee. The tightly fitting silicone seal also makes it hard to depress the plunger — if you don't apply pressure slowly enough, it can spill coffee and grounds. Ultimately, several of our testers found that these inconveniences are worth a consistently sweet cup.
Who this is best for: If you like complex, rich espresso and smooth microfoam, the Breville Barista Express delivers on all fronts. This all-in-one machine can finely grind beans, brew espresso, and steam your milk. It offers both manual and preset controls that allow beginners or experienced baristas to produce cafe-level lattes. For novices, this machine is easy to learn, and the manufacturer even offers a third-party app called BILT App to provide extremely detailed user guidance. It's excellent for any-sized household because it maintains consistent pressure and heat even after making several batches. This also makes it a great option for turning your kitchen into a cafe when the company arrives. So, at-home baristas who need to brew several espresso drinks in a short amount of time will enjoy this machine the most. However, it isn't exclusively for crowds. Anyone seeking to own a high-quality, all-in-one espresso machine will love the Barista Express.
How it performed in our taste tests: We love this machine for its ability to curate consistently delicious shots. In fact, several members of our team have purchased it for themselves. One of our in-house baristas noted, “I love how the espresso from the Breville tastes evenly extracted with undertones of sweetness.” Testers also noted a viscous mouth feel.
Should you buy it? If you love making at-home espresso drinks, or the idea of it, at least, then the short answer is a resounding YES. While grinding, tamping, brewing, and steaming sound complicated at first, this unit's straightforward interface and excellent virtual user manual shorten the learning curve. However, it's not so simple that veterans won't appreciate it. There's plenty of room to experiment and a wealth of customizable settings. However, this machine has a more involved control panel and is more expensive than many of the products we tested. It also requires a little more coddling when it comes to cleaning and routine maintenance. But in the end, all of these inconveniences are easily outweighed by its ability to produce luxurious espresso drinks at home.
SPECIFICATIONS
Lifetime Cost Per Shot
$0.83
Number of Cafe Replacement Lattes to Make Up List Price
Who this is best for: The Casabrews CM5418 wasn't designed to make many drinks at once, so it's best for homes or offices where the drink-making will be spread out — no more than two or three at a time. And since it's so affordable, this espresso machine is ideal for those in search of a no-frills machine that makes “rich, tasty espresso,” according to our taste testers. If you're on a tight budget, this will do the job and do it well.
Why we love it: Aside from the relatively inexpensive price, the best part of the Casabrews Compact is how easy it is to use. “I found it simple to operate and maintain,” one tester noted. The face of the machine houses four intuitive buttons and a big, easy-to-read pressure gauge, so you can make sure it's in the correct range for espresso. A knob on the side of the machine controls the steam pressure and hot water flow rate for making Americanos. And, other than some basic cleaning tasks, the only regular maintenance needed is a descaling every 500 cycles, which will likely be many months apart for most.
Should you buy it? The Casabrews Compact is a capable espresso machine that pulls smooth crema-topped shots and can steam a cup of milk to a velvety froth in our testing. Where most of the machines we bought and tested cost hundreds of dollars for cafe-quality lattes, this machine creates nearly the same quality for a bargain. That said, the Casabrews Compact can't stand toe-to-toe against the top-ranked espresso machines we tested. For example, though you can control the steam wand pressure, we found that even at its highest setting, the pressure was weaker than we wanted. So, when steaming milk, the process took longer, even if the resulting microfoam did turn out satisfactory. But at the crossroads where value, convenience, and espresso quality meet, the Casabrews Compact reigns supreme.
Who this is best for: If you live for easily-made lattes and cappuccinos, the Breville Bambino Plus is your dream machine. It includes the best semi-automatic steam wand of any espresso machine we've tested, and cleaning, both short-term and long-term, proved to be fairly straightforward. Students, apartment dwellers, and even RV travelers will love this pint-sized brewer. I also absolutely love the space-saving design. It has one of the smallest footprints of any machine in our lineup, making it super compact and easy to store on a shelf or neatly behind a cupboard door. All told, the Bambino Plus is an excellent choice for beginners who want the convenience of enjoying espresso at home without needing grade-A barista skills.
Why we love it: Learning to use a steam wand can be intimidating, but not with this model. Fill a pitcher with milk, set it under the steam wand, choose the temperature and texture you desire, and let the Bambino Plus do the work. Testers also love the espresso: “The shots I pulled were fragrant and flavorful,” Lamore said. We also found the Bambino to be easy to use and maintain.
Should you buy it? Newbies eager to steam their first froth will adore this little latte maker. It's a great learner machine, but the convenience of the Bambino Plus will cost you. And, since it doesn't include a grinder, you'll have to buy one of those separately. That said, it also produces quality shots and supple foam that you'll enjoy making and drinking on the daily, so you get what you pay for.
Who this is best for: If you're a one-cup-and-go kind of person, a dedicated single-serve coffee maker may be right for you, and the Nespresso by De'Longhi Vertuo is among the best. It makes great-tasting coffee, better than just about any other single-serve pod coffee, which makes the sacrifice of hand-crafted coffee for the sake of convenience a bit easier to swallow. It's perfect for those who are short on time in the mornings but still desire a brew worth savoring.
Why we love it: The machine automatically detects the type of pod you insert, adjusting the strength and size of the brew to match. (Here's our favorite of the compatible pods.) One of our testers noted, “The whole process took me just a few minutes” and “It brews a cup of coffee or expresso with a rich crema that I enjoyed,” And since Nespresso's disposable pods are made of aluminum instead of plastic, they don't leave a chemical aftertaste and are recyclable.
Should you buy it? For a machine that makes coffee with pre-packed pods, the Vertuo pumps out sumptuous coffee and strikingly strong espresso. It's reasonably priced, but its pods are more expensive than most, increasing its impact on your budget over time. And, while the aluminum pods are recyclable, you do need to go through the trouble of sending them back to Nespresso. This is also a big machine and will put a dent in your counter space. If you're set on a pod machine, though, this is the one I recommend.
Who this is best for: If you're Keurig curious, I have found the Keurig K-Supreme Plus Smart to be my favorite from Keurig's line of coffee makers. It maintains the ease of use that Keurigs are famed for, but also offers an impressive array of features and adjustability that allow you to make the exact cup of coffee you want. This all makes it a top option for Keurig loyalists who want to upgrade to a more premium machine or for any coffee drinker who desires both simplicity and customization.
Why we love it: The K-Supreme Plus Smart offers advanced controls and numerous settings while remaining user-friendly and intuitive. “I like that I can choose water temperature, brew size, strength settings, and whether I want hot or cold coffee,” noted one of our testers. Or you can just let the coffee maker follow the instructions related to each Keurig pod's integrated BrewID. (We like Bulletproof's The Original Roast Coffee.) You can also operate the machine remotely with the Keurig app to have a cup of coffee waiting for you.
Should you buy it? While the K-Supreme is our favorite of the Keurig coffee makers, Keurigs are among our least favorite coffee makers overall. There are so many tastier, easier-to-use, and less wasteful options available. K-Cups have been made of recyclable #5 plastic since 2020, but not all recycling centers accept them. This machine also suffers from a lack of dishwasher-safe components and can be a bear to set up the first time around. If you still insist on a Keurig, consider this one.
While we don't love the taste of Kuerig coffee compared to other brew methods, the K-Supreme Plus Smart still offers plenty to love. It's simple to use and has a great app that makes it a joy to operate.
Who this is best for: If you're drawn to Keurig machines for their ease and simplicity, we'd steer you toward the K-Mini. The singular button and no-nonsense design make it simple and easy to use, even for bleary-eyed, half-asleep night owls who are forced to wake up earlier than they want. Its compact dimensions fit in nicely in small apartments and cramped college dorms, making it a solid choice for young adults in need of their first coffee machine.
Why we love it: We're huge fans of the multiple, fun color options. That, paired with its small footprint and minimalist design, makes it such a fun little machine that'll add a splash of personality to any countertop.
Should you buy it? This is an inexpensive, tiny, quaint brewer that'll get the job done. Simply choose how much water you want to brew with (from 6 to 12 ounces), and press the big start button. It's cheap and intuitive, but you don't have a lot of control over how the coffee is brewed in the K-Mini, and the result is often watery, weak coffee with a slight “plasticky aftertaste”, according to our taste testers.
The K-Mini comes in cute colors and takes up very little counter space, but the Keurig pods make some of our least favorite-tasting coffee.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
How We Tested
We have tested hundreds of coffee-making and coffee-related products over the years. Our in-depth testing always begins by choosing every product based on merit and purchasing each one to avoid any bias. We've spent tens of thousands of dollars buying espresso machines, drip coffee machines, electric kettles, coffee grinders, French presses, Keurig machines, other single-serve coffee machines and the pods that go with them, milk frothers, and even camping-specific coffee makers. Not to mention the hundreds of pounds of coffee grounds we've ground and brewed and all the gallons of coffee, espresso, and lattes we've consumed. We weigh our ingredients precisely, time them to the second, and measure their temperatures at key moments. We evaluate their ease of use, learning curves, versatility, and ease of being cleaned.
We've put every coffee-related product through a battery of thorough and comparative palette taste tests to find where they excel and be able to recommend the best options for your coffee brewing process.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Why Trust GearLab
This battery of testing includes expertise and input from a massive team of people, including serious coffee nerds with impressive backgrounds working and excelling in the field of coffee brewing, like Michelle Powell, Liz Nelson, Penney Garrett, and Lesley Robinson.
We leave no stone unturned when testing coffee brewing methods.
Both Liz and Penney are coffee industry veterans, spending over 20 combined years perfecting brew methods and teaching palate training. Liz runs her own importing and roasting business based in Colorado.
Michelle adds another decade of experience to the mix, having trained at several prestigious pioneering coffee institutions and twice competed in the Southwest Regional Barista Competition. These expert baristas have helped design and carry out all of the tests for our varied coffee categories, adding their expertise and intimate knowledge of brewing the perfect cup to ensure each product is adequately tested for novices and pros alike.
Our coffee makers are tested by Lesley Robinson, who has a degree in food science from California Polytechnic State University. With more than a decade of experience in the food industry and a background in quality assessment and food safety, Leslie has a keen eye for quality. With world-class equipment and technology at their fingertips, the in-house testing team brings precision and experienced critical eyes to the testing of many of these categories of coffee accouterment.
Whether you're new to brewing or an industry professional, we've tested tons of coffee gear for all kinds of brew methods.
How to Pick the Best Coffee Maker
Here's the thing about coffee makers: which type and model you choose and how you use it can have a drastic impact on how your coffee tastes, how clean it is, and how much body it has. You and your chosen coffee maker are the last link in a long, global chain of growers, pickers, distributors, and roasters — it's pretty cool that you get to decide what all that hard work renders.
Ultimately, you're looking for a machine that will help you make coffee that you love while fitting into your lifestyle. If all the choices available seem intimidating, don't worry, we're here to help.
We tested each coffee maker in our lineup side-by-side to help find the right one for your morning coffee fix.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Coffee Taste: Flavor, Finish, and Acidity
Brewing coffee is both an art and a science. On one hand, brewing combines principles of physics and chemistry. You're essentially repeating a science experiment in your kitchen every morning. On the other, coffee flavor is a pure expression of artistry, where the brewing device is the brush you use to paint the (hopefully) delicious result on the canvas of your tongue.
Coffee Taste Ratings
Product
Flavor
Finish
Acidity
Technivorm Moccamaster KBT
4.5
4.5
4.5
Ratio Six Series 2
4.0
4.5
5.0
Fellow Clara
5.0
4.5
4.0
Hario V60
3.5
4.0
4.0
Secura Stainless Steel
3.5
4.0
3.0
Nespresso Vertuo
3.5
3.5
3.5
Ninja 12-Cup Programmable
3.5
2.5
3.5
Keurig Mini
2.0
2.0
1.5
Keurig K-Supreme Plus Smart
2.0
1.5
2.0
We found that traditional drip coffee makers brewed the best-tasting coffee across the board in our taste tasting.
Some coffee makers do most of the work for you, while others rely on your ability to consistently prepare and execute a series of steps to get the flavors, textures, and taste you prefer. It's like how paint-by-numbers and refined mastercraft oil paintings can both be beautiful to look at — coffee brewed through an automated drip brewer, and an expertly handled pour-over can both have astonishing flavor.
The taste of coffee is the culmination of many different flavors — a single sip can contain multitudes. Using the Coffee Taster's Flavor Wheel, created by the Speciality Coffee Association (SCA) as a reference point, our expert team of taste testers evaluated the flavor notes and flavor strength alongside the mouthfeel, finish, and acidity levels as a vital part of reviewing each coffee brewing device we tested.
Our expert panel of taste testers scrutinized every cup of joe that was put in front of them, jotting down notes about the flavor, mouthfeel, finish, and acidity of each.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
All of our award winners make great coffee. Taste tester Rachael Lamore was “very impressed” by the Technivorm Moccamaster and that “It might be easier getting up in the morning if I have a cup of this coffee to look forward to.” Our team savored every last drop of the floral, chocolatey goodness the machine produced. Lamore also thoroughly enjoyed the sweet and fruity brew made with the Fellow French Press, which she said made a “bright and delightful cup of coffee. The sweet aftertaste is such a treat!” Taster Joshua Hutchens raved about the coffee's “excellent texture.” Likewise, the Hario V60 made coffee that was described as “overall very enjoyable” and “quite delicious.”
Yet, the overall impression is more of an experience than taste alone; it's a combination of each element of a coffee's taste, finish, and acidity, and those are weighed against personal preferences when making assessments. That's why we had a full team of taste testers at our disposal. While one coffee expert may prefer the balanced fruity and nutty flavor of the Secura French Press with its smooth aftertaste, another connoisseur may relish the heavy, slightly acidic bitter chocolate flavor that the Ninja Coffee Maker extracts with its lingering finish (one tester was overjoyed with its "more robust flavor presentation"). But while every person may have their own preferences, our expert panel clearly aligned on which coffee makers made the best-tasting coffee of all.
Some brew processes, like pour-over, allow you to tweak your methods to extract more and better flavors.
Credit: Liz Nelson
Coffee Brewing
Extraction and brewing are semi-interchangeable terms that mean using water to pull soluble chemical compounds from coffee beans. Three main chemical reactions create your coffee: hydrolysis, dissolution, and diffusion through osmosis. As they unfold, they coax a series of flavors from your coffee grounds. The tastiest flavors — your fatty oils and acidic, fruity, and sweet notes — emerge first. They're followed by bitter and astringent flavors that occur when the chemical reactions go too far, prompting many of us to add waaaaay too many lumps of sugar.
If your coffee doesn't steep long enough or hot enough, you'll get weak, watery coffee that pros call under-extracted. The key is to maximize the sweet and fruity flavors while not tipping over into a pit of bitterness and despair. We're shooting for ideal extraction here. The resulting taste is a sweet balanced cup of coffee with a pleasing aftertaste and thicker, creamier consistency.
Automated coffee makers don't usually let you choose how long your let your coffee steep. Manual options, like the French press shown here give you all the control.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Brewing Steps
To make coffee, you need to grow, harvest, ship (usually several times), and roast beans, grind them, and soak them in water or filter water through them. Every step impacts your coffee's flavor, including the water type and temperature, how you brew it, and what filter you use. Let's break it down step by step.
Coffee Beans and Quality
The compounds and flavors available for you to extract will depend on your coffee beans — their quality, the quality of the roast, and their freshness. As they age, tasty aromatics and compounds that are trapped inside the beans' matrix during the roasting process will gradually escape, rendering the beans literally less full of flavor. Most hard-core coffee folks use their beans within one to two weeks of their roast date.
Bulletproof Coffee has a great guide to help you cut through the crowded coffee isle and choose beans that get you excited to climb out of bed. If you're worried about the sustainability, ethics, and worker protections in coffee supply chains, the Speciality Coffee Association offers resources that may help you make more informed decisions.
The first step to a great cup of coffee is a high quality bean.
Credit: Liz Nelson
Grind Size and Consistency
You need to match the size of your coffee grounds to your brewing method. This means buying whole beans and grinding them either at home or at the store when you purchase them.
Whatever size you need, whether fine for espresso or coarse for a French press, you also need your grind size to be consistent to get the best results. That's why coffee aficionados recommend using burr grinders. These are the best coffee grinders on the market; they use pressure to crush grounds, which avoids the many fine particles that blade grinders inevitably produce.
Coffee crema, the creamy caramel foam that can form on top of an espresso shot, is composed of tiny pockets of CO2 combined with some of the fats and oils from the coffee. Many people love including crema in their cups, others swear by scraping it off for a crisper cup with clear flavors.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Time
The amount of time coffee grounds are in contact with water determines whether your coffee is over, under, or perfectly extracted. It takes longer to extract optimal flavors from coarse grounds since they have relatively less surface area. Finely ground coffee, like that used in espresso, brews more quickly. Dark roasts tend to brew faster than light roasts, as well, which means you may find yourself brewing for different lengths of time if you change beans often.
With an automated machine like a drip model or pod machine, you often have very little control over the amount of time your coffee is brewed. We tested the length of time and consistency between drip coffee machines, to see which offers a more predictable experience.
Credit: Lesley Robinson
Water Temperature
Increasing your water temperature speeds up the flavor extraction process. Temperatures between 195° and 205° F are usually ideal. Water loses heat quickly, though, especially when poured through a long gooseneck kettle spout, so you may want to overshoot a little. The MistoBox Coffee Blog recommends increasing the temperatures to 212° F when brewing light to medium roast coffees since it can be more difficult to coax out their flavor.
Water Quality
If your water tastes bad, it's not going to do your coffee any favors. Aside from taste, the acidity (pH) of your water, how many minerals it contains (also described as total dissolved solids or TDS), and its sodium, odor, and chlorine levels will all affect your coffee's taste.
According to the Specialty Coffee Association of America, you want fresh-tasting water with no chlorine, total dissolved solids between 75 and 250 mg/L, calcium hardness between 17 and 85 mg/L, alkalinity near 40 mg/L, a neutral pH of 7, and 10 mg/L of sodium. To get the chlorine out of tap water, you can use a carbon filter, like a Brita. For a deep dive, we recommend checking out this video by James Hoffmann, an English barista and 2007 World Barista Championship winner.
If you're considering an automated machine, you often lose control over what temperature your coffee is brewed at — though there are some premium models that let you choose your temperature. With that in mind, it's important to know if your machine is brewing at the right temperature.
Credit: Lesley Robinson
Agitation
Stirring the grounds and the water together can increase extraction speed. If you're using a manual coffee maker, this often means manually stirring the coffee, though some mixing occurs when you pour water on the grounds. Automated makers often include spray heads to help with agitation by spraying the water in different directions within the brew basket.
An electric kettle allows you to heat your water to optimal temperatures and using the pour-over method lets you stir your grounds.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Filtration
Some coffee makers give you the option of using either a paper or metal mesh filter. Paper options block more particulates, oils, and fats from ending up in your cup. The result is a cleaner, lighter coffee with more defined flavors. Pros will tell you to wet or rinse your filters before using them to keep the paper flavor out of your cup.
Metal filters like those used in a French press allow more particulars and oils through, creating a denser cup with a fuller body. Flavors are usually slightly muddled as a result. Neither option is right or wrong. It all comes down to personal preference.
If you use paper filters, there's a good chance you can also taste them in your coffee.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Brewing Machines, AKA Coffee Makers
According to an article by material chemist, Christopher Hendon, a regular cup of coffee contains 1.2 to 1.5% of total dissolved solids (TDS) from your coffee grounds. Espresso contains 8 to 10%. There are a ton of ways to extract a little over 1% of coffee. Pulling out up to 10% is more difficult. As a result, we discuss more coffee makers than espresso machines below.
If you like lattes or cappuccinos though, you'll want an espresso maker. Some come equipped with an integrated steam wand. Others do not. If you want to buy a frother separately, we've rounded up our favorite milk frothers in our dedicated review. (Spoiler, the Breville Milk Cafe is top-notch, and the Ninja Easy Frother is an easy-to-use alternative.)
Froth milk at home to create your own cafe-worthy specialty drinks like lattes and cappuccinos.
Credit: Liz Nelson
Before you dive into the list of coffee brewers, ask yourself two questions. First, do you need coffee immediately in the morning to swim to the surface of consciousness? If so, a programable machine that can have your first cup at the ready is a good bet. If you prefer a ritual that rewards patience and precision, consider manual options like a pour-over or French press. Be sure to factor clean-up into the overall time.
Second, how much coffee do you and your household need every morning? What about during weekends with company and brunch gatherings? Plan accordingly by matching your intended coffee-making process to your crowd size. We'll break down the many mechanisms you might use to make coffee and go over their strengths and weaknesses to help you figure out which method is the best option for you.
This is a decent option for those looking for programmability and machine that will turn off automatically. However, we found the brew quality lacking, with lower brewing temperatures and a watered down taste.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Drip Coffee Makers
Time to Coffee: 5-15 minutes | Capacity: 1-12 cups
REASONS TO BUY
Many can automatically brew at a certain time
Among the easiest and simplest to use
Typically offer balanced flavor
REASONS TO AVOID
You have less control and customization over the brewing process
Using automation generally means less flavor
Drip coffee makers are a standard on many kitchen countertops and are used by gas stations and diners everywhere. With good reason, they're simple, familiar, and easy to use. Our favorite drip coffee makers can be programmed to have coffee ready and waiting for you the second your alarm sounds.
They are not the most popular option among flavor-oriented coffee lovers. Automating your morning coffee ritual by setting it up the night before means that your coffee has been ground and exposed to air for 8 hours. Flavor has been quite literally escaping the entire time.
You also don't often have as much control over steps in the brewing process, like water temperature, brew time, and level of agitation. Drip machines often use a dry paper filter, slowly adding water to percolate through your grounds.
Taste: A balanced cup of medium-bodied coffee with more acidity than bitterness
Ideal Roast and Grind Size: Medium to dark roasted coffee and medium-sized grounds, about the size of table salt
All coffee makers benefit from using good a coffee grinder to make sure you're working with properly sized grounds for optimal extraction.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Pour Over
Time to Coffee: 4 minutes | Capacity: 1-2 cups
REASONS TO BUY
Inexpensive
Compact
Lots of control over the process
REASONS TO AVOID
Limited capacity
Requires the most practice
Pour over coffee makers may not have found their footing as a device that belongs in every home kitchen. But they've claimed their place in coffee shops as a delightfully simple brewer that's capable of producing consistently glorious results. The best pour over coffee makers produce great-tasting coffee quickly and with minimum waste.
The process isn't that involved once you learn it. According to Stumptown Coffee Roasters, the proper steps are 1) Rinse the filter, 2) Grind and measure your coffee, 3) Wet the grounds to let them bloom (aka release CO2 that built up during roasting), 4) Do the pour-over part: add water slowly in a spiral every 10 to 15 seconds (about 360 grams for every 21 grams of coffee if you're into that sort of thing). Make sure to add water to the light areas and avoid dark spots, and 5) Enjoy!
Taste: Clean and crisp with distinctive and sometimes subtle flavors
Ideal Roast and Grind Size: Medium grounds and light to medium roasts
Pour-over coffee makers are a simplistic, fast, and controlled brew method.
Credit: Liz Nelson
French Press
Time to Coffee: 4 minutes | Capacity: ~5 cups
REASONS TO BUY
Simple to use
Inexpensive
REASONS TO AVOID
Requires some knowledge and attention to detail
Easy to over-extract
Though the French press is a simple gadget, wielding it effectively can take some practice but offers greater control over your brewing process. It also requires owning some additional gadgets — most importantly, a good grinder. Once you have everything you need, walk through the steps with Stumptown.
After you get the basics down, a French press is a quick way to make coffee for two or a small crowd. A second round is as easy as dumping the grounds and rinsing the pitcher. Inexpensive and compact, they are a great tool to have around a coffee lover's kitchen.
Taste: Rich and full-bodied, can be quite sweet
Ideal Roast and Grind Size: Works best with light to medium roasts and coarsely ground beans
The French Press is an easy-to-use, inexpensive classic that is a great tool for customizing your brewing methods based on the beans you're enjoying that day.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Espresso Machines
Time to Coffee: 2 minutes | Capacity: 1-2 shots
REASONS TO BUY
Create cafe-quality specialty drinks
Often include a steaming wand for frothing milk
Many have an integrated grinder
Typically allow more control over your brew
REASONS TO AVOID
Far more expensive
More complicated and with a steeper learning curve
Many take up a ton of counter space
Espresso machines need little introduction. You've seen them at coffee shops, and there are smaller versions marketed to home brewers. They range in complexity and skill level required, from fully automated machines requiring little to no effort to manual espresso machines requiring honed skills and offering lots of fine control over the process (this is called “pulling” a shot, rather than brewing). While other brew methods are done at room pressure, espresso machines extract more flavor compounds from your beans by exerting around nine bars of pressure (equivalent to the pressure 90 meters underwater, or about 130 pounds per square inch).
To justify the expense of owning one of these technical machines, you really need to like espresso. You can always add hot water to turn a shot into an Americano that mimics the light body of drip coffee. But that is a lot more trouble than just using your average coffee maker. If you like top-notch lattes and cappuccinos or prefer the more intense flavors from a shot of coffee pulled under pressure, these are for you.
And if you're new to having espresso at home, once again, Stumptown will guide you through the steps to pull the perfect shot.
The right espresso machine should be able to curate rich espresso, consistent crema, and a glossy microfoam that results in beautifully and easily made latte art.
Credit: Jason Peters
Taste: Strong flavors ranging from roasted and bitter to notes of cocoa or fruit, depending on the beans
Ideal Roast and Grind Size: Use ultra-fine coffee grounds and work with a dark roast, though medium roasts will work
After our in-house baristas conducted many rounds of taste-testing and evaluated each unit's ease of use, cleaning, customization, and features, we rated each espresso machine based on their overall performance. You can find our taste test results of our award-winning machines in the chart below.
Espresso Taste
Product
Taste
Rancilio Silvia
9.5
Breville Barista Express
8
Flair Classic
8
Casabrews Compact
7
Breville Bambino Plus
6.5
Breville Bambino
6
We also steamed dozens of gallons of milk to test which espresso machines could get to the perfect glossy, velvety microfoam that is essential for making the neat and beautiful latte art. See how well our award winners steamed milk in the graph below.
When you want an espresso, regular coffee just won't cut it. A true espresso machine extracts more from finely ground beans by brewing them under high pressure. This makes them great for making rich and cozy drinks like lattes and cappuccinos.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Single-Cup Pod Machines
Time to Coffee: 1-4 minutes | Capacity: 1-2 cups
REASONS TO BUY
Exceptionally easy to use
Fast with minimal cleanup
REASONS TO AVOID
Pods are expensive
Pods are wasteful, even when recycled
Other options make better-tasting coffee
Single-serve pod machines like Nespresso and Keurig machines brew coffee quickly using preloaded pods. Nespresso uses aluminum that is more easily recycled — if you send it back to the company. Keurig favors #5 plastic pods, which negatively impacts the taste of your coffee and is widely considered detrimental to the state of your planet. People love how easy both are to use, and they make coffee quickly and require virtually no cleanup.
While we truly enjoy the flavor of several of the coffee pod options made by numerous Nespresso-style makers, we find that every other type of coffee maker produces a tastier brew. The Keurig coffee pods have a chemical aftertaste that we just can't get behind.
Taste: Nespresso coffee can taste fairly balanced with a rich crema, while Keurig coffee often has a chemical aftertaste
Taste-testing the many pod flavors for a multitude of single-serve coffee machines.
AeroPress
Time to Coffee: 4 minutes | Capacity: 1 to 3 cups
REASONS TO BUY
Lightweight and simple to use
Great flavor with rich crema
Gives you more control over the process
REASONS TO AVOID
Small capacity
Need accessories to control variables
More involved to use
The AeroPress creates rich, full-bodied, and clean coffee quickly. You can find and follow step-by-step instructions from Stumptown Coffee Roasters to create an ideal cup of coffee with this brewer.
To do so, you'll need a thermometer, or an electric kettle, so you can make sure to get your water to the optimal temperature. You'll also need a kitchen scale, a timer, and, if you watch the video, a cool hat and a camper parked in the woods. The AeroPress comes with paper filters, though several off-brand metal filters are available online. If you use paper filters, be sure to wet them down first to remove the paper's taste.
Taste: Clean, rich, full-bodied, balanced, and often bright
Ideal Roast and Grind Size: Medium roast coffee and medium-fine grounds, a bit coarser than espresso
We love being able to brew an excellent cuppa with the AeroPress, both at home and in the wilderness.
Conclusion
We hope we've helped you decide which type of coffee maker works for your lifestyle and tastes. We know there are a ton of ways to brew your beans, and we applaud you for taking the time to evaluate, improve, and perfect your brewing routine — whatever that may look like. Cheers to you and your next cup of coffee, made by and for you.
—Michelle Powell, Lesley Robinson, Penney Garrett, Liz Nelson, and Arthur McMahon
