Not everyone wants an espresso machine in their home.
A simple drip coffee maker is the foundation for home coffee enjoyment for most people.
Its utility and practicality for just a few cups at a time is more than sufficient for most.
There are many options available in the marketplace when it comes to purchasing a drip coffee maker.
There are many different manufacturers, including Cuisinart, Delonghi, Kitchenaid, and many others.
You’re probably confused why some drip coffee makers only cost $20, and others cost $100, and some much more.
What makes those more expensive drip coffee makers worth their money? Do they make a better cup of coffee?
Here are some excellent best drip coffee makers that you might want to consider.
Top 10 Drip Coffee Maker Reviews
1. Mr. Coffee BVMC-SJX33GT-AM 12-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker
Mr. Coffee BVMC-SJX33GT-AM can make great coffee. You get many helpful features.
It is a 12-cup programmable coffee maker, which suggests you can prepare the grounds and water the night before, wake as much as a delicious pot of coffee, after which place the clock.
It offers the convenient brew pause feature that lets you quickly catch one cup during the coffee-brewing procedure before restoring the entire pot to its area to be filled.
The warming plate on the apparatus can feel the difference between thermal and glass carafes and self-adapts appropriately.
Besides, you get to pick whether you would like to use a long-lasting wire alloy filter or paper filters in the basket for coffee grounds. Along with such options, you can choose whether you want regular or strong coffee every time.
When you get a Mr. Coffee BVMC-SJX33GT-AM, you get a suitable-looking kitchen appliance that gives you some delicious coffee, tons of benefits, choices, and some strong customer support.
This is an intelligent purchase for coffee fans and is among the best 12 cup drip coffee makers out there.
2. Hamilton Beach 46205 Programmable Coffee Maker
The sleek and fashionable Hamilton Beach 46205 coffee maker is perfect for those who value the joy of life.
The black plastic body and its stainless steel front are atypical of the Hamilton Beach design. They have arranged a sizable screen as well as buttons to ensure the functioning of the coffee machine.
It is used just as every other conventional drip machine. Brewing coffee with the Hamilton Beach 46205 is straightforward.
If you need to prepare coffee that is great with nominal exertion and for an affordable cost, the Hamilton Beach 46205 is the best pick.
3. Cuisinart DCC-3000 Coffee-on-Demand 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker
The Cuisinart DCC-3000 Holds up to 12 cups of coffee in the double-wall coffee reservoir.
The simple to read coffee gauge allows you to understand exactly how many cups of coffee are left, and the enclosed charcoal water filter keeps your coffee tasting great.
The DCC 3000 makes coffee simple, and it’s utterly programmable with 24-hour advance brew start, programmable auto shut-off, self-clean, and a 1-4 cup placing to brew smaller numbers that taste yummy.
If you consider yourself enthusiastic about coffee and making the “Perfect Cup,” it will do everything for you!
4. Cuisinart DCC-1200 Brew Central 12 Cup Programmable Coffeemaker
The Cuisinart DCC-1200 Brew Central 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker is a great small coffee maker for everyone who would like a top-quality machine that’s full of features for a high cost.
If you are looking for a coffee maker that can take up little space in your kitchen countertop, the Cuisinart DCC-1200 Brew Central is an excellent unit.
It has a 12-cup carafe with measurement markings for two to a vented lid, twelve cups, as well as a non-drip spout. The handle is ergonomic and has a guard for your knuckles.
It allows your coffeemaker to conveniently discontinue for 30 seconds mid-brew and pour yourself a cup. This is known as Brew Pause.
The Brew Central contains a scratch-resistant warming three temperature settings plate and an auto on/off switch.
A programmable digital clock with a 24-hour complex brew setting and an audible beep indicates the ending of the brew cycle, making brewing the finest tasting coffee whenever a wind.
All in all, the Cuisinart DCC-1200 Brew Central is one of the best and the hottest high-tech coffee makers. You will not be disappointed!
5. Cuisinart CHW-12 Coffee Plus 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker
The CHW-12 is quite possibly the perfect solution for those who enjoy drinking both coffee and tea. Packed with tons of features and solid functionality, this coffee maker aims to please.
With its built-in hot water system, the CHW-12 can be used to quickly produce hot water for anything from a cup of tea to a bowl of oatmeal.
With this coffee maker, you can program when it brews, when you want it to shut off, how many cups you want to make, and more.
The coffee brews at an optimal temperature of 200˚F, which many other brand coffee makers can’t claim to do. This is a massive plus with this coffee maker and helps when it comes to making great-tasting coffee.
Pros:
- Makes piping hot coffee (Coffee side brews at 200˚F)
- Uses BPA free plastics
- Programmable
- Adjustable auto shut-off
- Easy to use
- Easy to clean
Cons:
- The hot water dispenser is not programmable
- No brew strength selector like other Cuisinart models
6. Zojirushi EC-DAC50 Automatic Drip Coffee Machine
If you’re trying to find a coffee maker that is adored by critics far and wide.
I am introducing the new coffee maker by Zojirushi, the EC-DAC50 Zutto drip coffee machine.
The EC DAC50 was created as a streamlined and little coffee maker for private use. It is a perfect complement to your kitchen table tops.
It gives your kitchen a modern feeling and does not occupy an excessive amount of space in your kitchen countertop either.
The Zutto is designed by just about any other coffee maker. This hardy and well make an excellent pick for most regular coffee drinkers, particularly when purchasing moderate-quality beans.
7. Technivorm Moccamaster KBG741 10-Cup 40oz Handmade Coffee Brewer
If you are a coffee connoisseur and won’t know what it takes to make the perfect cup of coffee, and you’ll see that Moccamaster KBG 741 with Cadillac of coffee makers is designed to make the ultimate cup of coffee.
The brewing temperature of 230 degrees is ideal for making coffee rich in both flavor and aroma. With its optimum brewing temperature of 230 degrees, it brews each pot to perfection, with the distinct flavor of each coffee easily discernable on the first sip.
The Technivorm achieves great coffee by temperature precision and water distributed over the coffee during brewing. By allowing the user to set the opening of the valve, you are getting optimum control to achieve coffee suited to your taste.
The typical pot of coffee takes approximately 5 minutes to brew, depending on the flow set on the flow delay mechanism. This can vary depending on your personal preferences and desired flavor.
This is what makes this coffee maker so unique in that it allows the user control over the brewing process to make coffee that is best suited to each individual’s desired flavor.
If you are looking for a first-class coffee maker that will bring out the best in your premium home ground coffee, then this coffee maker is for you.
How To Choose The Best Drip Coffee Maker
When searching for the best drip coffee maker, there is a seemingly endless array of features and options to choose from.
Many coffee drinkers will tell you there is no difference in the taste of coffee between drip coffee makers.
If they took the time to try a cup of coffee made using identical coffee and identical water made in different coffee makers, they might be shocked.
What makes the difference?
The quality of materials is the first big difference-maker.
Inexpensive drip coffee makers are almost always made entirely of plastic. A more expensive coffee maker will usually have stainless steel water reservoirs and keep your water tasting fresher.
The next difference is how they heat the water.
Coffee is sensitive to water temperature. Too cold, and it does not produce many flavors. If the water is too hot, it damages the taste of the coffee.
The more expensive drip coffee makers more closely monitor the water temperature, making sure you get a great cup of coffee.
Some drip coffee makers use flat filters, and others use cone filters. Usually, cone filtered units are higher priced.
Some people say the taste out of the coned filter is superior. A cone filter keeps the water flowing through the coffee for a longer time, giving it more coffee flavor.
The only way to know for yourself is to try a cup in both styles of drip coffee makers and decide for yourself.
Another big difference between the less expensive and more expensive drip coffee makers is the speed they brew coffee.
The last thing to consider, the better drip coffee makers are less expensive to own. Usually, that which is more expensive tends to be a better product in quality, but that’s not always the case with drip coffee makers.
What it comes down to, if you want a superior cup of coffee, faster brewing time, and the best long-term value, spend the few extra dollars and buy quality.
Manual Drip
Unlike an automatic drip coffee maker, the manual drip coffee maker has only two components that you need to consider when making a buying decision. These are:
- The drip cone
- The coffee filter
Don’t be fooled by the manual drip’s simplicity. Some of the best cups of coffee I’ve ever had have come from the manual drop. Manual drip has also seen extensive growth (or rebirth) in cafés around the country, including many here in the Bay Area. I think you get the point, though, and manual drip makes for delicious coffee.
The Drip Cone
You might be wondering how much variety you can find in drip cones, and the answer is not much. Drip cones are generally made of plastic, ceramic, glass, or porcelain. You may also find drip coffee makers made of materials like silicone from time to time. While they can create great-tasting coffee, I have to be honest here: plastic should be your last choice.
The main problem with plastic is that it can negatively affect a cup of coffee’s taste. Coffee with a “plastic taste” is the last thing you want. Steering clear of plastic drip cones also prevent your exposure to BPA and phthalates frequently found in plastics.
So, if you are to avoid plastic drip cones, which of the remaining materials is best?
Porcelain
Porcelain has its advantages and disadvantages as a drip cone.
PROS
- It doesn’t negatively affect coffee’s flavor
- Easy to clean; no coffee residue left behind
- Consistently great taste
CONS
- Heavier price tags on average
- Fragile not as durable
- Absorbs water heat, reducing the brew temperature.
Ceramic
Ceramic is our preferred method of brewing coffee manually.
PROS
- The ceramic body prevents heat loss during the brew
- Very easy to clean
CONS
- Like porcelain, ceramic is also quite fragile
- Not effective with every type of paper filter
Silicone
While there are fewer silicone drip cones out there, you might want to look into these guys. I’ve heard perfect things about the Cuissential SlickDrip – Collapsible Silicone Coffee Dripper.
Glass
Glass provides a very similar brewing experience to that of ceramic, except it will be more fragile. Given glass’s delicate nature, this may be the coffee maker you should steer clear of.
The most well-known glass manual drip coffee maker is the Chemex.
The Coffee Filter
There is a bit of variety for paper cone filters, and you need to make sure you know what to look for. The two most important aspects of the coffee filter are its size and the paper it’s made of.
The Size
The size of your cone coffee filter is critical, as a filter that doesn’t fit in your cone properly will not brew your coffee correctly. So make sure you know what size your drip cone accommodates before making any purchases.
The Paper
Go with natural brown over white. The white paper tends to be cheaper and more prone to break. Worst of all is that many cheap white paper filters negatively impact the taste of your coffee. I say the more natural, the better.
Some coffee makers have their own specially made coffee filters. The Chemex, for example, uses proprietary coffee filters that are said to be one of the most critical aspects of the coffee maker’s delicious brews.
Automatic Drip Coffee Maker
So you’re looking to buy an automatic drip coffee maker, eh? Good choice! Auto drip coffee makers are quick and easy to use and often come packed with many cool features to help you make a better cup of coffee.
Still, buying an automatic drip coffee maker for home use can be an overwhelming task, given all of the variety out there. This is the most popular type of coffee maker out there, so you’re going to be facing the giant pool of coffee makers when it comes time to purchase.
Don’t worry, though. I’ll let you know what you should be looking for to make the best decision when it comes time to buy.
So what should you be looking for? I think there are eight main things you should focus on when shopping for an automatic drip coffee maker. These are:
Brew Speed
AKA: how fast your coffee is made. Nobody likes waiting (as far as I know), so the quicker your auto-drip coffee maker brews, the better. If the coffee maker you are looking at has a fast brew speed, definitely count this as a plus.
Pause and Serve
Assuming your automatic drip coffee maker isn’t a winner as far as brew speed is concerned, “pause and serve” is an absolute necessity for those of us with zero patience. Pause and serve means removing the carafe before the coffee has finished brewing will not result in spills. In other words, the coffee will stop brewing if you decide to pour a cup mid-brew.
Water Filtration System
Tap water = terrible news when it comes to good coffee. It’s also not great for your machine in the long run, which is why you need to clean your coffee maker from time to time. Water filtration systems, such as charcoal water filters, are great additions to automatic drip coffee makers, as they help reduce mineral buildup without compromising taste. If the coffee maker you are looking at does not have a good water filtration system, you may want to steer clear.
Ease of Use
Ideally, you want to be able to take your brand new coffee maker out of the box and start brewing right away—no need to look at an instruction manual. A good rule of thumb when determining a coffee maker’s ease of use is to count the number of buttons. No, seriously, the fewer, the better if you want to keep it simple.
Serving Size
Consider how many people will be drinking coffee in your household regularly. If you anticipate making coffee for a group of people, you will want to consider the serving size of your prospective coffee maker before making a purchase. My opinion? The more coffee it makes, the better!
Carafe Design
Let’s get right down to the bottom of this: if it drips/makes a mess, don’t even think about buying this coffee maker. Nothing is worse, honestly. Also, choose an insulated carafe over a glass carafe, as the insulated carafes will not affect acidity levels like a glass carafe on a hot plate.
Easy Cleaning
Who likes to clean up? Not me. Who likes to clean up when you can’t reach all of the nooks and crannies? Not me. You don’t want to lose hours of your life cleaning up your auto-drip coffee maker, so make sure you choose one that is easy to clean.
Appearance
Last and certainly not least is the appearance of your coffee maker. I can’t tell you what coffee maker will look best in your kitchen, but please, avoid cheap-looking, brightly covered coffee makers for the sake of your friends and family.