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Top 10 coffee maker


The 10 best coffee makers in 2023, according to experts

Whether you’re working from home or heading to an office, chances are you look forward to starting each morning with a cup of coffee. It jumpstarts your day, and with the right coffee maker, it’s tasty and high-quality. Whether you spend $450 or less than $200 on your coffee maker, caffeinating at home is good for your wallet in the long run, too.

SKIP AHEAD Best coffee makers | How to shop for a coffee maker | How do you make a good cup of coffee? | Types of coffee makers

But what kind of coffee maker will best fit your needs and what makes a great coffee machine? We spoke to coffee experts about the different types of coffee makers available — from automatic drip coffee makers to programmable coffee makers — and how best to shop for them, plus highlighted their recommendations for great coffee makers to add to your kitchen. We also explored the more non-traditional methods of coffee-making for those of us who prefer a simple shot of espresso or indulging in the art of the French press.

Best coffee makers

Since we don’t test coffee makers ourselves, we rely on expert guidance and our previous reporting about how to shop for them. The experts we spoke to recommended each of the following highly rated coffee makers — all of the automatic and programmable brewers feature thermal carafes and a certification from the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCA).

Best automatic coffee makers and brewers

Breville Precision Brewer Coffee Maker

This brewer from Breville has a thermal carafe, along with six preset modes, including a “gold cup” mode that automatically adjusts the water temperature and brew times to meet the standards set by the SCA. When the carafe is not in place, to brew a small cup.

Bonavita Connoisseur One-Touch Coffee Maker

Bonavita’s automatic coffee maker has a stainless steel, double-walled carafe to keep your coffee warm. It can also brew eight cups' worth of coffee in about six minutes, according to the brand. The Bonavita brewer “does a great job retaining a steady temperature during the entire brew cycle [and] its shower head evenly distributes coffee on the whole bed of coffee grounds,” said Marco Suarez, co-owner of Methodical Coffee in Greenville, South Carolina, who noted its“very budget-friendly” price. The carafe lid, filter basket and showerhead are also all dishwasher-safe for easy clean-up.

Cuisinart PurePrecision 8-Cup Pour-Over Coffee Brewer

This Cuisinart Coffee Brewer is meant to mimic the pour-over approach in an easy-to-use machine, according to the brand. It does this by pre-wetting the grounds, allowing the coffee flavors to “bloom.” You can choose between mild, medium and bold flavor strengths and hot or extra hot temperature control. The coffee maker also has a self-clean feature and can be programmed to brew your coffee up to 24 hours in advance.

Technivorm Moccamaster 79212 KBTS Coffee Brewer

This automatic drip coffee maker is on the pricey side, but it has all of the expert-recommended features: proper brew temperature, sustained brewing temperature and a thermal carafe, made from stainless steel and aluminum (a glass carafe version is also available). According to the brand, it sports a nine-hole spray arm that disperses water over your ground coffee evenly, and the copper lining along the spray arm helps to keep the water temperature consistent. With the press of a button, the Technivorm Moccamaster can brew 40 ounces in under six minutes, Technivorm says. Jessica Easto, author of “Craft Coffee: A Manual,” uses one of these brewers in her own home and loves the whole Moccamaster line.

OXO 9-Cup Coffee Maker OXO 9-Cup Coffee Maker

This automatic drip-brewer from Select favorite kitchen brand OXO features a double-wall carafe that ensures your coffee stays hot for longer and that the hot plate doesn’t destroy the compounds that make your coffee so delicious, Easto explained. The machine’s single-serve function is great if you’re making coffee for one. The OXO model also features an intuitive LED interface that not only indicates how long your coffee has been sitting in the pot.

Café Specialty Drip Coffee Maker

Jessica Rodriguez, a coffee trainer who previously worked at the nonprofit SCA, recommended this smart coffee maker, which can brew up to 10 cups. In addition to its water filter feature, which can “save you the step of using a Brita,” said Easto, you can also conveniently connect the coffee maker to the SmartHQ app, Amazon Alexa and Google Home using Wi-Fi.This coffee maker from GE’s Café Appliances equips an auto brew feature that can brew your coffee at your preferred time and lets you adjust the brew strength (Gold, Light, Medium and Bold). You can set the temperature anywhere between 185 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the brand.

Ninja CP307 Hot and Cold Brewed System

Rodriguez also recommended the Ninja brand, which has several coffee makers certified by the SCA. This option from the brand lets you brew multiple sizes, including a single-cup, half carafe or full 10-cup carafe. You can also choose between five custom brew styles: Classic, Rich, Over Ice, Cold Brew or Specialty. It also features a thermal carafe and a fold-away milk frother that can heat your milk, should you choose.

Best manual coffee makers and brewers

Melitta Pour-Over Coffee Brewer

The Melitta Pour-Over Coffee Brewer is a good starter set for those who are ready to try pour-over brewing at home. It comes with a six-cup carafe, a pour-over cylinder, a coffee scoop and five coffee filters. Although you may need to invest in a special kettle to regulate your water temperature, this is one of the more affordable options on this list for the serious coffee home brewer. The brand makes another set with a thermal carafe to keep coffee warm.

Chemex Classic Series Pour-Over Glass Coffee Maker

The Chemex has always been a solid choice for crafting pour-over coffee. The brand suggests buying their brand's filters, which they say are 20-30 percent thicker than the standard kind. The wood collar and leather tie serve as an insulated handle and can be removed to place the glass in the dishwasher for easy clean-up.

Hario V60 Drip Coffee Decanter

Easto counts the Hario V60 among her favorite pour-over coffee brewers for consistent results at an entry-level price point. The silicone band that wraps around the pot is cool to the touch for easy handling and can be easily removed for cleaning. The coffee decanter comes with the glass pot, dripper and a 40-count of filters. Hario recommends pouring the water quickly for a delicate body or slowly for a heavier flavor.

How to shop for the best coffee maker

So which type of brewer is right for you? According to the experts we consulted, you should first consider how much time you realistically have to make coffee. “Choose according to your routine so your brewer will not end up gathering dust,” said Kaleena Teoh, director of education at Coffee Project NY's Academy. “You can also have more than one brewer — automatic or manual — and switch back and forth depending on your mood and availability.”

When choosing a coffee maker, Easto recommended consulting the SCA Certified Home Brewer Program, which tests a range of home brewers on a variety of requirements like coffee volume, brewing temperature, extraction and brewing time. Rodriguez told us some of the most important features that she recommends readers look for in a coffee maker include:

Rodriguez noted that choosing between glass and thermal carafes depends on personal preference: Glass carafes are typically the less expensive option if you don’t mind a warming plate and thermal carafes will be more effective at retaining the heat of brewed coffee. The experts we spoke to said they prefer a thermal carafe to best maintain the quality and taste of the coffee.

“Yummy flavor compounds are quickly destroyed over a hot plate,” Easto said. “To retain the taste of larger batches of coffee, it's better to never let the coffee cool in the first place.”

How do you make a good cup of coffee?

A good cup of coffee from a home coffee brewer should be “flavorful, of the proper strength and non-astringent, or dry on the tongue,” said Scott Rao, a coffee consultant and author of “The Coffee Roasters Companion.”

“You may be surprised, but I would recommend investing more in a quality grinder than a brewer,” he said. “A great brewer can’t fix a bad quality grind. ”

Rao argued there are four descending qualities that “impact the quality of the final cup.”

“As for coffee beans, like any food product, there is a range of quality out there,” said Easto, adding that beans directly impact your coffee even if you have the best coffee maker. “Since coffee is only made of two ingredients (coffee and water), the ‘quality in’ is directly related to the ‘quality out.’”

Even a skilled brewer can’t fix bad beans. Coffee is graded on a scale of 100 — and specialty coffee beans, which she suggested you buy, must score an 80 or above on a quality scale set forth by the SCA.

The level of roast, on the other hand, comes down to personal preference. “With darker roasts, you are tasting more of the process of roasting coffee — those dark, smoky flavors associated with cooking,” she explained. But you may be trading strength of flavor for complexity. Easto said that “lighter” roast profiles actually “allow the unique flavors of the bean itself to shine.” Choosing a lighter roast could open up your cup with a larger variety of flavors, which she said can range from “fruit flavors to nutty flavors to chocolate flavors,” commonly served at craft coffee shops.

“Don’t pigeonhole yourself,” Easto suggested. “After a while, you’ll get to know what you like.”

Types of coffee makers

Coffee makers come in many shapes and sizes. They also vary widely in price, starting at less than $20 for a basic automatic brewer to upwards of $300 for a smart and programmable coffee maker. Generally, there are four main types of coffee makers that experts mentioned: automatic, single-cup, programmable and manual.

Automatic drip coffee makers

Automatic drip coffee makers heat water and disperse it evenly across a basket of coffee grounds. They’re automated, meaning you can brew your coffee at the touch of a button, and come with a coffee pot — or carafe — that coffee drips into. While this simpler brewer option doesn’t include smart or programmable options, it can be great for brewing several cups of coffee at a time and especially useful “for people who love entertaining and want to offer a cup of coffee to their guests to end the night,” said Suarez.

Single-cup coffee makers

Single-cup coffee makers brew one cup of coffee using a pod or filter basket of coffee grounds (reusable or otherwise). These are typically most convenient and good for “single-cup drinkers new to coffee that might be intimidated by manual brewing,” said Suarez. He noted that the limited coffee options and overall wastefulness of pods can be a downside to these brewers, but added there are several reusable options on the market that can be more sustainable.

Since the brewing time is so quick, these machines usually have a hard time reaching the appropriate brew temperature that’s essential for a good extraction, as Rodriguez previously told us in our guide to single-serve coffee makers. That means the coffee typically tastes weaker compared to other types of coffee makers.

Programmable coffee makers

Programmable coffee makers are a type of automatic drip coffee maker with several smart features, including the ability to schedule your brew to start at a certain time and customize its strength and quality.

Manual coffee makers

Manual coffee makers offer a range of ways to create coffee depending on which machine you buy: Some require you to steep and then strain your coffee grounds, while others rely on a vertical system that mimics a drip coffee maker but requires you to pour the hot water over the coffee grounds yourself.

“If you’re someone who enjoys the process of making your own cup and being able to control different variables to personalize your coffee profile, a manual brewer might be a better choice,” Teoh said. “It’s usually a little cheaper on the price tag too.”

One popular style is the pour-over, which gives you more of a hands-on experience. “Most pour-over devices are shaped like cones, which are set over a cup or carafe,” explained Easto. “You add a filter and the coffee, and then pour water over it — hence the name.”

According to Easto, pour-over devices “require a bit more technique and … work best with special kettles, but there are tons to choose from at a bunch of different price points. ” If you enjoy the ceremony and ritual of making coffee, a pour-over brewer might be your best choice.

People who drink both coffee and tea will be more familiar with the full immersion style. “Full immersion divisions let the coffee steep in the water for the whole brew cycle, like tea,” Easto explained, adding that the most popular example is the French press. “It's super easy and you don't really need special equipment to use it, so I always recommend it to people trying to dip their toe into manual coffee,” she said.

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Braun Brew Sense KF6050WH drip coffee maker review 2021

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The Braun Brew Sense KF6050WH will suit those who want good tasting coffee at an affordable price.

(Image: © Braun)

Tom's Guide Verdict

The Braun KF6050WH Brew Sense drip coffee maker hits that sweet spot between value and quality. Its small footprint and attractive design will make it look good on any countertop. Learning to operate it properly may require some time and patience, but the payoff is absolutely worth it.

Pros
Cons

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At just under $100, the Brawn Brew Sense is an excellent buy for anyone who wants good tasting coffee on a budget, especially if you don't have the time or desire to tinker with a wide range of settings. That's not to say it doesn't have a few nifty tricks up its sleeve, but its primary objective is to simply brew a smooth cup of coffee. 

Plus, it's not terribly bulky so it should fit nicely on any countertop. This combination of affordability and compact design also suits college students or post-grads moving into their first apartment.

In fact, we've placed the Braun KF6050WH Brew Sense at the top of our list of the best coffee makers. After a couple of weeks of careful testing (and plenty of caffeine), we're here to share our thoughts on why this highly-acclaimed coffee maker is deserving of its number one spot.

Braun Brew Sense KF6050WH: Price

The Braun Brew Sense KF6050WH was released in 2018 with an MSRP of $120.95. Today, it's available at Amazon for $89.95. It's among the least expensive Brew Sense drip coffee makers available – the cheapest being the Braun KF7000BK for $15 less . Aside from its all-black finish, the KF7000BK is otherwise identical in functionality to the KF6050WH.

A permanent gold-tone filter is included to help cut back on recurring costs, although you can use #4 paper filters if you prefer. Just remember to wash the reusable filter well after each use to avoid sediment in your drinks (it's dishwasher-safe).

Braun KF6050WH Brew Sense specs

Cup capacity: 10 cups (40 oz)
Size: 7.9 x 7.9 x 14.2 inches
Filter: permanent
Features: programmable timer, brew pause
Warranty: 3 years

Braun Brew Sense: Features

(Image credit: Future)

The Braun Brew Sense is a relatively straightforward coffee maker. It can brew enough coffee for up to 12 cups at 5 oz apiece, or a single 11-oz travel mug. 

There's a 24-hour programmable timer, should you want to wake up to a fresh pot of coffee in the morning. If you don't need a full carafe, the 1-4 cup setting will allow you to make up to four cups of coffee – ideal for solo drinkers (such as myself, most mornings) or couples.

The machine will automatically turn off after two hours, but you can program the shut-off time in 5-minute increments if you need to keep your coffee warmer longer. I appreciated this feature whenever I had company or wanted to space out my morning cups of coffee.

The Brew Pause feature will let you pour a cup of coffee at any point during the brew cycle, if you must have your caffeine fix ASAP. The coffee machine will stop working when the carafe is removed from the base for up to 20 seconds, so you'll have to make it a quick pour.

A 'clean' warning will appear when it's time to descale the coffee maker from calcium buildup. Pressing the 'clean' button will activate the descaling process, which takes about 45 minutes. Holding the 'clean' button will allow you to set the water hardness level.

A couple of notable omissions from the Braun KF6050WH that I personally miss are a brew strength selector and temperature controls for the hot plate. However, those features are present in the slightly pricier Braun Brew Sense KF7150BK drip coffee maker.

The Braun KF6050WH Brew Sense measures 7.9 x 7.9 x 14.2 inches. Its small footprint makes it perfect for kitchens with limited counter space but it'll also suit an office break room or a college dorm. A coffee scoop is included, but you'll need to provide your own storage for it.

The 60-oz non-removable water reservoir is hidden from plain view, which gives the KF6050WH a sharp, seamless profile. Atop the coffee maker is a stainless steel lid  that lifts up to reveal a removable brew basket, a gold-tone permanent filter, and the reservoir – complete with a charcoal water filter and unmissable neon green water level indicators. 

The Braun KF6050WH Brew Sense fit perfectly on my countertop, and although there was plenty of clearance underneath my cabinet, I did have to pull the appliance forward to add coffee and water – a minor inconvenience, really, but an inconvenience, nonetheless.

The front of the Braun Brew Sense KF6050WH hosts the control panel, which includes an on/off button and seven buttons corresponding to various functions. Above the control panel is a digital display that shows the time. Unfortunately, this is quite small and not backlit, which makes it difficult to read in low or intense lighting.  This may be troublesome for those with poorer vision, such as myself.

At the base is a warming plate, which holds a 60-oz glass carafe. The carafe is dishwasher-safe and has a plastic lid that I found difficult to snap back into place at times.

Braun Brew Sense KF6050WH: Ease of use

Setting up the Braun KF6050WH Brew Sense takes at least 20 minutes if you install the included charcoal filter, which must be soaked before use. This step is optional, but recommended if you use tap water or simply want your water to be as pure as possible for optimal brewing. (The filter will have to be replaced every two months.)

Beyond that, operating the Braun KF6050WH is fairly simple. Just turn it on, fill the water reservoir, add your coffee grounds (I found medium grind to work best), and press the 'brew' button. Braun recommends adding one tablespoon for each cup you'll brew, adjusting to suit your taste. Anything beyond 15 tablespoons will cause the brew basket to overflow.

(Image credit: Future)

It takes about eight-and-a-half minutes to brew eight cups of coffee, which is a much slower pace than the premium Technivorm Moccamaster KBGV Select and closer to the Ninja Specialty's 'classic' setting. There's no alarm to indicate when the Braun KF6050WH is finished brewing but the loud popping sound at the end of the brew cycle is an obvious tell.

There are a couple of caveats to note here. First, filling up the non-removable water tank can be a cumbersome process, especially if you rely on a tethered water source. Also, the 1-4 cup setting is a convenience I would have liked to take advantage of, especially since I was only making coffee for myself most mornings. However, there was no way for me to select just how many cups I wanted brewed, so I merely filled the reservoir with enough water for what I wanted that morning.

Braun Brew Sense: Performance

For a sub-$100 drip machine, the Braun Brew Sense KF6050WH makes some tasty coffee. Of course, it's not on Moccamaster's level, but with the right grind consistency and a properly-cleaned permanent filter, my coffee was balanced and flavorful, whether it was a nutty-and-fruity light roast or a bolder roast with hints of dark chocolate.

The hot plate does an excellent job of keeping coffee warm, even after several hours. There were mornings when I had a significant gap between my first and second cups of coffee – and the latter cup was as warm as the one that was poured immediately after brewing.

The night before an early-morning wake up call, I set the programmable timer for the KF6050WH's auto-brew function. This feature worked without a hitch, and I was greeted with a fresh pot of coffee as soon as I got out of bed.

The Brew Pause feature worked quite well, as I was able to pour myself a cup of coffee midway through the brewing process without anything dripping onto the hot plate. I did have to be mindful of the 20-second window to prevent the machine from resuming the brewing process without the carafe back in place, though.

It should be noted that the Brew Sense KF6050WH does make a fair bit of noise throughout the brewing process, with a prominent popping sound at the end of the cycle. (In lieu of a proper alarm, listening for this popping sound will help remind you when your coffee's ready.)

What We Didn't Like

For anyone with poor vision (including myself), the Braun KF6050WH's LCD can be difficult to read unless you're in a decently-lit room. A larger display or a backlight would have been nice to include here, as seen on the more expensive Braun Brew Sense KF7170SI drip coffee maker.

The Braun KF6050WH Brew Sense isn't terribly difficult to operate, but some of the directions are vague and it takes a bit of self-sufficiency to get it right. As noted earlier, there's little explanation included on how to properly program the 1-4 cup setting, a feature I was really looking forward to trying since I can get by with one or two cups of coffee most days.

While the seamless design of the Braun Brew Sense KF6050WH drip coffee maker is sharp, the trade-off is a water reservoir that's difficult to access. This is a universal – and justified – complaint most associated with this machine.

Should You Buy the Braun KF6050WH Brew Sense?

(Image credit: Braun)

The Braun Brew Sense KF6050WH is one the best drip coffee makers you can buy if you need a basic, budget-friendly coffee maker. Its attractive design and small footprint means it'll fit in anywhere, from a tiny apartment kitchen to a cramped college dorm room. But the Braun Brew Sense is more than its good looks – it's capable of brewing a delicious, balanced cup of coffee, too.

This will appeal to people who don't want to be inundated with myriad features, like the barista-level Ninja Hot and Cold Brewed System .  If you're keen to overlook its few flaws and you're willing to exercise a little patience, the Braun Brew Sense KF6050WH will provide you with tremendous value.

The consistency of your coffee grounds will make or break your flavor experience. Check out our list of the best coffee grinders so you can produce the perfect grinds at home. Meanwhile, see what the best Cuisinart coffee makers have to offer, or peep our guide to the best espresso machines if you want to make cafe-quality brews in the comfort of your kitchen.

Freelance writer and editor Alison is an expert mattress tester for Tom's Guide, and hails from Philadelphia, USA. Alison has reviewed a wide range of mattresses, pillows and other sleep accessories for Tom's Guide, putting the latest hybrid, memory foam and cooling mattresses from Casper, Nectar, Awara, Brooklinen and other leading brands through their paces. Alison has been sharing buying advice and retail news for over a decade. When she isn't reviewing mattresses, other home products or hunting for great deals to save you money, Alison can be found teaching/training in martial arts, fawning over skincare, and indulging in her quarantine-borne hobby: cooking.

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