There is nothing like the smell of freshly brewed coffee in the morning, the rich ground coffee beans mixed with hot water at just the right temperature make the perfect beverage to wake you up in the morning. But if you are still drinking instant coffee, or you would like to update your old coffee machine to enjoy your own perfectly brewed coffee at home, why not invest in a new automatic drip coffee maker.
The 5 Best Drip Coffee Makers
- Mr. Coffee 4-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker
- Bonavita Connoisseur 8-Cup One-Touch Coffee Maker
- Cuisinart 14-Cup Perfect Temp Coffee Maker
- Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Coffee Maker
- Technivorn Moccamaster Coffee Brewer
Our Top Pick for the Best Drip Coffee Maker
Our top pick for the best drip coffee maker is the Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Coffee Maker.
As well as being able to choose the amount of coffee the machine makes and having more control over the strength of your coffee, there is no fear of luke-warm or stale coffee as the one-hand dispensing function means you can just fill up your travel mug and go. Whether it is coffee for 1 or 12 party guests, the Hamilton Beach coffee machine has got your coffee needs covered.
Check the price on AmazonChoosing the Right Automatic Drip Coffee Maker
An automatic drip coffee maker is one of the most widely used coffee machines in America. However, for some “coffee snobs”, this conjures up images of tasteless, lukewarm, stale coffee that has been sitting for too long in the carafe. But this does not have to be the case, as automatic drip coffee makers have undergone a transformation, and some more expensive models offer you a range of new programmable features.
Aside from choosing the right type of high-quality Arabica coffee beans, some coffee machines give you the option to control the strength of your coffee from a mild taste to a bolder intensity.
Another great thing about automatic drip filter coffee machines is that they are super quick! Most automatic coffee machines can make coffee in 5 minutes.
As we have become a coffee culture with an educated taste, and as there are so many coffee machines to choose from, here are 6 tips to help you find the perfect automatic drip coffee maker.
1. Size
When it comes to choosing a drip coffee maker, size definitely matters. If you live alone or you are the only person in your homestead who loves coffee, then consider buying a simple and cheaper coffee machine. However, remember; a simpler and cheaper machine does not mean you have to endure an inferior coffee taste.
A small machine such as the Mr. Coffee 4-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker gives you control over the amount of coffee you need to make, from 1-4 cups, which minimizes coffee wastage, while still giving you great tasting coffee.
If you have a medium-sized family of coffee drinkers or you like to host dinner parties or barbeques, then a machine that can make up from 8-12 cups of coffee is the best choice.
2. Coffee Filter Design
Coffee filters come in 2 different types, a disposable paper filter or a permanent filter. Permanent filters will save you money, and they are better for the environment. However, they are harder to clean and can give the coffee an unusual or bitter taste. Still, this funny taste may be due to the filter basket not being cleaned regularly.
Nylon filters are the most common type of filter and they make it easier for you to dispose of the coffee grounds. Gold or commercial style filters are the best type of filter to choose and they can provide optimal coffee saturation. They are easier to clean, but they are generally used in more expensive machines.
A good tip for buying coffee filters is to buy good quality, not cheap filter paper. Buying more expensive filter paper means that your coffee does not absorb any residual chemicals from the cheap paper, which can ultimately affect the flavor of your coffee.
3. Thermal, Glass or Carafe-less
Coffee machines come with either a glass or thermal stainless carafe. The glass carafe shows you the level of the coffee, and it usually is more lightweight. However, the warming or hot plate can ‘cook’ the coffee, which gives it a burnt taste if you leave it sitting for too long.
The thermal carafe keeps the coffee warmer for longer periods, but the carafe might be heavier.
Some coffee machines such as the Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Coffee Maker does not use a carafe but allow you to dispense the coffee straight into your cup or travel mug.
4. Charcoal Water Filter
The quality of the water is also important for achieving a high-quality coffee taste, and charcoal water filters can eliminate any chlorine taste from tap water or unpleasant ‘hard’ water taste from a water tank, therefore giving you a better flavor for your coffee.
The downside of using a charcoal filter, especially if you are using the machine a lot, is that you will have to replace the filter more often.
5. Innovative Operator Features
Drip coffee machines are constantly evolving and high-end or expensive coffee machines have extra convenient features that provide you with an overall better coffee-making experience.
Alert or indicator lights show you when the machine is still brewing or when the brewing process is completed.
The “brew-pause” selection allows you to make a cup of coffee while the machine is still brewing.
Blue digital LED control panel makes the machine easier to use, especially in low light conditions.
A programmable clock and timer allow you to set the machine at night and wake up to freshly brewed coffee before you go to work.
An automatic shut off system turns the coffee machine off when you forget to.
A smart auto-adjusting dual-phase hot-plate element maintains the coffee in the carafe at an optimal temperature.
An Insulated coffee tank keeps the coffee at the perfect temperature right up until you are ready to use it.
6. Product Warranty
It does not matter whether you spend $50 or over $200 on your coffee machine, it can still malfunction, so the warranty is just as important as the product itself.
Some manufacturers offer only a 1-year warranty, while others offer a more generous 5 (but limited) warranty. So it is a good idea to read the fine print before you buy. This is even more important if you are going to be using the coffee machine a lot.
5 Best Drip Coffee Makers – Reviews
1. Mr. Coffee 4-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker
The Mr.Coffee brand has been around since 1970, and this drip coffee maker is still a favorite with many Americans as it is easy to use and can make a very good cup of coffee. The Mr. Coffee 4-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker is ideal for 2 people as It can make up to 4 small cups or 2 larger-sized cups. It is compact and simple to use.
It has a lot of handy features, the Grab-A-Cup Auto-Pause allows you to make a cup of coffee while the machine is still brewing. The dual water window shows you the level of water, so you do not have to worry about overfilling the machine or running out of water.
You can program the machine to make the amount of coffee that you need, so there is no coffee wastage, and you can set the timer to begin brewing at a particular time. There is a power on and off indicator light that shows you when the machine is ready to go, and the removable filter basket is easy to clean.
Pros
- Ideal for 2 people
- Compact
- Fast
- Makes very good-tasting coffee
- Easy to clean
- Two-year warranty
Cons
- Not ideal for large amounts of coffee-making
2. Bonavita Connoisseur 8-Cup One-Touch Coffee Maker
The Bonavita Connoisseur 8-Cup One-Touch Coffee Maker is a good value drip coffee machine, and it is ideal for those coffee drinkers that need their caffeine hit fast as it can brew coffee in just under 6 minutes. The machine springs into action with just a press of a button and it makes pretty good darn coffee without the bitter taste, and it can turn itself off.
Although it may not look as sophisticated as other models, the Bonavita drip coffee maker is sturdy, compact, and powerful with a 1500-watt heater, and brews coffee in just 6 minutes. It can maintain an optimal brewing temperature up to 205°F, and the showerhead distributes water evenly for maximum coffee ground saturation and uniform flavor extraction.
The Bonavita is easy to use. Pour water into the circular water tank depending on how many cups you will need, add the coffee grounds into the brew basket, and slot the basket into position above the carafe. Press the button and watch the coffee gold fill your cup. The coffee maker will automatically shut itself off.
The thermal carafe is made from strong stainless steel and can keep the coffee warm without any burnt taste, and the carafe has a tightly fitting lid, which means less leakage. Its carafe lid and showerhead are easy to clean and the removable filter basket can go straight into the dishwasher.
Pros
- Good value for money
- Easy to use
- Great tasting coffee
- Fast
- Automatic shut-off
- Non-drip stainless steel carafe
Cons
- Only keeps coffee warm for an hour
3. Cuisinart 14-Cup Perfect Temp Coffee Maker
There is a lot of love about the sleek and sophisticated stainless steel Cuisinart 14-Cup Perfect Temp Coffee Maker. Firstly, it makes high-quality coffee and it can keep it super hot in the glass.
The carafe can hold up to 14 cups of coffee, and you can adjust the temperature of the coffee while it sits on the hot plate.
If you are a coffee aficionado and like to have more control over your coffee making, this is the ideal machine for you. The Brew Strength Control allows you to adjust the strength of your coffee from regular to a stronger and bolder intensity. There is a 24-hour program function that allows you to set the machine to brew the coffee whenever you need a coffee hit, and the ready alert tone lets you know when the coffee has been brewed to perfection.
The Brew Pause setting means you can interrupt the brewing process to grab a cup, and you can choose to brew coffee in smaller quantities from 1-4 cups
The glass carafe has a decorative stainless steel handle, and the coffee machine comes with a Gold-Tone Commercial style permanent coffee filter, which means no messy clean-ups and it eliminates any build-up of coffee sediment. The charcoal water filter helps to improve the quality of the water, which is also essential for great tasting coffee. Another handy feature is the self-cleaning function and an auto-shutoff button.
Pros
- High-quality coffee maker
- Keeps the coffee hot
- Gold commercial-style permanent filter
- Two brew strengths
- Adjustable heat setting
- 24-hour programmability
- Smaller cup capacity setting
Cons
- Coffee machine is a little too tall for small kitchens
4. Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Coffee Maker
The Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Coffee Maker is a super slimline coffee maker that not only brews great-tasting hot coffee, but you do not have to fiddle around with a carafe, as the one-hand dispensing feature allows you to dispense the coffee right into your coffee cup or travel mug.
No more luke-warm or stale coffee sitting for hours in the stained carafe, and the 1-cup-at-a-time feature means fresh piping hot coffee at the push of a button.
As well as making it easier for you to make coffee on the go, Hamilton Beach has designed this machine with a host of other handy features, such as an insulated coffee tank that keeps the coffee hot. You can choose how long you want the coffee to stay warm, and the strength of the coffee from a mild to a full-bodied taste, and there is a programmable timer with an auto-shutoff time from 0-4 hours.
You can take control over the amount of coffee the machine makes, choose coffee for 1 or up to 12 cups for a dinner party. The machine also caters to the summer season as it can make iced coffee.
An especially useful operator feature is not only the water level indicator but the machine also has a coffee indicator line that shows you how much coffee is left.
The coffee machine is made of high-quality stainless steel with a shiny black finish that gives it a classic look, so it will look great in your kitchen.
Overall, this coffee machine is great value for money, and the design makes it so easy to make cafe-style coffee in the comfort of your own home.
Pros
- Great value for money
- Easy-to-fill water reservoir
- One-hand carafe-less dispenser
- Programmable auto-shut-off
- Multiple brewing options
- Insulated coffee tank
- Makes rich and smooth coffee
- Can make ice coffee
Cons
- Water may leak down the back of the unit due to water condensation
- Only the filter basket is dishwasher safe
- Hard to clean
- Noisy
5. Technivorn Moccamaster Coffee Brewer
If you are a lover of great coffee and would like a more hands-on approach to your coffee-making, then the award-winning Technivorn Moccamaster Coffee Brewer is the right fit for you. This master coffee machine has been made in the Netherlands from a high-quality durable aluminum body with a polished silver finish, a stainless steel thermal carafe with a brew-through lid and a travel lid that does not allow the coffee to leak through, and the plastic water receptacle is BPA free.
This super-smart coffee machine has been designed under the strict brewing guidelines of the ECBC ( European Coffee Brewer Centre) and has been certified by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA).
Technivorm Moccamaster has created a machine that combines 3 mechanical features that are necessary for producing piping hot and smooth tasting coffee: the right coffee temperature, coffee soluble extraction, and optimal brewing process. These perfect coffee conditions can be achieved due to the manual adjust drip-stop brew basket setting that allows you to choose the right level of coffee brew for your tastes, up to 10 cups of coffee, and you can brew a full carafe between 4-6 minutes.
The copper heating element makes sure that the coffee is brewed at the correct temperature, from 196-205°F and it shuts down when the brewing is complete, and the 9-hole spray head gives you optimal coffee extraction, which results in a richer coffee taste.
You have more control over the amount of coffee the machine can make by choosing the open setting if you want a full carafe of coffee, the partial open setting for half a carafe, or the closed position setting for when you need to empty the filter.
Besides being designed with innovative heating and brewing capabilities, Technivorm Moccamaster also offers a very generous 5-year warranty, although this warranty is only valid only when you purchase the machine from an authorized seller.
Technivorm Moccamaster also makes a range of similar coffee machines such as the Moccamaster 59691 KB that comes with a glass carafe and an auto-adjusting dual-phase hot-plate element that keeps the coffee super hot.
Pros
- Fantastic coffee
- Fast
- Thermal carafe
- Copper boiling element provides an optimal brewing temperature
- Nine-hole spray head for extra coffee extraction
- Auto-shutoff after brewing is complete
- Five-year limited warranty
Cons
- Power cord too short
- No timer or programmable feature
Our Top Pick for the Best Drip Coffee Maker
Our top pick for the best drip coffee maker is the Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Coffee Maker.
As well as being able to choose the amount of coffee the machine makes and having more control over the strength of your coffee, there is no fear of luke-warm or stale coffee as the one-hand dispensing function means you can just fill up your travel mug and go. Whether it is coffee for 1 or 12 party guests, the Hamilton Beach coffee machine has got your coffee needs covered.
Check the price on Amazon
