Kitchen

[feline groovy]

I'm an avid tea drinker and just got my first electric kettle. (love it)

But knowing that most people enjoy coffee, here's some help in finding the right brewer for you or someone you know.

Best Coffee Makers of 2020

Consumer Reports’ experts round up this year’s top drip and pod brewers from Cuisinart, Nespresso, Technivorm, and more

December 2020 

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Today’s coffee makers do far more than brew a pot of joe. Some grind beans, others froth milk for lattes and macchiatos, and a few even brew iced coffee. Consumer Reports' extensive lab tests—and our reviews of top models here—can help you zero in on the appliance that’s right for your kitchen. 

New features aren’t the only improvements we’ve seen lately. “Over the past few years, coffee makers have also gotten faster at brewing,” says Ginny Lui, the CR test engineer who oversees the coffee maker lab.

Below are reviews of 12 of the best coffee makers we've evaluated that are currently on the market, listed in alphabetical order. The list includes a number of configurations: drip, pod, grind-and-brew, self-serve, one-mug, dual coffee/espresso, and cold-brew. CR members can click on each model name for more detailed ratings and specs.

In our coffee maker lab, Lui's team conducts a brew-performance test and measures contact time (how long water stays within the sweet spot of 195° F to 205° F for brewing) for each drip coffee maker. For single-serve (pod) machines, our engineers evaluate temperature consistency and size consistency of individual cups of coffee. For cold-bew coffee makers, our engineers judge ease of cleaning and our expert coffee taste tester judges the taste of each brew.

   Bunn HB Heat N Brew Programmable

CR’s take: 

The Bunn HB Heat N Brew Programmable does very well across the board in our performance tests, but its feature set is a bit bare-bones—auto-shutoff, a cleaning indicator, and programming—despite its relatively high price. Still, you're likely to love this machine. Bunn drip machines earn an Excellent rating for owner satisfaction, according to data from our latest member survey. Its unusual design moves all of the brewing mechanism above the glass carafe.

   Chefman InstaCoffee

CR's take: 

The Chefman InstaCoffee earns a CR Best Buy designation thanks to its impressive performance and $40 price. This little K-Cup brewer outperforms $200 machines, with stellar ratings in all our tests, including an Excellent rating for first-cup speed. You won't get many features at this price, though. This Chefman's only features are an auto-shutoff and the ability to brew from K-Cups or loose grounds.

   Cuisinart Coffee on Demand DCC-3000

CR’s take: 

The Cuisinart Coffee on Demand DCC-3000 is a self-serve coffee maker, meaning it forgoes a carafe and allows you to fill a mug straight from its heated reservoir. This model does well in our tests, and Cuisinart self-serve machines receive a rating of Very Good for predicted reliability. The feature set includes a removable reservoir, permanent filter, water filter, cleaning indicator, auto-shutoff, programming, and a small-batch setting.

   Cuisinart DCC-T20 Touchscreen 14-Cup Programmable

CR’s take: 

A traditional drip coffee maker with a modern twist, the Cuisinart DCC-T20 Touchscreen 14-Cup Programmable offers slick touch-screen controls and makes plenty of java for a full house, thanks to its 14-cup glass carafe. It features programming, auto-shutoff, a cleaning indicator, a permanent filter, a water filter, brew-strength control, and a small-batch setting. This model receives an Excellent rating for brew performance and does well in our other tests, too. It’s a bit pricey, but for the investment you can count on an all-around great machine.

   Cuisinart Next-Generation Burr Grind & Brew 12-cup DGB-800

CR’s take: 

If you want a coffee maker that grinds beans right before brewing, check out the Cuisinart Next-Generation Burr Grind & Brew 12-cup DGB-800. In addition to its built-in grinder, you’ll get a permanent filter, water filter, auto-shutoff, programming, and brew-strength control. This model earns solid scores in our tests, and as a group, Cuisinart machines receive an Excellent rating for owner satisfaction in CR’s latest member survey.

   Cuisinart Premium Single-Serve Brewer SS-10

CR’s take: 

One of the best Keurig K-Cup brewers isn't made by Keurig at all. The Cuisinart Premium Single-Serve Brewer SS-10 receives a convenience rating of Excellent and offers great cup-size and temperature consistency. This machine also packs a ton of features, including an auto-shutoff function, a removable water reservoir, a height-adjustable drip tray, a built-in water filter, and programming.

   Hamilton Beach 12-cup Programmable 49465R

CR’s take: 

The unassuming, inexpensive Hamilton Beach 12-cup Programmable 49465R might be easy to miss, but it can brew a mean cup of joe at a fantastic price. It has the essentials in a basic black plastic finish. It’s programmable, as its name says, and has auto-shutoff. And it offers solid brew performance and can make a fresh pot in just 10 minutes. This model even earns a Very Good rating for convenience. At around $25, this simple model will get the job done.

   Mr. Coffee Occasions BVMC-O-CT

CR’s take: 

The Mr. Coffee Occasions BVMC-O-CT is a combination coffee and espresso machine with a twist—it can brew coffee from either fresh grounds or Keurig K-Cup pods. It earns a Very Good rating for brew performance, and our testers say it's fairly convenient to use. This model comes with plenty of features, including a thermal carafe, a built-in milk frother for lattes and cappuccinos, a removable water reservoir and drip tray, a permanent filter, and auto-shutoff.

   Nespresso  Pixie Espresso Maker in Aluminum EN125S

CR’s take: 

For those who prefer Nespresso capsules over Keurig K-Cups, the Nespresso Pixie Espresso Maker in Aluminum EN125S is worth a look. It comes in a sleek metallic finish and can make both espresso and coffee. It features a removable reservoir, a height-adjustable drip tray, auto-shutoff, and adjustable brew temperature. Our testers give it solid ratings across the board, including a Very Good rating for temperature consistency.

   Ninja Specialty CM401

CR's take: 

A more affordable take on Ninja's Coffee Bar brewers, the Ninja Specialty CM401 is a terrific all-in-one machine, capable of brewing hot and iced coffee, lattes, macchiatos, and other specialty brews. In our tests it receives an Excellent rating for brew performance, and its glass carafe handles with ease. This model is also packed with features, including an over-ice brew mode for iced coffee, a built-in milk frother, brew-strength control, and brew-size adjustment for travel mugs to full carafes. It's one of the most versatile coffee makers we’ve tested.

   Primula Burke Cold Brew Coffee Maker PBPBK-5101

CR’s take: 

The Primula Burke Cold Brew Coffee Maker PBPBK-5101 is the most inexpensive cold-brew coffee maker in our ratings—and one of the best. It receives an Excellent rating for convenience. This Primula comes with a glass carafe, and most of its parts are dishwasher-safe. It’s the only model we tested that calls for a full 24-hour brew time, but you might find the results worth the wait. 

   Technivorm Moccamaster Cup-One Brewer

CR’s take: 

The Technivorm Moccamaster brand is usually associated with high-end carafe machines, but the Cup-One Brewer is a basic one-mug drip machine. Technivorm one-mug appliances do well in our surveys for reliability and satisfaction, but this model doesn’t do well in our convenience tests, receiving only a Fair rating. It’s one of the most expensive models on this list, yet it offers only one feature (auto-shutoff), so what you’re really paying for is the brand, its looks, and its performance. If you like simple coffee makers or you're a Technivorm fan, this may be the machine for you.

[Ibby114]

I was recently researching getting a new coffee maker- I didn't want a keurig. My coffee wasn;t hot enough- and I cleaned it pretty regularly (some said that casued the issue). I saw how CR loved nespresso,  but you need to get a special pod so I didn't want to go that route. I bought a Cuisinart, so far so good! I'm really liking Cuisinart small appliances these days! - it's my air fryer/combo oven too. 

[Bibione]

I love my Nespresso coffee in the morning. I use a milk frother for organic chocolate milk. So I have a delicious cappuccino.

[cantdrive55]

Very interesting read, thank you!

[catter70]

Gee, I wonder where Keurig is. Oh, I forgot, not all that good. I got my first one as a TSV back in 2017. It's a mini. That one lasted about 4 months. Called Keurig and they replaced free of charge. That one lasted abotu 6 months. Again replaced. Have had this one about 6 months and having trouble. I only drink one cup a day so I just need something small. Will limp along with this one for now.

[chickenbutt]

Cuisinart has always been a really good brand, so I'm glad they are represented in the 'best' category. 

I don't drink coffee (caffeine does a job on me) but back in the day I had that Cuisinart Grind & Brew (or something like that) where you put in the beans, it grinds them, then sends them down to the filter and it brews.

[Carmie]

@Bibione   I have a Nespresso and a Keurig.  I like the Nespresso, but it doesn't make the coffee hot enough IMO.  I see that there are many complaints about this.

I really like it, but for this.  I drink tea usually, but enjoy a speciality coffee after dinner and like to sip and savor it.  It is cold in five minutes and not enjoyable.

I have no complaints about the Keurig.

[Ibby114]

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@catter70 wrote:

Gee, I wonder where Keurig is. Oh, I forgot, not all that good. I got my first one as a TSV back in 2017. It's a mini. That one lasted about 4 months. Called Keurig and they replaced free of charge. That one lasted abotu 6 months. Again replaced. Have had this one about 6 months and having trouble. I only drink one cup a day so I just need something small. Will limp along with this one for now.

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@catter70  I must have replaced my keurig every year- Kohls was very good about exchanging them. But now my model isn't made any longer, they'd probably do something for me (kohls is great that way) but I didn't want to make a big stink.. It was time to move on from keurigs anyway!

[Reconnaissant]

@feline groovy 

What brand electric kettle are you enjoying?

[feline groovy]

@Reconnaissant:

Ovente.

Ovente Electric Kettle, 1.5L, 1100W, BPA-Free, Heat-Tempered Borosilicate Glass, Stainless Steel, Auto Shut-Off & Boil-Dry Protection, Blue LED Lights (KG83 Series)

It's well-rated, affordable, and I got the 'Purple'; the color is actually a true plum.

It also comes in black, white, red, fuschia, orange (like a marigold) and green (almost chartreuse).

Thanks for asking.  8)