Best Coffee Maker – Buyer’s Guide
A wise man once said “All you need is love… And a great cup of coffee.”
A delicious cup of coffee is both an art and a science combined.
The art of extracting rich flavors and delicious aromas from coffee beans and the science of time and temperature colliding in just the right way, at just the right moment. This is, in fact, what makes a delicious cup of coffee an art and a science combined.
In my journey to finding the right coffee maker for you, I’ve decided to create a list of the best coffee makers of 2020.
You may be wondering, what is the best coffee maker? In this post, I will provide you with a clear review, including pros and cons, of each coffee maker so that you can choose the best coffee maker 2020 for yourself. As a side note, I have also compiled an article of the best espresso machines 2020 that you may find helpful if you are an espresso lover like myself.
Best Coffee Makers 2020 Reviews
It’s time to stop letting the $5 cup of coffee ruin your retirement savings! It’s time you take action! We are here to help you make the right decision and figure out what coffee maker is rightly suited for your needs. No longer will your favorite mug be abused inside those kitchen cabinets! Here is our list of top 10 best coffee makers of 2020. Do us a favor and share this post so that others can benefit.
| Coffee Makers | Weight | Overall Rating (5) | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Behmor Brazen Plus Editor's Choice | 10 pounds | 4.1 | Check Price |
| Bonavita BV1900TS Best Thermal Carafe Coffee Maker | 6.1 pounds | 4.0 | Check Price |
| Bonavita Immersion Dripper 1 Best Pour Over Coffee Maker | 1.2 pounds | 4.2 | Check Price |
| Bunn Velocity Brew BT Best Quick Brew Coffee Maker | 9.2 pounds | 4.2 | Check Price |
| KitchenAid Siphon Brewer Best Small Coffee Maker | 4.8 pounds | 3.7 | Check Price |
| Ninja Coffee Bar Brewer Best Value Single Serve Coffee Maker | 8.2 pounds | 4.2 | Check Price |
| Oxo Cold Brew Best Cold Brew Coffee Maker | 4.0 pounds | 4.4 | Check Price |
| Technivorm Moccamaster KBT 10- Best Rated Coffee Makers | 6.5 pounds | 4.3 | Check Price |
| Oxo On Barista Brain 9 Cup Coffee Maker Best 9 Cup Coffee Maker with Thermal Carafe | 7.7 pounds | 4.3 | Check Price |
| Cuisinart DCC-3200 Best Coffee Makers Under $50 | 3.8 pounds | 4.4 | Check Price |
Behmor Brazen Plus: Best Coffee Maker Editor’s Choice
Looking for a quality best coffee maker with tons of features? The Behmor Brazen Plus might be the right one for you. In fact, the Brazen Plus, one of only 9 coffee makers, is SCAA Certified! Moreover, its feature-rich qualities make this one of the top desired coffee makers in the market. With its simplistic design, this compelling coffee machine allows you to tweak water temperature, pre-soak time, and even adjust for altitude. The crazy part is, some of the features on this coffee machine are not included in top priced coffee makers.
Design
The Behmor Brazen Plus is not your typical best coffee maker when it comes to looks. The cylindrical top, circular stainless-steel base and three-legged body, reminds me of something out of an alien movie. Relative to other best coffee machines of 2020, the Brazen does have a small footprint which feels sturdy and durable. Do note that this is a relatively tall coffee maker.
With a 40-ounce metal pitcher at the bottom of the towering machine, the above LCD panel boasts options that make this coffee maker one of the most versatile on the market. The Behmor offers an auto-timer that allows you to set a timer to when you want your coffee ready. Convenient for those with a busy morning routine.
Performance
After whipping up a cup of coffee with this machine, I became very interested. With a brew temperature of 201 degrees Fahrenheit, I was consistently able to sample rich cups of coffee. I was not able to detect any hints of bitterness, awesome! The Behmor Brazen Plus is a top-quality, best coffee maker designed to produce the best possible cup of coffee.
The Behmor Brazen Plus isn’t a push-n-go brewer. It does require some customization to achieve your desired results. If you are a coffee addict like myself, customization should be the fun part! Brew speed can clock in between 5 to 10 minutes, depending on your personal preference of settings.
Overall, the Behmor Brazen Plus ranks as the top choice if you are looking for an SCAA certified auto drip coffee maker of 2020. The Brazen Plus can do it all. You can easily customize the temperature to your preference and even have an auto-timer brew your coffee before you step foot from your bed. Cleaning up the Behmore Brazen Plus is an ease. Let’s be honest, this Behmore has a learning curve and may not be for you. Moreover, this coffee machine, designed for serious coffee drinkers, requires at least time to setting up the pot to the custom liking and utilizing all of its features.
Bonavita BV1900TS: Best Thermal Carafe Coffee Maker
If you are looking for the best thermal carafe coffee maker for a fraction of the price, the Bonavita BN1900TS may be the one for you. The BV1900TS wrecks its competition when it comes to serving enjoyable pots of coffee with a breeze. The compact stainless steel design makes this best thermal carafe coffee maker an eye catcher.
Design
The design is simple. If you are looking for an LCD panel, well I am sorry to break it to you. There are no fancy LCD panels on this one. You won’t find many bells and whistles. In fact, you will only find one button on the Bonavita, the on-off switch. The BV1900TS is compact and shiny with no frilling industrial design aspects. On the left, the BV1900TS houses a circular lid for the water tank, while on the right consists of the brewer lid and conceals the shower head.
Operating the Bonavita BV1900TS is straightforward. Want a fresh pot of coffee? Easy. Just open the circular water tank lid and pour 44 oz of water. Then, add coffee grounds into the brew basket and position the thermal carafe underneath the head. And with a flip of a button, your 45-ounce coffee pot will brew in about 6 minutes.
Performance
When it comes to performance, the Bonavita BV1900TS shines like no other. Six minutes for a full 45-ounce pot of coffee runs well under the 8 minutes or less recommended by the Specialty Coffee Association of America(SCAA). Heating numbers on this best thermal carafe coffee maker are also on par. In 2 minutes, the brew basket hit the 200-degree mark fairly quickly. The BV1900TS consistently served up top-notch coffee without a taste of bitterness from the brew.
Bonavita Immersion Dripper: Best Pour Over Coffee Maker
The Immersion Dripper needs attention. It's on the list purely for its performance numbers. This is the best pour-over coffee maker. For under $50, the Bonavita Immersion Dripper has the power to brew cup after cup of outstanding coffee. Each cup is intensely flavorful. With very minimal moving parts, cleaning this best pour-over coffee maker is effortless.
Design
The Bonavita Immersion Dripper is a simple pour-over cone. The large cone-shaped filter basket is constructed from porcelain that feels much more luxurious than plastic. The triangular funnel tapers down from the filter basket above down to a wide base. The base of the Dripper has a lever switch that controls the flow of brewed coffee through the filter.
Performance
The Immersion Dripper requires a little bit of work to operate. First off, add your coarsely ground coffee on top of a type #4 paper filter into the funnel. Next, place the Immersion Dripper over a cup in which the brewed coffee will filter down to. Now, pour hot water just off the boil to match the number of coffee grounds that you’ll be brewing. Stirring of the filter’s content is required after about a minute. After covering the brewer’s lid, give it about 2 more minutes. And finally, flip the lever and watch as the brewed coffee quickly flows downward and drains into your cup. Draining takes about 30 to 40 seconds.
Every cup of coffee that I made using the Bonavita, the best pour-over coffee maker, tasted phenomenal. The taste was consistently rich and intensely packed with pure flavor. That being said, the Bonavita does require some effort to achieve your desired results. Once, you do find the right tweaks, you’ll be overly satisfied with your coffee.
Bunn Velocity Brew BT: Best Quick Brew Coffee Maker
If you want a reliable, best quick brew coffee maker capable of brewing 10 cups of coffee in under 3 minutes, then the Bunn Velocity Brew BT must be on your list. This best quick brew coffee maker is a solid a coffee machine without any fancy features. With the “always on” function, the Velocity Brew BT stores two full carafes of water at the perfect brewing temperature of 200 degrees. This allows you to just add your grounds and a fresh measure of cold water and within 3 minutes, your 10 cups are ready.
Design
The Bunn Brew BT, though not typical, rocks a simple design. In other words, this best quick brew coffee maker is cocked, locked, and ready at moment’s notice. The Velocity Brew BT has a big water tank capable of holding double the amount of other coffee makers. This best quick brew coffee maker preheats the water ahead of time, allowing for ideal brewing temperature in no time!
Performance
A great feature on the Brew BT is the velocity sprayer. With the velocity sprayer, you are able to achieve top-notch flavor as the water mixes with the grounds at a high. Other regular drip coffee makers lack the velocity sprayer, allowing the water to over-saturate the grounds, producing the ‘bitter’ taste. However, the Bunn does not have this issue, thus delivering the best tasting coffee without the bitterness with the fraction of the wait time that you would normally expect from other best coffee makers of 2020.
Operating this best quick brew coffee maker come easy. Just drop a special Bunn paper filter into the brew funnel, and measure out the proper amount of coffee grounds. Afterward, just simply close the coffee maker’s plastic lid and the brewing cycle will begin.
KitchenAid Siphon Brewer: Best Small Coffee Maker
If you are looking for something different, with outstanding performance, then the Siphon Brewer may be the right coffee maker for you. The KitchenAid Siphon Brewer, the best small coffee maker on the list, uses the power of steam and vapor pressure to brew excellent pots of coffee. Siphon Brewer implements the centuries-old coffee-making technique, except without the alchemic procedures. Siphon coffee was initially invented in the 1840s by a French housewife and Scottish marine engineer. Though the process has been refined many times, few principles still hold true. Siphon coffee produces a delicate, tea-like cup of coffee, and it can be quite persnickety.
Design
This best small coffee makerhas an outstanding design. The process of attaching the two chambers has been intelligently designed by KitchenAid to work with magnets. The stainless steel tube connector was a neat touch that makes this coffee maker look sleek and beautiful. The bottom carafe, designed with sophistication, allows you to clearly see the demarcated lines for measuring the proper amount of water for different batch sizes of coffee.
Performance
The Siphon Brewer, the best small coffee maker, shows off its curves as a two-chamber pot with a filter placed in between. Water goes in the lower chamber while coffee in the top. First, water is heated. As vapor pressure builds up, a vacuum is created, forcing the water into the top chamber. The coffee begins to steep in the water. Once the user turns off the heat, the liquid solution begins to return to the lower chamber. In the process, the coffee grounds are precisely strained by the filter. As the KitchenAid manual describes, the coffee produced from the Siphon Brewer was “clean, crisp, and vibrant” indeed. The level of bright floral flavors I tasted from the first sip cannot be compared to any other coffee makers.
Ninja Coffee Bar Brewer: Best Value Single Serve Coffee Maker
When it comes to versatility, no one does it better then Ninja. The Ninja Coffee Bar brewer is presented as a best value single serve coffee maker! You have the ability to make coffee by the carafe, or just enough for a single cup. This Ninja coffee maker makes concentrated coffee that you can use to make an espresso-style drink like a latte or a rich cup of cappuccino. At heart, this best value single serve coffee maker is a drip brewer, but a drip brewer with plethora of various options. If you want versatility from a coffee maker and don’t want to invest in a more expensive espresso machine, then read on to find out more about this impressive best value single serve coffee maker.
Design
From a design perspective, the Ninja Coffee Bar looks pleasant. Plastic seems to be the major built material of this beast. However, there are plenty of parts, including the ridges, the curves and highlights, that are made from stainless steel. Moreover, this best value single serve coffee maker stands at 14 inches in height, 9.5 inches in width, and about 8 inches in depth. In short, its relatively large and will definitely need some space. Located on the left side of this best value single serve coffee maker, a big filter basket has the ability to accept standard No. 4 cone paper filters. Below this large filter basket is a glass carafe that rests on a circular hot plate. Positioned on the right side of the Coffee Bar, the cylindrical water tank catches quite a lot of attention. Sculpted from clear plastic with indented handholds, this water tank makes it easy for anyone to grip it when removing the reservoir.
I love the beautifully designed control panel on this best value single serves coffee maker! The panel houses a digital clock controls to operate programmable brewing functions, and buttons to select multiple styles of drip java. A a setting on this top coffee maker of 2020 lets you adjust coffee brewing to the size of your coffee container. The Ninja Coffee Bar is one of the most flexible brewers out on the market of 2020 coffee makers. You are offered multiple brewing modes designed to suit everyone’s personal tastes and style of beverage. For example, the “classic brew” button creates a smooth and balanced flavored drink. The “specialty brew” mode whips up a concentrated coffee liquid that’s made to form the building blocks of espresso-based beverages such as cappuccinos, flat whites and lattes. Furthermore, the Ninja Coffee Bar gives you the flexibility to control how much water it uses no matter what brewing mode you decide to activate. With the help of a knob in the center of the control panel, you have the option to choose from a full carafe, half carafe, travel mug, and a single coffee cup.
Performance
Moving on to performance, the Ninja Coffee Bar has some tricks up in its sleeves. In the “classic brew” mode, this best value single serve coffee maker began heating up and in about 20 seconds, very hot water began to drip over the coffee grounds. After about 15 seconds, there was a functional pause that’s meant to saturate the grounds before the full brew cycle activates. Then, a steady flow of water poured down over the filter’s contents. It took about 3 minutes for this single serve coffee maker to reach 200 degrees Fahrenheit, a bit on the slow side. The entire coffee brew process halted in about 6 minutes; in the range of SCAA guideline of 4-8 minutes of total brew time. Coffee tasted as it should. With a few manual tweaks of the number of coffee grounds placed in the filter, you can achieve consistently great tasting coffee over and over again. Oh! By the way! The Ninja Coffee Bar has the ability to make tasty iced coffee as well!
Oxo Cold Brew Coffee Maker: Best Cold Brew Coffee Maker
If you are in the market for a best cold brew coffee maker, then this coffee maker may be the one for you. Cold-brewed coffee has always been a favorite drink for me. Cold Brew coffee makers allow brewing cold coffee at home to be hassle-free. Making cups of cold brew at home can surely be a tedious task, especially when it's time to strain the coffee grounds. The Oxo Cold Brew Coffee Maker, high-quality cold brew coffee maker, will help you eliminate much of the hassle out of making my favorite type of coffee, cold-brewed coffee. Here is why…
Design
The Oxo Cold Brew screams simplicity. The design is extraordinarily simple. No complicated gimmicks. There is just one switch. Furthermore, this cold brew coffee maker utilizes gravity. In other words, this cold brew coffee does not use electricity as its main power source. Don’t be fooled by its simplicity. There has been a lot of thought put into the best cold brew coffee maker's construction. The hourglass-shaped design functions in much the same way as a typical coffee drop brewer. Similar to the conventional drip coffee maker, the Oxo Cold Brew has a brewing chamber up top, meant for the placement of ground coffee beans for steeping. Below the brewing chamber, a carafe sits to collect the liquid that has been strained by the stainless-steel filter.
The Oxo Cold Brew Coffee Maker, the best cold brew coffee maker, executes its functions without the use of heat. It utilizes water at room temperature or colder, without the use of electronic components. You have to manually pour cold water onto the brewing container’s perforated lid, called “rainmaker.” Once you decant water in a circular pour over the indented lid, the rainmaker will evenly saturate coffee grounds by showering them with small water droplets. In addition, the one switch on the Oxo Cold Brew Coffee allows you to release and drain your brew into the glass carafe.
Performance
Performance wise, the Oxo Cold Brew is phenomenal. For best results with this cold brew, your beans need to be ground coarsely. To operate this best cold brew coffee maker, simply add your coffee grounds in the machine and add water. The next day, you should have yourself that perfect cold-brewed coffee. The coffee tasted sweet, smooth, and rich in concentrate.
Technivorm Moccamaster KBT 10-Cup Coffee Brewer: Best Rated Coffee Makers
The Moccamaster, honed and crafted in the Netherlands, is about the furthest thing from a cheap coffee maker. This best rated coffee maker has the power to make some extraordinary cups of coffee, especially with some premium coffee beans. Due to its optimal brewing conditions, the Moccamaster KBT has been awarded the Gold Cup Award by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA). Not to mention two more European certifications for its quality brewing.
Design
Tall, dark, and elegantly designed, this best-rated coffee maker desires attention. Sharp angles and clean lines, the Technivorm team integrated the just right amount of metal, clear plastic, and some extent glass. It's beautiful! The brew basket, located on a quality plastic platform, gives it the distinct impression that the filter is floating above its tall, stainless steel thermal. If you are tech savvy, you may be a bit upset when I tell you that this bad boy lacks a fancy LCD screen. As you begin to use this best-rated coffee maker for a little while, you begin to truly recognize and understand all the details put into this machine. For example, the funnel-mouthed design makes it impossible to spill any coffee on yourself during those rough mornings we all have once in a while.
Performance
The brewing process is quite simple and doesn’t require an expert to operate. First, fill up the water tank. Next, load the grounds on top of the no. 4 cone paper filter located in the filter basket. Once the grounds are loaded, simply load the filter basket. Then swing the water outlet arm over it the filter basket. Next, screw on the brew-through lid into the carafé and slide the pot in place. And finally, turn ‘on’ the machine, and bam! Just under 6 minutes, you have yourself a full carafe.
The performance on the Technivorm Moccamaster KBT, outweighs all of my expectations! The best part about this best rated coffee maker is its ability to keep water at the optimal temperature of 195-205 degrees Fahrenheit. The coffee produced by this machine is just incredible. Furthermore, the thermal carafe has the ability to retain heat for more than 6 hours. This machine consistently brewed coffee that tasted deliciously smooth, complex, and incredibly special.
Oxo On Barista Brain 9 Cup: Best 9 Cup Coffee Maker with Thermal Carafe
When the SCAA approves a coffee maker, it's worth taking a look at. This coffee machine does not have a lot of bells and whistles as would some of its competitors on this list. However, this does have a few amazing features that make the Barista Brain a superb coffee maker. It's impressive the fact that all programming is done by a single dial and an LED display. You can program this best 9 cup coffee maker with a thermal carafe to brew fresh coffee for you in the morning right before you wake up! It even has a countdown of how long it's been since the coffee has been brewed.
Design
Aesthetically, it’s a bit tall, but I can’t complain as it’s able to brew 9 cups of coffee with ease. Mostly compromised of stainless steel, the Barista Brain 9 suites a bit of plastic as well. The transparent water reservoir, a nice touch, allows the user to observe the hot water shoot up towards the shower head. Operating this best 9 cup coffee maker with thermal carafe is quite simple and only takes a few button presses. Cleaning is also a breeze as all of the parts that need cleaning are both removable and are top-rack dishwasher safe.
Performance
Oxo is a well-known company that focuses on designing the best performing products. The Oxo Barista Brain can whip up some of the best-tasting brews out of home coffee machine. It does this well due to its ability to brew at the right temperature of 198 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit. There is a reason why it's approved by the SCAA. It keeps water in optimal temperature range throughout the entire brewing process. Furthermore, this best 9 cup coffee maker with thermal carafe is designed to draw the freshly brewed coffee directly to the bottom of the pot so that the temperature and brew strength are uniform throughout. Furthermore, the Barista Brain rocks a cone-shaped filter considered best by most coffee experts. The stainless steel thermal carafe does a great job in keeping the coffee hot at optimal temperature.
Cuisinart DCC-3200 Perfect Temp 14-Cup: Best Coffee Makers Under $50
Cuisinart DCC-3200, one of the best-selling coffee makers from Cuisinart, holds over 1,000+ positive reviews on amazon. Owners claim that this coffee maker makes some darn good coffee, and experts agree. With optimal brew temperatures at 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit for five or six minutes, it's hard to argue against its performance levels. Not only do users claim that the completed brew tastes as good as coffee from Starbucks, they claim that it tastes even better. Read on to find out what makes this machine highly rated by many coffee lovers.
Design
Built from stainless steel with black accents, the Cuisinart DCC-3200 gets marks on how durable it is. The DCC-3200 is a bit tall, at nearly 17 inches in height. Furthermore, the DCC-3200 comes equipped with some fantastic features. List of features includes, a fully programmable 24-hour timer; ‘regular’ and ‘strong’ brew setting; zero to four-hour auto shutoff feature; brew pause; and settings for smaller, one to four cup quantities. Moreover, this best coffee maker under $50 also features a permanent coffee filter, preventing you from always purchasing paper filters from the store.
Performance
Despite all of its bells and whistles, simplicity outweighs its complex features. Many agree that buttons on the Cuisinart DCC-3200 are very intuitive and reading the manual isn’t a requirement. Furthermore, the backlit LCD display makes it easy to read and simple to program various functions on this best coffee maker under $50. Its ability to maintain hotter coffee temperature without losing flavor or quality taste of the coffee truly amazes.
