An Exhaustive Guide to the Best Coffee Makers We’ve Ever Reviewed

Table of contents
Drip coffee makers
The absolute best drip coffee maker: Café Specialty Drip Coffee Maker
Café Specialty Drip Coffee Maker
Our personal favorite drip coffee maker: Ratio Six
Ratio Six Coffee Maker
The best drip coffee maker under $100: Ninja 12-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker
Ninja 12-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker
Espresso machines
The best espresso machine, full stop: Diletta Mio
Diletta Mio Espresso Machine
The best espresso machine under $1,000: Breville Barista Express Impress
Breville Barista Express Impress
The best espresso machine for beginners: Breville Bambino Plus
Breville Bambino Plus
The best espresso maker under $100: Wacaco Nanopresso
Wacaco Nanopresso Portable Espresso Maker
Pour-over coffee systems
The best pour-over coffee maker: Chemex
Chemex 8-Cup Glass Pour-Over Coffee Maker
Chemex Classic Coffee Filters (100-count)
The best single-serve pour-over coffee maker: Kalita Wave
Kalita Wave
The best thermal carafe: Ratio Eight
Ratio Eight Thermal Carafe and Dripper
French press coffee makers
The best classic French press: Bodum Tribute
Bodum Tribute French Press
The best value French press: Bodum Chambord
Bodum Chambord French Press
Cold-brew coffee makers
The best cold-brew coffee maker: Oxo Compact Cold Brew Coffee Maker
OXO Compact Cold Brew Coffee Maker
Read more coffee gear recommendations:

Given all the bells and whistles that coffee machines come with these days—built-in milk frothers and burr grinders, to name two—you might think that the best coffee makers are synonymous with the newest. Not so! As part of the Epicurious team’s product review process, we aim to update our tests every year by pitting the newest models on the market against old favorites. And as we’ve seen from years of testing coffee makers, the winners are often the ones that have been around for a while. (Some new high-tech machines do impress, though, so if you are looking for a souped-up coffee maker, read on.)

There are so many different types of coffee brewing that we’ve devoted a lot of space to reviews of specific kinds of machines or techniques, but here we’ve consolidated all the top coffee makers from all of our reviews into one easy-to-digest guide. No matter if you’re looking for a run-of-the-mill drip coffee machine, a fancy pour-over tool that connoisseurs swear by, or a pitcher to make cold brew, keep reading for our top picks.

Drip coffee makers

Espresso machines

Pour-over coffee systems

French press pots

Cold brew coffee makers

Drip coffee makers

When it comes to ease of use, there is nothing quite like a drip coffee machine. Fill the brew basket, push the button, walk away. Drip coffee makers run the gamut from the budget Hamilton Beach and Mr. Coffee models found in many a hotel room to more high-end ones like those from Technivorm, Oxo, and Café. While the number of added features may vary, a drip coffee maker will always be the most convenient system to brew a whole pot of coffee. (For more info, read our full review of the best drip coffee makers.)

The absolute best drip coffee maker: Café Specialty Drip Coffee Maker

There was a bit of an earthquake at Epi’s coffee testing bureau following our most recent retest of drip coffee makers. After years on top, the Technivorm Moccamaster was displaced. We still have plenty of love for our old friend and highly recommend it, but the world of elite drip coffee makers is getting crowded. The new winner, the Café Specialty Drip Coffee Maker, makes the same quality coffee that the Technivorm does, but adds a bunch of additional features as well as much more modern and aesthetically winning design. The Café, like the Technivorm and the Ratio coffee maker we’ll get into below, received the Golden Cup Standard from the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA). The showerhead puts out just the amount of water that the SCA deems right, at just the right temperature to make a perfectly balanced cup of coffee. But the Café goes a step further than other Golden Cup winners by offering several different brew strengths. “Gold” is just one of them, along with light, medium, dark, and bold. So if you’re someone who likes a stronger cup of coffee, or a weaker cup, you can adjust this coffee maker in ways you can’t with most others we tested. Another nice addition is the Café’s water filter, which ensures consistently high-quality brewing water ( a factor that’s more important than you might think in making good coffee). The wide showerhead on the brewer ensures even distribution of water, and solid agitation of the grounds—both important for consistent extraction and flavor. It’s also Wi-Fi capable and offers voice-to-brew technology. We don’t personally think those kinds of smart features do much to improve your morning cup of coffee, but if you’re a real “hey Google” or “Alexa, dote on me,” type, this drip coffee machine will fit seamlessly into your lifestyle.

food, amazon, an exhaustive guide to the best coffee makers we’ve ever reviewed

Café Specialty Drip Coffee Maker

$249.00, Amazon

Our personal favorite drip coffee maker: Ratio Six

This is more personal preference from our coffee testers, because they tend to prefer pour-over to even very good drip coffee machines. The Ratio Six does a good job mimicking the pour-over technique. As a company, Ratio has only been around since 2012, but in that short amount of time it has created a line of machines that leapfrogged right to the top of the drip coffee world—and in style. The Ratio Six (don’t be fooled, this is actually an 8-cup coffee maker) won the same Golden Cup certification that the Café and Technivorm have from the SCA—and it is a looker of a machine. But it’s also technically proficient. It fully saturates the grounds with water at the right temperature and allows them to bloom at the beginning of the brewing process. Choosing the ratio also means there’s no need for an insulated travel mug. It comes with a thermal carafe that we found kept coffee warm for hours and didn’t spill a drop during a car ride to the park.

Ratio Six Coffee Maker

$365.00, Ratio Coffee

The best drip coffee maker under $100: Ninja 12-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker

Our top picks in this category operate on a completely different level than most drip coffee makers, and their price tags reflect that. Not every coffee drinker wants to go the pricey route, and the Ninja performs admirably at a fraction of the cost. It made the strongest tasting coffee in our test and has a solid, utilitarian design. We particularly like the easy-to-handle detachable water reservoir that can be filled at the sink, a convenience commonly found in single-serve coffee makers like Keurig K-cup machines. The Ninja also lets you wake up to hot coffee thanks to a programmable 24-hour delayed brew. It comes with a glass carafe and an adjustable warming plate to keep coffee warm for four hours.

Ninja 12-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker

$78.00, Walmart

Espresso machines

There is actually much more to consider about an espresso machine than simply “does this make good coffee?” That’s because the discrepancy in price, size and functionality of espresso makers is so vast. If you wanted to, you could pay as much for one of these as you would for a reasonable used car. And you do generally get more for your money. The temperature control, pressure, and quality of the steam wand for frothing milk are higher on pricier machines. But for most people the differences are not so great that they cannot get everything they need from a less expensive machine (read our full espresso maker review here).

The best espresso machine, full stop: Diletta Mio

We tested a number of prosumer-grade espresso makers—that is a portmanteau of professional and consumer, and the machines are generally scaled down versions of the kinds of pro setups featured in fancy coffee shops. Of those we liked the Mio, a collaboration between Italian company Diletta and Seattle Coffee Gear, best. It’s a slick looking machine that pulls a great shot and has a separate heat circuit for the steam wand. That means no waiting if you’re making a latte or cappuccino. The Mio, like other prosumer models we tested and enjoyed, like the Rancilio Silvia Pro X, is not a machine for novices. To get a good shot you do need to dial in your coffee grinder, get a good tamp, and manually start and stop the brewing process. But that also means that, once you get the hang of it, you can brew it to taste however you want. This is a machine for someone who doesn’t just want a good cup of coffee, but truly wants to master the craft of espresso.

Diletta Mio Espresso Machine

$1399.00, Amazon

The best espresso machine under $1,000: Breville Barista Express Impress

After a brief time knocked off its pedestal, Breville is back on top here with its latest release the Barista Express Impress. The upscale appliance maker improved its built-in burr grinder by adding more grind settings and a dosing mechanism that can automatically adjust to keep the right amount of ground coffee beans in every shot. They also added a built-in tamper, which is really the thing that puts this machine over the top in our opinion. Here’s how it all works: Put the empty portafilter into the cradle, push the “dose” button to grind. Press the lever on the side to tamp and indicator lights show you if you have the right amount of coffee or if you need to add a little more. When you’ve got it right, a smiley face lights up. From there, the Barista Express Impress is mostly like the other Breville machines we’ve liked in the past, with one additional improvement: A better steam wand that can handle oat and nut milks as well as it can cow. Thanks to its smart design, this Breville can be as easy to operate as a Nespresso coffee pod machine, but it offers lots of customization options. It’s the perfect option for households with one person who wants an easy morning cup and another who wants to nerd out.

Breville Barista Express Impress

$900.00, Breville

The best espresso machine for beginners: Breville Bambino Plus

Breville’s newer pint-sized entry to the espresso market is as fool proof as a semi-automatic machine can be. It heats up in seconds and, because it only comes with pressurized filter baskets, shots come out perfect every time. That said, we had a non-pressurized filter basket that fit the machine and tried it. The results were excellent, though without a pressure gauge it might be hard to use this machine to learn how to pull a good shot if you don’t have experience doing it already. But the best part about the Bambino if you’re a beginner is its automatic milk texturing. Thanks to a pre-programmed steam wand and a milk sensor, you just stick the wand in the milk jug, set how much foam you want (cappuccino or latte), push a button, and wait. The automatic milk texturing here was actually better than what we produced on any of the manual machines. Like the Solis, this is also a teeny appliance by espresso machine standards, taking up next to no space on the counter.

Breville Bambino Plus

$400.00, Bed Bath & Beyond

The best espresso maker under $100: Wacaco Nanopresso

We’ll level with you: Almost every espresso maker in this price range will be pretty bad. But after testing the manual, hand-pumped Nanopresso, we were pleasantly surprised with the quality of the shot it dispensed: flavorful and topped with smooth layer of crema.

Want genuinely great espresso on the go or without spending upwards of $1,000 on a machine? This mini tool, which operates via a hand pump, churns out a full-bodied brew that’s better than espresso machines three times its price. Take it camping. Take it to a hotel room. Or, use it to make a shaken iced espresso at home. $70, Amazon. Get it now!

Wacaco Nanopresso Portable Espresso Maker

$70.00, Amazon

Pour-over coffee systems

Making coffee doesn’t get more low-tech than pour-over. And that’s not a bad thing! Coffee lovers who prefer a manual brewer find that pour-over yields a smoother, brighter cup than French press. Plus, it’s a great option if you’re just looking to make a single cup of coffee for yourself every morning. The key attribute of pour-over brewing is the ability to achieve “blooming.” Blooming happens at the point when hot water initially saturates the grounds and the coffee starts to expand during hydration. Pour-over can be a finicky process for newbies, though. You should weigh your coffee grounds in grams (generally between 15 and 17 grams of water to one gram medium-grind coffee is the ratio to use) and measure your water’s brewing temperature to between 195 and 200 to ensure the good results. But with a little practice you’ll be brewing like a pro.

The best pour-over coffee maker: Chemex

The Chemex brewer and its hourglass shape are iconic in the world of pour-over coffee. You may have even walked into a coffee shop where coffee made with the pour-over method is just called Chemex. What makes the Chemex stand out in a sea of coffee drippers, is that it is perhaps the easiest to learn what can be an unforgiving way to make a cup of coffee. Part of that is the shape, but part of it is the proprietary filters that help trap oils, reducing some of the bitter flavors. The other great thing about Chemex brewers is that you can make a lot of coffee at once. Imagine hosting a brunch and needing to make everyone an individual cup of coffee. No thanks.

Chemex 8-Cup Glass Pour-Over Coffee Maker

$46.68.00, Amazon

Chemex Classic Coffee Filters (100-count)

$15.95.00, Amazon

The best single-serve pour-over coffee maker: Kalita Wave

If pour-over is a morning ritual you keep just for yourself, a single-serve dripper will be more your speed than an 8-cup Chemex. The Kalita Wave is perhaps even easier to use than the Chemex thanks to its flat bottom. Because the water doesn’t drain through a single point, you don’t need to be as careful when you pour it.

Kalita Wave

$40.00, Amazon

The best thermal carafe: Ratio Eight

We’re including a recommendation for a thermal carafe in our pour-over section because, unlike a drip coffee maker, most pour-over rigs do not come with a hot plate to keep your coffee warm once it’s brewed. A good thermal carafe prevents that awful choice of chugging the coffee you so carefully brewed or (gasp) drinking it room temperature. The Ratio carafe claims to keep coffee hot for 90 minutes. We found it worked for closer to two hours. It’s also compatible with the Kalita Wave.

Ratio Eight Thermal Carafe and Dripper

$125.00, Ratio

French press coffee makers

For those who don’t have the counter space for a drip machine, a French press is a terrific manual coffee brewing option that can fit in your cabinet. French press loyalists like that this method doesn’t require the use of a paper filter; because water comes in direct contact with the coffee grounds, more of the oils make it into the final product, which yields a stronger taste. Another benefit of the French press is that it allows for great control, both of water temperature and brew time. Read our full review of the best French press coffee pots here and get a detailed rundown of how exactly to make French press coffee here.

The best classic French press: Bodum Tribute

It seemed impossible, but the iconic Bodum Chambord French press, was finally bested in our testing by…another Bodum model. While the image of the Chambord, with its glass carafe and chrome frame, is forever intertwined with French press coffee, the newer Tribute from Bodum improves on both utility and aesthetic. The carafe, which comes in a number of fun colors, is made of stainless-steel, which retains heat better than glass. The silicone and mesh plunger is also easier to clean than a more traditional coil and mesh one. It also kept a tight seal, preventing any unpleasantly large grit from getting into our coffee. It is true that this is a pricier model than other presses we like, but it also pulls double duty: It is a stellar coffee brewer and looks great on the countertop.

Bodum Tribute French Press

$82.49.00, Bodum

The best value French press: Bodum Chambord

Until 2022, the Chambord was our favorite French Press, an honor it has received many times over from coffee lovers since it came out in the 1950s. Our tester questioned whether the Chambord was widely considered a standout because it actually outperformed the competition, or because it had been around so long (it was designed in the 1950s). But it held its own in the testing process. The combination of fine-mesh filter and perforated steel-plate lunge plunged smoothly into the carafe, but remained secure enough to keep the coffee grit-free. The carafe is comfortable to hold and pour from. And, at less than half the price of the Tribute, it is one of the best value coffee makers, regardless of brewing method, on the market today.

Bodum Chambord French Press

$40.00, Amazon

Cold-brew coffee makers

Cold-brew coffee is not just a summertime phenomenon that has everyone you know walking around with enormous plastic cups. It’s a brewing method that produces an entirely different type of drink (and should not be confused iced coffee, which is coffee brewed over ice, or simply served over ice). Cold brew is a drink that’s smooth, chocolatey, and as easy drinking as coffee gets. It is also incredibly easy to make. The only irritating ingredient is time. Almost all cold-brew systems, including our favorite below, take at least half a day. But if you can’t have your coffee any other way, then it’s certainly worth the wait.

The best cold-brew coffee maker: Oxo Compact Cold Brew Coffee Maker

The Oxo cold brewer operates differently from the infusion-style coffee makers we tested. Its perforated lid controls the water flow to the coffee and how much water can come into contact with the coffee grounds at a time. The water slowly works its way through the coffee until, ultimately, it all gets filtered into a glass carafe. The advantage of this method of making cold brew is that there is no shaking or stirring required. It really is a set-it-and-forget-it operation. Another plus to the Oxo is that both the carafe and the brewing container have marks showing how much water and coffee to use. While it’s preferable to measure both coffee and water by weight (get yourself a good scale!), we found the volume measurements here totally usable.

One note: The Oxo produces a cold brew concentrate that needs to be diluted at a 1:2 or 1:3 coffee to water ratio. You don’t want to mess the brew strength of a cold brew concentrate. If you want cold-brew you can drink straight, a simple filter basket brewer like this Hario cold-brew bottle will get make solid coffee and look good enough that it can sit out on the counter when not in use.