The 10 Best Coffee Makers of 2025, Tested and Reviewed – ryan

With a decade’s worth of experience within the specialty coffee industry, I’ve worked as a barista, helped open a cafe, and worked behind the scenes in packaging and distribution. For additional expertise, I spoke with Max Gaultieri, barista, roaster, and founder of Joules and Watts coffee in Malibu California, and Jessica Rodriguez, who heads the Certified Home Brewer program at the SCA. For each drip coffee maker, I used the Peru Eufemio Dominguez Aguilar Cajamarca from Joules and Watts coffee roasters in Malibu, California.

Ease of use: We considered if we could smoothly and quickly set up each coffee maker, the complexity of cleaning, and whether there were awkward controls or components that seemed likely to break or get lost.

Brewing: For machines that had customizable brews, we used recommended presets as well as “strong” or “bold” settings to determine if the cup was over or under-extracted. Since taste is subjective, we looked for consistent results above all else.

Capacity: An elementary but important specification, we tested drip coffee machines ranging from 8 to 12 cups of brewing capacity. If you drink more than one cup a day or are serving a larger group, these coffee makers will help satisfy caffeine cravings. However, if you’re only making one or two cups a day, you may not want to devote the counter space to a big machine and should consider a Nespresso or French press.

Materials: Consider what the coffee maker is primarily made of (stainless steel, plastic, glass, etc.). You’ll find that coffee makers often have either thermal carafes or warming plates to keep coffee warm after it’s brewed. In drip coffee makers, Jessica Rodriguez warns, “If a brewer has a heating plate to keep the carafe warm, it is really important that the plate does not raise the temperature of the brew, which can have a negative impact on the flavor.”

Keep in mind that some coffee makers, like French presses and cold brew makers, are typically made with glass or plastic because the brew is meant to be consumed immediately or cooled quickly. With non-metal constructions, be aware of fragility (glass) or possible staining (plastic).