There are so many different ways to make a cup of joe, but none of them may be as easy as brewing a batch with a coffee maker. If you don't have the time or the patience to involve a kettle in your coffee-brewing process each morning, these automatic machines are for you. These are the best coffee makers that brew on-demand (or at your designated time) with the simple press of a button.
When you're making a buying decision about which is the best coffee maker to get, there are just a few simple things to think about.
Machine capacity: The best place to start is by thinking about how much coffee you and your household drink — this will help you decide among machine types and sizes. While it doesn't hurt to get a machine with a large 12-cup capacity (as you can typically brew smaller amounts with them), you can scale down to a smaller 5-cup or single-cup model if you don't think you'll ever have a reason to make a lot of coffee at once.
Timer: If you love the smell of coffee first thing in the morning, you probably want a programmable coffee maker. These should have simple functionality that you can set on your designated schedule to begin brewing, and they maintain heat to keep the pot warm.
On-demand functionality: If you're familiar with Keurig or Nespresso machines, you probably know that they differ from normal coffee machines in the sense that they use pods — not ground coffee — and that you can just push a button to produce one single drink on demand at a time. This is useful if you like to drink a cup on your own schedule throughout the day. Regular, large-capacity coffee makers can be used this way too, but they're less convenient for spur-of-the-moment brewing.
Special features: Many great coffee makers do just one thing, and they do it really well. However, some have the ability to brew certain styles of coffee like espresso, dispense hot water for tea, or allow you to choose the exact size of the brew with the push of a button.
Note: In this guide, we're focusing on automatic coffee makers that use either ground coffee or pods to make each batch. While some of these feature-packed devices can also make espresso, we have an entirely separate guide for espresso makers, if that's your morning beverage of choice.
Choosing the best coffee maker for you comes down to your personal preferences for putting your coffee-making on autopilot. If you want to be hands-off until it's time to pour yourself that first cup of the day, these are the best coffee makers you can buy so you can start your day the easy way.
This Cuisinart coffee maker is the gold standard for a lot of at-home coffee fanatics because of its simple, no-frills functionality that brews batches of coffee just how you like it and when you want it.
Its programmable functions include brew-strength control, custom brew-start and auto-off times, settings for 1 to 4 cups, and an on/off button for the sound that goes off when it's done brewing. The unit includes its own reusable filter, and you can even pause it while brewing to pour yourself a cup.
If you like your coffee the same way each and every day, this device will prove to be a reliable mainstay on your kitchen countertop.
If you've got to have your drip coffee while your partner is on Team Espresso, the Tchibo coffee maker provides common ground for everyone's caffeine preferences.
This premium machine only uses whole beans, and once loaded into the hopper, they are kept sealed for freshness until the second they're ground. This adds a whole other layer of aromatic richness to your standard cup. Just select your size and the strength of your coffee via the touchscreen, and in about 3 minutes, your cup will be served.
Although it's pretty expensive and a little on the noisy side, we love this machine for how easy it is for multiple drinkers to brew to their liking whenever they want a cup.
Single-serve side can brew K-Cups or ground coffee
Looks bulky
Key Specs
Capacity: 12 cups on carafe side; 14 ounces on single-serve side
Brew style: Drip using pre-ground beans
Torn between brewing a pot or just making a single cup? Get yourself a coffee maker that can do both. This Hamilton Beach model allows both caffeine and decaf drinkers to use the same machine on demand or on a timer with their particular grounds.
You can program this model to brew a cup for you first thing in the morning, but keep in mind that this function can only be used with the carafe side. This side is equipped with a warming plate that'll keep your fresh-brewed coffee warm for up to 2 hours.
The single-serve side is compatible with K-Cups, although it is also equipped with a removable grounds basket to brew up to 14 ounces of pre-ground coffee at once.
If your caffeine consumption is more on the minimal side, this smaller and super affordable coffee maker from Mr. Coffee is one of the simplest to use.
It brews up to 5 cups of coffee exactly when you want it with just the flip of a switch. And after it's done brewing, its warming plate keeps the brew just hot enough until you can place your cup on its own mug warmer. We also like that you can pause the brewing process to pour yourself a cup before the machine completes its cycle.
Unlike the other coffee makers that shut off their heat after a certain amount of time, this one doesn't have an auto-off function, so you'll want to always remember to switch it off after you're done brewing.
OXO's coffee machine has a slightly unique design: Its brew style mimics pour-over coffee so the grounds are all perfectly saturated, the water is heated to the most precise temperature every time, and you can even program it to start brewing while you’re in the shower.
Another great feature is its double-walled, stainless steel carafe. This coffee maker doesn't have a heating plate — instead, it uses the thermal insulation of the carafe to keep the coffee as hot as it was when it was first brewed. So, it's never gradually cooled to a less-satisfying lukewarm temp.
All of the coffee makers in this guide open on top to refill their water tanks and coffee filters. But if you have low cabinets that prevent you from opening them all the way, the daily back-and-forth scooting on your countertop can get very tiresome.
Enter: This genius front-filling coffee maker from Hamilton Beach. Its brew basket swings right open for easy access to refill and clean the unit. Its internal water reservoir can also be filled just by flipping open the very front of the machine.
Beyond that, this coffee maker offers the standard essential features like 1- to 4-cup brewing, strength adjustment, auto-pausing while mid-brew, a warming plate, and a 2-hour auto-shutoff. It'll also show a clear message on its digital display when it's time to clean the machine.
People seem to either love or hate Keurig coffee makers, but if you happen to be a fan of theirs because you only drink one small cup of coffee per day, this coffee maker makes all the sense in the world for you.
This Keurig coffee maker runs strictly on K-Cups — although you can fill reusable ones with your own grounds if you want to go the eco-friendlier route. At less than 5 inches wide, this machine takes up the smallest footprint of any of the other devices in this guide.
It is also the easiest to operate, as it includes just one button on the top that you can use to power the device once your K-Cup is loaded (or not, if you prefer to use it to make hot water for tea).
One caveat: This small unit holds only 12 ounces of water, and it will brew using only the amount of water that's in the tank. This means that you'll be refilling it frequently.
If you need something with a few more bells and whistles and are OK with sacrificing a bit more counter space, this classic Keurig model is as straightforward as it gets. Just fill up the water reservoir, insert your K-Cup of choice, and select your mug size. In just a minute, you'll have a hot cup of coffee.
This unit is easy to use, easy to clean, and perfectly ideal for someone who isn’t too picky about their coffee. There's no brew strength or temperature adjustment, but its on-demand accessibility is perfect for those who need convenience above all else.
On the other hand, if you're a Nespresso household, you'll naturally want the best model that's compatible with these recyclable pods. This combination coffee/espresso machine from De'Longhi will keep your taste buds happy and your caffeine buzz strong each day.
This unit brews four different cups: two espresso and two regular coffee sizes. It is only compatible with Nespresso's Vertuo capsules, and the machine will scan each capsule to determine the optimal temperature, pressure, and brew time for that particular blend. Unfortunately, you can't use your own beans or any refillable pods with this machine.
However, if the quality of your coffee is super important to you and convenience is the real selling point, this machine is well worth the investment.
Melanie YatesSenior Home Decor EditorMelanie is the senior home decor editor of Best Products, where she's been researching and testing out home and bedding products since 2015 — her work can also be found on House Beautiful and Women's Health.
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