Having a personal coffee maker is a great way to save cost and time. Creating barista-style coffee in the comfort of your home requires a machine up to the task. With the different types of coffee machines available and the varying tasks, your choice of machine should be based on your needs.
Accordingly, we tested some highly rated espresso machines, bean-to-cup, drip, and single-serve coffee makers to choose the best five. Below are our recommendations.
1. Brewville Precision Brew
This sleek $300 precision brewer can brew coffee at varying temperatures and times. It comes fitted with a cone and flat-bottom—filter basket. You can personalize your cup as the bloom time, brewing temperature, and flow rate can be easily adjusted. Additionally, there are many coffee options possible; you can make a single cup, cold brew, pour-over coffee, and brew over ice.
Another nice feature is its ability to keep your coffee hot for a long period of time.
However, the carafe is not dishwasher safe and requires hand washing.
2. 5. Nespresso Vertuo Next
Another coffee maker from Brewville, this $133.49 single-serve pod coffee maker, is an excellent choice if you want an easy and mess-free way to make your caffeine fix. While the price of pods might eventually make the price quite steep, the smooth coffee with thick crema makes the price worth it. To make your coffee, all you need to do is place a capsule in the capsule and press a button. Additionally, you can use Nespresso to make five different-sized coffee.
However, you should note that you can’t froth milk in this machine.
3. Black+Decker DLX1050B 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker
This coffeemaker is excellent value for your money. Selling at $52.99, it has a 24-hour auto brew feature so you can wake up to a steaming cup of coffee. It features a digital display and can be programmed to brew more than 10 cups of coffee and keep them warm for hours. It is also a good choice for relatively smaller countertops as it is just 13.5 inches long and 5 inches wide. Another great feature is the sneak-a-cup which stops the coffee maker from dispensing coffee if you temporarily remove the cup.
4. 5-Cup Mini Drip Coffee Maker from Capresso
This drip coffee maker is an excellent choice if you need more than a single-serve of coffee but you also need more than a cup. The machine can automatically shut off and keep coffee warm for two hours. However, the coffee it brews is not as hot as other coffee makers. This machine is compact and can make a pot of coffee in less than 10 minutes. The carafe is easy to clean and dishwasher safe. The machine sells for $40.
5. Breville Bambino Plus
This coffee maker allows for adequate customization to make your coffee as you like it, and it is straightforward to use. At $499.95, it has multiple settings and functionalities. It has a quick heat-up time and produces smooth, intense espressos at the click of a button. Additionally, the machine can froth milk and has three different temperature settings for milk and three texture settings to suit your taste.
However, this machine can only brew one shot at a time and requires thorough cleaning after each use.