The 9 Best Budget Coffee Makers of 2020

Best Overall: Mr. Coffee 12-Cup Manual Coffee Maker

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If saving big is a top priority when you're deciding to buy a new coffee machine, you'll want to take a look at this bestseller from Mr. Coffee. Although it comes in at a steal of a price, it has stellar reviews and can produce a 12-cup pot. It has some basic features that make brewing easy and simple, like a water window so you don't have to worry about overfilling and a pause button that will let you fill up a cup of Joe before the whole pot is done brewing. You'll have to get paper filters for this, but the lift and clean basket makes cleaning the coffee maker a breeze.

Reviewers agree this makes a solid cup of coffee at a very reasonable price. A few have said this broke within a year of purchase but at the price it wasn't a major drawback for them.

Runner-Up Best Overall: AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker

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Use it at home or take it on the road in the included tote—this simple hand-pressed brewer can make either American coffee or espresso. It makes 1 to 3 cups of coffee and brews in a minute or less, so you won’t be tapping your toe waiting for that first cup of morning coffee. This works similar to a French press but it uses finely ground coffee, so you’ll extract more flavor.

This coffee maker has a super-fine filter that keeps coffee grit out of your drink, so you don’t have to wait for it to settle before sipping. This comes with 350 paper filters in the included filter holder, and the filters can be rinsed and re-used several times. Additional filters come in packs of 350 and are very affordable. They can be purchased online or where AeroPress products are sold.

Best Programmable: Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker

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The number of features that this coffee maker offers is mind-blowing when considering its bargain price tag. The item provides luxuries like multiple brew strengths, a programmable clock with 2-hour automatic shutoff, and a seamless pause-and-serve feature for when you want to sneak a cup before the whole pot is finished.

The swing-out brew basket is easier to fill and clean than typical coffee maker lids, and there's even a reminder that pops up every 30 cycles so you know when it's time to clean the machine. The majority of users give the product five stars, with especially high marks in ease of use, temperature control, value for money, and, most importantly, flavor.

Best Pour Over: Coffee Gator Pour Over Coffee Maker

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Pour-over coffee has become quite popular, and this simple brewer makes it easy. It includes a conical stainless steel mesh filter to hold the coffee, and a glass carafe to collect the brew and serve it. The filter is made from two layers of mesh, so to let the flavor through while keeping ground out of the finished coffee. The carafe has a large handle and a pouring spout, so you won’t make a mess when you’re serving.

When you’re not making or serving coffee, the carafe will come in handy for serving other beverages, like iced tea, as well.

Best Cold Brew: OXO Good Grips 32 Ounce Cold Brew Coffee Maker

Excellent

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Cold brew coffee has become quite popular, and with good reason. The coffee tastes smoother, with less acid and less bitterness than traditional brewing methods. After testing the OXO Cold Brew Maker, our reviewer said setup can be fairly time consuming, as there are several pieces to assemble, but after that brewing is simple and foolproof. Just add coffee and water and let it steep for 12 to 24 hours. Then flip the switch to drain the coffee concentrate into the carafe.

That coffee concentrate can be used to make iced coffee, or add it to hot water to make a hot cup of coffee. Keep the carafe in the refrigerator so you can have coffee for several days with no effort. The strength of the cold brew can be adjusted simply by adding more or less coffee or water.

This brewer has a permanent filter, or you can add a paper filter to collect every last bit of coffee dust from the cold brew. When brewing is done, all the pieces nest for more compact storage. As far as cleanup goes, our reviewer wrote that it "takes a little more work than other cold brew coffee makers because you have to hand wash all of the parts. The glass carafe is the only component that is dishwasher safe."

Best Large Capacity: Hamilton Beach 45 Cup Coffee Urn and Hot Beverage Dispenser

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The perfect coffee urn for folks who like to host large gatherings, this holds a whopping 45 cups, so you won’t have to make pot after pot in your everyday coffee maker. A light indicates when brewing is done, keeping it easy to make the coffee and letting you know when it’s time to start serving.

Serving is simple. It dispenses with just one hand, so guests can serve themselves without putting their plate down. Despite the large size, this is designed to be easy to clean when serving is done, and two side handles give you a comfortable grip when you need to move the brewer for serving or cleaning. Many customers say the interior stains easily, however, so be sure to rinse often.

Best French Press: Secura Stainless Steel French Press Coffee Maker

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Made from 18/10 stainless steel, this French press is nearly indestructible, and you certainly won’t break it from normal kitchen use. It comes with an extra stainless steel screen, so you can stack them for finer filtering, or tuck one away as a spare, in case the first filter gets lost. The large handle and lid knob are designed to stay cool, even when the coffee is piping hot, so you can pour safely.

This is a large French press that holds 34 ounces, so you can make coffee (or tea!) for guests, or make a smaller batch just for yourself. When coffee making is done, all parts are dishwasher safe, so cleaning is fast and easy. 

Best Espresso: Bialetti Moka Express

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Electric espresso machines can be prohibitively expensive, but you can make a cup of traditional stovetop espresso with this classic pot. It holds up to 12-ounces of water, which is enough to make six 2-ounce shots of espresso.

This is simple to use. Just fill the base with cold water, add the filter and coffee, and screw the top onto the base. Heat the pot on the stove until the water boils, and it will filter through the grounds and fill the top of the pot. When all of the water has passed from the bottom to the top, the coffee is done. It's recommended to use coffee beans that are on the fine-ground side, though not quite as finely ground as those used for a real espresso machine.

This disassembles easily for cleaning and should be washed by hand and dried before storing.