The 10 Best Coffee Makers of 2020

Best Overall: Cuisinart DCC-3200BKSP1 Perfectemp Coffee Maker

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If waking up to a fresh pot of coffee each morning is what you crave, then a programmable coffee maker is the best option for you. The stainless steel construction on this machine lets it blend into your kitchen decor without being an eyesore.

It can brew as few as one to four cups and go up to 14 cups, so it's good for families that drink a little or a lot. Our reviewer found this feature really helpful, as she usually doesn't make more than four cups each morning.

Another key feature is its temperature control. With the touch of a button, you can set the carafe temperature to low, medium, or hot. Our reviewer said the strength and temperature of the coffee was exactly as she expected each time.

The 24-hour program setting lets you set your brew for the next day as you are finishing up the current one, and it has a 0- to 4-hour automatic shut off so you won't worry if you rush out of the house, travel mug in hand. A reusable GoldTone filter eliminates the need for pesky paper filters, saving you an early morning trip to the store. Did we mention the self-clean function?

This model has over 2,900 glowing reviews that applaud its design and ability to make a delicious hot cup of coffee. 

Best Single Serve: Ninja CM407 Specialty Coffee Maker

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Who says you need to be a pod person to achieve fantastic single-serve coffee brewing? This Ninja coffee maker eliminates the waste of plastic capsules while offering a wide range of possibilities for your individual coffee needs. Along with single-serve brewing, the machine has five other brew sizes, starting at one cup and working all the way up to a full carafe. Pick your favorite coffee beans and craft an array of hot or cold drinks, including brewed coffee, iced coffee, and even lattes, macchiatos, and cappuccinos, courtesy of a milk frothing wand. The frother folds away when you're finished, saving valuable counter space.

This item can be purchased with a glass carafe or, for a slightly higher price, a thermal carafe, which is more durable and retains heat longer. Both options are priced affordably, especially when considering the variety of features with which this machine is equipped.

Best Pour Over: Chemex Pour-Over Glass Coffeemaker - Classic Series

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Still one of the most gorgeous and useful brewing devices ever invented, the Chemex undoubtedly deserves its place in the permanent collection of NYC's Museum of Modern Art: Its stunning hourglass shape, subtle wood and leather accents, and extreme ease of use make the Chemex emblematic of the blend of form and function.

Unlike most pour-over brewers, the Chemex is suitable for large groups, as they come in sizes of 6, 8, and even 10 cups. The proprietary Chemex filters contribute to a clean, sweet, articulate flavor in the cup. Most users agree that these filters require rinsing, however. Their thickness and material can contribute a strong papery flavor to a brew without proper rinsing first.

Best Professional: BUNN 10-cup Thermofresh Home Brewer

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Go to any restaurant or diner, and you’re likely to see a BUNN coffee maker brewing coffee all day and keeping it warm for customers. This 10-cup Thermofresh coffee maker is made like a professional machine but designed for home users. It has a stainless steel vacuum-insulated carafe that keeps coffee hot without overheating or requiring a burner. It can brew up to 10 cups of perfect coffee in just three minutes since it keeps the water at the ideal brewing temperature at all time thanks to an internal thermostat. The patented spray head design optimizes coffee flavor extraction.

The thermal carafe is dishwasher-safe and includes a close-and-brew lid. When you won’t be brewing coffee regularly, a vacation switch turns off the tank heater. This includes a coffee funnel, de-liming spring, and filters.

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

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A single-cup coffee brewer is handy for that cup of coffee before work, but it won’t work for big family celebrations or parties when everyone wants a cup of coffee at once.

This brewer will be a welcome guest at those parties, serving coffee and more, since it can also be used for dispensing other hot beverages. Use it for hot cider, mulled wine, or even hot water for a party full of tea drinkers. The stainless steel exterior looks elegant and is easy to clean.

This is easy to fill and has a twist-lock lid that prevents spilling and helps to maintain an even temperature. It has large handles, and the cord is removable so it won’t dangle when you have to move it. A ready-to-serve light lets you know when it’s coffee time.

Best French Press: Bodum Columbia Thermal French Press Coffee Maker

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Bodum has long been known for its French presses and other coffee equipment, and this attractive French Press is a great example of why it's so popular. It’s made from durable stainless steel, so there’s no worry about breaking it if it’s bumped or dropped, and it’s simple to clean in the dishwasher when coffee time is over.

The carafe has double-wall construction that acts like a thermos to keep your coffee warm for up to two hours, so you can savor a second or third cup. The three-part mesh filter keeps grounds out of the coffee while letting the best flavor through, and it's easy to clean.

The carafe has a patented safety lid that is designed to protect you from hot water eruptions as you press the grounds, so you’ll feel confident using this every day. It can be used for coffee or tea, and the same model is available in several sizes, so you’ll find one that’s the perfect fit for your family’s coffee drinking needs.

Best Splurge: Technivorm Moccamaster KBTS Coffee Brewer

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While the Technivorm Moccamaster KBTS is certainly a splurge, it's one of the best coffee makers you can find. In fact, it's one of the few coffee makers that meets the Golden Cup Standard—a set of guidelines established by the Specialty Coffee Association to achieve a higher quality cup of coffee.

Handmade in the Netherlands, this brewer has features you won’t find elsewhere, like a core copper heating element that keeps brewing temperature within the optimal range of 195 and 205 degrees and brews a full carafe in roughly five minutes.

This is just one key factor in the Golden Cup Standard, says Peter Giuliano, the Chief Research Officer at the Specialty Coffee Association and Executive Director of the Coffee Science Foundation.

"Our standard is that [a coffee maker] has to get to 195 to 205 degrees within one minute of turning on," Giuliano adds, "and it needs to stay there for the duration of the brew. That’s more challenging than you might expect. Most brewers that we test either get too hot or stay too cold, but the good ones can maintain that ideal temperature."

Another top-grade feature of the Technivorm Moccamaster is its three brew basket settings that let you control the length of time the coffee is steeped, and therefore control the strength of the brew. The item has an outlet arm—adding to the eye-catching design—that evenly saturates the coffee grounds every time. And when brewing is finished, the machine shuts off for safety.

Best Non-Electric: AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker

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The AeroPress started with a cult following in the early 2000s and quickly gained traction, becoming one of the most popular and recognizable non-electric coffee makers available today. It's affordable, easy to use, and a great travel companion—plus it makes a delicious cup of coffee.

Due to its immersion brew style and plunging method, AeroPresses are often seen as alternatives to French presses—comparable products with marked differences. Perhaps most importantly, an AeroPress uses paper filters to keep coffee sediment out of the bottom of your cup; this means no grit in those final sips, as well as a less acidic taste. They are also slightly faster than French presses, taking around two minutes to brew (not factoring in the time for the water boil), as opposed to five minutes for a French press.

While some users rely on an AeroPress as their primary at-home coffee maker, the item is better suited as a companion piece, a partner-in-crime to another coffee maker, as it only produces one or two cups at a time.

Best Pod: Keurig K-Classic Coffee Maker

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Pod coffee makers are great for homes where only one person drinks coffee or you just like the quick pour and easy cleanup. If this sounds like you, then the Keurig Classic is the way to go. 

To brew, just keep the water reservoir (holds 48 oz.) full and place your pod in the top part of the machine. You can select a 6 oz., 8 oz. or 10 oz cup of coffee but the 6 oz. will produce the strongest strength. Just hit the button and you will have a cup of freshly brewed coffee in seconds. Besides coffee, you can also buy tea and hot chocolate pods so the whole family can enjoy. 

If you are entertaining then a pod coffee maker is not ideal because it only makes one cup at a time. Some users also find using pods to be wasteful though you can buy reusable pods that you fill yourself.