Liquid energy, morning mojo, elixir of the gods… whatever you call it, you can’t live without it. Of course, as crucial as coffee is, a bad cup can totally ruin your day. The expert product reviewers at BGR tested more than 50 different coffee makers and drank more than 250 different cups of coffee to find the very best coffee makers you can get right now.
Our top picks
- Best overall: Technivorm Moccamaster KBT 741
- Runner-up: Runner-up: Bonavita Connoisseur BV1901TS
- Best pod coffee maker: Keurig K-Classic
- Best French press: SterlingPro 6-cup French Press
- Best on a budget: Hamilton Beach 12-Cup digital coffee maker
1. Best overall: Technivorm Moccamaster KBT 741
What you need to know:
- Consistently delicious coffee
- 10-cup thermal carafe
- Elegant, modern design
- Keeps coffee piping hot for 6 hours
- Precise temperature regulation during brew
If you made a checklist of everything you want out of a coffee maker, we’d wager that the Technivorm Moccamaster KBT 741 would check all of the boxes.
Netherlands-based company Technivorm is virtually synonymous with quality amongst coffee fanatics. With the elegant and modern Moccamaster KBT 741, Technivorm earns its spot at the top of our list. Let’s dive into everything we love about this premium coffee maker.
From the outset, this machine is gorgeous. Its distinctly modern European design, silver frame, and glass accents make it an attention-grabber in the kitchen. The carafe is a tall, uniquely designed thermal container that allows the brewmaster to pour fresh java from any side of the funneled lip. Beyond just looking good, the thermal carafe can also maintain your coffee at a piping-hot temperature for up to 6 hours.
Speaking of temperature regulation, that happens to be part of the secret to the Technivorm Moccamaster’s delicious end product. During the brewing process, the coffee maker maintains the desired 200 degrees (give or take a couple) for the entirety of the brew, giving the pot of coffee a distinctly even and smooth taste in under 6 minutes to top it all off.
Yes, the taste. Isn’t that the most important part of finding the right coffee maker? While other coffee makers can match this Technivorm in many of its functions, the Moccamaster KBT 741 earns the top spot on our list because it flat-out tastes the best, especially when paired with high-quality coffee beans.
Of course, all of this comes at a price. Admittedly, $300+ is a lot to pay for the casual coffee drinker. The Technivorm Moccamaster KBT 741 is definitely set apart for those who enjoy the subtleties of varying coffee beans. It’s also not very compact, so if counter space is an issue for you, you may want to consider a more low-profile coffee maker.
While the Technivorm Moccamaster KBT 741 is expensive, you certainly get your money’s worth. Its attractive design, superior carafe, and consistently delicious coffee make it unparalleled on the market. Paired with a high-quality roast, gourmet coffee can be at your fingertips daily with this machine from Technivorm.
2. Runner-up: Bonavita Connoisseur BV1901TS
What you need to know:
- Premium drip coffee taste at an affordable price
- Thermal carafe
- Coffee ground pre-infusion
- Quick brewing (just over 5 minutes)
- Easy to clean and maintain
- Doesn’t eat up too much counter space
Bonavita’s Connoisseur BV1901TS was tantalizingly close to being our top pick, with good reason.
This premium coffee maker comes in at around the same price as the Technivorm Moccamaster KBT 741, but it’s a bit less expensive. From a design perspective, it’s strikingly similar to our top overall pick, although not quite as sharp. The carafe is an 8-cup capacity thermal container that can keep your coffee hot for up to 4 hours.
The brewing process takes 5 to 6 minutes for a full pot and brews at the optimal temperature of 200 degrees, fluctuating from around 195 to 205 degrees. The Bonavita also features a “pre-infuse” option, which soaks the coffee grounds and helps round out the acidity before the brewing process even begins. The coffee itself is consistently smooth and delicious, especially when paired with high-quality beans.
As for maintenance, the Bonavita is a breeze to clean and keep. The machine itself is very spartan and practical, making it simple to disassemble and reassemble as needed.
If you’re curious as to why this more affordable premium coffee maker wasn’t our top choice, it simply came down to taste. Coffee made in the Bonavita, although still delicious, doesn’t quite match up to the Technivorm in uniformity of the brew. The brewing process for the Bonavita allows for a 10-degree temperature swing, whereas the Technivorm averages around a 4-degree variance.
In the end, we figured that if you’re willing to spend big on premium coffee, you’d prefer to go for the gusto and get the most consistent brew on the market. Still, if you’re looking for fantastic premium coffee at a shockingly affordable price, we can vehemently recommend the Bonavita BV1901TS.
The Bonavita BV1901TS brews up delicious coffee, offers easy cleaning, and boasts a thermal carafe at less than half the price of our frontrunner. The look of the machine, the size of the carafe, and a slight discrepancy are the only things that kept this incredible bargain out of the top spot.
3. Best pod coffee maker: Keurig K-Classic
What you need to know:
- Affordable
- Great design that’s easy to use
- Works with 6, 8, and 10-ounce K-Cup sizes
- Large 48-ounce removable water reservoir
- Easy to clean with descale setting
Look, we all know that coffee pods aren’t great for the environment. Some people are just too busy to bother with grinding beans, however, and we’re not going to fault you for that.
If you want the best all-around pod coffee maker out there, look no further than the Keurig K-Classic coffee maker.
This tried and true model has a great design with easy-to-use controls. Brewing the perfect cup of coffee seriously couldn’t be any simpler or faster. Pop in a pod, press a couple of buttons, and you’re done.
The K-Classic supports all the different coffee pod sizes you have, including 6, 8, and 10-ounce K-Cup pods. And needless to say, you don’t need to use K-Cup-brand coffee pods if you have other brands you like more.
Keurig’s K-Classic has a nice big 48-ounce water reservoir on the side, so you can fill it once a week and not have to worry about it again. It’s also removable, so it’s very easy to clean. In fact, the whole coffee maker is easy to clean thanks to the descale mode that you can activate with the push of a button.
This pod coffee maker has a great design, it’s well-made, and it’s affordable. What more can you ask?
4. Best French press: SterlingPro 6-cup French Press
What you need to know:
- Extremely affordable
- Foolproof delicious coffee brewing, if time permits
- 8-cup capacity
- Improved ground removal with double screens
- Includes bonus double screens
French presses are all the rage — that is, if you have time to boil a pot of water, grind up fresh coffee beans, steep for four minutes, and press to remove all the grounds in the morning. If you’re into that sort of thing, the SterlingPro 6-cup French press is perfect for you.
Like every other French press, this coffee maker puts the onus on the person making the coffee. If your coffee tastes bad, there’s no faulty drip maker to put the blame on. Essentially, the SterlingPro is a classic case of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but instead delivers exactly what you expect from a French press: simplicity, affordability, and durability.
The SterlingPro became one of the most celebrated French presses because of its incorporation of the “double screens system” to remove all coffee grounds from the finished product. It also includes two replacement screens to make sure your coffee (and your mouth) are free of bitter grounds.
The body is a carafe made of heat-resistant borosilicate glass to prevent scolding on the outside of the press. Overall, the SterlingPro French press is a simple and classy design that would look right at home on any kitchen countertop.
Really, there’s not much else to say about this French press. There are no frills to delve into and no design choices to analyze; it’s simply a well-made French press and an affordable way to enjoy delicious coffee every day.
If you’ve got the time to make French press coffee in the morning, there’s no match for the SterlingPro French press. Its 6-cup capacity, affordable price tag, and timeless design make it a must-have for any coffee aficionado.
5. Best on a budget: Hamilton Beach 12-cup digital coffee maker
What you need to know:
- Affordable price tag
- Easily programmable
- Simple to clean
- Tasty coffee, especially for the price
- 12-cup carafe
If you’re not comfortable with the price tag of some of our other picks but care about the quality of your coffee, this digital coffee maker from Hamilton Beach is exactly what you’re looking for.
This coffee maker has a lot going for it, even before you consider its low price tag. First and foremost: it brews a tasty pot of coffee. Of course, in a blind test, you probably wouldn’t choose this coffee maker’s java over a maker like the Technivorm Moccamaster. But the end product is astonishingly close, given the price difference.
Beyond its basic function as a coffee maker, the Hamilton Beach 12-cup digital coffee maker boasts some impressive programming options, including a clock and automatic shutdown feature, as well as selectable bold and regular brewing preferences. Aesthetically, it’s not the most elegant-looking coffee maker on the market, but it certainly won’t be an eyesore in your kitchen.
On the convenience side, this coffee maker features a removable water reservoir for easy access to the back. Finally, this Hamilton Beach coffee maker includes a 12-cup capacity glass carafe, which isn’t a major selling point, but it’s a nice touch if you’re expecting company… or if you’re a serious coffee addict.
Of course, nothing is perfect. This Hamilton Beach coffee maker’s shortcomings are all a result of its greatest upside: the price tag. Overall, it doesn’t feel as durable as its more expensive competition and may not last as long. It also takes over 10 minutes to brew a full pot of coffee, which can be a real inconvenience if you struggle with hectic mornings.
It might not be the best in the world, but for the price, this Hamilton Beach coffee maker is nothing to scoff at. With many of the features of its more expensive competition and delicious coffee to boot, this 12-cup brewer would make a fine addition to any countertop.
