How to choose the best drip coffee maker for you

Drip coffee makers are by far the most common and popular type of coffee machines. They are versatile—can make single cup up to 12 cups per brewing, relatively inexpensive and easy to use—pour the water in the chamber, put the ground coffee in the filter, press start and wait for the coffee to brew. No wonder they're the go-to choice of people who want a hassle free way of making coffee every morning.

If you're looking for the best automatic drip coffee maker the reviews and guides below will help you choose the best drip coffee maker you.

Top Rated Coffee Maker

To start, let's take a look of three of the top rated drip coffee makers on amazon.com, and their respective features and reviews.

Hamilton Beach Two Way Brewer

This two-in-one drip coffee machine provides a flexible and convenient way of brewing coffee.

Average User Rating: 4.4/5
Price: $$

Features:

• Two brewers and options to brew (single-cup or 12-cup)
• Senseo Pods Compatible
• Many parts are dishwasher safe

Capacity: single-cup (12 oz.) or 12-cup
Digital Controls: digital timer, programmable auto-on up to 24 hours ahead, auto shutoff after 2 hours, automatic pause and serve, adjustable brew strength and amount
Filters: permanent coffee filter (single-serve side)
Carafe: stainless steel travel mug (single-serve) and glass carafe (12-cup)
Grinder: none
Water Reservoir: two water reservoir (singe-serve side and carafe side)
Warming Plate: included (carafe side)
Dimensions: 13.7 x 11.4 x 15.4 inches ; 4.8 pounds
Brand: Hamilton Beach
Warranty: 1 year
Materials made: stainless steel
Made in USA: No


Customer Review:

I got this item as an open box item. It had been used by someone else who claimed it brewed very inconsistently - sometimes weaker and sometimes stronger I guess. I'm not totally clear what her complaint was because I find this coffee maker does a great job. We've been using it now for at least 3 months and it has performed beautifully. It has been used as a single cup brew station and you can use any tall cup from a used styrofoam cup from Cumberland Farms to a regular coffee mug. Has it's own little basket for the grounds and easy to remove and clean. Mostly though it's used to brew 12 cups every single day. Auto timer was easy to set and the numbers on the clock are highly visible. On every other coffee maker I've used, the heat plate on which the carafe stands has always become corroded eventually because somehow water would drip out of the coffee maker when the carafe was removed. This has not happened with this coffee maker. Not a drop of water on the heat plate and as a consequence, the plate looks pristine afer 3 months of use. I am so pleased with this coffee maker and got it at a fantastic price because it was used. It came in it's original box with all instructions inclused so it really was almost like new. —Gretch

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Bonavita BV1800

This award wining machine gives an ideal water temperature, contact time, and coffee grounds saturation for fast brewing time.

Average User Rating: 4.3/5
Price: $$$

Features:

• One of the only four home brewers that has been certified by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA)
• 1400-watt heater that raises water to ideal temperature of 200-205 ºF
• A showerhead for an even water distribution
• Removable filter basket

Capacity: 8 cups (40 oz.)
Digital Controls: auto-shutoff after 2 hours (glass carafe option only)
Filters: no permanent filter (uses #4 paper filter)
Carafe: choose either glass or thermal carafe
Grinders: none
Water Reservoir: included with water level indicator
Warming Plate: separate heater that makes the coffee warm longer
What's in the box:

• free four Melitta #4 paper filters
• operating and cleaning manuals

Dimensions: 13.2 x 8.7 x 14 inches ; 6.6 pounds
Brand: Bonavita
Warranty: 2 years
Materials made: stainless steel
Made in USA: No

Customer Review:

This Brewer carries the Specialty Coffee Roasters Association recommendation. So, I went on a many month search to locate a purveyor of this machine. The parent company simply did not respond to e mails or phone calls and did not seem interested that they had a potential customer chomping at the bit. But, being persistent, I continued to check Amazon. Viola, one day there it was. Now, this is a basic drip machine like the early Melita's of blessed memory which produced great consistent drip coffee but with great differences: it is made of stainless steel with "plastic" kept to a minimum and it keeps coffee HOT!!! It brews great drip coffee, is simple to operate (no timer or Venn Diagrams) and takes up little space on the counter. Oh, it brews in less than six min. , so you can have coffee and get out of the morning fog. Worth the search and the wait!! So far a great purchase. Recommended. —George

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BUNN BXBD Velocity Brew High Altitude Brewer

This drip coffee maker produces 10 cups of coffee in just approximately 3 minutes, which is less than half the time of most regular coffee makers do.

Average User Ratings: 4.4/5
Price: $$

Features:

• Brews in 3 minutes (provided that it has been plugged in for 15 minutes with water in the reservoir)
• Sprayhead design that improves coffee extraction
• Internal thermostat that keeps water at ideal temperature

Capacity: 10-cup
Digital Controls: no automatic controls
Filters: no permanent filter (uses with Bunn filter)
Carafe: durable glass carafe
Grinder: none
Water Reservoir: stainless steel water tank
Warming Plate: included
Dimensions: 13.8 x 7.1 x 14.3 inches ; 8 pounds
Brand: Bunn (which introduced the first automatic drip-brew coffee maker in 1963)
Warranty: 3-year limited
Materials made: stainless steel
Made in USA: Yes

Customer Review:

I bought this coffee maker mostly because it brews coffee at near 200 degrees, but it took some time to figure out. Read the instructions. I had to "prime" the pump. I put plenty of water into this before I started brewing. Then I put in the amount of water I desired and kept the lid open until it heated internally up to 200 (about 15 minutes). It might just be me but I didn't really understand this from the instruction. I was almost ready to send it back to Amazon when I figured it out. But now, the coffee is superb!!! I loaded in some Costco Columbian grind and now can't wait to try like Starbuck's freshly ground beans. Considering it's cost as opposed to how much I love coffee and the reputation of Bunn, it is a wonderful purchase. This coffee is just as good as the best coffee houses I've been to. It's a simple machine but will look good in your kitchen and considering the coffee, you'lll look forward to seeing it every morning. —Michael

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See the complete list of the top rated drip coffee makers on Amazon.com. You may also as well want to check the best selling drip coffee makers on Amazon.com


Features to look for in a Drip Coffee Maker

With all the different brands out there, choosing the best drip coffee maker would be a little tricky. But if you know the features that a drip coffee maker typically has, you can easily look for the bells and whistles that you need. See the illustration below for a better understanding.

Standard parts of a drip coffee maker.
Image source: visualdictionaryonline.com

Capacity —this is the amount of coffee a coffee machine can produce in a brewing cycle. Drip coffee makers come in different brewing capacities including  4, 8, 10 or 12-cup with 10 or 12-cup being the most popular.

Your decision must depend on how much coffee you'll like to drink and how many people you're brewing for.

Digital Controls —this includes all programmable and digital functions that make the drip coffee maker easy and convenient to use, including:

• Auto-off
• Auto-on/Programmable —this allows you to have your coffee ready on a specific time of the day.
• Brew & Temperature Options —select your desired brew amount, strength, and temperature.
• Pause & Serve —sneak a cup before the end of the brewing process.
• Digital Backlit Clock

Filters —a coffee filter blocks the big coffee ground dirt particles and let the water particles to pass through.

Drip coffee makers with a permanent coffee filter are cost-efficient, because they eliminate the need for disposable paper filter. No paper taste.

Additionally, a coffee maker with a built-in water filter can remove water impurities, thus this gives us purer coffee.

Carafe —this is were the fresh-brewed coffee drips, and keep to warm longer.

A carafe is usually made of either stainless steel (thermal) or glass. Let's check their respective general pros and cons:

Glass Carafe
Pros

• You can see how much coffee is in the pot
• Easier to clean and dishwasher safe
• Cheaper

Cons:

• Less durable

Thermal Carafe
Pros

• Durable
• Can keep the coffee warm longer

Cons

• You can't see how much coffee is inside
• Expensive
• Hard to clean and not dishwasher safe

As you can see, a glass carafe is the exact opposite of a thermal carafe. So which one is better? It depends on your needs and preferences. But for usefulness and durability, the thermal carafe is the better choice.

Water Reservoir —this is where you put the water and bring to heat.

Warming Plate —this is where you usually place the carafe. It helps to keep the coffee inside the carafe in proper temperature longer to maintain its fresh flavor.

Grinder —a drip coffee maker with a built in grinder has an additional use. It can grind coffee beans and brew it at the same time, for the freshest brew around. Nevertheless, you can buy a separate coffee grinder in your local store or on amazon.com.

Ease of clean:
For this, a coffee maker with removable parts —especially the filter basket, is more convenient and easier to clean.

Ease of use:
For this, as I mentioned above, a coffee maker with digital functions is more convenient and easier to use.

Durability:
For durability, nothing can beat coffee makers made of stainless steel.

Price:
It's not always the higher the price the better the quality. Just buy the best you can afford.

Final thoughts:

Take note that the things you have read are just a handful of considerations in choosing the best drip coffee maker. The final decision is still up to you. Just take your time, read actual customer reviews—the most honest reviews that you can rely on, and if you think this or that drip coffee maker suits your needs and preference, go buy it. link