Not every coffee drinker has the patience to grind their own beans and froth their own milk before they enjoy a morning brew. If you're tight on time and money, you might prefer a simple drip coffee maker, I certainly do.
If you've already done some research into the best drip coffee makers, you'll know that they come in all shapes and sizes. There are simple press-and-go machines as well as more elaborate models that look more like laboratory equipment than coffee makers – and we've seen them all.
Our experts have tested a range of models, to find the ones that brew the most flavorful cup of coffee. We've checked their keep-warm functions, speed, capacity, consistency, and versatility too. Essentially, this list of nine has the nod of approval from all of our experts (including the real coffee snobs).
You won't be surprised to know that the OXO Brew 8-cup coffee maker came out on top. Not only is it incredible value, but it also brews completely faultless coffee. It's not the only model out there though, we've found models with integrated grinders, extra-large capacities, and compact options for small spaces.
The quick list
We'll into the specifics further down. For now, these are the best drip coffee makers at a glance.
The best drip coffee maker overall
This coffee maker can brew anything from a single shot to a whole carafe of coffee. It's easy to use and one of the most affordable models on the market.
Best drip coffee maker for capacity
Equipped with six brew modes and a 12-cup capacity, this machine means business. You can adjust brew temperature, bloom time, and flow rate to customize your cup of coffee.
Best luxury drip coffee maker
This sleek machine comes in a wide variety of colors, from pastel pink to matte black, to complement any kitchen color palette.
Most compact drip coffee maker
Proof that all good things come in small packages, the sleek, modern Zwilling can brew a delicious cup of coffee without demanding a large proportion of your countertop.
Best drip coffee maker with a grinder
The Breville Grind Control Coffee Maker comes with an integrated grinder, so that you can use fresh beans in your filter coffee.
Best for value
Big and beautiful, KitchenAid's drip coffee maker is one of the easiest we've ever tested. It's incredible value for the flavors and capacity of this beautiful brewer.
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Best classic drip coffee maker
This classic coffee maker comes with all kinds of modern conveniences, from a digital LED display to an auto-start function, so that you can brew while still in bed.
Most versatile drip coffee maker
Whether you want to brew a quick cup of filter coffee or make your own espresso, you can do it all with this combination coffee maker. It even comes with an integrated milk frother.
Best budget
This affordable coffee maker retails for a fraction of the price of the more premium models on this list. It's not the most specialized machine, but it's easy to use and brews good coffee.
The best drip coffee makers we recommend in 2024
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The best drip coffee maker overall
This little machine makes gold-standard coffee. We were impressed on test by the depth of flavor and smooth consistency of each cup. You don't have to take our word for it: the OXO Brew 8-Cup Coffee maker is certified by the Specialty Coffee Association for its smooth-sipping brews.
Less than fourteen inches tall, this coffee maker is compact enough to clear low cabinets and fit into narrow nooks. It might look small from the outside, but it's big on the inside, with the capacity to brew everything from a single shot of coffee to eight steaming mugs.
In comparison to some of the other coffee makers on this list, the OXO Brew isn't a smart machine. You can't activate the machine through an app, or by the power of your voice, and you can't schedule your morning brew before you go to bed. However, this drip coffee maker does incorporate BetterBrew precision technology, so that you can control your machine's water temperature and brew cycles.
The OXO Brew is easy to use, but it's much more difficult to clean. The water tank is not removable, so you'll have to reach right down inside the pitcher to give it a good scrub. Since you can't pop out the water tank and fill it up from the faucet, you'll have to collect water in a cup or a kettle and pour it in manually. This sort of inefficient design might not be a dealbreaker, but it does get pretty irritating.
You can find more detail in our OXO 8-Cup Coffee Maker review.
The drip coffee maker with the largest capacity
Most drip coffee makers are basic by design, but the Breville Precision Brewer has many of the bells and whistles of the best coffee makers. For one thing, it's fully programmable: you can save your favorite settings for temperature, bloom speed, and flow rate to make your ideal cup of coffee, every time.
When you select the auto-start function, you can schedule your coffee to start brewing while you're still in bed. That way, you can grab your cup of joe and go. Thanks to the thermal carafe, your coffee shouldn't get cold, even if you spend a few more precious minutes in bed.
The Breville Precision Brewer has a 12-cup capacity, which is larger than many other drip coffee makers on the market. Small from the outside but big on the inside, you could slot this machine into a narrow nook and easily make enough coffee to feed the whole family.
This coffee maker is intuitive to use and easy to clean. Most of the components are removable and safe to wash in warm, soapy water. As for the showerhead, all it should need is a quick wipe with a damp cloth.
While the Breville Precision Brewer is one of the more expensive drip coffee makers, you really do get what you pay for: a smart heating system, customizable features, and stainless steel finishes to complement any kitchen color palette.
You can find more detail in our Breville Precision Brewer Thermal Coffee Maker review.
The most luxurious drip coffee maker
The Technivorm Moccamaster is a real kitchen workhorse. This coffee maker works quickly and quietly to brew a whole 10-cup carafe in as little as six minutes. Our coffee expert was impressed on test, as were the Specialty Coffee Association and the European Coffee Brewing Center: this machine is certified gold by both organizations.
The Technivorm Moccamaster combines the quick convenience of drip coffee with the even extraction and smooth texture you get from the best pour-over coffee makers.
This machine comes in a wide range of shades to complement any kitchen color palette. There are bold primary hues to pop against white walls, as well as chromatic neutrals that should blend into the background.
The Technivorm Moccamaster incorporates a copper heating element that brews your coffee at its optimum temperature, between 196 and 206°F. There's a separate hot plate that keeps your coffee warm at drinking temperature between 175 and 185°F) for 100 minutes before shutting off. That should give you enough time to make a pot, run a few errands, and come back to drink a cup, but it couldn't keep your coffee warm all day.
Word to the wise: this coffee maker is a little high-maintenance. Moccamaster recommends descaling your machine after every 100 cycles, and washing each component by hand.
Our Technivorm Moccamaster KBGV Coffee Maker review has more details.
The most compact drip coffee maker
Most drip coffee makers are designed with practicality, rather than prettiness, in mind. That's why the Zwilling Enfinigy Drip Coffee Maker is such a breath of fresh air. It's petite, practical, and very easy on the eye. Featuring a unique ridged water tank and a streamlined backlit display, this could elevate any kitchen.
This coffee maker can brew up to 12 cups of coffee, or a whole carafe, as well as smaller servings. It comes with a corrosion-resistant stainless steel boiler, as well as a wide shower head for even coffee moistening during blooming.
If you're new to brewing, you might not be familiar with the concept of 'blooming'. It's simpler than it sounds. Blooming is what happens when carbon dioxide combines with coffee grounds during the brewing process. When you allow your beans to bloom, you can enhance the flavors and aromas of your cup. The Zwilling Enfinigy Drip Coffee Maker features a blooming function to make fresher coffee.
I'm a big fan of this coffee maker, but I spotted a few design flaws. For one thing, the so-called 'hot plate' only stays warm for 30 minutes after brewing. If you like to sip the same cup all day long, this might not be the machine for you. In the absence of an integrated milk frother, latte lovers would be better off shopping elsewhere.
You can find more detail in our Zwilling Enfinigy Drip Coffee Maker review.
The best drip coffee maker with a grinder
You can take control in the kitchen with the Breville Grind Control Coffee Maker. Featuring eight strength settings and adjustable grind sizes, you can customize your cup of joe to fit your exact specifications.
Just because drip coffee makers are known for their quick convenience doesn't mean they can't brew great coffee. The Breville Grind Control made rich, flavorful, smooth-sipping shots every time. This machine features an integrated grinder, so that you can make your own fresh coffee, which is far superior to the store-bought stuff.
Measuring just over 16 inches tall and 12 inches deep, this coffee maker is tall and broad. It should just about clear your cabinets, but you might struggle to store it in smaller spaces.
As drip coffee makers go, this one is a little high-maintenance. Breville recommends cleaning your filter after every brew and rinsing out your carafe after each use, though that proved pretty difficult, thanks to its wide rim and small opening. Since none of the components are dishwasher-safe, you'll have to wash each piece of this machine by hand.
You can find more detail in our Breville Grind Control Coffee Maker review.
The best value drip coffee maker
Big, bold, and beautiful, KitchenAid’s drip coffee maker has close to universal appeal. The simple controls are easy for any beginner to navigate, and it makes technically perfect filter coffee. If it was twice the price, we would still think that it's worth every dollar. However, in reality, it's incredible value.
In our tests, I didn’t even need the manual to work my way around the machine. Brewing a full carafe took eight minutes, which is on the slightly longer side (the average is about five minutes), but the flavors it delivers are with the wait. One of our experts who doesn’t even like coffee ended up finishing a full cup. If that’s not an advert for this coffee maker, I don’t know what is.
The carafe is nice to pour from and KitchenAid have thought about ergonomics and practicalities. The reservoir has a useful handle and the mesh filter is dishwasher safe. Overall, there’s a lot to love.
Whilst this calls itself a twelve-cup machine, one cup in KitchenAid terms is about 5 oz. I don’t know about you, but in my house, that’s about 3 oz short, so when this is called a twelve-cup machine, I would say it’s closer to ten. That's about the only critique I can offer the KitchenAid. Sure, it doesn’t have app connectivity and WiFi controls either, but I don’t think that’s crucial to making a good cup of filter coffee. When it comes down to it, this is all you need to make a good cup of filter coffee.
There's more detail in our full KitchenAid Drip Coffee Maker review.