Best non-toxic coffee makers: plastic-free alternatives

Lots of people are concerned that their coffee makers are toxic. I spoke with medical experts and they were very reassuring - quality coffee machines, used correctly, are not toxic. However, there are measures we can take to mitigate any cause for concern.

Some coffee makers use plastic as a cheaper, lighter alternative to glass or stainless steel. If these are damaged or overheated, some of the chemicals could leach into your cup of coffee. These can be harmful if you ingest them. It’s a very low risk, but  if you’re worried, there are lots of glass and stainless steel coffee makers you can buy.

All of these coffee makers have been tested by our expert team. As a barista, I love espresso machines. The high pressure and temperatures mean that these machines are rarely made with the potentially harmful plastic materials that we’ve been cautioned over. However, I’ve included options for every style of brewing. 

Best non-toxic coffee maker

Made from stainless steel, this is a safe, affordable, specialty coffee maker. It’s very simple to use, but is still one of a handful of home coffee makers that meet the Speciality Coffee Association’s Golden Cup Standard. When we tested it, we brewed enough for eight cups in less than six minutes. The taste was still incredible and the coffee was the perfect temperature to drink. The only drawback to the OXO’s simplicity is that it isn’t programmable or customisable. 

Best non-toxic espresso machine

Although this has some plastic finishes, the important, heated and pressurised parts are made from stainless steel. This firmly places the De’Longhi in amongst our non-toxic collection. This is called the ‘all in one’ and it really lives up to the name. We could make drip coffee, espresso, and automatic coffee at the touch of a button. The milk frothing wand makes this an appliance that can do it all, so even if it is wider on your countertops, you’ll need very little else. 

Our De’Longhi All-in-One Combination Coffee Maker and Espresso Machine review has more information.

Best non-toxic drip coffee machine

This beautiful machine was made for durability. As such, the stainless steel is ultra-high quality and safe for brewing your coffee. We love the look of this on the countertop and found that it quietly brewed some of the best coffee that any of our drip coffee makers achieved. In four minutes, we brewed a whole pot of perfect coffee, so we were very pleased with the Moccamaster. The only downside of this simple machine is that you pay a lot of money for basic functions. We loved how premium it felt, but were somewhat disappointed that we didn’t get more from it. 

Our Technivorm Moccamaster KBGV Select review has more details.

Best non-toxic French press

This was one of the most expensive options on our collection of the best French presses on the market. However, it’s well worth the price tag, especially since it’s made from stainless steel. It makes a killer cold brew, as well as fantastic quality coffee in under five minutes. The French press is one of the quietest methods to make coffee and it’s certainly one of the more compact machines too. 

Best non-toxic pour over

This is the only all-glass coffee maker in this guide. The glass is easy to clean and store and can cater for eight coffee drinkers in one brew. It’s also useful to refrigerate the coffee if you don’t finish a whole carafe. That way, you’ll have ice coffee prepared without altering the taste. We only wish the Chemex filters were more readily available at retail stores. 

Our Verdict

It’s reassuring to see so many high-quality appliances in our guides are non-toxic, and it means that you’re very likely to already own a non-toxic coffee maker. We love brewing with a range of techniques. If you see a style you like, we have more extensive buying guides for each one - just make sure you check the materials. 

How we test

We put a lot of thought into how we test the best coffee makers before featuring them in our guide and have included a range of coffee makers from top brands like Breville, Nespresso and Technivorm to make sure that there is a coffee maker for everyone in our roundup.

We always test an espresso, Americano, and cappuccino, if possible. This will help us to understand the range that each coffee maker has. However, if a coffee machine claims to make sixteen different types, we will test them all and add them to the 'special features section'. We make sure to use the same coffee beans in each test, so that we can compare how well the flavors and aromas of the coffee has been extracted. If a machine can froth milk, we will test non-dairy milks too, as these can be temperamental.

Our experts are either trained or are training as specialist Customer Advisors, which means that they'll have experience across the coffee industry, from manufacturing to customer-facing roles. You can also click through to read more thorough reviews of coffee makers, including how easy they are to set up, our thoughts on the user experience, and that all-important cleaning process. 

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