Underneath the glass carafe is a heating plate, which has a two-hour automatic shut-off so you don’t have to worry when you leave the house in a rush. It only takes three seconds to warm this machine up, an impressive feat considering keurig single cup drip coffee makers it can be minutes before a cheaper device is ready to start brewing. While it’s almost twice the price of the Braun Brew Sense Drip Coffee Maker, the Ninja Hot and Cold Brewed System turns your kitchen into a full-on cafe.
It has a large, removable water reservoir so you can make multiple mugs without refilling and removing the cup rest gives room for a decent-sized travel mug. It also doubles as storage for whatever filter you’re not using, either the K-cup or reusable mesh filter . On the other side, the single-serve machine is just as enticing as it’s conjoined fraternal twin. The machine comes with two types of filters, one totally reusable for your favorite grounds and a second to fit K-cups.
Coffee makers can really vary in price, with some entry level machines starting from about $100, ranging all the way up to $500 for some premium designs. However, you don’t have to spend top dollar to get a good coffee maker. In fact, our tests have shown that some machines can perform just as well, if not better, than those twice the price. There are all sorts of features to consider as well — for instance, do you want a milk frother or do you need a minimal design to save on counter space? With all this in mind, finding the right coffee maker can be tricky. We’ve tested a range of coffee makers to find the best for every circumstance.
The number of brewing options far exceeds most of the competition. You’ll have the option of making an entire carafe, a single cup, or a pod. That means you can use it for your single cups most of the time, then use the carafe future when you have company. You can even fill your carafe, then make your own personal cup using the type of coffee you prefer.
But be aware that this standard calls for using 2 tablespoons of ground coffee for each 5-ounce cup, which produces a very full-bodied, strong cup of coffee that is not to everyone’s taste. Espresso is this machine’s strong point; cups come out with a picture-perfect topping of crema, the frothy head that’s the hallmark of a true espresso. We can thank the Vertuo Plus’s centrifusion technology for that — with multiple holes punched into the pod and a rapid spinning process that produces a creamier quality coffee. That’s why this is the best single-serve coffee and espresso maker. This machine can reach industry standard temperatures (196°F – 205°F) in under a minute and stay there. The water then moves up a glass tube and into a 9-hole spray arm, where it’s evenly dispersed over ground coffee in a cone-shaped basket.
When not in use, the non-dominant filter can be stashed in the cup rest. That same cup rest can also be removed to handle travel mugs, an entirely underrated characteristic. With a K-cup and 14 ounces with freshly ground beans, you can pick how much caffeine your morning needs with ease. It also accomplishes the task in 3 minutes flat, so it’s ideal for those who may hit the snooze one or two too many times in the AM. Most Mr. Coffee machines are programmable, allowing you to set a time for the coffee to brew. These models may also allow you to toggle brew strength and pause the brew to let you pour a quick cup.
And, if you are looking for the convenience of a pod brewer, the 2-Way has the option to brew pods on the single-cup brew side. Hamilton Beach provides all the accessories to brew right out of the box. Swap out the reusable filters for a paper filter to increase cup quality and make the clean-up even easier.
While that compact design certainly looks great, we did find it difficult to access the water tank as it’s non-removable — not ideal if you want to fill it from the faucet. However, at this price point a little frustration in refilling your machine is an excellent trade-off for performance that beats out the competition. We’re going into more detail on these and plenty more of the best coffee makers available right now just below. Your coffeemaker becomes part of your kitchen aesthetic, so it’s important to consider design in your choice.
This brewer took around seven minutes to brew and lagged only seconds behind between each pot. It also maintained a fairly consistent temperature with a difference of just 1.17 degrees Fahrenheit. The 2-Way has a much shorter descaling process than Keurig’s convertible brewer. The 2-Way descaling process ran for 30 minutes, while the Keurig K-Duo descaling cycle took 75 minutes. Descaling is a long-term cleaning task performed every few months to reduce the build-up of mineral deposits that can collect in a coffee maker due to hard water.
The SCAA assesses coffee makers on a variety of criteria and ensures that they deliver consistently amazing coffee. The dual-brew feature is handy if you are in a household where one person drinks decaf or a particular blend while the rest of the family drinks the pot of regular. This feature is also great if you are the kind of person who finds themselves wanting just one cup of coffee in the middle of the day. Rather than brew a whole pot, this coffee machine lets you brew a single cup whenever you please. What makes this brewer special is that it can either brew a 12-cup coffee pot or a single cup (up to 14-oz) of coffee. Hamilton Beach’s ‘cup’ measurement is 5-oz, so the 12-cup glass carafe is capable of holding a fairly generous 60-oz / 1.7 liters of coffee.