Whether you want a cup of coffee right away or a steaming, freshly brewed beverage as soon as you wake up, it’s challenging to find a more convenient solution than a drip coffee maker (or a single-serve coffee maker, although it won’t taste as good).
But with the ever-expanding options in this category, it’s uncomplicated to get carried away by all the fancy features and sleek designs. What you really need to know is which drip coffee makers make the most flavorful coffee at the best price — and are fun to exploit.
That’s exactly what the engineers at Consumer Reports test when they evaluate coffee makers. The bells and whistles are just nice-to-haves, and as you might expect, they add to the cost. “Generally speaking, you can get extras like a water filter, a cleaning cycle, a cleaning indicator, a eternal filter, or a thermal carafe for a higher price,” says CR test engineer Ginny Lui. But you might be perfectly ecstatic with a more basic machine that’s also easier on your wallet.
The 10 best-rated drip coffee makers below range in price from $30 to $330. We’ve included established models, machines that both grind and brew coffee, and those that brew a single cup at a time. Within each category, we’ve listed our picks in alphabetical order.
