Best coffee makers 2020: Fast coffee makers and single-serve machines for home

The best coffee makers will brew coffee fast and create delicious-tasting drinks. If you need a coffee maker for home, we’ve got single-serve coffee makers in this guide, along with professional-style machines that are great at creating lattes with a steam arm. 

If it’s just a shot of coffee you’re after, check out our guide to the best espresso machines, but for an all-rounder coffee maker, here’s what you should look for.

First up, how many people will you be making coffee for, or rather, how many cups do you like to drink? If you just want one cup of coffee, consider a single-serve coffee maker like the Hamilton Beach The Scoop model in our guide below. 

If you love a few cups or you’re making coffee for a few people in your home, opt for a 12-cup coffee maker so that you don’t have to make multiple batches of coffee. If you do go for a large capacity coffee maker, look for one that has a warming plate so your spare coffee doesn’t go cold. 

Most coffee makers work with ground coffee, however, if you want to use whole beans, the Black + Decker Stainless Steel Drip coffee maker has a built-in grinder. 

Using coffee grounds or beans is often cheaper than buying pods, and better for the environment too. If you’re looking for ideas on how to use coffee ground leftovers, check out our feature on five ways to reuse coffee grounds.

Next up, how much do you want to spend? Coffee makers with steam arms and professional-style features will cost you hundreds of dollars, however, in this guide, we have a good selection of coffee makers under $100. Budget coffee makers shouldn’t affect the taste of the coffee, they just might not offer quite as many features as a premium machine. 

Finally, since your coffee maker will be a part of your kitchen, take note of the style and size each machine is. There’s no point opting for a large coffee maker if you’re limited on countertop space.

To find the best coffee maker for you, just keep reading. 

1.  Mr Coffee Maker: Best coffee maker overall 

The Mr Coffee 12-Cup Coffee Maker is a great value coffee machine, but it isn’t as basic as you might think. Admittedly, it won’t be able to make fancy lattes, however it tops our best coffee makers guide because it has well thought-out features such as an Auto Pause function, which enables you to enjoy a quick cup of coffee while the machine brews the rest.

Other handy features include the Lift and Clean filter basket, making for easy maintenance. The Delay Brew function is also great and, to make sure your coffee suits your taste, you can adjust the strength with the Brew Strength Selector. 

With a built-in warming plate, coffee can be kept hot for up to two hours, after that time the auto shut-off will kick in. What’s more, there’s an audible signal when your coffee is ready to drink, making this coffee machine ideal for brewing large quantities of coffee, especially during busy mornings at home. 

2. De'Longhi 10-Cup Coffee Maker and Espresso Maker: Best pro-style coffee maker 

The De'Longhi 10-Cup Coffee Maker and Espresso Maker comes out on top as the best professional-style coffee maker, with a sophisticated feel and stylish look. Complete with a steam arm for making a frothy cappuccino, the coffee maker has one of the biggest capacities in our guide.

Compatible with pods and ground coffee, this model can also create drip coffee and has a handy hot plate to keep it warm too. Ideal for creating espresso, the De'Longhi 10-Cup Coffee Maker provides a great crema on top of your drink. Other finer details that make a difference to the final coffee are a water filtration system, cup warmer and auto shut off after a couple of hours to prevent you wasting energy. 

3. Hamilton Beach The Scoop: Best single-serve coffee machine

If you want hot, tasty coffee and you want it fast, Hamilton Beach The Scoop is a great choice. This single-cup coffee maker can brew an 8-ounce cup of coffee in 90 seconds, and it takes less than three minutes for the machine to fill a 14-ounce travel mug. You also can save money with this coffee maker since you don’t use prepackaged pods.

Instead, you use a scoop filter to measure ground coffee into the Hamilton Beach’s brewing basket. The scoop has measuring lines for specific amounts. In addition, you can adjust the coffee’s strength by using the “regular” or “bold” settings. 

Regular works nicely with standard grocery-store coffee, while bold is better suited to finer grinds and gourmet coffees. The regular setting releases hot water quickly since that works best for coarse ground coffee. The bold setting allows more time for the hot water to flow through finer coffee grounds to brew the finished product.

•  Read our Hamilton Beach The Scoop review 

4. Black + Decker Stainless Steel Drip: Best coffee maker with built in grinder 

Ideal for grinding beans and making coffee, this Black + Decker coffee maker is a great value option. Making up to 12 cups and with the functionality to keep coffee warm for up to two hours, this coffee maker is an ideal option for busy homes and families. 

With a reusable coffee filter, this machine means there’s no need to buy and throw away paper filters. Even better, this model also has a programmable timer so that you can wake up to delicious coffee already brewing. 

 5. Keurig K-Select: Best coffee maker for pod drinkers

If it’s an effortless coffee you’re after, then capsule machines are ideal. This Keurig coffee maker is great for making a single coffee and there’s a vast range of capsule pods that are compatible with it. 

Handy features include the auto shut off, as well as the removable drip tray so that you can place a travel mug inside ready to be filled with fresh coffee to take on the go. The average brew time is less than a minute, making it one of the speedier options in our round up. The large water reservoir also means that you can make up to five cups of coffee before having to refill. 

How much do the best coffee makers cost?

Good quality home coffee makers run the gamut from $20 to more than $200, but price alone does not guarantee exceptional quality. Even modestly priced coffee makers intended for home use can produce excellent coffee and offer enough features to satisfy the most discerning coffee aficionado.

It's worth thinking about costs when choosing between a pod machine and one that uses ground coffee. Pods can be quite pricey over time and buying them becomes an ongoing purchase, so it all mounts up.