
- Brew using SCA standard settings or your own completely customized parameters
- PID temperature control for consistent pots and even extraction
- 6 different brew modes including cold brew
- Intelligently pre-infuses and blooms your grounds for proper extraction
- Pricier than your average drip coffee maker
- Water reservoir isn’t removable
The Breville Precision Brewer lives up to its name, offering a few great features that give it the edge over every other drip coffee maker on the market:
- PID control for precise (and digital) temperature control
- Pump with 3 different flow rate settings
- Bloom time control in My Brew mode
- Both flat and conical filter baskets
- Gold Cup mode for optimal temperature and time settings per SCA standards
There are 6 different brew type settings — Fast, Gold Cup, Strong, Over Ice, My Brew, and Cold Brew — and the digital display notifies you of the machine’s progress from Heating to Blooming to Brewing.
And yes, you read that right — the Breville Precision Brewer actually makes cold brew coffee using cold water and full immersion for 4-14 hours.
Small touches like the water reservoir’s volume labels don’t go unnoticed either. From top to bottom, the Precision Brewer is carefully designed and well-made for people who are serious about their coffee.

Our roundup of the best grind and brew coffee makers could be broken into 2 parts:
- Best grind and brew coffee makers with burr grinders
- Best grind and brew coffee makers with blade grinders
Burr grinders are far superior to blade grinders, so the Breville Grind Control easily tops all of those.
But even among the burr grinder models, the Breville Grind Control stands out.
- You can change grind size.
- It has a flat burr for a more uniform grind.
- You can brew single 5 oz cups.
Add in the high-quality thermal carafe and the Breville brand name, and we have a winner.

- Sturdy, durable, and well-made construction
- Coffee is sufficiently hot, upwards of 185°F
- Comes with separate storage lid for carafe
- No programmed pre-infusion
- Filter basket sometimes leaks a little
- 40 oz capacity is underwhelming
If the Breville Precision Brewer is a flashy foreign sports car, then the Technivorm Moccamaster is a reliable luxury sedan.
Both cost about the same, but they’re intended for different types of consumers.
Brew temperature and consistency are the calling cards of the Technivorm Moccamaster. The unique, copper coiled boiling element delivers some of the hottest coffee you’ll find in a drip brewer.
Bottom Line: The Moccamaster isn’t the fanciest machine. It doesn’t give you total brew control. But it is well-designed and built by hand in The Netherlands, and in the event something goes wrong it’s backed by a 5 year manufacturer’s warranty.

- SCAA certified with smart internal components for an always-optimal cup
- Brew pause functionality to siphon off a cup
- 24-hour programmability to wake up to a hot pot
- Does’t brew anything other than hot coffee
- No controls for brew temperature or strength
- No Auto-Off functionality
The OXO On Barista Brain is a simple drip coffee maker. The digital LCD display is tiny and has a single knob below that you can set to 2 different brew sizes:
- 2-4 cups
- 5-9 cups
Then it empties the water reservoir, provided it’s filled within that range, and brews your coffee.
The magic in this coffee maker is what’s happening on the inside. A scale accurately measures the amount of water you’re brewing with and optimizes the heating temperature and brew volume within the 2-4 or 5-9 cup size you selected.
How can something so simple make a list of the best drip coffee makers?
Simple isn’t always bad!
Sure, the On Barista Brain isn’t as feature-rich as many other coffee makers, but it does excel at brewing a hot, evenly-extracted pot of coffee.
That’s something many coffee makers can’t say.

- Up to 50 oz brew size (8-10 cups of coffee)
- Speedy 3 minute brew time and unique (and improved) sprayhead for optimal extraction
- Improved filter basket design for smooth pour into carafe
- Stainless steel internal tank with 200ºF temp
- 3-year warranty
- Some owners have complained of metallic or burning plastic smell, which BUNN says is from an epoxy used in construction
- Can’t pause the brew and no Auto-Off feature
- Takes 5-10 minutes to heat internal tank
- Begins brewing as soon as you shut the lid
BUNN’s Speed Brew line is their encore to the successful Velocity Brew line, and they’re virtually identical. These are the notable changes:
- The unique sprayhead has been modified to provide longer contact time with water and coffee grounds
- Slight change to shape of filter basket to aid in smooth pouring into the carafe

- Capable of brewing either single cups or full pots of hot coffee
- Versatile modes for concentrated Iced and Specialty drinks
- Revolutionary Cold Brew mode for smoother, low-acid coffee steeped at lower temps ready in just 10 minutes
- Thermal carafe available
- Milk frother included
- Good at a lot of things but not great at any one thing
- Milk frother only whips milk and doesn't heat it up (microwave/stovetop required)
Ninja has 4 series of coffee makers, ranked below from simplest to most feature-rich
- Ninja Coffee Brewer: Your standard coffee maker for small and large pots.
- Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker: Ninja Coffee Brewer + concentrated Over Ice and Specialty modes
- Ninja Coffee Bar: Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker + Cafe Forte mode (extra rich cup) and frother (most models)
- Ninja Hot & Cold: Ninja Coffee Bar + Cold Brew mode, tea basket accessory, and upgraded design
This review is for the Ninja Hot & Cold with the following model numbers depending on whether they have a thermal carafe, glass carafe, or no carafe:
- Thermal Carafe: CP307, CP307C
- Glass Carafe: CP301, CP301C
The Ninja Hot & Cold is the upgraded version of the now-discontinued Ninja Coffee Bar, adding the following features to the standout, revolutionary coffee system:
- Cold Brew mode for smoother coffee steeped at lower temps in just 10 minutes
- Dedicated tea cartridge (no more mixing of coffee and tea flavors)
- Larger 50 oz water reservoir (vs 43 oz)
- Much sleeker updated design
Like the Ninja Coffee Bar, the Ninja Hot & Cold has 5 different brew modes:
- Classic: Your standard cup of coffee
- Rich: A richer cup of coffee
- Iced: Even richer and intended to be brewed over ice, which melts and dilutes it
- Specialty: Stronger still and intended to be used for cappuccinos, etc.
- Cold Brew: A less bitter cup of coffee brewed at lower temps in just 10 minutes
As far as the thermal vs glass carafe models mentioned:
- Thermal Carafe System: Comes with a 50 oz double-walled, vacuum-sealed, stainless steel thermal carafe which will keep the coffee hot for up to 2 hours.
- Glass Carafe System: Comes with a 50 oz glass carafe. Unlike the Thermal Carafe System, the Glass Carafe System also comes with a warming plate.
Let's jump to our Buyer's Guide below to help you decide whether the Ninja Coffee Bar is for you.

- Powerful 1500W heater brews a truly hot pot
- Well-designed shower head and flat bottom filter basket result in even extraction
- Made from aesthetically-pleasing brushed stainless steel
- Only 40 oz capacity
- No Auto-Brew functionality
- Optional pre-infusion must be controlled by the user
A simple coffee maker like the OXO On Barista Brain, the Bonavita Connoisseur doesn’t have any fancy functionality.
But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have some special features.
With optional pre-infusion, a well-designed shower head for uniform extraction, and a powerful 1500W heater, this drip coffee maker produces a hot, delicious pot of coffee in about 6 minutes.
The simplicity does have some drawbacks, though.
The single switch controls both the pre-infusion bloom phase and the brew, so you need to monitor the coffee maker at the very beginning. The machine also lacks any auto-brew functionality or 24-hour programmability.
Overall, the Bonavita Connoisseur’s aesthetically pleasing design makes a great cup of coffee.

This is one of many Cuisinart grind and brew coffee makers.
The Cuisinart DGB-900 is their top grind and brew coffee maker, offering a 60 oz max brew size, a conical stainless steel burr, and a thermal carafe.
Unfortunately, it doesn't allow you to change grind size like some of the other best grind and brew coffee makers.

- Up to 50 oz brew size (8-10 cups of coffee)
- Speedy 3 minute brew time and unique sprayhead for optimal extraction
- Stainless steel internal tank with 200ºF temp
- Glass carafe models come with porcelain-coated heating plate
- Special high altitude model available (BTX-B)
- Discontinued model
- Some owners have complained of metallic or burning plastic smell, which BUNN says is from an epoxy used in construction
- Can’t pause the brew and no Auto-Off feature
- Takes 5-10 minutes to heat internal tank
- Begins brewing as soon as you shut the lid
BUNN has 4 primary versions of this series:
- BUNN GR
- BUNN BX
- BUNN BT
- BUNN NHS
(There are variations of these model names such as GRW and GRB where the last letter corresponds to unit color, white and black, respectively.)
All of these models have the same features common among all Velocity Brew machines, so how do you choose between them? Try this simple guide:
- Do you want the cheapest model? Pick whichever has the lowest price, probably the GR.
- Do you want to save as much energy as possible? Pick the BX or BT.
- Do you like to keep your coffee hot for long periods of time? Pick the BT’s thermal carafe.
- Do you want the convenience of the swivel lid? Pick the NHS and save that vertical space.
- Do you live at high altitude? BUNN has a specific model for that — the BTX-B.

- Includes Keurig's upgraded system for richer coffee and quieter brewing
- No pod-scanning technology so brews both licensed and unlicensed K-Cup pods
- Brews both single-serve pods and 60 oz carafes
- Multi-position water reservoir swivels to either back or side
- Full 60 oz carafe isn't as robust as coffee from a dedicated drip coffee maker
- Carafe pour spout has tendency to drip
- Doesn't come with a water filter kit
In August 2014, Keurig unveiled their new Keurig 2.0 brewers that expanded the single-serve giant's reach by allowing users to brew up to 30 oz carafes of coffee.
Customer reaction was mixed as Keurig's 2.0 brewers, numbered from K200-K575, featured pod-scanning system ("DRM" or Digital Rights Management) that locked out unlicensed K-Cups and wasn't compatible with the original My K-Cup. (Keurig would later unveil a 2.0 My K-Cup.)
Keurig also found it challenging to support their 2.0 brewers, which brewed 10 different sizes from 4-30 oz using 4 different types of pods: K-Cup, K-Mug, K-Vue, and K-Carafe.
Ultimately, Keurig scrapped the 2.0 system and went back to the basics: single-serve brewing with K-Cup pods.
But they still wanted to offer a dual-use brewer that brewed everything from single cups to full carafes.
Enter the Keurig K-Duo series with 3 similar brewers.
The K-Duo Plus is the best of those 3 brewers. How do they differ?
- K-Duo Essentials: Base model that brews 8-12 oz K-Cups with no Strength Control
- K-Duo: Adds 6 oz brew size and Strength Control feature
- K-Duo Plus: Adds swivel reservoir (left, right, or rear) and replaces glass carafe with thermal carafe
Regardless of which K-Duo model you choose, all of them brew up to 60 oz carafes (double the volume of the discontinued 2.0 brewers) using a reusable Keurig Gold Tone mesh filter and ground coffee.

- Brew size setting optimizes brew process for smaller servings (1-4 cups)
- Programmable 24-hour start time and Auto-Off feature
- Toggle loud finished brew beeps on/off
- Toggle warming plate temp to high, medium, low
- Attractive stainless steel exterior
- Steam comes out the top-back, which can stain or damage cabinets
- Carafe design has lip which makes it hard to empty completely
- Smaller brew sizes using 1-4 cup setting may not get hot enough
While most coffee makers are capped at 10- or 12-cup capacity, the Cuisinart DCC-3200 gives you a little extra volume by brewing 14 “full” cups of quality coffee.
I put “full” in quotation marks because a cup, by Cuisinart’s definition, is a 5 oz serving. That means the DCC-3200 will brew up to 70 oz of coffee. For someone like me, that’s more like 5-7 cups — but the overall point holds. Those 2 extra cups gives you another 10 oz of coffee.
With a cone-shaped filter basket, a brew strength selector, and a special brew setting for 5-20 oz servings, the DCC-3200 is capable of tailoring the brew to your specifications with a reasonable amount of customization.
There isn’t a temperature selector or high altitude setting, but this coffee maker will brew sufficiently hot coffee north of 190°F for those under 5,000 feet of elevation.
The DCC-3200 has a Brew Pause feature that lets you pause the brew process to pour your necessary first cup as soon as its ready. It’s a nice feature, but note that the Brew Pause feature doesn’t stop the flow of water into the filter basket. Cuisinart warns that pausing for more than 20 seconds could result in basket overflow.
It takes about 8 minutes to brew a full 14 cup, 70 oz pot. On the surface that seems like quite the wait, but it averages out to 8.75 oz per minute. That’s comparable to some of the faster single serve K-Cup style brewers that deliver a full cup of coffee in 60 seconds. The 8 minute wait is the price you pay for having 14 cups of brew capacity.
I used this coffee maker for 3 weeks and had absolutely no issues with it during that time. I was impressed with its build and it was extremely easy to clean. I especially loved the 1-4 cup brew size selector, because I didn’t always want a full 14 cup pot. Programming this coffee maker is easy (instructions below) and it makes great tasting coffee, thanks in large part to the cone-shaped filter.
My supplemental research turned up similarly impressed Cuisinart customers. In fact, this coffee maker is one of the highest-rated coffee makers on Amazon with most users giving it great marks because of its durability, simplicity and quality of brew.

- Well-made and brews quickly
- Fresh Brew Timer tracks time since last brew (in case your spouse brewed a pot but you aren’t sure when)
- Warming plate stays on for up to 4 hours
- Few brew features like temperature control
- Glass pot is hard to empty completely, leading to drops of burned coffee if you aren’t careful empty fully
- Wider design is intended to sit flush against the wall and doesn’t project out far
Calphalon is a quality kitchen appliance brand that you probably don’t think of when looking for the best drip coffee maker for your home or office.
Meet the Special Brew.
Honestly, there isn’t much that’s special about the Special Brew.
The machine doesn’t offer any options outside of Strong Brew, so what you see is what you get.
However, it does have a few nice features that land it on this list (aside from the fact that it brews a hot pot of coffee lightning quickly):
- Warming plate stays on for up to 4 hours
- 24-hour programmability
- Fresh Brew Timer tells you how long since the pot was brewed
Also of note is the shape of this coffee maker.
While most drip machines are skinnier than they are deep (meaning they project out from the wall), the Calphalon Special Brew is unusually wide.
What you’d normally consider the side of the machine is actually its front.
If you’re replacing your previous machine with this one, make sure it fits in the required space.

I really like one specific feature of the Capresso CoffeeTeam PRO Plus.
It has an “Oily Bean” selector that lets you tell the grinder you’re using a darker, oilier bean.
Oily beans tend to gum up the works. When the oily bean setting is on, the burr grinds more slowly to prevent any backups.
It's simple but it’s a really awesome feature.

- Powerful 1560W heating element makes truly hot coffee
- “Parking Brake” lever at bottom of filter basket modulates the flow of coffee into the carafe
- Relatively low price point
- Don’t like the glass carafe only option
- Overall feel is a little flimsy
- Carafe lid is non-removable, meaning you can’t use it to fill the water reservoir
Ever hear of this coffee maker?
Most people haven’t, and that makes it an underdog contender on this list of the best coffee makers.
Once again, this isn’t a fancy coffee maker by any means — it just has the one on/off switch — but it does offer pre-infusion and one other feature I really like: A “Parking Brake” lever at the bottom of the filter basket that modulates the flow of coffee into the carafe.
Plus, that powerful 1560W heating element gives you coffee that’s genuinely hot. Not just kinda hot.
On the downside, it’s primarily made of lightweight plastic and feels a little flimsy.