Best Coffee Makers 2026 | Tested

A good coffee maker is a kitchen workhorse, designed to yield flavorful, full-bodied cups of joe. Over the past two years, Forbes Vetted testers have been putting top models through their paces to determine the very best coffee makers of 2026. The OXO Brew 9-Cup is our top pick overall due to its premium features and smooth brew for a reasonable price. If you’re looking for a more affordable option, the Ninja 12-Cup Programmable Brewer, our top value pick, impressed us by offering features and brew quality on par with more expensive machines. Ahead, find the nine best coffee makers on the market, plus top tips from several coffee professionals.

OXO’s 9-Cup Coffee Maker offers high functionality at a reasonable price, and its ease of use and no-frills display are bound to appeal to most home users. There’s a helpful “brew pause” feature and a freshness timer that tells you how long the brewed coffee has been sitting in the carafe. It’s also fairly easy to clean with nothing more than dish soap and hot water. The machine notifies users when it needs to be descaled, too. Note that the machine is on the bigger side and might not be the best option for smaller kitchens. But it’s a solid, durable machine that’s bound to last years—a big reason why it’s the top overall pick in our guide to the best drip coffee makers.

One tester says in her review of the OXO 9-Cup that she would confidently recommend it to most buyers. “It’s a super-functional machine with premium features at a moderate price, and I drank a smooth and pleasant cup every time I used it,” she comments. Today, she says she still stands behind the OXO after recent use.

Runner-up best overall: For aesthetically minded coffee lovers that prefer a more pour-over style brew, we recommend the Ratio Six Series 2 or the Ratio Eight Series 2 based on our testing. (Visit our tester’s full review of the Ratio Eight for more details on the latter.)

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The Ninja 12-Cup Programmable Brewer is an affordable automatic machine that offers just the right number of customizable settings, is supremely easy to use and clean and—most importantly—makes great coffee. The key is in its shower head–style water dispenser, which evenly distributes water across the coffee bed for a smoother brew. It also comes with several handy settings: two brew strengths, a 24-hour brewing delay, a brew-pause option, a keep-warm function and a small-batch feature. The warming plate stays on for two hours post-brew, and the detachable reservoir is easy to fill and clean.

One tester who put the Ninja through its paces concluded that its numerous features and delicious brew made it the best value option she tested. She says of the shower head–style dispenser: “[It] dispenses water in the same fashion and at similar temperatures as a much more expensive machine, and results in a smooth-tasting final product.” (Read her full review of the Ninja 12-Cup.)

Runner-up best value: The Cuisinart 14-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker ranges from $83 to $120, it’s programmable and it features half-brew settings, temperature configurations and self-cleaning capabilities. Though keep in mind it doesn’t have a shower head–style dispenser and the resulting brew is only average.

When you brew coffee using uniform, freshly ground coffee beans, your resulting cup of coffee is fresher and more flavorful. Don’t have the countertop real estate for a standalone coffee grinder? Consider a high-quality coffee maker with a grinder like Breville’s Grind Control, which has a built-in burr grinder that processes beans right before it brews. It has six grinder settings and can dispense varying amounts of coffee, either in a 12-cup stainless steel carafe or into a travel cup or large mug. The LCD display also allows you to choose grind time, the number of cups you want to make and one of eight strength settings. Plus, you have the option to use pre-ground coffee for those times you don’t have whole beans on hand.

One tester notes that the Breville Grind Control kept her coffee hot longer than most and that the java it produced was “robust and flavorful.” That said, if you’re finicky about your grinder settings, you might be better off with a standalone coffee maker and a separate grinder (like one from our tested guide to the best grinders).

Runner-up best coffee maker with grinder: If grind precision matters less than value, try the Black + Decker 12-Cup Mill And Brew Coffee Maker.

If you want one of the absolute best coffee makers, hands down, look to the Technivorm Moccamaster. Most coffee experts—including some we interviewed for this story—believe its perks are well worth the cost, even though it is on the pricier end of our list. “The Technivorm Moccamaster KBGV Select heats the brew water to around 200 degrees, which enables the water to pull out more sweetness, body and nuance,” says James McCarthy, an educator at Devoción.

This retro-looking coffee maker is available in a wide range of colors to match any decor, and it can make up to 10 cups of coffee at a time in its glass carafe—which comes with a bottom heating element to keep coffee hot for two hours without burning it. (You can also opt for the thermal carafe model to keep coffee warm even longer.)

“Its design is slim and streamlined, and it produces really great coffee in just 4 to 6 minutes for a full carafe using a unique copper-coil conducting system,” one tester reports. Today, this is the coffee maker she uses daily. “I’m actually obsessed with it.”

Runner-up best high-end coffee maker: Though it’s only available in two colors, the similarly aesthetically minimal and sustainable SimplyGoodCoffee Plastic-Free Brewer is also SCA-certified and features precise brewing temperatures and optimal extraction—sans plastic. One tester (who swears by her Moccamaster) reports being impressed in her full review of the SimplyGoodCoffee Brewer.

The Chemex is the perfect combination of design, quality and function: It’s elegantly shaped, made from non-porous, heat-resistant glass and uses thick, unbleached filters that produce clear coffee without any grit. “When I want to have more control, I use a Chemex,” says McCarthy. “It has the thickest paper filter of all pour-over methods, and I really enjoy the super-light body it produces because of it,” he says, adding that he is able to taste more nuance and clarity in his coffee when using the gadget.

Our tester was pleased with the flavorful, light-bodied coffee from the Chemex. While it’s easy to use, though, she notes that it comes with a small learning curve. “It’s a slower and more hands-on process than other methods. You need to stay near the pour-over and slowly add more hot water as the coffee filters through, rather than just brew it and leave it like a French press or drip coffee maker.”

If you’re drawn to pour-over coffee makers like the Chemex, you might also want to invest in a gooseneck kettle, which provides you ultimate control of the flow of your water, though a regular electric kettle will work just fine. (Check out our in-depth guides to gooseneck kettles and electric kettles for the best options.)

Runner-up best pour-over coffee maker: If you’re on a budget or design is less important to you, the crowd-favorite Hario V60 has a more beginner-friendly design and price tag, and it produces a brighter, fuller-bodied brew.

Whereas many French press coffee makers are made from either plastic or glass, the Espro P7 features an insulated, double-walled stainless steel build. It also produces truly sludge-free coffee, thanks to its two micro-mesh filters that are lined with a silicone lip to create a strong seal—effectively blocking grounds from coming through.

“The coffee the Espro P7 makes is excellent,” says Eby, adding that the java it yields is “truly grit-free.” She also notes that the P7 could stand up to a finer grind of coffee than her usual French press, concluding, “This is definitely a French press I’d want to hang on to.”

For even smoother, oil-free coffee, Espro P7’s double filters are compatible with the brand’s compostable filters. The removable parts are dishwasher-safe, though we recommend hand cleaning all the pieces for longevity.

Runner-up best French press coffee maker: If the P7 gives you sticker shock, we’ve used and recommend the more affordable Espro P3, which offers similar functionality but has a plastic frame.

The Breville’s Barista Express Impress earned top marks in our larger tested review of the best espresso machines for its user-friendly design, intuitive high-tech features, easy cleanup and quality of its espresso. If you’re someone who doesn’t have much experience manually grinding and tamping, this semi-automatic coffee machine produces barista-quality espresso or cappuccino—no barista skills necessary. Setup takes 15 minutes, thanks to the clear instruction manual and a quick setup sheet. It also has an intuitive control panel, and a built-in dosing funnel curbs mess and helps with cleanup. The biggest standout is its intelligent dosing system, which automatically calculates the right “dose” based on your last grind.

After putting the Barista Express Impress through its paces alongside nine other top-rated models, our tester reports, “The grinder automatically calculates an accurate dose based on the last grind, with a light-up indicator that tells you whether you need a bit more or a bit less. … I used a scale to measure the coffee grounds in between shots and was shocked at how accurately the system was able to adjust and replicate great results.”

Runner-up best espresso machine: If you prefer a fully automatic machine that does all the work for you—and price is no concern—we recommend the De’Longhi PrimaDonna. “It’s the easiest espresso machine I’ve tested, and it takes the thinking out of everything from setup to cleanup, turning out excellent hot and cold drinks with almost no thought required,” says our tester in her full review of the machine.

The secret behind this model’s bold yet balanced cold brew concentrate is its unique design (which garnered it the top spot on our list of the best cold brew makers). You pour water over the top of the lid, which is perforated, so your coffee grounds end up evenly saturated. The grounds and water sit for 12 to 24 hours, after which you flip a switch that filters and drains the cold brew through a metal mesh filter and into the glass carafe below. This setup is both sturdy and neat—no splattering grounds or liquid—and the amount of concentrate the model produces is a lot of cold brew. Plus, since the brew is so rich, you don’t need a ton of concentrate for a cup, so you likely won’t have to repeat the brewing process frequently.

Everything about this OXO model is easy, from measuring the grounds and water to go in the reservoir to extracting the concentrate, reports our tester. “I appreciated that the carafe has volume measures, so you can use that to pour water over grounds rather than getting out a separate measuring cup,” she says. “Once the coffee is done brewing—I left mine overnight on the counter—the switch to drain it into the carafe was easy to use and worked really neatly.”

Runner-up best cold brew coffee maker: For those who only consume chilled coffee drinks, the Cumulus is the machine for you. “It brews strong and flavorful coffee in three varieties [cold brew, nitro cold brew and iced coffee] without requiring overnight brewing or added ice,” notes our tester in her full review of the machine.

David Yake, co-founder of Forecast Coffee, says he values versatile gadgets like the AeroPress when it comes to making coffee at home: “The AeroPress doesn’t require a fancy kettle, and it can make nearly any coffee shine. With an easy recipe adjustment, you can make everything from a strong, concentrated coffee for your cappuccino to a clean, crisp cup using your favorite floral Ethiopian coffee.” This coffee press takes a minute to use, its compact form is travel-friendly and the paper micro-filters eliminate any grit from your drink. If you don’t want to invest in an espresso machine, the AeroPress is the next best thing.

Our tester does note that while she found the AeroPress impressively quick and easy to use, it did take her a few tries to find the right coffee ground fineness: “Before I hit on the right setting, I found my coffee was turning out under-extracted and sour,” she says. But once she found the right size—“slightly less fine than espresso”—the resulting brew was “robust, strong and flavorful.”

Runner-up best portable coffee maker: If you’d like a slightly bigger option with the same compactness and quality brew, the AeroPress XL can make two Americanos or six espresso-style shots. The AeroPress also comes in a shatterproof, clear Tritan construction (available in several colors) for about $10 more.

How We Tested The Best Coffee Makers

Our editors started by casting a wide net, scoping out the latest and greatest coffee makers from the most trusted brands, including OXO, Breville, Chemex and Technivorm.

• Over the past two years, testers on our staff have been rigorously testing all coffee makers on this list.
• We evaluated a variety of crucial factors, including water-dispensing methods, temperature control, heat retention, the potential to impart flavors onto the brew, maintenance, durability, and the flavor and quality of resulting brew.
• When making our final selections, we homed in on coffee makers with customization and control features, user-friendly designs and excellent overall value.
• Last, we noted whether a machine had been certified by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), a group of coffee science and tasting professionals that employs rigorous standards. (Note: Some coffee experts we spoke with mention that while an SCA certification is a helpful quality indicator, it’s not the only one you should consider when shopping. It also only applies to automatic electric drip coffee makers.)

What To Consider When Choosing A Coffee Maker

If you’re looking to upgrade your caffeine routine, here are a few key points to consider.

Method

The biggest difference among the coffee makers we recommend is the level of user involvement required in brewing. As Jiyoon Han of Bean & Bean Roasters explains, “automated methods, like auto drip coffee makers or auto espresso machines, handle various steps automatically, such as water temperature and extraction time. Manual methods, like pour-over or French press, require the user to control these variables, offering more direct control and customization over the brewing process.”

The type of coffee-making method you choose also affects the quality of your brew, explains Terra Kaffe’s George Lubitz. “Espresso and drip coffee are nothing alike in terms of flavor, consistency or even caffeine levels,” he says. “Drip coffee has almost twice as much as a shot of espresso.”

Filtration

A coffee maker’s filter has an effect on the brewing process, though the experts we spoke with advise shoppers not to overthink this factor. “The filter’s material can influence the extraction of flavors, and the number of layers in the filter can impact the filtration of finer grounds,” Han says.

Filter material ranges from paper to fine metal mesh to ceramic, but in the end, it all comes down to personal preference. “So long as water can freely pass through the bed of coffee into the cup or reservoir (without that flow being interrupted), you’re in business,” adds Lubitz.

Water Dispensation

Unlike filtration, the way water is dispensed over your coffee grounds is one of the biggest considerations in choosing a home coffee maker. “You want a machine that dispenses water across the surface of the coffee bed,” says Craft Coffee Spot owner Marko Lazarevic, pointing to the Technivorm MoccaMaster and the XBloom as examples. “The problem with [some] drip coffee machines is they have one little hole of super-hot water falling in one spot on the coffee,” he adds. “That area gets totally burned, but the rest is not extracted, resulting in coffee that tastes burnt yet thin.”

That’s why manual pour-over methods like the Chemex, which allow you to control how water is dispensed, have become popular. But if you want the convenience of drip machines, focus on a shower head-style dispenser, like in the Ninja 12-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker, to ensure that hot water saturates the coffee evenly.

Capacity

Some coffee makers brew one cup at a time (see pod coffee makers like the Keurig K-Elite and the Nespresso Vertuo Next), while others brew up to 12 cups. Consider how many cups of coffee your household usually drinks daily, advises Han.

“If you live alone and make coffee just for yourself, a single-serve brewer can suffice, while if you are brewing for a family of four every morning, you may need a larger-capacity brewer.”

Temperature Control

How well a machine extracts coffee also hinges heavily on how well it controls and retains temperature. Author and coffee expert Jessica Easto tells us, “Choose a machine that is capable of bringing water to temperature and maintaining that temperature for the length of the brew cycle. Many machines are not capable of doing this, so the extraction of the coffee is not as good as it can be.”

Coffee enthusiasts who want to take more control of home coffee’s quality should consider a coffee machine with adjustable temperature settings, like the Breville Precision Brewer. “These machines allow you to customize your brew, like using higher- or lower-temperature water to accommodate different roast levels or coffee origins and profiles,” Han explains.

SCA Certification

When it comes down to it, coffee making is a science with many variables, including grind size, the quality of the coffee beans and temperature control. So it makes sense that all the experts we spoke with say an SCA Certified Home Brewer sticker on an automatic coffee maker is a nice feature for shoppers to consider.

“SCA-certified machines are required to meet industry standards for reaching and maintaining temperature, as well as other standards that affect the extraction of coffee,” says Easto. “Simply put, these standards are backed by decades of research and knowledge about coffee extraction and what results in a high-quality, tasty cup.”

That said, automatic coffee machines with an SCA-certified sticker tend to be more expensive than non-certified ones, and this certification isn’t the end-all-be-all factor in finding a good coffee maker for your needs. Still, if your goal in buying a new machine is high-quality coffee without sacrificing convenience, Easto says this is a good place to start. Two of the best coffee makers on our list, the OXO Brew 9-Cup and the Technivorm Moccamaster KBGV, are SCA certified.

Cleaning

Properly and regularly cleaning your coffee maker is key for keeping the quality of your brew consistent, as well as for increasing the machine’s longevity. Han suggests, “Having removable parts or self-cleaning functions can simplify maintenance. Certain manual pour-over brewers may be easier to clean than others, as well.”

Why Trust Forbes Vetted

The Forbes Vetted team has researched and written a wide range of kitchen stories over the years, including rigorously tested pieces on the best espresso machines and best coffee subscriptions.

• We also have extensive experience testing a variety of essential coffee gear, such as coffee grinders and electric kettles.
• This story written by home and kitchen writer Fran Sales. She has reported on and tested products in the kitchen space for over six years.
• The publishing of this article and its iterations are overseen by our team of experienced home editors: deputy editor Rebekah Lowin, senior editor Amy Moran and editor (and coffee expert) Monica Petrucci.
• Our team regularly reviews this story to ensure that our guidance is as current and accurate as possible. It was last updated by Sales in August 2026.

Our Experts

• Jessica Easto, writer, editor and author of Craft Coffee: A Manual and How to Taste Coffee
• Jiyoon Han, CEO and co-founder of Bean & Bean Coffee Roasters in New York City and a certified Q grader
• Tony “Tonx” Konecny, founder of Yes Plz Coffee
• Marko Lazarevic, owner of Craft Coffee Spot and SCA official member
• George Lubitz, director of communications at Terra Kaffe
• James McCarthy, the director of education at Devoción
• Michael Phillips the director of culture at Blue Bottle Coffee and winner of the 2010 World Barista Champion title
• David Yake, co-founder of Forecast Coffee