The Best Coffee Makers for Every Brewing Style
From simple drip machines to precision pour-overs, we tested 20 coffee makers to find the best cup for every kind of drinker.
Whether you want bold espresso or a smooth, low-acid cold brew, there’s a machine for you. After testing 20 coffee makers over six weeks, we landed on the Breville Barista Express as the best overall for home espresso — but the right pick depends on how you like to brew.
Best Overall: Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine
The Barista Express earns its place on this list by doing something unusual: it combines a 15-bar pump espresso machine with a built-in conical burr grinder, saving counter space and eliminating the most common source of inconsistency in home espresso — pre-ground coffee sitting in a bag.
Dialing in your grind takes some experimentation, but the machine rewards patience. Once you find the sweet spot for your beans, the extraction is remarkably consistent shot to shot. The steam wand produces properly textured microfoam — not just hot frothy milk — which makes a real difference in lattes and cappuccinos.
Who it’s for: Anyone who wants café-quality espresso at home and is willing to spend a weekend learning. The built-in grinder means one fewer appliance on your counter.
Best Coffee Mug Upgrade: Ember Smart Mug 2
You’ve invested in a great coffee maker — don’t let your cup go cold before you finish it. The Ember Mug 2 holds your coffee at a precise temperature (anywhere from 120–145°F) for up to 80 minutes on a single charge, or all day on its charging coaster.
It sounds like a gadget, but it genuinely changes how you drink coffee. You stop racing to finish before it cools. You can take your time. The companion app lets you save presets by drink type, so your morning pour-over is always waiting at exactly 135°F.
Who it’s for: Anyone who habitually reheats their coffee, works from home, or wants a thoughtful gift for a coffee drinker. The 14 oz size fits most standard mugs and cup holders.
Best Multi-Use Kitchen Appliance: Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1
Not every coffee lover is a single-minded espresso devotee. The Instant Pot Duo earns a spot on this list because it handles everything from brewing café de olla (Mexican spiced coffee) to pressure-cooking the oatmeal you eat alongside your morning cup — all in one pot that’s easy to clean.
The 6-quart size feeds two to six people, and the seven functions — pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, sauté pan, yogurt maker, and warmer — mean it earns its counter space. If you’re outfitting a first kitchen, this is the appliance that does the most work.
How We Tested
We brewed hundreds of cups across espresso, drip, pour-over, and cold brew methods over six weeks. We evaluated extraction temperature, grind consistency, ease of use, cleanup time, and total cost of ownership including consumables. Every machine was tested by at least two people across multiple weeks of daily use.
What to Look For
Brewing temperature: The ideal range is 195–205°F. Machines that undershoot produce sour, under-extracted coffee. Overshoot and you get bitterness that no amount of milk will fix.
Built-in vs. separate grinder: Pre-ground coffee starts going stale the moment it’s ground. If you’re serious about espresso, budget for a quality burr grinder — or choose a machine with one built in.
Ease of cleaning: Milk steamers and carafes that are hard to clean will stay dirty. We prioritized machines with removable, dishwasher-safe components.