[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.wizardofcoffee.com\/best-drip-coffee-makers\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.wizardofcoffee.com\/best-drip-coffee-makers\/","headline":"Best Drip Coffee Makers (Top Reviews of Coffee Machines)","name":"Best Drip Coffee Makers (Top Reviews of Coffee Machines)","description":"Drip coffee makers are probably the most popular coffee brewers — at least here in the States. They’re easy to use, can be affordable, and can be purchased just about anywhere. But what about the best drip coffee makers? We love our drip coffee makers, but they get a bad rap for their basicness. They’re...","datePublished":"2022-01-05","dateModified":"2025-03-27","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.wizardofcoffee.com\/author\/courtney-stewart\/#Person","name":"Courtney Stewart","url":"https:\/\/www.wizardofcoffee.com\/author\/courtney-stewart\/","identifier":3,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/aae5413f87c194ace258e0546ef7d5da3ddc1ead5895fa76869dcf332460833f?s=96&d=blank&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/aae5413f87c194ace258e0546ef7d5da3ddc1ead5895fa76869dcf332460833f?s=96&d=blank&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Reflective Dynamics, Inc.","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.wizardofcoffee.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/wizard-of-coffee-blog-logo.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.wizardofcoffee.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/wizard-of-coffee-blog-logo.jpg","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.wizardofcoffee.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Best-Drp-Makers-FEATURED.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.wizardofcoffee.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Best-Drp-Makers-FEATURED.jpg","height":360,"width":720},"url":"https:\/\/www.wizardofcoffee.com\/best-drip-coffee-makers\/","about":["General"],"wordCount":2317,"keywords":["Best Of"],"articleBody":"Drip coffee makers are probably the most popular coffee brewers — at least here in the States. They’re easy to use, can be affordable, and can be purchased just about anywhere.But what about the best drip coffee makers?We love our drip coffee makers, but they get a bad rap for their basicness. They’re not cool. Maybe they never have been. But I love a big pot of coffee on a cold morning in the winter. It makes me feel nostalgic and cozy.A drip coffee maker was the first piece of brew equipment I ever bought. I was so excited and finally felt like an adult at the ripe old age of 20. I had a lot of growing up to do and a lot to learn about using my new coffee maker.I’m sharing today what a drip coffee maker is, what makes a good drip machine, and my top picks for the best drip coffee makers.What Is a Drip Coffee Maker?What is a drip coffee maker, anyway?You’ve more than likely had a cup of drip coffee if you’ve ever had a cup of regular coffee at a restaurant or a slice of pie and coffee at your grandma’s house.A drip coffee maker is an automatic coffee maker that heats the water in the tank to “drip” over the ground coffee beans in the basket, producing a pot of coffee.I’ve written about how to make a perfect cup of coffee with a drip machine, and you’ll also want to read about pour over coffee.Drip coffee is the more popular sibling of pour over coffee. It’s the same brewing method as a pour over brewer, just automated. This is why drip coffee makers are the most popular (and familiar) coffee brewing method around.Here’s a diagram of how\u00a0 drip machine works:As you can see, these machines are user friendly and simply designed. They can be more elaborate and even grind your coffee for you.Let’s talk about what makes a great drip coffee maker.What Makes a Great Drip Coffee Maker?There are literally 1000s of drip coffee makers on the market, making it hard to know what to buy.So, what makes a great drip coffee maker?I’m going to go over the basics then give you a list of some more overlooked features that make a great drip machine.The 4 Basics of a Great Drip Coffee Brewer1 – Brew CapacityIf your friends are anything like mine, they love coffee. This is where a good drip machine really shines. Drip coffee makers should be able to brew multiple cups of fantastic tasting coffee in under 10 minutes.Look for a machine that can brew 10+ cups in its carafe (coffee pot). Most machines are going to have a 12 cup capacity. You’ll rarely find a small capacity drip maker unless you’re brewing coffee in your hotel room, and I think we all know how bad that coffee can be.Drip coffee makers are designed to please a crowd’s need for caffeine. If you’re going to buy a drip machine, make sure it can accommodate a crowd of coffee hungry friends.2 – Easy to CleanNothing’s more frustrating than cleaning up after a dinner party and having to hand wash all of the dishes and accouterments. I always look for in my drip machine to throw as many parts in the dishwasher as possible.The parts (see above diagram) to my home drip coffee maker can all be run through my dishwasher. I can rinse out and place everything, except the actual machine, in the dishwasher. This includes the basket, my reusable filter, the carafe, and the carafe lid.Maybe it’s because I’m a mom, or maybe it’s because I’m lazy, but if I can put something in the dishwasher, I’m all for it.Do you really want to add another handwash only device to your arsenal of coffee brewing equipment?3 – Programming AbilityLet’s be honest, how many of you pop out of bed bright eyed and bushy tailed before that first cup of coffee?I know I certainly don’t.I want to have my coffee ready to drink when I walk into my kitchen before I can even think about being half human.Look for a coffee maker that can be programmed to brew when you wake up. It’s the 21st century, and technology is our friend. Why not take advantage of your coffee maker doing the work for you?I can say that this might be my most important feature in a drip machine.I spend less than 5 minutes the night before setting everything up in my drip coffee machine to be brewing me a pot of coffee when I drag myself into the kitchen every morning. This brings me to my last point.4 – Mid Brew PourI’ve talked about the importance of a high capacity brewer when choosing a drip coffee maker, but it’s irritating to have to wait for the brew cycle to end before you can pour yourself a cup of coffee.A great drip coffee maker will give you the ability to pour yourself a cup of coffee mid brew cycle. The filter basket will hold back the water while you pour the much anticipated cup yourself and then continue with its business.This is a make or break feature when I’m shopping for a new drip machine.Bonus Features in a Great Drip Coffee MakerThese features are just as important as the previous but are sometimes considered a bonus, but I find them just as important. I mean, you’re buying a machine for convenience.Why not ask it to do everything?Again, am I really busy or just lazy?If you can find the unicorn of coffee makers that has the basics and the following bonus features then you’ve struck gold. You’d think since the drip coffee maker is the choice brewing technique of most Americans that there would be more makers with these features. There’s not, unfortunately.Look for all (or a few) of these bonus features:1 – No Special FiltersI’m sure you’ve picked up on the fact that I’m a lady of convenience. I want things to be straightforward and easy to do. I don’t want a drip coffee maker that requires special filters that have to be ordered from the brand. This is exhausting, especially when you go to make a pout of coffee and realize you’re out.I prefer a coffee maker that uses a regular old filter. I have a reusable GoldTone filter that takes the need of even keeping filters stocked in my pantry. They come in a variety of sizes to fit just about any model out there.When things becoming too tedious or time consuming, I’m not interested. I have a drip coffee maker for ease of use, so I don’t spend too much on coffee from my local coffee shop. If things are overly complicated or out of the brand specific filter, I’m not going to use my drip maker.2 – Water FilterHave you ever thought about how the quality of the water you’re using might affect the taste of your coffee?Unless you’re using filtered water in your drip machine, you’re probably not incredibly impressed with your home brewed drip coffee.There’s been a ton of writing on this topic, and studies show that tap water isn’t going to cut it when looking for the perfect cup of coffee at home. Luckily, some drip coffee makers have built-in water filters. Presto! Problem solved.This isn’t a prevalent feature on many drip machines, but if you can find one with a water filter in your price range, then that’s a win in my book.3 – Built-In Burr GrinderYour beans’ grind is so important to the final taste of your home brewed cup of coffee.Why not get a model with a built-in and automatic burr grinder?I want to be clear that the built-in grinder should be a burr grinder and NOT a blade grinder. Blade grinders are going to kill the flavor of your coffee. Steer clear of drip machines that have a blade grinder.This is another convenience I’ve always dreamed of having. My sister has a built-in burr grinder on her drip coffee maker and adores it. I haven’t had the opportunity of my drip maker and stand alone burr grinder dying at the same time, so I’ll continue grinding my beans in a stand alone grinder like a plebe.4 – SCAA CertificationThis feature isn’t necessarily a feature as much as it’s a stamp of approval. The SCAA (Specialty Coffee Association of America) is like Consumer Reports for coffee brewing equipment and just about everything else coffee related.If your machine carries this seal, then you’ve bought a quality, coffee, professional approved drip coffee maker. The organization only approves a handful of drip machines a year, so be ready to pay a higher price on these machines.Best Drip Coffee MakersNow that you know what to look for in a great drip coffee maker, let’s take a look at the best drip coffee makers available to homebrewers. I’m listing my 3 favorites (no particular order) for you to pursue and maybe welcome into your home brewing rotation.I could not find the Cuisinart that my sister has designed with a built-in burr grinder. If you have any suggested drip coffee makers that are your favorite with a burr grinder.1 – Top of the Line Drip Coffee Maker: Technovorm Moccamaster 79112 KBTThe Technovorm Moccamaster series might have the most SCAA certified machines on the market. The Moccamaster 79112 KBT is a sleek machine that will give you a smooth, full-bodied brew almost every time.The drip coffee maker gives the user a lot of control over the brew strength and how fast the water filters through the coffee beans. You can pour yourself a cup of coffee mid brew, and it has a thermal pot to ensure hot coffee well after the brew cycle ends.The Technovorm Moccamaster also boats a full 10 cups of finished coffee in under 6 minutes. That’s just enough time to get everyone a slice of pie and ready for the accompanying cup of coffee.The downsides to this machine are the price, and you still have to use your own filtered water and grinder. If you’re like me, then you already have a burr grinder for your other coffee makers and use filtered water anyway. The price of this machine is a bit spendy. You’re paying for quality, so maybe the price tag isn’t so bad.You can buy the Technovorm Moccamaster 79112 KBT on Amazon with free shipping for Prime members.2 – Workhorse Drip Coffee Maker: Bruan MultiServe MachineIf you’re looking for a coffee maker that can do just about everything, then the Braun MultiServe is the one for you. Not only is it SCAA certified, but it can also make hot and cold coffee beverages. The programmable system can brew single serve iced and hot coffee all the way up to a full 10 cup carafe.The brewing system features a 3 point temperature system to ensure optimal extraction of your desired coffee. The reusable filter is very similar to the one I use in my current coffee maker.Unfortunately, you will still have to grind your beans with an external burr grinder, but this machine is a multitasker.I’m especially interested in this model for my next drip machine because of the wildly sporadic weather we have in Texas. It was -7 last week, and now we’re in the low 70s. Maybe one day I want iced coffee and the next day a piping hot cup of drip coffee. You can see what I’m getting at.You should add this drip coffee maker to your Amazon wishlist now. The Braun MultiServe clocks in at around half the price of the Technovorm. You can buy this fantastic multitasking drip coffee maker on Amazon with free shipping for Prime members.3 –\u00a0 Budget Friendly Drip Coffee Maker: Hamilton Beach Thermal 10 Cup MakerThe 2 previous drip coffee makers have been above $100.00. I’m always writing about coffee should accessible to anyone who wants to enjoy it. That being said, like most other facets of the coffee industry, drip makers can be incredibly expensive.When I was researching this post, I noticed how dang expensive a drip coffee maker could be. There’s no way I would spend more than $60.00 on a drip machine until a few years ago. More money doesn’t always equal quality. Enter the Hamilton Beach Thermal 10 Cup Maker.This machine features the following and for well under $100.00:1 – Programmable2- Mid Brew Pour3 – Thermal 10 Cup Carafe4 – Different Brew Strengths5 – Over 6,100 5 Star Amazon ReviewsNeed I say more?This budget friendly drip coffee maker is one of the best on the market. You can buy this stellar drip coffee maker at Amazon with free shipping.ConclusionDrip coffee makers have come along way since my childhood of the off brand white thing my Grams used. If you want to spend a lot of money, there’s a drip machine for you. If you’re on a budget or just starting in the delicious world of coffee, there’s a drip coffee maker for your needs too.I hope this post helps you in the decision making for your next drip machine. Is there a drip machine that’s not on this list that you love like a member of your family? If so, leave me a note in the comments below.Happy brewing."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Best Drip Coffee Makers (Top Reviews of Coffee Machines)","item":"https:\/\/www.wizardofcoffee.com\/best-drip-coffee-makers\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]