Direct and to the Point
The Ratio Six and OXO Brew 8-Cup Coffee Machine are among our top recommendations. The Ratio Six is a superb brewer, but it is rather expensive. Despite being a fantastic coffee maker under $200, the OXO 8-Cup couldn’t match the Ratio Six in (most) of our taste tests. We also like this OXO 9-cup model for a programmable brewer.
The Ratio Six and OXO Brew 8-Cup Coffee Machine are among our top recommendations.
Click Here To Buy The 8-Cup Coffee Machine by OXOThere is a very small possibility that you haven’t made coffee at home in the previous 24 months if you’re reading this. Pourovers and French presses, for example, need more manual labor during the brewing process. This is why an automatic drip machine is appealing: once you’ve filled it with water and grinds, it takes care of the task.
In 2018, we first examined automatic drip producers. But during the past four years, coffee technology has greatly advanced. There are many new alternatives, and machines that weren’t chosen in 2018 have now undergone a thorough revamp. As a result, we decided to divide our brewer study into two sections. In this one, we’ll concentrate on the top automated drip coffee makers. However, because selecting a cheap model has its own difficulties, we have prepared a list of the top brewers for $150 (or less). We evaluated 16 coffee makers between $52 and $350 between these two reviews—including some of our old favorites—and were able to locate top-notch models that, in our opinion, fit a range of needs and price ranges.
The Winners in Brief
Ratio Six Coffee Machine is the best coffee maker.
Of all the machines we examined, the Ratio Six produced the best coffee, without a doubt. It was also among the group’s most attractive breweries.
Click Here To Buy The Ratio Six Coffee MachineThe OXO Brew 8-Cup Coffee Machine is the best coffee maker under $200.
OXO has cracked the trick for producing high-quality, affordably priced coffee equipment. This particular model was the easiest to use and regularly produced top-notch coffee.
Click Here To Buy The OXO Brew 8-Cup Coffee MachineOXO BREW 9-Cup Coffee Machine, The Best Programmable Coffee Maker
Users of the OXO 9-cup have a little bit more flexibility over their brewing options, and you can set it to brew every morning at a specific time. In taste testing, it wasn’t as good as the OXO 8-cup, but it’s a good option for people who value having programmable settings.
Click Here To Buy The OXO Brew 9-Cup Coffee MachineThe Exams
Brew Test One: Make medium-dark roast coffee to gauge brew time, how well the machine handles a typical supermarket coffee, and the flavor of the final product.
Brew Test Two: Make light roast coffee to evaluate the brew duration, the brewer’s performance with a harder-to-extract bean, and the flavor of the finished product.
Brew Basket Saturation: Following each brew test, assess the brew basket saturation because a coffee machine that produces an evenly extracted brew bed is well-designed.
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS): Using a refractometer, measure the TDS to determine whether it can serve as a benchmark for the amount of coffee that makes it into the final cup.
Temperature Monitoring: During brewing, monitor the water temperatures in the showerhead and the brew basket with a thermocouple to determine how stable they are and at what temperature brewing takes place.
Heat Retention: To determine how hot the carafe keeps the coffee, use an instant-read thermometer to measure the temperature of the beverage immediately upon brewing and again 30 minutes and an hour later.
Test each coffee machine and carafe to see how simple it is to set up, use, and pour from.
Cleaning Ease: Following each test, manually clean the carafe and brew basket of the coffee maker. Look for any characteristics that make one machine easier to clean than another.
Winners Only: Try any predefined features that the best models may have.
Why You Should Believe in Us
Since 2010, I’ve worked in the coffee sector. My first work as a barista was at a busy café where we weren’t allowed to alter the grinder’s grind setting. After that, I worked behind the bar in some way until 2019, all the while continuing to write about coffee and do interviews for a podcast that only discusses coffee. I’ve reviewed espresso makers, French presses, cold brew makers, milk frothers, gooseneck kettles, and even temperature control mugs for Serious Eats (which I really liked more than I expected to!).
Analyzing the Results of Our 2018 Tests
We did a lot of things right when we published our assessment of coffee makers in 2018: analyzing flavor and usability, calculating brew times, and inspecting the brew basket. Total dissolved solids (TDS), a technical indicator of how much actual coffee is in the final cup, was also used to help us distinguish between the coffee makers. TDS is calculated using a refractometer by coffee experts, as we also did. TDS, however, can be impacted by a variety of non-brewery variables, such as water quality and grind size. It’s also not representative of how the majority of people would use or evaluate a home brewer, as we acknowledged in our initial review. For these reasons, when we retested coffee makers, we decided not to pay much attention to TDS. (We did, however, measure the TDS just in case.)
Instead, we focused on the differences that wouldn’t vary from user to user by giving other real-world factors—like brew bed saturation and simplicity of use—more weight. And while you may continuously alter the extraction rate of your coffee by adjusting the amount of your grind, you cannot alter the water temperature or the design of a machine’s brew basket. The best case scenario is for you to leave this review knowing your options for the best brewer and using that knowledge as permission to experiment with elements like strength, grind setting, and roast profile to find what suits you the most.
The Test
We maintained a number of variables constant from machine to machine throughout testing to ensure consistency:
Grind setting: With a burr grinder set to the medium grind setting, we ground whole bean coffee.
Water flush: To make sure the coffee makers were free of any contaminants from the manufacturing process, we ran one rinse cycle before brewing using only water. We waited 20 minutes after this flush to start actually brewing because we assumed that most people do not pre-heat their brewers.
The water: We utilized filtered water for all of our brewing experiments. In addition, rather than depending on the coffee maker’s water level indicator, we weighed the water in grams (this video from coffee expert James Hoffmann shows why these can be wildly off). In essence, a coffee maker’s “cup” can range from four to six ounces, depending on the brand, whereas a cup is typically eight ounces.
For the coffee, we utilized a medium-dark roast from a nearby grocery and a lighter roast from a New York-based specialty coffee roaster. To make sure we used the same amount of ground coffee in each machine, we carefully weighed the coffee. We utilized 55 grams of ground coffee and 1,000 grams (one liter) of water, or a 1:16 ratio, for the medium-dark roast coffee test. We used 30 grams of ground coffee and 500 grams (half a liter) of water to make half that quantity of light roast coffee.
What We Discovered
Brewing in Big vs. Little Batches
A grain of salt should be used when judging coffee makers based only on flavor (although it is important). Although there are numerous elements that affect coffee flavor, we sought to focus on the brewer itself. According to the SCA’s Golden Cup ratio (between 55 and 60 grams of coffee to 1,000 grams or one liter of water), we made round one’s coffees using a liter of water and 55 grams of coffee (a 1:16-ish ratio). We used a smaller batch for round two, 30 grams to a half liter of water.
Here Are Our Favorite $150 (or Less) Coffee Machines That We Tried
Because of the depth of the brew bed, some of the brewers produced better results with a larger batch than a smaller one. The brew bed was shallower when we used less water, allowing water to pass through more quickly. Because there was slightly more resistance in a deeper brew bed (and clearly more coffee), extraction was simpler. But the best coffee makers were equally adept at brewing large and small batches. Even the OXO 8-cup, one of our favorite coffee makers, has a brew bed attachment to maximize flavor while brewing less coffee.
We timed each brew as well; brewer times ranged from four to almost ten minutes. The SCA suggests brewing for four to eight minutes, but the top brewers, according to our research, brewed for five to six minutes. When the water was in touch with the brew bed for a longer period of time at longer brew times, bitter flavors emerged.
How the Configuration of the Brew Basket and Showerhead Affects Extraction
We tasted each coffee after it had finished brewing while simultaneously examining the consistency of the brew bed. Instead of the brew bed being concave in the middle, this indicates even extraction. We assessed whether the brew basket had a conical or flat bottom and whether any obvious channeling was present. This shows regions where water moved through the brew bed more quickly than other locations, which can happen when a showerhead is not made properly. It’s not ideal for channeling because it might lead to both over- and under-extraction. Larger showerheads with more holes were able to evenly moisten the grounds, producing better-extracted brew.
In terms of brew-basket design, we typically preferred the coffee from flat-bottomed brewers (when paired with a well-designed showerhead) and found them to be more reliable, producing a superior medium-dark roast coffee and an equally extracted bed of ground coffee.
But, in the second round of testing, we discovered that a conical-shaped brewer worked best for lighter-roasted coffees since the depth of the brew bed improved extraction. A deeper brew bed meant that the coffee and water had more time to come into contact, which improved the flavor of light roast coffee. There isn’t a very clear answer to this question, thus, you’ll often see coffee drinkers arguing over it. If you want a more thorough explanation of how to brew bed form might affect extraction, this article can be helpful.
Why Brewing Depends on Temperature Stability (and Serving)
One of the versions that could sustain greater temperatures when brewing was the Ratio Six.
The Standards: Characteristics of a Superior Automatic Drip Coffee Maker
Simple tasks for an automatic drip brewer include keeping water hot once it has been made, evenly dispensing hot water over the grounds to ensure optimum flavor extraction (i.e., neither over- nor under-extraction), and keeping the coffee hot. Also, it should fit comfortably beneath a cabinet and be easy to operate, clean, and maintain.
Ratio Six Coffee Machine is the best coffee maker.
What we liked: The Ratio Six extracted coffee better than any other brewer. This flat bottom brewer produced the most flavorful coffee during taste tests without adding any bitter or off notes that can result from over-extraction.
The Ratio is amazingly svelte. The black matte model we tested was striking, even though it also comes in different hues and a stainless steel finish. The water reservoir is accessible by removing a little plate on top of the brewer, which reveals a hole leading to the reservoir. This allows you to store the device simply under your cabinet without worrying about the lid running into anything. The machine’s spray head was exceptionally successful at thoroughly soaking the brew bed, and it includes an automatic bloom setting. A device that sits on top of the brew bed has a rubber ring that seals off the spray head, preventing temperature loss to a minimum.
The coffee in the carafe was still very hot and enjoyable to drink an hour later at 168°F thanks to the Ratio Six, which also produced some of the hottest coffee. The carafe’s wide opening made cleaning it simple.
What we didn’t like: The lid of the Ratio Six’s carafe was a little difficult to put on, and the spout could use some improvement. It requires pressing down on a release valve in order to pour, and because the coffee is released in an uneven stream, it is more likely to spill. This brewer also contains numerous parts, including the portion that forms a seal over the showerhead, the brew basket, and the lid (Ratio is aware of this).
The only other aspect of Ratio Six worth mentioning is its price; at $345, it’s not exactly affordable. Both OXO models, in our opinion, perform admirably for their price ranges, but the Ratio Six is the greatest coffee machine available today.
Price as of publication: $365.
Key Specifications
1.25 liters/40 ounces/eight cups are the stated capacities.
Brewer’s height: 14.25 inches
Weight: 8 lbs.
Integrated bloom cycle: yes
Thermal carafe kind of carafe
Brewing time average: 4 minutes and 48 seconds
Power: 1400 watts
Limited 5-year warranty
Brewer SCA Certified: Yes
The OXO Brew 8-Cup Coffee Machine is the best coffee maker under $200.
What we liked: The OXO 8-cup is a reasonably priced brewer that strikes a balance between essential functions and a simple aesthetic. The OXO 8-cup carafes were the most enjoyable for us to pour from. As the carafe’s lid was left on during the brewing process, there is no need to awkwardly remove the brew bed and put the lid back on afterwards. It was the alternative that could fit the best on any kitchen surface and was the smallest of the lot. In contrast to the OXO 9-cup, the OXO 8-cup also makes a small indicator noise when the brewing process is complete.
The only buttons on the device (apart from the ON button) are to brew for a small batch (two to four cups) or large (five to eight cups), and it even comes with an insert to maximize small-batch brewing, which is a major thing. This OXO can be adjusted to make large and small quantities. One of the main issues with most coffee makers is that they can brew a lot of coffee just fine, but not much of it. Because to the thin depth of the brew bed with less coffee, the water frequently merely runs through too rapidly. This problem is fixed by the OXO 8-cup, and when we conducted the second brew test using a smaller quantity of coffee, we loved the OXO 8-cup’s coffee the most (slightly more so than the Ratio, but by a wide margin when we produced a larger batch).
By holding down the brew button, the OXO provides you the option to bloom your coffee, giving you additional versatility. The brewer also offers the option to brew directly into a mug or a carafe (we didn’t try this, but reviews we read stated that while this feature is appreciated, shorter mugs will cause coffee to splatter all over the place).
What we didn’t like: The showerhead isn’t quite right; we saw some channeling, and the brew bed wasn’t quite as even as we’d like. That’s the only thing we have to complain about. As we tasted the coffees repeatedly from the OXO 8-cup, we detected some hints of both over- and under-extraction (from the channeling, as the areas where it did channel would produce under-extracted bits and the areas where there wasn’t channeling would produce slightly over-extracted bits due to the displacement of the coffee grounds). These unpleasant flavors, meanwhile, were quite minor and probably wouldn’t affect the typical home taster.
Price as of publication: $200.
Key Specifications
1.25 liters/40 ounces/eight cups are the stated capacities.
Brewer’s height: 13.5 inches
Weight: 10.3 lbs.
Integrated bloom cycle: yes
Thermal carafe kind of carafe
Brewing time average: 5 minutes and 53 seconds
Power: 1400 watts
Guarantee: two years
Brewer SCA Certified: Yes
OXO BREW 9-Cup Coffee Machine, The Best Programmable Coffee Maker
The Ratio Six and the OXO 8-cup are not programmable; you essentially just press a button and coffee is made. The OXO 9-cup lets consumers set a specific time for their brewer to start brewing coffee.
The OXO 9-cup doesn’t include an insert, but it offers the same ability to brew either a smaller or larger quantity as the OXO 8-cup. As I said above, the OXO 9-cup had some peculiar behaviors during the brewing process; rather than dispensing water continuously, it appeared to do it in bursts. Although we don’t believe it had a discernible impact on the final quality of the coffee, it does demonstrate that the OXO team is aware of how consumers make coffee, and we anticipate they’ll keep refining their drip machines.
The conical brew bed, which extracted lighter-roasted coffees better but didn’t let the somewhat darker coffee blend shine, was my major quibble. The latter had a drier flavor, which might be a sign of over-extraction.
Price as of publication: $230.
Key Specifications
stated capacity: 9 cups/45 ounces
Brewer’s height: 17.2 inches
Weight: 11 lbs.
Integrated bloom cycle: yes
Thermal carafe kind of carafe
Brewing time average: 6 minutes and 40.5 seconds
Power: 1400 watts
Guarantee: two years
Brewer SCA Certified: Yes
The Contest
Breville Precision Brewer: In our last testing in 2018, the Breville Precision Brewer came out on top. We still advise this choice for someone who is very interested in experimenting with a lot of software options. The brew bed was less level than in our new favorites, and as a result, the flavor extraction wasn’t as uniform.
There is a reason Technivorm brewers are so popular: they have been around for years and have a unique design that no other brewer can match. Nevertheless, they provide incredibly under-extracted coffee unless you truly understand how to operate the machine (you must stir the grounds because the spray head doesn’t cover the entire brew bed).
The Technivorm Moccamaster costs more than $300, and for that amount, we’d prefer that the brewer come with a thermal carafe rather than just a glass container. This model has the same problem with the spray head as the one listed above.
Bunn ThermoFresh: Bunn is well-known for its commercial appliances, so we were curious to try the Bunn ThermoFresh because it brews differently from any of the other models: it has a hot water tank that you fill, then you add additional water to “push out” that already hot water. Nevertheless, this is just unworkable for at-home brewing and would be more suitable in a work environment or somewhere where coffee is regularly brewed. It was also quite challenging to set up and perfect. After the 15 minutes of water boiling, it claims to brew coffee in three minutes.
Café Smart Drip Coffee Maker: Although the Cafe Smart appeared promise, taste tests revealed that it was lacking. The flavor was uneven and flat, and it couldn’t compete with those of the other brewers. It is, nevertheless, a very attractive coffee maker.
FAQs
What does a coffee maker’s SCA Certification mean?
Brewers who want to become certified by the SCA must adhere to a set of rules. These lengthy and sometimes bizarre standards are set up to guarantee that any coffee maker bearing their mark of approval will produce a delicious cup of joe. This is based on decades of research into the factors that contribute to good coffee; nevertheless, not every outstanding brewer will be SCA certified, and there were a few brewers we tested that were SCA certified but weren’t very exceptional. Here are a few significant things they look for:
Does it brew a sufficient amount of coffee without spilling or scattering grinds everywhere?
How long does it take to complete a complete brewing cycle? A brewer must be able to make a batch of coffee in four to eight minutes in order to be SCA approved.
How hot does the water become during brewing, and how long does it stay hot? According to the SCA, water must reach 92°C (197.6°F) within the first minute of contact with coffee grinds and must maintain this temperature between 92°C and 96°C (197°F and 204.8°F) throughout the brewing process.
Gold cup standards: Just around 30% of a coffee bean’s true weight is soluble, and not all of it has a flavor that is appetizing. For the best-tasting cup of coffee, experts have found that 18 to 22% of a coffee bean should be extracted. In essence, brewers that pass SCA testing can correctly extract all the beneficial components in coffee.
Consider the SCA seal more of a bar than a promise that these brewers will be outstanding. The SCA guidelines check whether these brewers can meet the aforementioned requirements, which does aid in producing excellent coffee. These guidelines are especially helpful in light of the fact that there are thousands of brewers, many of which fall short of the aforementioned requirements (you’ll see many of these in our assessment of brewers priced at $150 or less).
How durable are coffee machines that drip automatically?
The Ratio Six Coffee Machine, which is our top pick, has a five-year warranty. Additionally, it is intended to be repairable, and Ratio can be contacted directly to request repairs. A two-year warranty is offered on the OXO Brew 8-Cup and OXO Brew 9-Cup coffee machines. High-end coffee machines can endure for many years if routinely cleaned, descaled, and maintained.
How often should a drip coffee machine be replaced?
Most drip coffee machines can be made to last for many years with careful cleaning and descaling. If something isn’t operating properly, the manufacturer can really fix the Ratio Six, which is our top selection. A fully malfunctioning automatic coffee maker only need replacement if the maker doesn’t have a repair program.
What is a cycle in “bloom”?
In coffee brewers, a “bloom cycle” (or pre-infusion) is either pre-installed or available as a preset or button. During this stage, a brewer degasifies the coffee grinds by misting them briefly with hot water to let the trapped carbon dioxide escape. Brewing starts 30 to 60 seconds after blossoming. The theory is that easier extraction happens once these fumes are gone. This feature is typically found on expensive models, but we don’t think it’s really necessary.
What distinguishes cleaning from descaling a coffee maker?
Removing coffee oils and other residue from a coffee maker involves cleaning the appliance both inside and out. Descaling is the process of clearing your brewer of scale, an accumulation of calcium carbonate.
All water contains dissolved minerals unless you’re using distilled water for brewing (spoiler alert: don’t; it will taste like nothing because coffee needs minerals to bind to during extraction, but if you’re the type of person who needs to try things for yourself, this is actually a pretty fun experiment). Scale is a white, chalky substance that forms over time on any object that comes into contact with water. A decent general rule of thumb is to descale every one to two months. If you live somewhere with hard water, you’ll probably want to do it more frequently than people who have soft water. Visit this page to learn more about scale.
Do I need to put vinegar in my brand-new drip coffee maker?
Despite its ability to clean and descale, vinegar can harm the heating elements in the coffee makers we’ve recommended in this post. The ideal practice when using a new coffee maker is to run clean water through it, and when it’s time to clean, use cleaning and descaling chemicals especially made for automated drip coffee makers because vinegar can leave strong aromas and wear at the metal in the boiler.
Why is my coffee maker filling to the brim?
A number of things can cause the filter basket in an automatic drip coffee maker to overflow, but the major one is simple to fix: you might be using too much coffee. Although the majority of coffee makers in the United States show water volume in “cups” on their reservoirs, the Specialty Coffee Association’s Golden Cup ratio suggests 55 to 60 grams of coffee per liter of water. The biggest problem? There is no indication of which one the brewer uses when referring to a “cup” on a coffee machine, which is between four and five ounces. The easiest way to avoid overflowing is to weigh your coffee to the appropriate volume after measuring your water in milliliters; for example, 45 grams of coffee for 750 milliliters or 30 grams for 500 milliliters. This will guarantee that the proper amount of coffee is used, preventing overflow and enhancing the cup’s flavor. However, if you are using the recommended amount of coffee and are still experiencing overflows, check to see if the filter basket’s drainage hole is blocked or if its trap door mechanism is stuck closed as a result of a broken spring. These are two common problems that can prevent the basket from draining properly and result in overflows.