Based on 11,518 analyzed reviews
Table of contents
NerdWallet’s scoring of the best inexpensive coffee makers is based on our analysis of the opinions of experts and shoppers like you.
There are many things to consider when choosing a coffee maker. Do you need a single-serve brewer or one that makes 12 cups at a time? Do you like your coffee strong, weak or in between?
Helping you make a decision is where we come in. We analyzed the most popular coffee makers on the market to help you figure out which one is right for you.
To narrow down the field, we looked at expert opinions from review sites such as The Sweethome, CNET and Good Housekeeping. We then analyzed user reviews to get opinions on each coffee maker’s high and low points.
We recognize that consumers look for different qualities in coffee makers, so we created scores based on user observations of a handful of different features, including ease of use, coffee quality and cleaning.
Our analysis
Our final coffee maker scores run from a low of 1 to a high of 10. Here’s how we came up with the numbers:
Overall score: This score shows reviewers’ overall satisfaction with the coffee maker as a whole across 11 criteria, including ease of use, coffee quality, coffee maker design, size and durability.
Coffee quality: This score, which factors into the overall score, reflects reviewers’ satisfaction with the quality of coffee the maker produces. This includes coffee taste, temperature and how the brewing process affects these aspects.
Ease of use: This score, which also factors into the overall score, indicates reviewers’ satisfaction with how easy the maker is to use. This includes aspects such as cleaning, setup, design and features.
These coffee makers are our top picks, ranked in order of overall score.
The coffee makers
1. Hamilton Beach Personal Cup One-Cup Pod Brewer (49970)
Users loved the way the Hamilton Beach Personal Cup One-Cup Pod Brewer made coffee so simple: Just pop in a pod, pour in some water, push a button and out comes a fresh, hot cup of coffee.
| Overall score | Coffee quality | Ease of use |
| 8.79 | 7.5 | 7.8 |
Buyers Like
- Brews delicious coffee
- Easy and intuitive to use
- Convenient, compact size
Buyers Dislike
- Can’t use taller mugs
- Sometimes leaks water
2. Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Coffee Maker (46201)
The downside is that the Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Coffee Maker takes its sweet time making your coffee, but the upside is that the machine is easy to program, use and clean — and it makes delicious coffee.
| Overall score | Coffee quality | Ease of use |
| 8.47 | 8.2 | 8.9 |
Buyers Like
- Easy to program, use and clean
- Coffee comes out hot and delicious
- Base has wheels for convenience
Buyers Dislike
- Not very durable
- Slow to brew
3. Hamilton Beach BrewStation Summit Ultra (48465)
With just a push of the dispensing bar, the programmable Hamilton Beach BrewStation Summit Ultra serves up your choice of bold, regular or even iced coffee. But the machine’s design made it difficult to refill or to squeeze under an upper cabinet.
| Overall score | Coffee quality | Ease of use |
| 8.33 | 9.1 | 7.7 |
Buyers Like
- Regardless of brew choice, coffee is delicious
- Coffee stays hot and tastes fresh for up to four hours
- Simple to set up, program and use
Buyers Dislike
- Awkward to fill with water or clean
- Some spillage was reported
- Too tall to fit under some upper cabinets
4. Bunn BXB Velocity Brew
Because the Bunn BXB Velocity Brew’s stainless steel internal tank keeps water hot, it’s able to dispense four to 10 hot cups of rich, flavorful coffee in just three minutes. However, some users complained that the poorly designed glass carafe made for a messy pour.
| Overall score | Coffee quality | Ease of use |
| 8.32 | 9.1 | 5.8 |
Buyers Like
- Coffee is hot, fast and delicious
- Easy to set up and maintain
Buyers Dislike
- Can be messy
- Carafe tends to spill when you pour
- Coffee keeps dripping when you pull out the carafe
5. Hamilton Beach The Scoop Single-Serve Coffee Maker (49981)
The easy-to-use Scoop Single-Serve by Hamilton Beach uses a just a scoop of ground coffee to quickly brew one steaming hot cup of joe. Not all users were thrilled with the taste of the coffee, though.
| Overall score | Coffee quality | Ease of use |
| 8.25 | 7.2 | 8.1 |
Buyers Like
- Simple and easy to use
- Brews piping-hot coffee quickly
Buyers Dislike
- Coffee tasted weak
- Some users warned of a “plastic” flavor
- Sometimes messy to use
6. Hamilton Beach 2-Way Brewer (49980Z)
The Hamilton Beach 2-Way Brewer gives you the option of brewing a travel-mug-size single serving or employing the carafe for up to 12 cups. You can also choose between using convenient pods or ground coffee.
| Overall score | Coffee quality | Ease of use |
| 8.17 | 7.5 | 8.7 |
Buyers Like
- Coffee is hot and delicious
- Easy to program, use and clean
- Carafe is well-designed
Buyers Dislike
- Large footprint if you’re mostly using it for single cups
- Brews slowly
7. Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Coffee Maker With Digital Clock (49467)
The programmable Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Coffee Maker with Digital Clock makes up to 12 cups of piping-hot, delicious coffee, but be careful when pouring — users complained that the lid on the carafe sometimes caused spills.
| Overall score | Coffee quality | Ease of use |
| 8.1 | 8.9 | 6.9 |
Buyers Like
- Brews hot, delicious coffee
- Simple, fast and easy setup
- Coffee can stay warm for up to two hours
Buyers Dislike
- Carafe can cause pouring problems
- No automatic shut-off
- Sometimes leaked
8. Cuisinart DCC-2650 Extreme Brew 12-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker
Besides the fact that it brews a hot, delicious cup of coffee quickly, users loved the programmable, self-cleaning Cuisinart DCC-2650 Extreme Brew’s easy setup and intuitive controls.
| Overall score | Coffee quality | Ease of use |
| 8.02 | 8.3 | 7.7 |
Buyers Like
- Easy setup and operation
- Brews rich, delicious coffee quickly
- Easy to refill water
Buyers Dislike
- Carafe and lid can cause overflow
- Settings and levels are hard to read
- Too tall for some countertops
9. Black & Decker Brew ’n Go Personal Coffee Maker
Whether you use pods or ground coffee, the compact Black & Decker Brew ’n Go Personal Coffee Maker brews a hot, delicious single serving of joe directly into the included stainless steel travel mug.
| Overall score | Coffee quality | Ease of use |
| 8.01 | 8.2 | 7.1 |
Buyers Like
- Coffee is hot, delicious and brews quickly
- Quick and easy cleanup
- Simple setup
Buyers Dislike
- Mug is badly designed
- Durability issues
10. Cuisinart DCC-3000 Coffee on Demand
Using mugs instead of a carafe, the fully programmable, self-cleaning Cuisinart DCC-3000 Coffee on Demand dispenses up to 12 5-ounce cups of coffee, one cup at a time. But many users complained that the machine couldn’t accommodate larger mugs.
| Overall score | Coffee quality | Ease of use |
| 7.94 | 8.6 | 8.4 |
Buyers Like
- Coffee is hot and delicious
- Simple and easy to program and use
- Easy to customize shut-off, brew time and volume
Buyers Dislike
- Power cord too short
- Only accommodates smaller mugs
- Relatively large footprint
Best cheap coffee makers buying guide
A bad cup of java can really ruin a morning, which is why it’s important to purchase the right brand of coffee and the right machine to prepare it in — because how you brew is just as crucial as what you brew. Here are some factors to keep in mind while you’re shopping:
Heat
Some coffee drinkers want their beverage to practically scorch their mouths, while others are content to ease into the morning with a warm cup. And then there’s the matter of the coffee staying warm once it’s brewed. All of the machines profiled here made hot coffee, but users loved the stay-warm-for-hours feature of the Hamilton Beach BrewStation Summit Ultra and the Cuisinart DCC-3000 Coffee on Demand, because there is no carafe to cool down.
Ease of use
If you’re the type of person who would rather drink day-old coffee than read the instruction manual, the Hamilton Beach Personal Cup One-Cup Pod Brewer is probably the most straightforward way to get a cup of coffee, short of ordering one at a cafe. But users also loved the simplicity of the Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Coffee Maker, though the machine does have a longer-than-usual brew time.
Quantity
If you just want to grab one simple, hot cup of coffee on your way out the door, the Hamilton Beach Personal Cup One-Cup Pod Brewer or the Black & Decker Brew ’n Go Personal Coffee Maker have you covered. But if you’re the kind who sips throughout the morning (or day), or you’re making coffee for a group, one of the larger-capacity machines — such as the Cuisinart DCC-3000 Coffee on Demand or Bunn BXB Velocity Brew — might be right for you. If you like to keep your options open, the Hamilton Beach 2-Way Brewer gives you the choice of making your morning joe by the mug or pot.
Cleanliness
You probably don’t want to deal with a messy coffee machine. While users loved the coffee that the Cuisinart DCC-2650 Extreme Brew and Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Coffee Maker with Digital Clock made, flaws in the design of the carafe sometimes make for sloppy serving. Users found that the Hamilton Beach BrewStation Summit Ultra poured neatly, but its design makes cleaning the machine a little awkward.
Size
If your kitchen has miles of countertop, the size of your coffee maker probably isn’t a concern. If not, figure out where the machine is going and bust out the tape measure before you buy. Naturally, a single-serving machine such as the Hamilton Beach Personal Cup One-Cup Pod Brewer takes up very little space, whereas the Hamilton Beach 2-Way Brewer, with its carafe and mug dispensers, takes up a sizeable plot of real estate. If you expect to tuck the machine under an upper cabinet, height can be an issue, so you may want to think twice about taller machines like the Cuisinart DCC-2650 Extreme Brew or the Hamilton Beach BrewStation Summit Ultra.
For more coffee maker roundups, check out:
- The Best Coffee Makers
- The Best Single-Serve Coffee Makers
- The Best Grind and Brew Coffee Makers
- The Best 4-Cup Coffee Makers
- The Best Keurig Coffee Makers
- The Best 12-Cup Coffee Makers
- The Best Drip Coffee Makers
Compare other popular coffee makers here:
Top image via iStock.
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