Best Single Brew Coffee Makers

There's nothing better than a cup freshly brewed coffee at the beginning of your day. This is why we love single-brew coffee makers.

To determine the best option for you, think about what is most important to your brewing requirements and what features are frills. Our criteria include a large water reservoir, multiple brew settings, and the ability to use reusable coffee pods.

1. Do you need capsules or ground coffee?

Depending on your preference, you may want to select a model that uses ground beans or coffee pods. While there are a few models that exclusively make use of coffee pods but the majority of models in our roundup can accommodate both. This makes them a good choice for those who enjoy having a wide selection of options at hand.

Nespresso's Vertuo Plus is a perfect example. It's a part of the more recent Vertuoline from the brand and features a foolproof one-touch system that produces amazing espresso shots and freshly coffee beans that are brewed. It was also the most efficient machine we tested and comes with reuseable pods that are better for the environment than K-Cups.

The Cuisinart grind & blend is a great alternative for those who prefer to grind coffee. It comes with an integrated conical burr grinder to make freshly-ground coffee and it has three preset brewing sizes -eight, ten and twelve ounces. It's a bit more costly than some of the other single-serve coffee makers we have in our line-up, but it was among the best-tasting models we tested and it does away with the need to throw away K-Cups or the waste associated with them.

The Instant Pot Dual Pod Plus, our runner-up, is a great option for those who wish to be able to use both types of pods or grounds. It's a versatile machine that can brew with Keurig K-Cups, original Nespresso pods, as well as the company's own compostable capsules (though they require an industrial composting facility). It also produces the most intense coffee we've ever tried, and offers a variety of other features like hot water for tea or a milk frother.

2. Does it have a big water reservoir?

The top single-brew coffee maker comes with a large reservoir that will easily meet your needs. This will stop your machine from running out of water constantly, which could affect the quality of the brew. When you are choosing a coffee maker, the amount of water in the reservoir is crucial. It will determine the frequency at which you will need to refill and empty the tank.

The BLACK+DECKER Compact Single-Serve Coffee Maker is a great alternative for those looking for a machine that is simple to use that won't break the bank. It can make the perfect cup of coffee in just two minutes and can be programmed to brew up to 24 hours in advance. This is perfect for people who are always on the move. It's compact and fits on a small counter. It's also the cheapest among our top picks. It also makes the most hot coffee we've seen and comes with a built-in travel mug for convenience. It didn't perform as well as the other brewers we tested however the water reservoir is quite small.

If you are willing to spend more, the Keurig K-Supreme Smart Single-Serve coffee maker is our upgrade pick. It's a great design and features that stood out in our tests. It has fast brewing times and high temperatures for coffee. It also comes with three brew sizes and is extremely user-friendly. Its only downside is that you have to remove it for a period of time, which can be a hassle for those who consume a lot of coffee.

3. Does it have multiple brew settings?

The best single brew coffee Maker single-brew coffee maker can be set to multiple settings, including different sizes, styles and quantities of drinks and the ability to make cold brew. This allows you to customize your drink to exactly how you like it and save a few minutes by avoiding the process of boiling and steeping your coffee grounds in hot water. This method uses cooler water that helps keep the coffee's flavor intact.

Noah Kaufman, the editor of Epi's Reviews, is a huge fan of the Bruvi single serve coffee system-Serve Coffee Maker because it offers several options for brewing with a single tap. You can choose from an acid-free beverage or espresso shot over ice. The Bruvi also comes with an brewing option which takes longer than a typical quick brew but is well worth it for a full creamy cup.

In our tests the Bruvi consistently made the most consistent and hot cup of coffee among the single-serve machines that we test. The brewing process is simple to program and the timer can keep your beverage warm for upto 4 hours. If you're a fan cold brew The Bruvi also comes with a setting for brewing that can adjust the temperature and brew times to make a refreshing and delicious beverage.

Breville Precision Brewer was another standout, offering six brew settings including Gold Strong, Fast and Iced. The Gold setting is built on the Specialty coffee Association's guidelines for the perfect cup of coffee. The other settings can be adjusted to meet your needs. The Breville Precision is narrower than many single-serve brewers that we test. This helped it to maintain its brew temperature and encourage deeper saturation as well as an even extraction of the beans.

4. Does it come with an automatic cleaning feature?

The top single-cup coffee makers have a self-cleaning feature that removes any leftover grounds or used K-Cup pods from the machine after every use. Certain models even let you know when it's time to start cleaning. It's important to check the manual for the user or the manufacturer's website for specific directions as different machines come with various cleaning methods.

Bruvi's single serving coffee machine-serve coffee maker is one of our favorites, as it has a simple and easy-to-use interface, produces delicious coffee, and requires minimal daily maintenance. It comes with a large reservoir of water and can be used to brew hot or iced coffee. It also has a range of brewing options that can be done with one touch that include low acid, Americano, and cold brew. one serve coffee maker drawback is that it takes longer to make than other models, but it's a minor flaw in a great product.

This coffee maker is a great budget option because it's inexpensive and makes a great cup coffee. It has an ejectable water tank of 40 ounces, which can be used for both K-Cups and ground coffee. Its user manual includes specific instructions for taking the reservoir off before refilling and emptying it, and performing regular descaling. It can brew any type of coffee, which is not the case with other single-cup machines.

This coffee maker is a fantastic alternative for anyone who enjoys the convenience of single-serve coffee but dislikes the taste and waste of K-Cups. It has a large water tank as well as an integrated grinder that makes it easy to make a delicious cup coffee from ground beans. It offers a variety of options for brewing, including bold and over ice and it can be made with reused K-Cups or the brand's own recyclable pods. It also features steam buttons for making tea and a foldaway frother.

5. Does it come with a programmable timer?

The most programmable coffee maker allows you to set it the night before so that you awake to hot, freshly brewed coffee. This is particularly useful for those who are on the go or who do not want to use a pour-over or Moka pot.

Most programmable machines come with the basic timer that lasts for 24 hours. If you're interested in more advanced features, you might be interested in De'Longhi's COM532 that is our top single-cup pod machine. It comes with a touchscreen and a variety of settings that let you customize your coffee to the type you like, such as brewing temperature and strength. The machine is pricey, but it produces the most hot coffee of any of our machines we tested and the carafe will keep it at a perfect drinking temperature for over an hour after brewing.

Black + Decker Classic single-serve coffeemaker is a budget-friendly and programmeable machine that can be programmed. It's a compact footprint, is compatible with ESE (Eco-friendly Single-Serve) pods, and comes with simple controls that make it easy to use. It also scored highly in our tests of taste, brews quickly, and has an easy-to-remove water tank, which is dishwasher safe.

If you are tired of the pre-packaged beans and would prefer to save some money, a single-cup or manual drip brewer is an excellent option. You can grind your beans yourself for a more fresh flavor and to have more control over the flavor of your drink. It is more time-consuming than using a machine that utilizes pods, however if you are a coffee lover it might be worth it. To ensure regular results, weigh your coffee grounds and beans on a scale instead of measuring by volume.