When thinking about single-serve coffee makers, the typical image that comes to mind is often a pod-based brewer. Keurig and Nespresso are prominent brands in this category, emphasizing speed, convenience, and user-friendliness. However, beyond pod-based machines, there exists a variety of alternatives. These include drip coffee makers, French presses, pour overs, and other methods, all crafted to deliver a single, delightful cup of coffee.
Our Top Picks
Best Overall
Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker
Highlights:
- Offers multiple brew functions and various serving sizes
- Features an impressive frother whisk
- Boasts a sturdy, dishwasher-friendly design
- Provides excellent drip coffee with a removable water tank
Considerations:
- Takes up considerable counter space
- Uses coffee concentrate instead of real espresso
- Lacks a warming function
The Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker is certified by the SCA (Specialty Coffee Association), offering versatility akin to having multiple coffee makers in one. It supports a single-serve option for quick mornings and can froth milk for lattes and cappuccinos. With six drink sizes available, it caters from single cups to large carafes (12 to 50 ounces). Whether you prefer classic coffee, rich brews, or iced drinks, its thermal extraction ensures robust flavor using your favorite coffee beans.
Best Keurig
Keurig Single-Serve K-Cup Coffee Maker
Highlights:
- Provides multiple beverage choices
- Easy-to-use functionality
- Includes a dishwasher-safe milk frother
- Features a removable water tank
Considerations:
- Requires coffee concentrate rather than real espresso
- Limited to K-Cup pod use
The Keurig K-Café enhances the classic K-Cup brewer with a milk frother and a “shot” mode for concentrated coffee ideal for lattes and cappuccinos. Although it doesn’t brew true espresso, its affordability and speed make it a practical choice for quick, quality coffee. Choose from four cup sizes or opt for espresso-style coffee with the press of a button. The machine’s simplicity extends to maintenance with a dishwasher-safe frother cup and an auto-off feature for energy efficiency.
Best Nespresso
Nespresso Essenza Mini
Highlights:
- Ensures consistent espresso quality
- Compact and lightweight design
- Easy to operate
- Offers an affordable Nespresso option with a removable water tank
Considerations:
- Small capsule container limits capacity
- Espresso flavor lacks complexity
The Nespresso Essenza Mini stands out as Nespresso’s most compact and economical machine. It brews espresso and lungo sizes swiftly, achieving consistent results typical of Nespresso. While lacking an integrated frother, it pairs seamlessly with compatible options like the Aeroccino3 Milk Frother bundle. Ideal for quick coffee enjoyment, it heats up in just 25 seconds and shuts off automatically nine minutes after brewing, ensuring both convenience and energy savings.
Best Pour Over
Hario V60 Ceramic Coffee Dripper
Highlights:
- Produces robust, nuanced coffee flavors
- Compact and aesthetically pleasing
- Offers affordability in pour-over coffee making
Considerations:
- Requires patience for pour-over brewing
- Limited by its manual operation
The Hario V60 Ceramic Coffee Dripper remains a favorite among coffee aficionados for its precise brewing method. Its distinctive V-shape and ribbed interior facilitate optimal extraction, ensuring a clean, flavorful cup. Available in various colors and materials, this pour-over device grants full control over brewing dynamics, allowing customization to suit individual taste preferences.
Best Dual Brewer
OXO Brew 12-Cup Coffee Maker with Single-Serve
Highlights:
- Features a thermal carafe for prolonged coffee warmth
- Includes dual filter baskets for varying brew sizes
- Intuitive controls with a compact build
Considerations:
- Non-removable water tank complicates filling
- Requires disposable paper filters
The OXO Brew 12-Cup Coffee Maker excels with its dual functionality, accommodating both single-serve and full carafe brewing. Its thermal carafe preserves coffee heat for hours without compromising flavor. Despite a fixed water tank and reliance on paper filters, it delivers consistent brew quality across different roast types, appealing to those valuing convenience and robust coffee profiles.
Best for Travel
AeroPress Original Coffee Maker
Highlights:
- Brews high-quality coffee quickly
- Compact and portable design
- Ideal for travel and outdoor use
Considerations:
- Setup may be cumbersome for some users
- Aesthetic appeal may not suit all preferences
The AeroPress Original Coffee Maker remains a popular choice among travelers and coffee enthusiasts seeking a versatile, non-electric brewing solution. Known for its rapid brewing process and ease of use, it offers flexibility in brewing styles, from standard coffee to espresso-like shots. While requiring manual effort, its affordability and portability make it a practical companion for on-the-go coffee enjoyment.
Best High-End
Terra Kaffe TK-01 Espresso Machine
Highlights:
- Offers customizable drink options via touchscreen
- Sleek, space-saving design with a built-in burr grinder
Considerations:
- Requires frequent cleaning of grounds chamber and drip tray
- Commands a premium price point
The Terra Kaffe TK-01 Espresso Machine redefines single-serve coffee makers with its super-automatic capabilities. It prepares espresso, lattes, cappuccinos, and Americanos at the touch of a button, allowing customization of size, strength, and milk froth. While maintenance involves regular cleaning of its grounds chamber and drip tray, its efficiency in producing café-quality drinks justifies its higher cost, appealing to those valuing convenience and advanced coffee customization.
Final Verdict
The Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker offers versatility beyond single-serve brewing, capable of preparing a full pot of coffee or several shots of espresso. Alternatively, the Keurig K-Café stands out as a reliable choice for brewing a variety of drinks using convenient K-Cups.
How We Tested Single-Serve Coffee Makers
Over the years, we’ve evaluated numerous single-serve coffee makers, ranging from pod-based brewers like Keurigs to pour-over devices and beyond. Our selection process has identified our top picks across different categories to help you find the perfect single-serve coffee maker.
Our Observations:
Coffee Taste: Assessing coffee flavor is paramount, so we conducted extensive taste tests using various types of grounds or pods. We employed blind taste tests to ensure impartiality and compared each machine against similar models. For instance, the Hario V60 emerged as our top choice among 23 pour-over devices tested in our lab, not just for taste but for several other attributes.
Features: We meticulously examined each coffee maker’s features, including serving sizes, “strong brew” options, adjustable temperatures, milk frothing capabilities, and more. We evaluated how well these features enhanced the overall brewing experience.
Build Quality: Beyond aesthetics, we scrutinized the durability and construction of each coffee maker. We assessed how well they held up during testing to ensure reliability over time. Any machine that showed signs of fragility or malfunction during regular use did not make our list.
Our Ratings:
Brew Quality: We rated the taste and quality of coffee on a scale from one to five, considering factors like strength, aroma, body, and clarity. Multiple taste testers and coffee varieties were used to account for diverse preferences.
Ease of Use: User-friendliness is crucial, so we rated each coffee maker based on how intuitive it was to operate, brewing time, and ease of cleanup.
Value: Lastly, we evaluated each coffee maker’s value for money, determining whether it justified its price tag with performance and features.
About Our Testers:
Our team includes seasoned professionals with extensive experience in professional kitchens and product testing:
- Derek Rose, our Coffee and Tea Expert, has reviewed and recommended several coffee makers on our list, such as the Keurig K-Café, AeroPress, Hario V60, and Oxo Brew 12-Cup Coffee Maker With Podless Single-Serve Function.
- Cheyenne Elwell, who joined The Spruce Eats in 2018, has personally tested and reviewed numerous coffee products at home. She has recommended models like the Ninja CM407, Keurig K-Café, Nespresso Essenza Mini, and AeroPress.
- Irvin Lin, a renowned cookbook author, researched and reviewed the Hario V60 extensively, supported by our team’s collective testing and recommendations.
These insights and assessments ensure that our recommendations are informed by rigorous testing and diverse perspectives, helping you choose the best single-serve coffee maker to suit your needs.
What to Look for in a Single-Serve Coffee Maker
Type
Choosing a single-serve coffee maker isn’t a one-size-fits-all decision—there are various styles to consider based on your preferences:
Keurig: Opt for convenience above all else. If you prefer the simplicity of using K-Cups and pressing a button, even if it means sacrificing a bit on coffee quality.
Nespresso: If you favor espresso over drip coffee and appreciate the convenience of pods. You might even consider a Nespresso machine that can prepare milk-based drinks like lattes or cappuccinos, depending on your budget.
AeroPress: Ideal for frequent travelers, campers, or minimalists who don’t mind putting in a little extra effort for a compact coffee maker.
French Press: Perfect for those who enjoy robust, full-bodied coffee that lingers on the palate. Surprisingly easy to use for such flavorful results.
Pour Over: If you’re passionate about tasting the nuanced flavors of coffee beans, pour overs offer affordability and brew a clean cup with exceptional clarity. According to Nigel Price, Founder and Owner of Drip Coffee Makers in New York City, “Pour over is my go-to method for making coffee—it brings out the best flavors.”
Drip: Best for heavy coffee drinkers. Depending on the model, drip coffee makers can brew anything from a single cup to a full pot, perfect for all-day enjoyment.
Espresso: If you aspire to create café-style drinks at home and enjoy the process of perfecting your espresso shot, despite the occasional mess.
Yield
While some single-serve coffee makers cater exclusively to individual servings, consider if you might occasionally want more coffee. Look for models that offer larger cup sizes or the ability to brew a carafe for sharing.
If you’re into espresso drinks, think about the brew sizes you’ll need. For example, the Nespresso Essenza Mini offers both espresso and lungo options (1 ounce and 2 ounces), while the Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker brews 4 ounces of espresso-style concentrate.
Extra Features
Manual coffee makers like the Hario V60 and AeroPress are straightforward without additional features. They’re perfect if you prefer simplicity. Electric coffee makers, on the other hand, often come with programmable settings for brewing in advance, keep-warm functions, and the ability to pause brewing for a quick cup. Some even include features for brewing iced coffee or frothing milk for lattes and cappuccinos. Consider which extras matter most to you as you shop for your ideal coffee maker.
FAQs
What types of coffee can single-serve brewers make?
Single-serve brewers can produce various types of coffee beyond just drip-style, which is typical of devices like Keurig. French presses, pour-overs, and even moka pots are available in single-serve versions. Certain machines, such as those mentioned earlier, offer the flexibility to brew not only single cups of drip coffee but also espresso, lattes, or cappuccinos.
Can coffee pods be recycled?
Given the widespread use of pods and capsules in many single-serve coffee makers, understanding recycling options is crucial. Keurig’s K-Cups became fully recyclable in 2020 when they switched to polypropylene (#5 plastic), though recycling availability varies by location and community acceptance.
Nespresso also supports recycling its aluminum capsules through a convenient process. They provide free recycling bags that can hold up to 200 OriginalLine capsules or 100 VertuoLine capsules, which can be dropped off at any UPS location or Nespresso boutique.
For other types of coffee pods used in single-serve brewers, check with the manufacturer for recycling guidelines. Most brands offer recycling information online or in their product manuals.
What are “soft pods?”
Soft pods are small disks covered with paper designed to brew one cup of coffee each. They are individually wrapped to maintain freshness and are compatible with various coffee makers, including models from Bunn, Hamilton Beach, Black & Decker, and others. Soft pods are distinct from Easy Serving Espresso (E.S.E.) Pods in size, shape, and material, as E.S.E. pods are specifically for brewing espresso.
