A single cup coffee maker is the best thing you can buy for yourself if you love your cup of coffee but despise those long café lines. What’s more, if you are a cappuccino fan yet your spouse loves espressos, each of you can play barista with a single-serve brewer and get your favorite beverages in just a few seconds.
Choosing the right single cup coffee maker
A single-serve coffee maker is a great appliance to have if you need something to handle your morning caffeine urges fast and efficiently. You can rely on a single cup brewer to give you that pick-me-up hot drink you need to get through the day whether at your home or workplace.
These handy appliances come in different styles, makes, and sizes. There are those that come with advanced features and options giving you greater control over the type and flavor of your coffee, while others provide a simple and fast way to fix a cup of your favorite drinks and easier cleanup or maintenance demands.
Choosing the best single-serve coffee maker may seem like a minor task, but making the right choice will be quite beneficial to you. Remember, your personal preferences and budget will largely dictate the type of single cup coffee maker you decide to buy.
What else should you look for when shopping for a nice and reliable coffee machine?
What to look for in the best single cup coffee maker
You will need to pay very careful attention to details when looking for a good single-cup coffeemaker. Small differences between different products can mean a lot in terms of the flavor of the coffee produced, ease of use, and clean up or maintenance of the machine.
Here are a few things you may need to consider.
Does the machine come with a strength control feature? This is an important consideration for coffee aficionados who love either a lighter blend or a strong brew. Coffee machines with strength control mechanisms have selection buttons or dials that allow you to fine-tune the flavor of your coffee.
If you want a machine for a busy work or office environment where people come with different sizes of cups, then get one with adjustable cup volume. Many models have different sizes ranging from 4 ounces to 18-ounce cups.
The machine’s tank capacity matters too. You want to spend more time enjoying your brew, not preparing it, so make sure to get a machine with an ample tank capacity. A large tank, or water reservoir, means you won’t have to constantly keep on refilling the machine, especially when entertaining. If you are looking for a single cup coffee maker for your office, get one with a large tank capacity.
Our Best Picks: Single Cup Coffee Maker Comparison Table
- Product
- Our Rating
- Verified Purchaser Review
- Price
- In-Depth Review (Recommended)
- Pros/Cons
Keurig K250 2.0 Brewing System, Black- READ BELOW
Nespresso Pixie Espresso Maker With Aeroccino Plus Milk Frother, Electric Titan- READ BELOW
Nespresso VertuoLine Coffee and Espresso Maker with Aeroccino Plus Milk Frother, Black- READ BELOW
Hamilton Beach Single Serve Coffee Brewer and Full Pot Coffee Maker, 2-Way (49980A)- READ BELOW
Cuisinart SS-700 Single Serve Brewing System, Silver- READ BELOW
What model or brand is the best?
There is no definite answer to the question of which model works best. It all depends on your personal preferences, where you intend to use the machine, how you intend to use it, and the budget you have set aside for purchasing the coffee maker.
For instance, the Hamilton Beach 2-Way is the coffee maker for those who commute daily or regularly host dinner parties. It is a coffee maker for all occasions. For those who are not great fans of coffee, this machine makes great tea, hot chocolate, and other hot drinks too. It is affordable, has low-maintenance demands, and best of all it will brew a premium roast coffee faster than it takes to order one at the café.
On the other hand, the Cuisinart SS-700 Single Serve Brewing System is one of the best coffee makers you can reward yourself with if you love your cup of coffee professionally done as they do in your favorite café. Keep in mind that this product is made by Keurig, a household name in coffee pod makers. It does indeed justify the raves it gets from users about the “smooth” results it provides. We give it a plus too for ample size and for brewing hot drinks consistently from one cup to another. The only downside about the Cuisinart SS-700 has to do with durability issues, but with proper care and maintenance, we believe this is a machine that will serve you consistently for long.
If you have limited space on your kitchen countertop then the Nespresso Pixie Espresso Maker With Aeroccino Plus Milk Frother is the perfect choice for you. It is called “Pixie” because it is a small, beautiful, and quiet single cup coffee maker that comes with a handy milk frother. This is a machine guaranteed to provide you with a foamy cup of fresh, instant espresso, cappuccino, or coffee any time the urge hits. It is great for making single cups in around 30 seconds or so. The small compact machine is ultra quiet in operation. It uses Nespresso coffee capsules and does not leave you with lots of clean up and unused grounds after use. Retailing for less than $200, this is a machine for all latte, espresso, and cappuccino lovers.
If you want something sophisticated with all the bells and whistles, then the Keurig K250 2.0 Brewing System is for you. It is another great product from Keurig that you will fall in love with at first sight, or first experience rather. It has a sleek sophisticated look in glossy black that goes well with any kitchen color theme. It will fit well with all your other appliances without taking up much space on your countertop. The best part of this machine is not its looks, but how it will serve you. It comes with many choices of delicious drinks to start off your day.
The Keurig 2.0 Brewing System is made using Keurig top technology with the objective of providing you with excellent beverages consistently. It even features settings for specialty beverages, including mochas and hot cocoa. The machine lets you make 4-cup carafe with the ease and convenience you would while making a single-serve cup. It only takes one touch of a button to get 4 carafes going in a flash. You also get an extensive choice of coffee varieties to use with the machine including Green Mountain, Lipton, Starbucks, and much more.
You may as well check out some of the high-end machines with advanced features to take your coffee brewing experience to another level. Take the NespressoVertuoLine Coffee and Espresso Maker with Aeroccino Plus Milk Frother for example. This coffee machine uses revolutionary technology that allows coffee lovers to experience the true flavor of freshly brewed coffee in an authentic espresso style. The NespressoVertuoLine comes in a set that includes a NespressoAeroccino Plus milk frother which enables you to create hot or cold milk froth with the touch of a button. The system further incorporates Centrifusion technology that makes it possible to make high-quality large-cup coffee with crème. When Centrifusion extraction technology is combined with creamy milk foam the result is something you can only dream about in your wildest coffee dreams.
Your choice of the best single-serve coffee machine should, however, be guided by the features each model provides, the speed at which it can brew a cup of your favorite drink, and the price range too. Let’s examine features and other details of each of the aforementioned models.
Hamilton Beach Single Serve Coffee Brewer and Full Pot Coffee Maker, 2-Way
Price: Check Price On Amazon
Appearance: Black and stainless steel grey
Features:
- Has a very handy two-way brew functionality for brewing a single cup or 12 cup
- Comes with a glass 12-cup carafe
- Easy one time filling of its standard-size water reservoir
- Has a programmable timer with a 2-hour automatic shut off function
- Non-stick warming plate for the carafe
- Easy to use, despite having an array of features
- Easy to clean. The parts are dishwasher-friendly
- Fast brewing speed. Brews a pot of coffee in less than 5 minutes.
The machine takes very little space in your kitchen and still gives you first-class gourmet service at a very affordable price. The fact that it has twice the number of brewing options as other coffee makers of the similar price range is another plus for the 2-Way.
Pros
- It serves both as a single-serve machine for your daily personal enjoyment and as a 12-cup machine, ideal for entertaining on weekends or any other special occasions.
- Stainless steel exterior design that speaks of durability and performance.
- The 2-Way comes with an advanced brewing programming that allows you to set it to have your cup ready exactly when you wake up.
- It allows you to brew your favorite cup with pre-packaged pods rather than measure the scoop contents every time you need to make a cup of coffee.
- No spillage, which means the Hamilton Beach 2-Way keeps your counter dry and clean all the time.
Cons
- The hot-plate looks weaker
- Does not save your programmed settings
- Most users found the steam and moisture it emits a bit on the higher side.
Cuisinart SS-700 Single Serve Brewing System, Silver
Price: Check Price On Amazon
Appearance: Silver
Features:
- It is made from the best one-touch single serve coffee making technology that enables you to enjoy a wide range of beverages with ease.
- It comes with an adjustable temperature control mechanism to give you just the right type of hot or iced cup of beverage.
- It has 5 cup size options that come with different beverage settings.
- Has a removable drip tray that keeps things neat and well organized
- Has an extra-large water reservoir that is conveniently removable for easy cleaning and refilling.
- Has a blue back-lit LCD display clearly showing all the buttons
- Has a beautiful digital clock
- Fast speed. It can make you a cup in less than a minute.
In terms of design and performance, the Cuisinart SS-700 is a big machine that can handle the beverage needs of a sizeable crowd without a problem. Its water reservoir can comfortably hold 80 ounces of water, which is enough to brew 10 standard cups of coffee. It’s a rather large tank so expect the entire unit to eat up some good space on your counter. You may need to find a permanent space for it since it weighs around 16 pounds. However, it is an attractive piece of modern kitchen equipment to have in your kitchen.
Pros:
- The Cuisinart SS-700 has a sleek silver look that makes it quite attractive despite its rather bulky size.
- It runs smoothly and quietly, you’d hardly know it is working, unlike other loud coffee makers.
- It will brew a cup of coffee in under a minute and is able to maintain water temperature at between 169 and 175 degrees at all times.
Cons:
- Some customers have cited concerns about the durability but with proper maintenance, it will serve you for quite a long time.
Nespresso Pixie Espresso Maker With Aeroccino Plus Milk Frother, Electric Titan
Price: Check Price On Amazon
Appearance: Black and silver
Features:
- Super-stylish compact design
- Full automatic brewing functionalities
- Milk Frother
- 16 Nespresso capsules included after purchase
- 3 shot size selector
- 19 bar pressure pump that ensures you get maximum flavor extraction for your brew
It is worth mentioning too that the machine does work fast. It gives you a nice refreshing Barista-quality cup of coffee in 25 seconds flat. That is indeed faster than many coffee makers of the similar price range in the market. You’ll also like its internal capsule holder that can accommodate ten spent capsules at a go before ejecting them out.
Pros
- A simple but sleek design
- Easy to use. You only need to press a button and have your favorite brew done in seconds.
- Gives you hot or cold frothing, which is a feature that lacks in many espresso makers.
- It also comes with a removable water reservoir for easy refilling and cleaning.
- Its drip tray can hold large cups beside the standard-sized cups.
Cons
- You will not use your own blend
- Difficulties in care and maintenance. It has electrical components at the bottom.
Keurig K250 2.0 Brewing System, Black
Price: Check Price On Amazon
Appearance: Black
Features:
- Stylish yet simple design
- Ample-sized water tank
- The machine’s 2 inch black and white display has LED touchscreen controls that make it easy to operate.
- It comes with strength control settings that you can use to make an even stronger coffee.
- Removable tray that makes cleaning a breeze
One thing that we can say about the Keurig 2.0 Brewing System is its consistency in usage. You can rely on the machine to keep on giving you premium cups of coffee or hot cocoa without fail every single day. Its ample water reservoir holds up to 40 ounces of water and only takes 3 seconds to heat up whenever you want to brew a cup of something refreshing.
Pros
- It comes with customizable settings including strength control for your brew
- It has a large detachable water reservoir conveniently placed behind the machine to save more space on your countertop.
- It has a wide range of brew sizes ranging from 4 to 30 ounces.
Cons
- Power button sometimes hangs, but you only need to press it down for like 2 seconds to turn off the machine.
NespressoVertuoLine Coffee and Espresso Maker with Aeroccino Plus Milk Frother, Black
Price: Check Price On Amazon
Appearance: Black
Features:
- NespressoAeroccino Plus milk frother
- Incorporates Centrifusion technology that makes it now possible to make high quality large-cup coffee with crème.
- Membership to the Nespresso Club Services
- Capsule recognition technology that recognizes specific blends to use.
This new technology has very interesting features such as capsule recognition that recognizes specific blends to use. The used capsules are automatically ejected if the machine remains inactive for 9 minutes. The machine is easy to use, especially in insertion and ejection of capsules which is often a trouble task in other similar coffee machines. The set comes with an Aeroccino Plus milk frother which has a one-touch button for easy preparation of either hot or cold milk froth. It also features the revolutionary Centrifusion technology that allows you to brew coffee and espresso with a single touch of a button. If you are interested in exploring the true flavor of coffee and espresso, this is the machine for you.
Pros
- It has a simple one-touch brewing operation
- Provides different cup sizes, both standard and large
- Centrifusion extraction technology
- Comes with an Aeroccino Plus Milk Frother
Cons
- The technology involved may seem a bit overwhelming for many users, but it was very easy to understand instructions.
Conclusion
Most coffee makers come with a wide array of brewing options. There are others that can provide awesome teas and hot chocolates. Find a machine with multiple brewing options to meet the needs of your family members, guests, or colleagues at the workplace.
Thank you for your reading, we hope you found your favorite single cup coffee maker using our buying guide.