Automatic Drip Coffee Makers

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There’s good reason why drip coffee makers are the most popular models on the market and in people’s homes. The right coffee maker can make your life more convenient and more delicious. Automatic features and quality of coffee are better than ever and continue to improve every year. Use our Buyer’s Checklist below as you browse through the list of top rated models. There are some great options no matter what you’re looking for.

Pick the Best Drip Coffee Maker for Your Home:
Highly Rated Models for 2020

Model
Quick Description
Zojirushi Zutto 5-Cup DripSuperior Flavor + Small Footprint
Cuisinart DCC-3200 14-Cup ProgrammableAutomatic Functions + Adjustable Features
Technivorm Moccamaster KBGAll About The Flavor + 17 Colors
Ninja Hot and Cold BrewedSmart Hot and Cold Brew + Tea
Hamilton Beach Single Serve and Full PotTwo Coffee Makers In One
Bunn Velocity Brew, 10-CupFast Brew + Thermal Carafe

Drip Coffee Makers: The Basics

The automatic drip coffee maker is probably the most widely-used of all the different types of coffee makers.  

The main advantages are speed, convenience and consistency. If you don’t want to spend a lot of time making the coffee, it can be as simple as loading the grounds and water then pressing a button. There are usually several features that make it even more convenient to use and maintain. And then there is the flavor. The range of models will give varying results, some even approaching the taste of more hands-on methods.

The main trade-off is the amount of control you have. A drip coffee maker is basically a one-size-fits-all solution. If you want to customize every step of the process, this would not be for you. For the convenience and consistent quality of coffee, you will compromise on control.

In the end its about what works best for you. For many people, the balance of convenience and taste they can get from a drip machine is the best of both worlds.

Tips for Best Results

Buyer's Checklist

Zojirushi Zutto Drip Coffeemaker, 5-Cup

Superior Flavor + Small Footprint

This machine is all about what matters most … flavor. And customer feedback overwhelmingly agrees that it succeeds, greatly due to the hot water temperature used in brewing.  The Zutto® is a streamlined model without the automatic features available on other machines, but reviews repeatedly report that the coffee it produces can surpass even much more expensive coffeemakers.

Pros

Cons

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Cuisinart DCC-3200 PerfecTemp Programmable Coffeemaker, 14-Cup

Automatic Functions + Adjustable Features

The DCC-3200 has made several improvements over the previous popular models in this line. Great tasting coffee is the common theme in customer reviews, partly due to the higher water temperature, which is close to but slightly below the optimal range.

But flavor is not the only area where this coffee maker excels. The automatic features provide a high level of convenience for busy people who prefer to ‘set it and forget it’. And the adjustable settings allow you a greater amount of flexibility over brewing and keeping the coffee ready to drink.

Pros

Cons

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Technivorm Moccamaster KBG Brewer, 10-Cup

All About The Flavor + 17 Colors

The Technivorm Moccamaster is not your run-of-the-mill coffeemaker.   You can see the difference in the striking design, which is available in a rainbow of 17 beautiful colors.   It will make a bold statement sitting in your kitchen.  And more importantly, you can taste the difference.  The machine is designed to replicate the best practices of coffee making, including heating the water to the perfect brewing temperature and evenly saturating the grounds during extraction.  These pay off in flavor that customers find exceeds their experiences with other machines.

PROS

CONS

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Ninja Hot and Cold Brewed System, 10-Cup

Enjoy Both Hot and Cold Brews or Tea

We thoroughly enjoyed testing Ninja’s Hot and Cold brewer. For starters, it just feels solid. You can tell the build quality is high in this model.

The Ninja comes with a ton of options. Feeling in the mood for a rich brew? The Ninja has you covered. Morning sun beating down and you want something cold to carry to the office? Turn the dial to Cold Brew and Ninja has you covered. Maybe its a tea day – well this Ninja accommodates freshly brewed tea with its separate tea basket.

PROS

CONS

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Hamilton Beach 49980A Single Serve and Full Pot Coffee Maker

Two Coffee Makers In One

This combo really is like getting two machines in one, which gives you that much more flexibility. The single serve side and the carafe side each have their own water reservoir and brew completely independently of one another. That opens up the possibilities for brewing just what you need, when you need it and for more than one type of brew simultaneously.

The single serve side has a mesh filter that allows you to use ground coffee and an attachable holder to accept pre-packaged soft pods (not K-Cups). With a multilevel cup rest, you can adjust the height to fit the thermos, mug or cup you’re brewing into.

When selecting brew strength,  Regular works well with medium grind coffee and Bold works well with decaf, a finer grind or a premium brand. 

PROS

CONS

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BUNN Velocity Brew Thermal Carafe Home Coffee Brewer, 10-Cup

Fast Brew + Thermal Carafe

Bunn has a reputation for coffeemakers that are workhorses, consistently producing lots of hot coffee and doing it quickly.  The Velocity Brew continues this tradition with a very fast brewing time.  Its internal stainless steel hot water tank keeps water heated continuously (24/7) at about 200 degrees Fahrenheit, so it’s ready to go when you’re ready to brew.

Another Bunn characteristic is its minimal approach to automation and adjustable settings.  There are no options to select or programmable features.  For some people, this is a drawback, while for others the simplicity is a welcome change that minimizes the time and thought they need to put into their daily coffee.      

PROS

CONS

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