Specialty Coffee Makers

Coffee brewer/dispenser

The Mr. Coffee Dispenser BVMC-ZH1b (*Est. $500 and up) brews 12 cups of coffee but keeps it contained within the machine, dispensing a single cup at a time by pressing a pedal with a mug, much like commercial-style beverage dispensers. The aim is to eliminate the use of carafes, which tend to drip during pouring, and keep  coffee warmer by keeping freshly brewed coffee housed within the heated unit. The Mr. Coffee Dispenser BVMC-ZH1b features a two-hour automatic shutoff, a drip tray and 24-hour pre-programming. The filter basket is removable for cleaning, and a pause-brewing feature allows users to dispense a cup before the brewing cycle completes.

The Mr. Coffee Dispenser BVMC-ZH1b is recommended as a "best buy" by one consumer testing organization, earning an excellent score for brew temperature and a very good score for convenience. About 20 owners post reviews to Amazon.com, where the Mr. Coffee earns an average rating of 3.5 stars out of 5. Owners who have had bad experiences with carafes' spilling say they love the single-dispensing feature. However, some reviewers note that the reservoir that contains the finished coffee sits on a warming plate, which, like glass-carafe style coffee makers, contributes to a bitter taste in the coffee. Also, the reservoir is constructed of plastic, and some owners say that if the coffee sits for a longer period, it develops a plastic-like taste.

Double-pot coffee maker

Another specialty coffee maker is the Krups Duothek Thermal (*Est. $300) , which features dual thermal carafes and is recommended by About.com. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.) Most consumers don't need two 10-cup pots of coffee, but this might be a good solution for a small office or waiting room. 

While budget-priced in comparison to commercial coffee makers, the Krups Duothek Thermal fails to earn fans among consumers. About 20 owners give the Krups Duothek Thermal an average rating of 2.5 stars out of 5; nearly half give this coffee maker 1 star. The primary complaint is that the coffee is not hot enough, and lower brewing temperatures fail to extract the flavor from ground coffee. Others prefer the cooler temperatures, saying their coffee doesn't taste "burnt" as it does with traditional coffee makers. This machine also makes espresso, although owners say this feature is difficult to use; some owners say the Krups Duothek Thermal is nonintuitive to use.

Nifty manual coffee maker has legions of fans

Finally, if you want an inexpensive, versatile unit that can make both coffee and espresso, and you're the type who prefers to have total control over all the variables, the Aerobie AeroPress (*Est. $30) gets rave reviews from owners posting to Amazon.com. The Aerobie AeroPress manual coffee maker makes one to four cups of coffee at a time using a microfilter and gentle pressure applied to totally immersed coffee grounds using a syringe-style plunger. It has an average rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 in nearly 900 owner-written reviews, and owners don't seem to mind the hands-on requirement of the AeroPress; in fact, most agree that it produces better tasting coffee in less time than it takes to produce a full carafe in an automatic drip maker. Owners say the Aerobie AeroPress uses the same principles as a French press, but it is simpler to use and easier to clean. LifeHacker.com also praises the Aerobie AeroPress in a review of various types of home-brewing methods, noting that the Aerobie AeroPress consistently lands near the top in terms of taste when compared to other methods, such as the French press and Moka Pot. The most difficult part of using the Aerobie AeroPress, according to LifeHacker.com, is determining the easiest way to obtain the 175-degree water temperature suggested by the manufacturer.