Standard Coffee Makers

Best glass-carafe coffee machines

The least expensive automatic-drip coffee makers have glass carafes and use a warming plate to keep coffee hot. We found mixed reviews for coffee makers of this type, mainly because reviews say they don't get the coffee hot enough for brewing (ideally between 195 and 200 degrees Fahrenheit, according to experts) or brew quickly enough (within about six minutes). If you aren't picky about coffee temperature and don't mind mild, light-bodied coffee, Cook's Illustrated's review of budget coffee makers is very useful.

The Mr. Coffee JWX27 (*Est. $40) is a good, reliable coffee maker according to expert comparison tests. This machine, which has a black plastic housing with stainless-steel accents, gets high marks for coffee temperature and the design of its carafe. It boasts a programmable timer, auto shut-off, brew strength selector, cord storage and a pause-and-serve feature (which lets you sneak a cup of coffee before brewing is complete). Dozens of owners at Walmart.com give the Mr. Coffee JWX27 very high ratings. They say that this coffee maker brews hot, flavorful coffee and the brewing process is fairly quiet. One owner complains that her carafe leaks when she pours coffee, however.

If you're looking to add some color to your kitchen, the Hamilton Beach Ensemble 43254 12-Cup coffee maker (*Est. $40), which comes in red or black, is a good option, say more than 100 owners posting to Amazon.com. Although it hasn't been professionally reviewed, most owners are happy with this no-frills machine, though a few say that the carafe is poorly designed and prone to dripping. The Hamilton Beach Ensemble 43254 has a programmable timer, water filter, automatic shut-off and a pause-and-serve feature, but unlike the Mr. Coffee JWX27, it lacks brew-strength control. Overall, this coffee maker is rated slightly lower than the Mr. Coffee JWX27 machine.

If you want more features and have a bigger budget, we found good reviews for the Cuisinart Brew Central DCC-1200 (*Est. $80). Experts give the Cuisinart Brew Central DCC-1200 high marks for its flavorful coffee. It has several features owners find useful, such as a half-pot brew cycle, which changes the flow of water so that small batches of coffee are neither weak nor bitter. The Cuisinart Brew Central DCC-1200 has two unusual features: a three-setting hot plate and a time-to-clean indicator. Like most coffee makers in its price range, the Cuisinart Brew Central DCC-1200 has automatic shutoff and a pause-and-serve function, which allows you to sneak a cup before brewing is finished.

More than 100 owners posting to Cooking.com give the Cuisinart Brew Central DCC-1200 a high average score. Most say that this stainless-steel machine is stylish enough to leave on the kitchen counter, and it's free of extraneous features. A few complain that the water-level indicator is difficult to read, and some say that the clock is too small. However, most owners are satisfied with this machine and say that they would buy it again. Owner ratings at Amazon.com are mainly good, but there are some gripes about durability that seem common to coffee makers across the board. The Cuisinart Brew Central DCC-1200 is available in three finishes: brushed stainless steel, matte black metallic and black stainless steel.

Another highly rated Cuisinart coffee maker, the DCC-1100 (*Est. $60), performs similarly to the Cuisinart Brew Central DCC-1200, but its housing is plastic, not stainless steel, and it lacks automatic shut-off, a time-to-clean indicator or cord storage. It does, however, have a 12-cup capacity, pause-and-serve feature, a timer and a built-in water filter. The Cuisinart DCC-1100 is available in black, white or red.

Although Bunn is synonymous with commercial coffee makers, we found reviews for their consumer models, the Bunn NHBX (*Est. $100), which has a glass carafe, and the Bunn BTX (*Est. $140), which has a thermal carafe. The Bunn NHBX, which earns a high average rating in nearly 200 owner-written reviews at Amazon.com, brews a 10-cup pot in three minutes. The Bunn BTX brews a full pot in four minutes. Such speed is possible only because the Bunn coffee makers keep a reserve of hot water at the ready. Otherwise, users must wait 15 minutes for the water to heat before brewing.

According to experts, a five- to six-minute brew time is optimal for flavor extraction, and Bunn's shorter brew time makes for a weaker cup. In tests at Cook's Illustrated, coffee made in the Bunn BTX was panned as "weak, thin, and flat." In user reviews, owners often agree with this assessment, saying that they compensate by using more grounds, a practice that can be costly over time. In addition, hot water evaporates from the reservoir as it stands, resulting in a less-than-full pot. Owners also complain that it's wasteful (and expensive) to keep so much hot water in reserve, and a few say that fresh water yields a better-tasting brew. In general, however, owners are happy with Bunn coffee makers. Neither machine has a programmable timer, but with a three-minute brew time, you may not need one. Neither machine has a small-batch setting, which means you'll have to brew at least four cups at a time.

If you want a home machine that really gets water hot enough for optimal brewing, the darling of enthusiasts posting to CoffeeGeek.com is the Technivorm Moccamaster KBG741 (*Est. $245). Manufactured in the Netherlands, this model gets great reviews from experts, who say it's one of the few coffee makers that can heat water to 200 degrees Fahrenheit -- the temperature experts say is best. According to Wine Spectator's Sam Gugino, the Technivorm Moccamaster KBG741coffee maker produces "superb coffee, rich and flavorful with exceptional balance." The Technivorm's glass carafe sits on a burner, which can adversely affect the flavor of brewed coffee, so we've included the Technivorm Moccamaster KBT741 (*Est. $265), which has a thermal carafe, in the ConsumerSearch Best Reviewed section. Technivorm makes several versions of these coffee makers, with slightly different features and carafe shapes, but they are all expensive.

Mark Prince, of CoffeeGeek.com, tested the eight-cup Krups F468 (*Est. $130), which is a cross between a standard automatic-drip coffee maker and a stovetop moka pot. He found it relatively easy to clean and reports that the coffee has an "intensity and a completeness you don't get from drip." The Krups F468 gets water hot enough to extract maximum flavor from coffee grounds. Owners posting to Amazon.com give the Krups F468 a very high-average rating, though a few owners wish it had a timer and automatic shut-off. Most owners are very pleased with this coffee maker, which they say is sturdy and brews an especially robust, full-bodied cup.