Breville Barista Express BES870XL
The all-in-one that many first-time buyers start with.
Check Price on Amazon See all ten espresso machinesThe Best Coffee Makers of 2026, by Type
Our verdict: The best coffee maker depends on the type you need. Our No. 1s are the Breville Barista Express BES870XL (espresso), the Mr. Coffee 5-Cup Mini Brew Switch Coffee Maker (drip) and the Keurig K-Classic Coffee Maker (single-serve).
The best coffee maker of each type
Mr. Coffee 5-Cup Mini Brew Switch Coffee Maker
The small, cheap pick for one or two people.
Check Price on Amazon See all ten drip coffee makers
Keurig K-Classic Coffee Maker
The plain K-Cup brewer that most owners start with.
Check Price on Amazon See all ten single-serve coffee makersWhich type of coffee maker suits you?
Coffee makers do four different jobs, so we rank each type against its own kind: espresso machines, drip coffee makers, single-serve pod brewers and super-automatic machines. Pick your type, then pick from its ten.
Espresso
You grind, tamp and steam yourself, with or without a grinder built in.
Best for: People who enjoy the craft and want café-quality drinks at home.
The ten best espresso machinesDrip
Drips hot water through ground coffee into a carafe, often on a timer.
Best for: Households that drink several cups of regular coffee a day.
The ten best drip coffee makersSingle-serve
Brews one cup at a time from a pod, such as K-Cups or Nespresso capsules. No grinding, no mess.
Best for: Speed and convenience, if you don't mind paying more per cup.
The ten best single-serve coffee makersSuper-automatic
Grinds fresh beans and pulls a shot at the press of a button. Many froth milk too.
Best for: Fresh espresso drinks every day without learning barista skills.
Before you buy a coffee maker
Espresso, drip, single-serve or super-automatic: which coffee maker should I buy?
Single-serve brewers are the easiest: drop in a pod and press a button. Drip coffee makers brew a full carafe of regular coffee and cost the least per cup. Super-automatic machines grind beans and make espresso drinks at a button press, but cost more and need regular cleaning. Manual espresso machines make the best espresso and ask the most of you. Buy for the effort you'll actually put in.
Are pods more expensive than ground coffee?
Yes, by a wide margin. A pod costs several times as much per cup as the same coffee bought ground or as whole beans. Pods win on convenience and cleanup, and a household that brews one or two cups a day may not mind. A household that drinks a full pot every morning saves a lot with a drip coffee maker.
Do I need a milk frother?
Only if you drink lattes, cappuccinos or flat whites. Steam wands make the best microfoam but take practice. Automatic frothers work at a button press and clean easily. If you drink your coffee black, skip milk features and put the money into the coffee side.
How often do coffee makers need descaling?
Every one to three months for most machines, sooner in hard-water areas. Many machines show a descale light. Filtered water slows scale down, and a descaling solution made for coffee makers is safer for the parts than strong vinegar.
How do you decide the rankings?
Each type has its own ranked ten, so a product is only ever scored against others of its kind. Scores come from our ranking model, which ranks products by how happy owners are and holds back any product few owners have rated. Brands can't pay for placement.
How we ranked these coffee makers
Each type has its own ranking of ten, so a espresso machine is only ever scored against other espresso machines. Every score comes from our ranking model; no editor sets the order. Where the review sites cover a type, what they say counts for most of each score, weighed with how happy owners are. Where too few cover it, the ranking is led by how happy owners are, holding back any product few owners have rated. Value for money earns its own badge rather than a higher place.
Brands can't pay to be included or to move up.
How we rank, in full