It's one of our beliefs, good coffee doesn't have to be complicated! Sometimes convenience and simplicity are key... but that doesn't mean you need to compromise on quality. That's why we believe in the automatic drip coffee maker for convenient home brewing!
Check out our top 5 selections, starting with our favorite, that will make your mornings less complicated, yet still filled with copious amounts of wonderful coffee!
#1 | The Technivorm
It's hard to know if you'd call it retro, or futuristic... but this SciFi brewer can really produce some great coffee! Starting at $300, this Holland-made brewer isn't for the Folgers coffee drinker. But for those used to making a pourover each morning, this brewer is consistent and well designed enough to make a cup just as good as your pourover... for real! The Technivorm Moccamaster comes in a few different styles and sizes, but consistent across all variations are these great features: consistent brewing temp (between 195-205 Fahrenheit), 5 year warranty, only one button (on/off), brew flow rate damper. So one thing I have noticed most online reviews neglect to mention is the nifty flow rate damper! I don't know the real name of this feature, so that's what I'm calling it. Basically, it's a sliding mechanism at the bottom of the brewing funnel that allows you to restrict how fast the coffee flows out. By closing it a little, you can slow down the flow and increase your brew time, which of course can increase extraction. This little feature makes my excited because it's another variable we coffee nerds can play with! In all, I love these brewers and have bought a number of them for friends... they're consistent, durable, and super easy to use. Keep an eye out in the next few weeks for our video on how to brew the best coffee with one, get an update when that demo comes out by signing up here!
#2 | The Bonavita BV1900TS
This brewer is quickly becoming the gold standard for automatic home brewing among coffee professionals, and at just
$130, it seems like everyone has one now too! Not only does it maintain stable brewing temperature throughout extraction, but it's more known for it's great spray head (where the hot water comes out and drips onto the coffee in the brew basket). This brewer features a really great
water diffusion pattern that very much adds to the uniformity of extraction. You see, water is lazy and will take the path of least resistance. If your spray head doesn't disperse the water properly, channeling will develop. Channeling is just as it sounds, the water finds a little spot to go right through the bed of coffee which then results in uneven extraction as the coffee in that little channel gets "worn out," if you will. So there's that little nugget of knowledge!
#3 | The Behmor Brazen
Coming straight from the mind of
J
oe Behm, a hero of mine in coffee and also the mastermind behind the ever-so-famous home coffee roaster the
Behmor 1600, now comes one of the
most fun and technologically advanced home coffee brewers on the market today! Let me just start by saying this brewer connects to your smartphone through an app that lets you control all aspects of the extraction. You can control temperature of water to +/-1 degree, create a pulsed brewing cycle, save your custom brews on the app, and much more. Also, the brewer features a flat bottom brew basket, which allows an extraction almost like a full-immersion... similar to a
clever dripper in brewing principle. So, it can be a lot of fun if you're into that, but the reason I put the brewer at a #3 on our list is because it does seem to bring a lot more complication back into the automatic drip machine... if I am going to mess with all these variables on the app, I might as well make a pour over. However, even without any customization of the brewing cycle, this brewer will still produce great cups just like #1&2. Priced at
$160, just
little bit more then the Bonavita, this brewer will give you another level of variables to be able to manipulate.
#4 | KitchenAid Pour Over Coffee Brewer
If you've got a kitchen full of KitchenAid appliances, you're going to love this brewer! Also, if you own KitchenAide products, you certainly know
their stuff is durable and has some of the most iconic design around! It seems that KitchenAid is one of the most respected home appliance brands and one of the most overlooked brands in the Specialty Coffee world... but they've made a great brewer! To further my claim, this is one of the only brewers to be certified by the Specialty Coffee Association that comes from a company who doesn't only make coffee stuff! They also produce a very consistent
burr grinder! So, if you've already got the iconic KitchenAid mixer on the counter, for
$160 you can put one of these next to it and brew some great coffee while maintaining dat totes gorge aesthetic!
# 5 | Bunn BT Velocity Brewer
Ah yes, the Bunn coffee maker! As you know, Bunn has been around as long as coffee has existed... really, Google it. I will tell you honestly that this will not make the best cup compared to the other brewers on this list, however, buying a Bunn without a hotplate will drastically improve your cup flavor over the more standard Bunn brewer with a glass carafe and warming plate. The reason this brewer makes the list, is that for
$130 you will be buying a
GOOD and simple brewer that will probably out last all the other brewers on this list combined. Bunn has been around forever, parts and repairs are cheap, and they are designed to last. So, if you just want a simple alternative to a pour over in the morning, consider buying this and there's a good chance you'll never have to buy another drip brewer again.
Drip Maker Pro-tips:
- Check out our previous post to make sure you're getting the most potential out of your coffee with your drip brewer!
- Check your elevation! Water boils at different temperatures depending on elevations, and if you live at a higher elevation, your drip brewer might not be functioning properly. Do some research to see which brewers function best at high altitudes.
- Look for SCAA certified brewers when looking to purchase. Brewers #1-4 in our list are all certified!
- Notice none of these brewers have hot/warming plates
... coffee burns and as coffee sits on a hot plate, the water will continue to evaporate out and create a more concentrated beverage by the minute. More on that in a future post, sign up here for notifications.
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... coffee burns and as coffee sits on a hot plate, the water will continue to evaporate out and create a more concentrated beverage by the minute. More on that in a future post, 