What are the Best Home Coffee Makers for Taste? A Quick Buyer’s Guide

When choosing the best coffee maker or brewing method, taste should be the most important consideration in most cases. This article details the best machine for each brewing style, based on the coffee itself.

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Please note that purchasing items using the links in this post may compensate me at no additional cost to you. I only include links to awesome stuff that I actually use and am familiar with. All of the product links in this post point to Amazon.com.

Best Coffee Maker Based on Taste

If you are searching for the best coffee maker based on taste, you have come to the right place. Many buying guides seem to be focused on features, often neglecting the taste of the end result. We are here for the best coffee, after all!

Rather than present several different coffee makers of the same type, I have listed the coffee maker with the best taste in each category of brewing style. Where possible, I have also listed a second choice representing the best value with small compromises in features. A great coffee maker should offer the best extraction possible and impart no additional tastes into your cup. These coffee makers will do just that and cater to many different brewing styles.

All of these picks were selected based on their outstanding coffee presentation. They overcome any platform limitations and offer the best experience for the price. At the time of this posting, they are all available for a competitive price on Amazon.

Best Espresso Machine

Espresso machines tend to be very expensive, even at the entry level price point. There is quite a bit of advanced engineering that goes into a fine espresso machine, compared to other types of coffee makers. For this reason, I have decided to list a low priced option with competitive taste for the budget conscious buyers out there.

Breville Barista Express

The Breville Barista Express is widely considered to be the best entry level espresso machine on the market, but it’s the most expensive machine on this page. That being said, it’s also the only “beans to cup” solution, including a finely matched grinder, a steam wand for lattes,  and a number of other features offering a truly complete experience. You certainly get what you pay for with this machine.

The Barista Express includes many features and accessories aimed at bringing high end espresso to novices. Pulling a great shot of espresso can be difficult and requires a good tamp and precise grinding. If you get either of these wrong, you basically won’t end up with espresso. The Barista Express features a pressure gauge, dosing tool, and multiple filter baskets to help you achieve this end.

Nespresso Essenza by Breville

If you are looking for a low cost alternative, I highly recommend you go the pod-based route. The Nespresso machines all make fine coffee, and the differences between them mostly come down to looks. The Nespresso Essenza by Breville is a great option, and also one of the least expensive.

Because you will be using pods, you won’t require an expensive grinder. Instead, you may wish to spend your savings on a milk frother (if you enjoy lattes). I have tried Nespresso on several occasions, and I am very impressed with the quality of espresso it makes. This is a great alternative to an expensive espresso machine, and offers a much simpler experience as well.

Read More: Best Beginner Espresso Machines

Best Drip Coffee Maker

Many of the drip coffeemakers out there, especially under the $100 price point, leave some hint of a metallic or plastic taste in your cup. This may not be apparent unless you drink black coffee, but I absolutely cannot stand it. These drip coffeemakers overcome this through their design and build materials.

When selecting a drip coffeemaker, I also recommend you go with a model that uses a vacuum insulated carafe rather than a hot plate. The hot plate models will “cook” your coffee, making it taste different after half an hour or so. To keep your coffee hot as long as possible with an insulated carafe, simply preheat it with hot water (this accounts for many of the negative reviews of both of these machines).

Breville Precision Brewer Thermal

The Breville Precision Brewer Thermal makes the best tasting drip coffee of any machine I have ever tried. This machine works quite differently compared to other drip coffee makers because it uses a pump and thermo-coil to heat the water to precise temperatures (very similar to the Barista Express listed above). These features do come at a premium over other machines, however.

The Precision Brewer automates the process of brewing coffee with a hand crafted taste. The “Gold” setting brews coffee using parameters that adhere to the SCAA Gold Cup guidelines, requiring little fiddling around to get great coffee. You can also manually adjust every parameter of the extraction process for the ultimate customization experience. The Precision Brewer brews great coffee in single servings in addition to larger amounts. Additionally, the Precision Brewer makes iced coffee and cold brew as well. If you are in the market for a top of the line drip coffee maker that does it all, the Precision Brewer will serve you well.

Read More: The Breville Precision Brewer Review

Bonavita 1900TS

If you are looking for a less expensive solution, and perhaps a more traditional “coffee pot” experience, the Bonavita 1900TS is worth your consideration. While lacking the fancy thermo-block and cold brewing capabilities of the Precision Brewer, the Bonavita is a fine choice for those looking for a no-nonsense, high end coffee experience.

Best Single Serving Coffee Maker

The AeroPress is the standout single serving coffee maker on this list because it makes some of the best tasting coffee out there. Additionally, this device is incredibly versatile because it creates all sorts of various other drinks (including lattes) and is very simple to use. It’s also the cheapest coffee maker on this list, by far.

Since the Aeropress is a manual brewing device, it contains no electronics and you must heat your own water. For the best taste, the Aeropress does require some basic accessories such as a burr grinder and a kettle. If you are new to manual brewing methods, this is a very forgiving and beginner friendly method to start with.

Because of it’s simplicity, value, and drink variation, the Aeropress deserves a spot in your coffee arsenal even if you go with a different machine on this list. I really can’t say enough great things about it.

Read More: Best Coffeemaker Under $50: An Aeropress Review

Best Manual Brewing Method

In this category, I picked the best manual brewing method that makes enough coffee for multiple people, since the single serve category is already covered by the AeroPress. Of all the manual brewing methods out there (including the pourover and french press), I believe the Chemex offers the best tasting coffee, by far.

The Chemex Pour-over Glass Coffeemaker uses a unique, densely woven filter that is thicker than other coffee filters. This special filter slows down the flow of coffee for a longer extraction and pulls all of the coffee sediment, resulting in a very clean and bright tasting cup of coffee. Outside of espresso, the Chemex offers the best tasting coffee (in my opinion) of any coffee maker in this post.

The Chemex requires the same basic accessories as the AeroPress, and I would advise you pick up both coffee makers if you are willing to make these investments. They pair quite well together to cover all your single serving and multiple serving needs.

Read More: Best Manual Brewing Method: Aeropress vs French Press vs Chemex

Other Considerations

Since there are so many new coffeemakers and brewing methods hitting the market all the time, I may not be up to speed on the very latest innovations. However, there are a few items I deliberately left off this list, and I’ll detail why below.

Keurig

You may have noticed that I didn’t recommend any Keurig machines. This is because I have not found any Keurig machines or Keurig pods that have a clean, well developed flavor. Since I drink my coffee black, the flaws of the Keurig process stick out immediately to me. Keurig machines work well if you are in an office setting or need to entertain guests, but I don’t believe these machines belong on this page. If you are looking for a pod-based machine, go with the Nespresso instead (and make Americanos instead of regular coffee).

French Press

I have also chosen to not include any specific french presses. Despite their popularity, I don’t believe the french press has a universally appealing taste. The coffee is bold, thick, and heavy and represents sort of an average of flavors that a particular bean has to offer, rather than a series of well defined traits. Although I very much enjoy the french press, I have noticed that people seem to have a love/hate relationship with it.

Additionally, french presses all work the same way and yield coffee that tastes the same. Purchasing a french press comes down to looks and functionality, rather than taste. If you would like to read more on the french press and see what I recommend, check out my Beginner’s French Press Guide.

In Conclusion

I hope you found this list helpful in selecting the best coffee maker for the taste based on your preferences. I focused on taste because there are too many coffeemakers out there that leave unpleasant tastes in your cup. Keep in mind, this article was based on my experiences and preferences as a consumer.

If you enjoy articles like this, I would encourage you to follow me on Pinterest or subscribe to my list (or both). I aim to create no-nonsense, practical guides based on my own experience that will save you time and money. I hope you find my advice helpful!

Happy Brewing!

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