The Best Programmable Coffee Makers for 2024, According to Our Tests

Best Overall

Café Specialty Drip Coffee Maker

$299 $229 at Amazon $299 $229 at Target $230 at Williams Sonoma

Certified by the Specialty Coffee Association, this machine is qualified to brew the most delicious cup of coffee possible — and you can operate it from your phone via WiFi, or just your voice via Amazon Alexa, Google Home, or the brand's own app. During testing, it was surprisingly easy to control every aspect of the coffee-making experience, from brew strength to temperature, and we appreciated that the Café Specialty drip coffee machine gives the same consistent results with a single cup or a full 10-cup pot. We especially loved that it saved our personalized settings so we could prepare coffee the same way time after time. 

"It keeps coffee warm better than regular glass and stainless steel carafes," says Food & Wine associate editorial director Megan Soll, who tested the machine over a few months at home. "The controls are easy to use, and the grounds basket is easy to clean."

The coffee this machine produced tasted bolder and more concentrated than its competitors, thanks partly to the integrated water filter that removes chlorine and other impurities that affect flavor. Soll even declared coffee from this brewer the best she'd tasted! Our only complaint is that wish the water reservoir was removable; filling and cleaning would be much easier.

Capacity: 10 cups | Dimensions: 7.3 x 12.5 x 14 inches | Brew Time: 6 minutes for 10 cups

Best Overall, Runner-Up

Zojirushi Fresh Brew Plus Thermal Carafe Coffee Maker

$180 at Amazon $193 at Walmart

We appreciate the simplicity of the Zojirushi 10-cup coffee maker. The machine itself is intuitive and only has a few buttons, making it easy to program. The Zojirushi brewed great-tasting coffee in our tests that was well-balanced and consistent across batches — no doubt in part due to the machine’s basket-shaped filter allowing even saturation to fully extract flavors and aromas. However, to brew 10 cups, this machine takes a whopping 15 minutes, quite a bit longer than competitors with the same capacity. There's a "time saver" mode, which shaves a few minutes off the brew time, but be warned: It's also much louder than the standard cycle.

On the upside, the thermal carafe kept our tasty brew hot for over 2 hours. And if you're more in the mood for iced coffee, the Zojirushi has a dedicated setting that brews ultra-concentrated coffee that won't get diluted when poured over ice. This is a great coffee maker if you’re looking for an upgrade and want to stay in the sub-$200 price range. It’s simple and effective, and after a month of long-term testing, we felt it held up.

Capacity: 10 cups (hot); 5 cups (iced) | Dimensions: 8 x 10.63 x 15.88 inches | Brew Time: 15 minutes for 10 cups (11 minutes in time saver mode)

Best Value

Ninja CE251 12-Cup Coffee Brewer

$80 $70 at Amazon $70 at Target $82 at Wayfair

This Ninja coffee maker manages to squeeze a generous 12-cup capacity into a compact footprint, at a reasonable price. We like how easy filling the 60-ounce water reservoir is and appreciate the user-friendly control panel. In our tests, the programmable functions worked well, and it brewed a lovely cup of coffee — flavorful, aromatic, and nuanced enough that we could tell the difference when we stepped up to nicer coffee beans. As a bonus feature, there's a small batch setting, so even just one cup tastes as good as a full pot. The carafe’s wide opening also made it easy to clean, which is always a plus. The plate kept our coffee hot for hours, and even with just a cup or two left in the carafe, it didn't scald or taste burnt.

The only annoying feature we found is that there's no button to choose your brew volume. The machine automatically brews the full amount in the water reservoir, so you can't fill it up for the week and make one cup every morning. You have to refill with the exact amount of water you want each time you brew.

Capacity: 12 cups | Dimensions: 8 x 10 x 14 inches | Brew Time: 15 minutes for 12 cups

Best Splurge

Breville Precision Coffee Maker

View on Amazon $330 at Williams Sonoma $420 at Walmart

No thought is left behind with this coffee maker, from its two types of filters that ensure every cup of coffee tastes perfect to its ability to brew 12 cups in just 7 minutes. There are six brewing modes, including the SCA Gold Cup standard, extra-fast, extra-strong, iced, cold brew, and the fully customizable My Brew.

After some trial and error in our tests, we highly recommend the Gold Cup setting, which automatically adjusts to the ideal water temperature and brewing time certified for top-notch results. You can trust the machine to make a great pot of coffee for you, or you can apply the My Brew setting to adjust bloom time and volume, flow rate, and temperature exactly how you like them. With any of the modes, we've yet to have a subpar cup of coffee from this brewer.

The downside of the endless customization options is that the Breville Precision Brewer isn't exactly beginner-friendly. It's a pricey, high-end coffee maker for someone with opinions on things like the proper bloom time for a pot of drip coffee. If you just want to push a button and get some coffee, you might not need to spend this much.

Capacity: 12 cups | Dimensions: 9 x 14 x 16 inches |  Brew Time: Starts at 7 minutes for 12 cups

Best Small-Capacity

Cuisinart PurePrecision Pour-Over Coffee Brewer

$200 at Amazon $180 at Williams Sonoma $200 at Wayfair

Cuisinart is a brand we love, and this compact 8-cup coffee maker is no exception. (The fact that it’s SCA-approved doesn’t hurt either.) It's easy to program and can be counted on to have a fresh pot of coffee waiting for you when you get up in the morning. If you're short on counter space and are looking for a reliable coffee maker that can consistently produce a satisfying cup of coffee without messing with all kinds of bells and whistles, the PurePrecision is for you.

During testing, we appreciated the stellar brew combined with the easy-to-use interface. This little machine brewed a great cup of coffee that stayed hot thanks to the thermal carafe — and there's an extra-hot temperature control setting if you really want to crank up the heat. The insulated stainless steel carafe kept the coffee hot for hours, though its lip made it somewhat difficult to pour from. Depending on your needs, you might prefer the Cuisinart PurePrecision with a glass carafe. The brewer part of the machine is exactly the same, while the glass carafe is less prone to spilling but won't keep your coffee as warm for as long. (The glass-carafe model is also a little bit cheaper.)

Capacity: 8 cups | Dimensions: 14.5 x 13.75 x 9.5 inches | Brew Time: 9 minutes for 8 cups

Best Large-Capacity

Cuisinart PerfectTemp 14 Cup Coffeemaker

$100 $70 at Amazon $100 at Target $100 at Williams Sonoma

If you have a large household of coffee drinkers, or even just a few who like more than one cup each morning, this large-capacity programmable coffee maker from Cuisinart is perfect for you. The extra-large machine allows you to choose from regular or bold coffee settings and can be programmed up to 24 hours ahead of time. On both the bold and standard settings, it produced robust cup of coffee throughout our tests. The filter system includes a gold-tone feature for the purest bean flavor and a charcoal filter to remove any water impurities. Many large-capacity brewers don't do a great job with small batches, but that was not the case here. Its 1-to-4-cup mode was just as tasty as a full carafe. A self-cleaning feature saves you time, and it’s a surprisingly compact coffee maker given how much it can hold. It's surprisingly inexpensive, to boot.

Our main issue was with sound. The beeping that signals the end of the cycle is louder than other models we tested, and the actual brewing process was quite loud as well, especially when using the bold and extra-hot settings. If you program the timer to have coffee ready right when you get up in the morning, the machine might end up waking you before your alarm goes off.

Capacity: 14 cups | Dimensions: 7.75 x 9 x 14 inches | Brew Time: 14 minutes for 14 cups, 17 minutes on Bold for 14 cups

Best for Iced Coffee

Braun MultiServe KF9170SI Coffee Maker

$260 $160 at Amazon $180 at Williams Sonoma $160 at Wayfair

During the warmer months, waking up to the perfect cup of coffee usually means iced coffee, but adding another machine or set up to your coffee station just for cold coffee is a hassle; that's where this Braun model comes in. In addition to making a great-tasting cup of iced coffee, it also produces a perfect cup of hot coffee — regardless of what that looks like to you, since there are so many options for customization.

Braun’s ExactBrew System calculates water temperature, flow, and brewing speed for just about any coffee preference. There are seven brew size options and three strength preferences, so you're set if you want a strong cup for just yourself or a big batch of medium brew for a crowd. There's even a FastBrew setting that brews a full pot in under 8 minutes for rushed mornings. Iced coffee enthusiasts will definitely appreciate the iced setting, which adjusts the temperature and water flow to extract all the best flavors out of your coffee without it tasting watered-down once you add ice. The Braun made great well-rounded and flavorful brews on all settings, but its iced coffee was especially delicious in testing. We also love the single-cup options, which can replace often-expensive single-use coffee pods.

With so many features and options, it took us some time to get everything set up and then some trial and error to get all the settings down. We'd definitely recommend going through the manual before starting; if you're looking for a machine you can just set up and go, this might not be for you.

Carafe Capacity: 10 cups | Dimensions: 7.1 x 13 x 15 inches | Brew Time: Starts at 8 minutes for 10 cups

Best Retro

Nostalgia Retro 12-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker

$80 at Amazon $80 at Home Depot View on Jcpenney.com

If you dig retro style but don’t have a ton of cash to shell out, Nostalgia’s 12-cup coffee maker can be the centerpiece of your countertop for well under $100. During testing, we loved how easy this machine was to use; there are just four buttons and no fussy steps to get the perfect brew. The programming feature worked well in our tests, it was very easy to reliably prepare a pot of hot coffee at any time. The carafe automatically shuts off after 2 hours, so we didn't worry about scorching. 

The trade-off for the simplicity is that, unlike some of the other machines we tested, you can't customize your brew very much, and there aren't features that give you professional-grade flavors due to the basic brewing mechanism. It makes mediocre coffee for a value price. However, the retro, mid-century modern look is hard to beat and looks great as a conversation piece on the counter when not in use.

Capacity: 12 cups | Dimensions: 7.75 x 10.25 x 14.25 inches |  Brew Time: 14 minutes for 12 cups

Best with Grinder

Breville The Grind Control Coffee Maker

$350 at Amazon $350 at Williams Sonoma $350 at Sur La Table

Never again worry about messy coffee grounds or the wrong grind level thanks to the built-in burr grinder of this Breville machine — the best overall pick from our coffee makers with grinders test and an editor favorite. We love that its burr grinder has six different settings, with the ability to tweak the brew strength to precisely what you want based on the exact beans you have.

The Breville Grind Control lets you brew three batch sizes: a 12-cup pot, a tall travel mug, or a single-serving cup. We found it easy to use and consistently produced a smooth yet bold cup of coffee. Grinding your own beans is the way to brew the freshest possible coffee, and this machine delivers on fresh flavor. It is rather expensive, though that price combines brewer and grinder. You should also keep in mind that the grinder requires regular cleaning and recalibration. The manual explains everything, but you will have to put in some extra time to keep the machine working at its best.

Capacity: 12 cups | Dimensions: 9 x 14 x 17 inches | Brew Time: 6 minutes for 12 cups

Best Multifunctional

Ninja DualBrew Pro System Coffee Maker

$230 $180 at Amazon $180 at Target $180 at Wayfair

Ninja's DualBrew Pro combines all the abilities of a standard drip brewer with a single-serve coffee maker. It has four brew strength levels (including one made for pouring over ice) and it works with coffee grounds of your choice or any Keurig-compatible K-Cup. You can make 13 different batch sizes in total, from a single shot to a full 12-cup carafe, plus there's a foldaway milk frother to create lattes and cappuccinos. You can even dispense hot water on demand to make instant noodles or oatmeal.

During our tests, the DualBrew Pro excelled at saturation control, which meant our iced coffee wasn't watered down, and we could actually tell a difference in taste between brewing modes. It's good for single-serving coffee pods or large batches, and the milk frother and water spout are the kind of extras you usually find in expensive espresso machines. It's a true multitasker with a level of versatility few other machines can match, albeit at a fairly high price for a drip coffee maker.

Capacity: 6 to 14 cups | Dimensions: 9.13 x 11.39 x 15.54 inches | Brew Time: Variable