The Best Single Serve Coffee Makers In 2022

The Best Single Serve Coffee Makers In 2022

Rosamar/Shutterstock By Maria Scinto/May 10, 2022 4:12 pm EST

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. How did people ever manage to make coffee back in the olden days? Well, some used the rough-and-ready, filter-free cowboy method, while others strained their brew through a sock. (A clean one, we hope.) Luckily Mr. Coffee came along some 50 years ago to save us from such horrors, but even this modern marvel left room for improvement. When you brew up a full pot at a time, usually you only get one really good cup out of it, and the rest either gets cold or grows stale and bitter on the warmer. In 1992, however, came the next evolution — some might even say revolution — in coffee brewing: the Keurig single-serve coffee maker!

Keurig is still a dominant brand in single serve brewers, so much so that its name, or at least its initial, has been adopted as part of what is now seen as a fairly generic term: K-cups. In the 30 years since Keurig machines were introduced, however, numerous competitors have entered the arena. Bad news if you’re a major Keurig stockholder, perhaps, but good news if you’re in the market for a new coffee maker as you now have a wide variety of brands, styles, and price ranges from which to choose. Our list ranges from super high end machines with all the bells and whistles to bargain-priced appliances that will fit even a college student’s budget, but each one holds a place among the best single serve coffee makers available today.

Cheapest and cutest: Brentwood Appliances TS-112 Single Serve Coffee Maker with Mug

Walmart

Single-serve coffee makers can be pretty pricy at the higher end, so much so that some buying guides may consider a $50 machine to be a “budget” offering. True bargainistas, though, will keep hunting for an even better deal, and we’ve found just that in the Brentwood Appliances TS-112. This machine can be had for under $25 for a basic white model, although certain colors like black, red, and blue may run a bit more. You even get a free mug with purchase, too.

For this price, you get a pretty no-frills machine, but it brews a single cup of coffee just the same as the pricier ones do. What’s more, the reusable filter basket (this machine doesn’t take pods) allows you to add extra ground coffee to make a double-strength brew if that’s your pleasure. Our favorite thing about this unit, besides the price, is the fact that it’s so darn cute, all rounded and curvy and darn near anthropomorphic in design. We think the white one looks like a friendly ghost, while the black one kind of resembles No-Face from Studio Ghibli’s “Spirited Away.” Purchase the Brentwood Appliances TS-112 Single Serve Coffee Maker with Mug from Walmart starting at $22.45.

Prettiest: Keurig Jonathan Adler K-Mini

Best Buy

Why must kitchen appliances be so boring? A pop of color is nice, but what’s even better is a pretty design. You see this in dishware and even pots and pans, but seldom in appliances. With most coffee makers, form not only follows function, but does so at a distance. Designer Jonathan Adler doesn’t feel that this has to be the case, however. As he says on his website, “I don’t think a coffee routine needs to be … routine.” As he’s a big Keurig fan, he decided to create a beautiful brewer for the brand, and he nailed it with a gorgeous geometric blue-and-white design that seems to combine a ’60s mod aesthetic with a motif reminiscent of Byzantine mosaics.

The Adler-designed brewer is Keurig’s compact K-Mini design, which is similar to the K-Mini Plus, but lacking the cup storage. While it’s no longer available directly from Keurig, it is still in stock at Best Buy. Sadly, Best Buy doesn’t offer the matching mug and K-cup canister, but even on its own this lovely machine will make you smile every time you brew a cup of coffee. Purchase the Keurig Jonathan Adler K-Mini from Best Buy for $99.99.

The Best Single Serve Coffee Makers In 2022

Rosamar/Shutterstock

By Maria Scinto/May 10, 2022 4:12 pm EST

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. How did people ever manage to make coffee back in the olden days? Well, some used the rough-and-ready, filter-free cowboy method, while others strained their brew through a sock. (A clean one, we hope.) Luckily Mr. Coffee came along some 50 years ago to save us from such horrors, but even this modern marvel left room for improvement. When you brew up a full pot at a time, usually you only get one really good cup out of it, and the rest either gets cold or grows stale and bitter on the warmer. In 1992, however, came the next evolution — some might even say revolution — in coffee brewing: the Keurig single-serve coffee maker!

Keurig is still a dominant brand in single serve brewers, so much so that its name, or at least its initial, has been adopted as part of what is now seen as a fairly generic term: K-cups. In the 30 years since Keurig machines were introduced, however, numerous competitors have entered the arena. Bad news if you’re a major Keurig stockholder, perhaps, but good news if you’re in the market for a new coffee maker as you now have a wide variety of brands, styles, and price ranges from which to choose. Our list ranges from super high end machines with all the bells and whistles to bargain-priced appliances that will fit even a college student’s budget, but each one holds a place among the best single serve coffee makers available today.

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Keurig is still a dominant brand in single serve brewers, so much so that its name, or at least its initial, has been adopted as part of what is now seen as a fairly generic term: K-cups. In the 30 years since Keurig machines were introduced, however, numerous competitors have entered the arena. Bad news if you’re a major Keurig stockholder, perhaps, but good news if you’re in the market for a new coffee maker as you now have a wide variety of brands, styles, and price ranges from which to choose. Our list ranges from super high end machines with all the bells and whistles to bargain-priced appliances that will fit even a college student’s budget, but each one holds a place among the best single serve coffee makers available today.

Most versatile: Ninja CM401 Specialty Coffee Maker

But wait, that’s not all! The machine even comes with a built-in milk frother so you can top off your specialty creations in style. If you’re not feeling frothy, you can always fold it back out of the way. What we like best about this machine, though, is that you don’t need to purchase any pricy pods to use with it. As it brews so many different sizes of coffee, it instead comes with a “Smart Scoop” that helps you measure out the exact amount of ground coffee needed. The scoop even tucks away into its own storage spot on the machine when not in use.

Best double-duty coffee machine: Hamilton Beach 2-Way Brewer

Best coffee maker with built-in grinder: PowerXL Grind & Go

The PowerXL Grind & Go may be budget-friendly, but it still gets the job done. The unit is fairly compact, too, so it won’t take up too much room. You can brew a single cup ranging from 6 ounces all the way up to 16, and you can bypass the grinder if you’re in a hurry and want to use pre-ground beans. If you are grinding your own, however, the process couldn’t be any simpler as the Grind & Go will automatically begin brewing as soon as the beans are done. If you’ve never tried grinding your own beans because you thought it would be a hassle, this machine will let you see what all of the fuss is about without having to invest too much time or money.

Best high-end luxury machine: Smeg Fully Automatic Coffee Machine

This coffee maker has Smeg’s signature retro style, with soft rounded corners, sleek brushed aluminum, and a pop of color in your choice of black, red, taupe, and white. The display is surprisingly uncluttered, too, when you considered how multi-functional this machine is. Smeg’s all about the design, though — and is priced accordingly.

Best machine with reservoir: Cuisinart Coffee Center

Our pick for a mid-priced coffee machine with a reservoir is the Cuisinart Coffee Center with its generously-sized 72-ounce water tank complete with charcoal filter. You can set it to brew coffee or heat up water for soup, tea, or hot chocolate in sizes ranging from 4 to 12 ounces, and you can take the drip tray out if you need to fit a travel mug under the spout. This machine is K-cup compatible, but you do have the option to purchase it with a refillable filter cup that allows brewing bagged coffee as well.

Best budget-priced programmable: Wirsh Programmable Single Serve Coffee Maker

What we like about the Wirsh, besides the low price tag and the programmability, is the sleek, compact design. While this machine can’t be used with K-cups, it does come with its own re-usable coffee filter, which in itself will save you money since bagged coffee is quite a bit cheaper. The Wirsh even comes with a free matching 14-ounce travel mug, although you can certainly brew coffee in smaller cups if you prefer.

Best for espresso: Nespresso Lattissima Plus

The Nespresso Lattissima Plus makes use of coffee capsules to brew the perfect cup of espresso and it has sufficient pressure to extract every bit of that concentrated flavor. It heats up super-fast, too, so your brew can be ready in under a minute. Espresso’s not the only thing it does, though. You can program it to make long coffees, cappuccinos, lattes, macchiatos, and steamed milk, as well, these last 4 courtesy of a built-in frother. The milk storage tank is detachable, though, so you can store this perishable liquid in the fridge for later lattes.

Best for iced coffee: Keurig K-Supreme

The K-Supreme, as its name implies, offers a number of higher-end options, including a 66-ounce water reservoir that can be positioned on either side of the unit for countertop convenience. You can also select your brew size ranging from short (6 ounces) to tall (12 ounces). Brew strength is also customizable, permitting for standard, extra strong, and — the one we’re most concerned with here — over ice. What you get, if you choose the iced coffee setting, is 6 ounces of coffee that comes out not quite as hot as usual so it won’t melt all the ice at once. Even though the coffee isn’t brewed at the maximum temperature, Keurig says their “multi-stream” technology still ensures that every last bit of coffee flavor comes out of the pod.

Cheapest and cutest: Brentwood Appliances TS-112 Single Serve Coffee Maker with Mug

Walmart

Single-serve coffee makers can be pretty pricy at the higher end, so much so that some buying guides may consider a $50 machine to be a “budget” offering. True bargainistas, though, will keep hunting for an even better deal, and we’ve found just that in the Brentwood Appliances TS-112. This machine can be had for under $25 for a basic white model, although certain colors like black, red, and blue may run a bit more. You even get a free mug with purchase, too.

For this price, you get a pretty no-frills machine, but it brews a single cup of coffee just the same as the pricier ones do. What’s more, the reusable filter basket (this machine doesn’t take pods) allows you to add extra ground coffee to make a double-strength brew if that’s your pleasure. Our favorite thing about this unit, besides the price, is the fact that it’s so darn cute, all rounded and curvy and darn near anthropomorphic in design. We think the white one looks like a friendly ghost, while the black one kind of resembles No-Face from Studio Ghibli’s “Spirited Away.” Purchase the Brentwood Appliances TS-112 Single Serve Coffee Maker with Mug from Walmart starting at $22.45.

For this price, you get a pretty no-frills machine, but it brews a single cup of coffee just the same as the pricier ones do. What’s more, the reusable filter basket (this machine doesn’t take pods) allows you to add extra ground coffee to make a double-strength brew if that’s your pleasure. Our favorite thing about this unit, besides the price, is the fact that it’s so darn cute, all rounded and curvy and darn near anthropomorphic in design. We think the white one looks like a friendly ghost, while the black one kind of resembles No-Face from Studio Ghibli’s “Spirited Away.”

Purchase the Brentwood Appliances TS-112 Single Serve Coffee Maker with Mug from Walmart starting at $22.45.

Best low-tech option: Aeropress Coffee and Espresso Maker

The way the Aeropress works is, you put ground coffee in the filter chamber, add hot water, wait for a minute, then hold the whole thing over your cup and gently press on the plunger. In fact, you can even skip the water heating and use the Aeropress to make cold brew, and you can also tinker with the proportion of beans and water to make something espresso-strength.

Best for brewing on the go: MobiBrewer 2.0 Portable Coffee Maker

The MobiBrewer works with K-cups, although the package also includes a reusable filter so you can use it with ground coffee, as well. For the sake of convenience, the brewer itself doubles as a mug, making the only coffee maker we know of where you can drink your java straight out of the machine.

Best compact: Keurig K-Mini Plus

The K-Mini Plus, despite its small size, is as feature-rich as many larger Keurigs. It offers adjustable brew size and strength and an auto shut-off feature and is also compatible with the My K-Cup reusable filter. Our favorite part, though, is that the K-Mini comes in a wide range of cute colors: not just black, white, and red (although these are also available), but also grey, pale green, sky blue, and teal.

Prettiest: Keurig Jonathan Adler K-Mini

Best Buy

Why must kitchen appliances be so boring? A pop of color is nice, but what’s even better is a pretty design. You see this in dishware and even pots and pans, but seldom in appliances. With most coffee makers, form not only follows function, but does so at a distance. Designer Jonathan Adler doesn’t feel that this has to be the case, however. As he says on his website, “I don’t think a coffee routine needs to be … routine.” As he’s a big Keurig fan, he decided to create a beautiful brewer for the brand, and he nailed it with a gorgeous geometric blue-and-white design that seems to combine a ’60s mod aesthetic with a motif reminiscent of Byzantine mosaics.

The Adler-designed brewer is Keurig’s compact K-Mini design, which is similar to the K-Mini Plus, but lacking the cup storage. While it’s no longer available directly from Keurig, it is still in stock at Best Buy. Sadly, Best Buy doesn’t offer the matching mug and K-cup canister, but even on its own this lovely machine will make you smile every time you brew a cup of coffee. Purchase the Keurig Jonathan Adler K-Mini from Best Buy for $99.99.

The Adler-designed brewer is Keurig’s compact K-Mini design, which is similar to the K-Mini Plus, but lacking the cup storage. While it’s no longer available directly from Keurig, it is still in stock at Best Buy. Sadly, Best Buy doesn’t offer the matching mug and K-cup canister, but even on its own this lovely machine will make you smile every time you brew a cup of coffee.

Purchase the Keurig Jonathan Adler K-Mini from Best Buy for $99.99.