Although they’re not the most advanced solution, 5-cup coffee makers are ideal for quick everyday coffee. Suitable for use at home or in the office, 5 cups of coffee is enough for a few people to share, and also quick enough to brew another pot.
On the surface, choosing a 5-cup coffee maker is fairly easy. But once you start looking at features and usability, it can get more complex. To help you out, here are __ of the best 5-cup coffee makers on the market.
What is a 5-Cup Coffee Maker?
This might seem like an obvious question to ask, but it’s worth addressing before we jump into the picks.
A coffee maker in this sense typically refers to a drip coffee machine. This is opposed to, for example, a French press or Moka pot. While these are also coffee makers, they have more specific names that describe their functionality.
By 5 cups, manufacturers mean espresso cups (5oz.). If you drink your coffee from a standard 12oz. mug – as most of us do – expect these coffee makers to give you 2-3 cups per brew.
Best 5-Cup Coffee Maker
Top Overall Pick: Krups Simply Brew Drip Coffee Maker
Krups Simply Brew Drip Coffee Maker
Pros
· Straightforward setup.
· Permanent filter helps cut down on waste.
· Brew pausing feature is useful.
Cons
· Drip tray isn’t removable.
If you’re familiar with coffee makers, the name Krups should come as no surprise here. The Krups Simply Brew wins the top spot because it’s easy to use, isn’t too expensive, and comes with all the functions you could need.
The setup is straightforward. It has an on/off button that also allows you to pause the brewing. It has a reusable coffee filter, which is great from a sustainability perspective, but it’s also compatible with #2 paper filters.
The coffee pot is dishwasher safe, which is helpful for cleaning. It has a keep-warm function, which you’d expect from a 5-cup coffee maker.
However, it only stays on for an hour, so you’ll need to pour the coffee into a thermal flask if you want it to stay warmer for longer.
Its only other major downside is that the drip tray isn’t removable, making it difficult to clean. Provided you’re careful when making the coffee, it shouldn’t be a massive issue, but it does affect the functionality.
Top Budget Pick: Elite Gourmet Maxi-Matic Drip Coffee Maker
Elite Gourmet Maxi-Matic Drip Coffee Maker
Pros
· Simple and easy to use.
· Warmer stays on for 2 hours.
· Good budget-friendly model.
Cons
· Reusable filter isn’t massive.
Coffee makers don’t need to be expensive. However, finding a balance between price and quality can be difficult, although this Elite Gourmet model achieves it. The design is fairly standard, but it’s easy to use and does exactly what you need it to.
Like the Krups, it features a reusable coffee filter and a transparent water reservoir. After adding the water and coffee, you simply turn it on and leave it to do its thing. While some extra features are helpful, they’re not something you should expect at this price point.
One advantage the Elite Gourmet has over the Krups is that its heater stays on for 2 hours rather than 1. As such, it’s a good option for someone using it alone because 2 hours is a decent amount of time to drink 5 cups of coffee.
There’s not much else to say about this 5-cup coffee maker. The pot is dishwasher safe, and you can remove all the necessary parts to clean them. It’s simple and functional, which is exactly what you should expect from a coffee machine at this price.
You might find that the reusable filter doesn’t hold enough coffee for the strength you want. However, this only happens with really strong coffees, and if it’ll be a problem, swap it out for a reusable filter.
Top Premium Pick: Bonavita 5-Cup Drip Coffee Maker
Bonavita 5-Cup Drip Coffee Maker
Pros
· Achieves fuller-flavored coffee.
· Pot is insulated rather than heated.
· Showerhead design allows for better coffee saturation.
Cons
· Pot is difficult to empty completely.
Anyone who’s into coffee will know that drip coffee makers are convenient but that they don’t make the best coffee. Luckily, the Bonavita 5-cup coffee maker addresses these concerns by combining convenience with superior coffee brewing.
Specifically, its water reservoir isn’t on the outside of the coffee basket but is separate. It then uses a showerhead design to saturate the coffee. This theoretically results in a better flavor than the standard design and is more in line with man-made coffee.
Also, its heater runs at the perfect temperature for coffee brewing, meaning there’s no risk of it burning the coffee grounds. This might not sound like a massive benefit, but if you prefer full-flavored coffee, it’s definitely a selling point.
One noticeably lacking feature here is a hotplate to keep the coffee pot warm. However, the Bonavita has a double-walled stainless steel coffee pot, which achieves the same thing. Rather than heating the coffee, it simply keeps it insulated to maintain the perfect temperature.
A downside of this coffee maker is that the coffee pot is difficult to empty completely. It has a lip around the rim that stops all the liquid from coming out. Considering you can’t put it in the dishwasher, this does make it a challenge to clean.
Best Compact Design: Black+Decker DCM600B
Black+Decker DCM600B
Pros
· Straightforward functionality.
· Coffee pot is quite durable.
· Compact design helps to save space.
Cons
· Doesn’t have a reusable coffee filter.
If you need a 5-cup coffee maker for small spaces, the Black+Decker DCM600B could be the model for you. At less than 10” wide, it’s a compact model that won’t take up too much counter space, making it suitable for apartment or office kitchens.
In terms of functionality, it still does everything you need it to. The water reservoir lid lifts up for easier filling and keeps its footprint small compared to a swing-out option. The coffee and filter are easy to insert, and then you just turn it on.
The coffee pot is made from reinforced glass, making it more durable than others. While you shouldn’t try throwing it around, it’ll definitely withstand the odd knock. It has clear markings to help you see how much coffee has been brewed too.
Its hotplate keeps the coffee warm for 90 minutes, which is fine. It’s not as long as some other models but should be fine considering you have about 15-20 minutes after it turns off before the coffee becomes noticeably cold.
While not a massive problem, one downside of this model is that it doesn’t have a reusable filter. Considering the budget model above has a reusable filter, this is a bit of a shame. However, paper filters can be thrown in the trash or food waste, so it’s not awful.
5. Capresso 5-Cup Coffee Maker
Capresso 5-Cup Coffee Maker
Pros
· Programmable timer lets you have coffee ready whenever.
· Drip stop function allows you to remove the pot while it’s brewing.
· Hotplate stays warm for 2 hours.
Cons
· Reusable filters can be inconvenient.
A standout feature of the Capresso coffee maker that others lack is its programmable timer. This is a major advantage if you want a pot of coffee ready first thing in the morning for when you wake up.
You simply set a time on its internal clock and it’ll start brewing to be ready for that time. While this might not be necessary for everyone, it at least means you don’t need to wait 5-15 minutes for that first cup in the morning!
It has a reusable filter that’s got decent-sized mesh. While it’ll let through finely-ground coffee (which a paper filter won’t), it’ll be fine for more coarsely-ground coffee. As this is the sort of coffee you should be using in a drip coffee maker, it shouldn’t be an issue.
As for the rest of its features, they’re pretty standard but work perfectly well. It has a hotplate that stays warm for 2 hours, which is plenty for 5 cups of coffee. It’s simple to set up, too: you add the water and coffee on the top and let it do its thing.
Another good feature is its drip stop. Simply put, it allows you to pour a cup of coffee while it’s still brewing. It does this by temporarily switching off the brewing while the pot is removed, and it then resumes when it’s put back.
Some people might find cleaning the reusable filter a bit inconvenient. If that’s the case, you can replace it with paper filters instead, but this obviously creates more waste and increases the overall operational costs.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, one of the coffee pots reviewed above will suit your needs. As you can see, there’s plenty of variation in design and function and even more variation in price.
Consider what features you need from a coffee maker, such as how long it’ll stay warm or whether you need programmable settings, to narrow down your options. From there, it should be easy to pick your perfect 5-cup coffee maker.