One of the best things about coffee is all the different ways you can brew it. Of course, in a home setting, this potentially means having several machines to accommodate all your favorite coffee types.
But it doesn’t have to! You can at least save a bit of room by choosing a dual coffee maker. Deciding on the right kind for your needs can be a bit challenging, so here are 5 of the best dual coffee makers on the market.
5 Best Dual Coffee Makers
Top Overall Pick: Hamilton Beach 2-Way Coffee Maker
Hamilton Beach 2-Way Coffee Maker
Pros
- 24-hour programmable timer.
- Can fit cups up to 16oz.
- Easy to use
Cons
- The 12-cup side doesn’t have a permanent coffee filter.
The Hamilton Beach 2-Way Coffee Maker is perhaps the most classic kind of dual coffee maker. It technically has 2 ways to brew coffee, but they’re both drip coffee. However, you can either make a 12-cup pot or a single serve, which is pretty useful.
As with most modern drip coffee makers, it has a permanent filter on the single-serve side. Helpfully, the filter doubles up as the scoop, but this does mean it can be difficult to fill it up properly. You might want to have a dedicated scoop on standby in case you like it strong.
It has a programmable timer, which is great if you want to have a fresh pot of coffee ready for when you get up. There are also brewing options for different coffee types, which can make the coffee taste stronger.
The coffee pot side has a hotplate with a 2-hour shutoff timer, so you don’t have to worry about it boiling dry. The single-serve side can hold up to 16oz. travel mugs, and there’s an adjustable stand for smaller cups.
Its main downside is that the 12-cup side doesn’t have a permanent filter, meaning you have to use paper ones. While it’s not a massive issue, it seems like a bit of a pointless oversight considering the single-serve side has a permanent filter.
Top Budget Pick: Amazon Basics Dual Brew Coffee Maker
Amazon Basics Dual Brew Coffee Maker
Pros
- Decent budget-friendly option.
- Allows you to switch between drip coffee and pods.
- Easy to set up and doesn’t take up much room.
Cons
- Would be nice if it had a milk steamer
The Amazon Basics Dual Brew Coffee Maker takes the idea of dual brewing in a different direction. While it’s only single-serve, you can brew coffee from either fresh grounds or K-pods (Keurig brand pods). This is helpful if you like the flexibility coffee pods offer but don’t want to stick to them all the time.
This machine looks like a standard coffee pod machine. It has a water tank on the back and a stand for your cup. You put the coffee in, select the coffee option and cup size, and let it do its thing. Overall, it’s pretty convenient to use.
It comes with a removable mesh filter for loose coffee, meaning you don’t need to buy paper filters. Pods fit in easily, and you can remove the water tank to fill and clean it. While there’s not much else to say about this dual coffee maker, it does what it needs to, and it does it quite well.
The only real critique is that it would be nice if it came with a milk steamer, as these can be run off of a coffee pod machine quite easily. You can buy K-pods that contain milk, so it’s not a massive issue, but it would be a nice feature for using with the drip coffee.
Top Premium Pick: Ninja CP307 Hot and Cold Brew System
Ninja CP307 Hot and Cold Brew System
Pros
· Separate baskets mean you don’t have to worry about tea and coffee flavors mixing.
· All its settings are easy to use.
· Programmable timer is very useful.
Cons
· Warming function can only be used on half and full coffee pots.
The Ninja CP307 Hot and Cold Brew System is a pretty fancy dual coffee maker. In fact, there are numerous ways it could be considered dual. It can make tea and coffee, hot and cold drinks, and single-serve or a full carafe. As such, it offers great flexibility for a kitchen or work break room.
Despite having so many functions, it’s surprisingly easy to use. It has a dial to select the brew size and a set of buttons to choose the brew type. There are separate baskets for tea and coffee, so you don’t have to worry about the flavors mixing. It even has a milk-frothing wand for making cappuccinos and lattes.
There’s a timer function, allowing you to set it up to 24 hours in advance. Generally, it’s best to reserve this for coffee, as you don’t want your cup of tea to sit there for a few hours while you’re waking up. For a pot of coffee, though, it’s invaluable.
One thing it’s notably lacking is the ability to warm small coffee servings. However, it comes with a thermal pot, which can insulate the coffee for several hours. It does have a stay-warm setting, but this only works with a half or full pot, which is redundant if you’ve got the thermal carafe. It’s not a massive issue but is definitely worth mentioning.
Top Pick for Offices: CucinaPro Double Coffee Brewer Station
CucinaPro Double Coffee Brewer Station
Pros
- Allows you to brew 2 full pots at once
- Easy to take apart and clean
- Simple to use
Cons
- Could do with some extra features – it’s lacking automatic shutoff for the hotplates.
If you work in an office and need lots of coffee all the time, the CucinaPro Double Coffee Brewer Station could be for you. It can brew two 12-cup coffee pots at the same time, which is ideal if you want regular and decaf or different flavors.
The machine is pretty straightforward to use. It works just like any other drip coffee machine, except you have 2 sides. Each one has a water reservoir and a removable coffee basket. While the basket can function as a filter, it’s quite a large mesh, so you’ll want to put a paper filter in too.
Everything comes apart quite easily for cleaning, and the water reservoir opens quite wide. While you can’t take it off, you could easily get a cloth in there to wipe around (and you should run a cleaner through it too).
You can control the heating elements separately, which is what you’d expect for a dual coffee maker like this. Each side has a hotplate, although there’s no automatic shutoff. It’s not the end of the world if people drink a lot of coffee, but it’s something to be aware of when you set it up.
Considering the price, this coffee machine is a bit basic. However, if you need something that brews 2 pots at the same time for an office, you won’t be overloaded with options. It does exactly what you need it to without any bells and whistles, so it’s arguably still worth the investment.
Top Pick for Pods and Pot: Hamilton Beach FlexBrew Coffee Maker
Hamilton Beach FlexBrew Coffee Maker
Pros
· Decent flexibility over brewing options.
· Programmable timer is useful.
· Insulated pot means you don’t need a hotplate.
Cons
· Brews a pot quite slowly.
While the Hamilton Beach FlexBrew Coffee Maker is similar to the Amazon coffee maker above, it goes a step further by adding another brew option. Granted, this technically makes it a triple brew machine, but we’ll count them as 2 types: drip coffee and K-pods.
One side has a pot that holds 10 cups of coffee, which you brew with loose grounds. The other side is for single-serving coffees, which you can brew with either K-pods or ground coffee. This is a decent level of flexibility for the price, especially if you have a small kitchen that doesn’t have room for numerous coffee machines.
Each side has its own reservoir, and you can program the timer in advance. While the 10-cup side doesn’t have a hotplate, it uses an insulated pot instead. This can keep your coffee warm for several hours without the risk of burning or boiling it off. Plus, there’s a pause and pour setting in case you can’t wait for it to finish!
Its only downside is that it can take a long time to brew a pot of coffee. However, that’ll only be a noticeable problem after your first pot, as you can use the timer to have it ready for you. It’s quick enough to brew single cups, though.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are loads of options for what we consider to be a dual coffee maker. The most standard is a machine that brews single-serve and pots of coffee. A good combination is one that includes K-pods or similar, as that then gives you loads of flexibility over the types of coffee you have.
Hopefully, one of the dual coffee makers above will be suitable for your needs and budget. If not, use these as inspiration to help you find the perfect model.