Being able to brew fresh coffee shouldn’t be reserved for group settings and massive pots. Luckily, there’s a large market of small coffee makers that brew from pods or ground coffee.
To help you narrow down your options, here’s a roundup of the 5 best small coffee makers currently available. They address different needs and brewing options, so you should be able to find one that works for you.
5 Best Small Coffee Makers
Top Overall Pick: Capresso On-the-Go
Capresso On-the-Go
Pros
· Brews directly into a travel mug.
· Can take loose coffee or soft pods.
· Easy to clean.
Cons
· Bit barebones on features.
The Capresso On-the-Go made it to the top spot because it’s functional, inexpensive, and super easy to use. It makes single-serve long coffees (e.g., an americano equivalent) directly into the included 16oz. travel mug.
It’s compatible with loose-ground coffee – like a drip coffee maker – or soft pods. These aren’t the Nespresso pods you might be familiar with. Rather, they’re more like tea bags that contain coffee. Both options are convenient to set up, and the machine brews a full cup of coffee in less than 4 minutes.
The machine operates just like a normal drip coffee maker. You put the water and coffee in the top, turn it on, and leave it to do its thing. There’s a permanent filter included, meaning you save money and waste by not buying paper filters.
It features a showerhead design for better coffee saturation and brews at 200F. The mug is insulated to keep your coffee warm, and you can easily brew into a normal mug instead. Overall, this is a decent machine for those wanting to brew only a single cup at a time.
There isn’t much negative to say about this small coffee maker. It would be great if it had a delay timer and adjustable temperature settings, but these are minor missing features when it can brew a cup in less than 5 minutes.
Top Budget Pick: Hamilton Beach Single Serve Coffee Maker
Hamilton Beach Single Serve Coffee Maker
Pros
· Straightforward budget-friendly option.
· Permanent filter helps save on waste.
· Automatic shutoff means you can walk away.
Cons
· Quite a large footprint.
The Hamilton Beach Single Serve Coffee Maker is a very similar product to the Capresso. It’s slightly cheaper but, by extension, is lacking on some features. Mainly, it doesn’t include a travel mug and only brews loose coffee. However, these are minor features to be missing considering its cheaper price point.
Its functionality is pretty much identical. You scoop coffee into the filter (which you can actually use as the scoop itself) and then add the desired amount of water.
It can hold up to 14oz. of water, but you’d obviously add less for smaller or stronger brews. The base stand is adjustable, meaning you can fit a travel mug on it if needed.
The controls are simple. There’s an on/off switch, and that’s about it. It comes with automatic shutoff, meaning it turns off once it’s done brewing your coffee. Although it doesn’t take very long, it at least means you can walk away and do other things while it’s brewing.
The permanent filter is quite fine mesh, but the machine works best with coarsely ground coffee – the same grind you’d use in a drip coffee maker.
While the filter definitely saves on waste, it can be a bit of a pain to clean. You’ll need to rinse it a few times to properly get rid of all the coffee.
Its only other downside – especially compared to the Capresso – is that it has quite a large footprint. This means it won’t save much space compared to a normal drip coffee maker. However, it’ll obviously save you time if you only need to brew one cup rather than a whole pot.
Top Premium Pick: L’OR Barista System Coffee Machine
L’OR Barista System Coffee Machine
Pros
· Convenient system to use.
· High-pressure brewing means thick crema.
· Can make 6 different coffee sizes.
Cons
· Can burn the second coffee if you brew them too quickly.
The L’OR Barista System Coffee Machine is the first on this list to work solely with Nespresso-style pods. On the one hand, L’OR makes amazing coffee, so this isn’t too much of an issue. On the other, the pods do create a lot of unnecessary waste. If you think that’ll be a problem, consider investing in some reusable pods.
If you’ve used a pod coffee maker before, you’ll know they’re straightforward. You fill up the water tank and switch the machine on. This one heats up incredibly quickly, and then you insert your pod and press the button.
It can make 6 different coffee sizes depending on the pod size and type you insert. It also has a button you can hold to add more water to your cup if desired. If you stick with the L’OR coffee, it’ll be pretty strong too.
One good feature of this coffee maker is that it has a high-pressure brewing system. In short, this means it can create a better crema, something that drips coffee makers lack. You should expect crema on espresso, and this machine can make a good one.
While it can make coffee quickly, it can sometimes burn the second cup if it heats up too fast. You can get around this by leaving it for a few minutes between brews, but that’s obviously not ideal if you’ve got several coffees to make.
Top Pick for Varied Drinks: Mr. Coffee 4-in-1 Coffee Maker
Mr. Coffee 4-in-1 Coffee
Pros
· Has loads of settings.
· Allows you to vary your coffee drinks.
· Really easy to use.
Cons
· Milk steamer needs cleaning after every use.
What sets the Mr. Coffee 4-in-1 Coffee Maker apart from the competition is its flexibility in the drinks it makes. As the name suggests, you have 4 options for making drinks. However, if you play around with the machine, you actually end up with a lot more.
The basic functions are coffee shots (e.g., espresso) hot or over ice. But it also has an integrated milk frother that can make hot latte and cappuccino and cold foam. Better yet, you don’t need to manually froth the milk – you just press the button!
Like the first 2 picks on this list, it uses loose ground coffee rather than pods. This is arguably a better system because it allows you flexibility over the strength and type of coffee you use. Also like those models, you put the coffee and water on the top and then press the relevant brewing button. It’s pretty straightforward.
Depending on how much water you add, you can brew anything from an espresso to a 16oz. coffee. For lattes and other drinks, you’ll only want the shot. However, if you want a long coffee, you can just add as much water as you want. This is a good level of flexibility if you like to vary your coffee drinks.
One issue is that the milk steamer needs washing between uses. This is true even if you’re making one coffee after another. Failing to do so will lead to scorched milk on the bottom, which sticks and taints the flavor. You can take care of it with a quick rinse, but it’s not the most convenient thing.
Top Pick for Space Saving: Keurig K-Mini Coffee Maker
Keurig K-Mini Coffee Maker
Pros
· Small, compact model.
· Comes with loads of pod options.
· Super easy to use.
Cons
· Water tank is small.
The Keurig K-Mini Coffee Maker relies on coffee pods, like the L’OR. However, the advantage of going with this model is that Keurig has partnered with more than 75 coffee brands. While there’s still less flexibility than choosing your own coffee, there are plenty of decent choices.
As with other pod coffee machines, the K-pods do produce quite a bit of waste. However, many people find it to be a convenient option, and the waste can be offset by recycling the pods at a relevant local scheme.
The actual coffee maker is sleek and stylish. While you won’t necessarily choose a coffee maker on its looks, it certainly helps! Its footprint is pretty small, so it should easily fit in pretty much any kitchen.
Its setup is as simple as you’d expect. You fill the water tank (which isn’t removable), add your pod, and then press the brew button. While it would be great if you could adjust the cup stand for different sizes, it’s travel mug friendly, so it’s not the end of the world.
The main downside of this machine is that the water tank is small. It’s meant to easily brew 8oz. of coffee, but you can lose some of this via absorption into the coffee grounds. As such, you’ll want to overfill slightly.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, one of the small coffee makers listed above should be suitable for your needs. The most convenient options are the pod-based models, although they obviously come with their downsides. They’re all great, so it ultimately depends on the type of coffee you want to brew and how much effort you want to put into brewing it!