Types of Coffee Makers - Compare Coffee Makers

There are many critical elements to making the perfect cup of coffee: the beans, the grind, and the water. But none of that matters if you don’t have the right coffee maker to brew it in.

Shopping for a new brewer can be overwhelming. There are so many types of coffee makers available: automatic drip, single serve, percolators, pour-overs, and espresso machines.

Because everyone has different needs and tastes when it comes to java, we created a guide to help you compare coffee makers and choose the brewer type that’s right for you.

Coffee Maker Types

Your lifestyle is an important factor when considering a new coffee maker. Do you dash out the door every morning and need your coffee to begin brewing before your alarm goes off? Or do you prefer to grind your beans every morning and slow drip your coffee before catching up on your morning emails?

Selecting a brewer that suits your coffee ritual is key. We compare the 6 common types of coffee makers to help you choose which is best for you:

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Automatic Drip Coffee Makers

Most coffee drinkers are familiar with drip coffee makers. These familiar brewers are used in home kitchens, offices, restaurants, diners, and convenience stores.

Drip coffee brewers are popular because they are efficient and easy to use: simply add ground coffee to your gold tone or paper filter, fill the brewer's reservoir with water, insert your carafe into place, hit the brew button, and a fresh pot of coffee is brewed in a matter of minutes.

Auto drip coffee makers come with a variety of features and functionality. They make brewing flavorful coffee simple, whether you’re brewing just for yourself or for your whole family. Even if you’re just looking to cover the basics, you have plenty of options.

Compare our different models and types of automatic drip coffee makers to find your perfect match:

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Grind & Brew

To coffee connoisseurs, the prefect cup of joe begins with freshly ground beans. Grind and brew coffee makers give you the benefit of freshly ground beans and the ease of drip coffee in one appliance. Cuisinart has a range of grind and brew coffee makers so you can make delicious, freshly ground and brewed coffee every day.

An important element of any grind and brew coffee maker is the grinder itself. That’s because the texture of the grind is critical. Too fine, and it may clog the filter. Too coarse, and water passes through too quickly to extract the full coffee flavor.

A burr grinder produces maximum flavor from coffee beans. The process actually crushes the beans to release more of the oils and flavors that create the best tasting coffee.

The Cuisinart Burr Grind & Brew 12-Cup Coffeemaker features an innovative DirectFlow grind assembly that seamlessly grinds the right amount of beans needed for the number of cups selected, then moves the freshly ground coffee right into the brew basket for the freshest cup of coffee.

For those looking for just a single cup of fresh brew, the Grind and Brew Single-Serve Brewer brings the freshest brewing experience to one single-serve machine.

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Percolators

Some coffee purists will argue that the most authentic flavors of coffee come from percolators, which were popular before auto drip brewers came onto the scene. Percolators are compact and brew very flavorful coffee with a rich aroma by circulating boiling water through coffee grounds in a device that looks similar to a kettle.

Cuisinart brings polished touches to traditional coffee making techniques with the Classic 12 Cup Percolator. The beautiful stainless steel coffee maker percolates hot water through coffee grounds up into the transparent knob on top, creating that familiar sound coffee drinkers love.

The stainless steel removable basket features measurement markings that make it easy to know the quantity of grounds you need to make your coffee.

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Programmable Coffee Makers

A programmable coffee maker allows you to schedule your coffee to brew at a specific time, even up to 24-hours in advance. Perfect for the early-morning riser who likes to wake up and go, these automatic drip coffee makers come with all the bells and whistles to make the perfect cup of brew easier than ever. Simply fill the reservoir with water, add your coffee, choose your desired brew time and let the machine handle the rest.

Simple, yet packed with features, the Cuisinart 12 Cup Programmable Coffeemaker and 14 Cup Programmable Coffeemaker are fully automatic and come with 24-hour programmability and even include Brew Pause™ that lets you enjoy your cup of coffee before brewing has finished. They also feature a time-to-clean indicator light so you'll know when it's time to clean your coffee maker and remove calcium buildup.

If you would like a thermal coffeemaker, The Cuisinart® 12 Cup Programmable Thermal Coffeemaker is equipped with cutting edge coffee technology to give you hotter coffee without sacrificing taste. 

If time is of the essence and you want a coffee maker that brews 25 percent faster without sacrificing flavor, ExtremeBrew™ is the feature you need. The Extreme Brew™ 12 Cup Programmable Coffeemaker has 24-hour programmability as well as the Brew Pause™ functionality, giving you complete control over a more efficient brew.

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Automatic Single-Serve Brewers

Single-serve brewers are a type of automatic drip coffee makers that have grown in popularity in recent years thanks to their ease of use and convenience. Simply fill the reservoir with water and insert your preferred single cup pod and you have a delicious cup of coffee in a matter of seconds!

Cuisinart offers a variety of single-serve brewers that fit any brand of single cup pod and come with the HomeBarista™ Reusable Filter Cup. Choose from our:

  • Single Serve Brewer with a 40-ounce water reservoir and three serving sizes that fit for your favorite coffee cup or travel mug.
  • 72-ounce capacity Premium Single-Serve Brewer that is fully programmable with adjustable brewing temperature settings and includes five serving sizes and a hot water button for tea, cocoa or even soup.
  • Grind & Brew Single-Serve Brewer that grinds your coffee beans for you using a conical burr grinder, then feeds them into the HomeBarista reusable filter cup to be brewed for the most flavorful, fresh coffee.

If you prefer to sip your coffee solo weekdays but serve a crowd when you entertain on weekends, get the best of both worlds in one appliance: The Cuisinart Coffee Center™ 12-cup Coffeemaker and Single Server Brewer features a fully automatic 12-cup coffee maker on one side and a single-serve brewer on the other.  

Pour-Over Coffee Makers

If you want a coffee-bar quality brewer that delivers gourmet, barista quality flavor, consider a pour-over coffee maker. The pour-over method involves pouring a slow, steady stream of piping hot water over coffee grounds placed in a cone-shaped dripper or filter. The result is great-tasting coffee, but the manual effort involved can be a bit tedious.

You can, however, achieve that superior coffee taste produced by manual brewers—without the work. The PurePrecision™ 8 Cup Pour-over Coffee Brewer from Cuisinart pre-wets grounds before brewing to let the flavor “bloom.” Temperature and strength lets you customize every coffee, and a unique laser-etched stainless steel filter helps to maximize this exceptional coffee experience.

In fact, this precision brewing technique provides such a superior flavor extraction, it has earned the respected SCAA Home Brewer Certification.

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Home Espresso Machines

For those who prefer a shot of the quintessential Italian espresso, an espresso machine is required to produce the rich and concentrated flavor of an espresso that can be drank as an individual shot or combined with milk for cappuccinos and lattes.

Unlike most coffee maker machines, espresso machines use high pressure to force boiling water through finely ground coffee beans, producing what many consider to be a preferred coffee experience.

If you’re looking to make delicious high-quality espresso, cappuccinos and lattes at home, Cuisinart has a collection of espresso machines that can even froth and steam milk as well.

The uses 15 bars of pressure for maximum flavor from freshly ground coffee or a single-serving pod. The stainless stem nozzle and frothing cup makes brewing barista-quality espressos, cappuccinos, and lattes easier than ever.

With the right brewer, the coffee you make at home can rival any gourmet shops made by professional barista. Shop Cuisinart Coffee Maker Machines and Programmable Coffee Makers and change the way you make coffee at home.