by Ana Maria |
Last Updated: March 22, 2021 We reviewed the best single cup coffee makers (in our opinion) because the true is any home is incomplete without a good single cup coffee maker. After all, what will help you get ready to go to work when you wake up from your deep sleep?
You might wonder why you need a coffee machine if you can simply brew it yourself using other techniques. Well, perhaps you don’t, but a coffee machine provides so much utility throughout the day that it has become difficult for a lot of households to imagine life without it.
Plus, you can also make your office a little less sleepy, and a little more efficient by installing a smart coffee machine in one of the corners.
There are also a lot of lesser-known deeds that a coffeemaker can efficiently perform for you:
- It can give you hot water to aid in your cooking
- It can help you make tea and hot chocolate or any other hot beverage
- They are excellent additions to offices and dorm rooms
Ready to find out our choices of best single cup coffee makers? Here we go:
10 Best Single Cup Coffee Maker 2021
Once you’ve made up your mind about what you want your coffee machine to do, perhaps the list below will help you decide.
Best Single Cup Coffeemakers Reviewed and Rated
1. Hamilton Beach Single Serve 49980A Coffee Brewer And 2-Way Full Pot Coffeemaker
Simplicity and utility are the name of the game with the Hamilton Beach Coffee Brewer (full review). You now have the option to brew a pot, as well get a single serving out of the brewer.
The Hamilton Beach coffeemaker lets you work with twice as many brewing options than any other coffeemaker out there, so there’s a little something for everyone’s varied coffee tastes. The time taken to brew coffee is unbelievably less; you can get your coffee within minutes of pressing your buttons.
Plus, you can program the machine to make you coffee up to 24 hours ahead of when you need it, so you can enjoy your night’s sleep and wake up to freshly brewed coffee.
More, if you’re busy and can’t use the settings for your perfect coffee, the coffee brewer is designed with a pod holder to simply drop it off and make coffee how you wanted it. Essentially, with this machine, you get two for the price of one.
Features
- 12-cup glass carafe included
- Carafe-side reservoir for water with markings for measurement and extra-large capacity
- Brew strength selector
- Control panel with display
- 24-hour advance coffee making program
- Single-serve side brew basket with a filter with mesh to store ground coffee or pre-packaged soft pods
- 2-hour automatic shut-off
Pros
- Can single serve as well as brew a pot
- 24-hour advance coffee making mechanism allows you to set timer to exactly when you want your coffee
- Can easily brew pre-packaged soft pods
- Easily set your coffee preferences to bold or regular
- Single-serve multilevel cup fits all cup sizes so you can use any cup from your shelf
- Plastic body lasts forever; the device does not leak or drip
Cons
- Not compatible with K cups
- Hard to clean
Summary
The Hamilton Beach Coffee Brewer is a necessity for all coffee lovers and coffee-loving families. The two-in-one single serve and pot-brewing feature essentially gives you two coffee machines at the price of one. On top of that, the “price of one” is pretty reasonable too. Hence, you get the best product at the best price.
2. BUNN MCU Multi-Use Single Cup Coffee Brewer for Homes
The BUNN MCU is one of the best single-serve coffee brewers out there (detailed review). The design is simple, yet efficient, and the size and scale are smaller compared to the Hamilton Beach, yet it holds pots perfectly.
Not only does it hold any cup, but it also gives you with four options based on what you want: You can use a K-cup pack for your coffee; you can use tea bags or pods; you can use ground coffee as all coffee brewers do; and you can simply dispense hot water for any use that you need.
Also, you can choose your serving sizes too by being able to brew from 4 ounces up to 14 ounces. It has an inbuilt pulse brew option that extracts maximum flavor from the coffee beans to give you bolder flavors. The drip tray is removable to fit most coffee mugs. You get four interchangeable drawers to go with your cup.
Features
- This is a single-serve coffee brewer
- Separate water delivery system for only hot water
- Four interchangeable cup drawers—cup drawer, ground coffee drawer, pod drawer and hot water drawer
- K-cup compatible
- Removable drip tray to fit most travel mugs
- Pulse brew option
- Two-year warranty
- Simple two button operation
Pros
- Very basic and easy to use
- Option to simply get hot water for any other use
- K-cup compatible for easy coffee
- Pod and tea bag compatible so you can instantly get both coffee and tea
- Pulse brew option gives bolder flavors than other coffee brewers
- Serving size choice—can brew from 4 ounces to 14 ounces.
Cons
- No option for pot brewing
- The interchangeable cup drawers tend to get clogged
Summary
Buying the BUNN Single Cup Brewer lets you experience coffee tastes you’ve never experienced before. However, we would’ve liked to see the option of being able to brew a pot for the price we are paying.
While it does its job efficiently and perfectly, having clogged mug drawers might be a huge turn down for some people. But the taste of the coffee you get might compensate for its faults. If this is your sole requirement from a coffee brewer, and you’re not too concerned about the price, go for this brewer.
This machine is great if you want the utility of being able to brew K-cups, pods and teas with ease. However, the price tag will definitely bother a lot of people.
3. Keurig K250 Single Serve, Programmable K-Cup Pod Coffeemaker
Keurig is the company whose ingenious plan was to make the K-cup. Hence, it is safe to assume that these guys are coffee masterminds. Think of it like a smarter BUNN coffee brewer.
In addition to what the BUNN coffee brewer provides, with Keurig K 250 (full review), you get a single-serving coffee brewer that has an LCD display to make all your operations simple.
First, it looks a notch more modern than most other coffee brewers, and it has stability and durability to match it looks.
Secondly, it has a ton of more options over the BUNN coffee brewer. You can choose whether you want your regular coffee or you can use the controls to get yourself a stronger brew.
Unlike other machines, you are in complete control of the strength of your coffee instead of choosing between two settings.
This machine features a 40-ounce water reservoir so you can fill it and forget it for the day. Makes for a perfect addition to both homes and offices.
Features
- Single serving coffee brewer
- Huge 40-ounce water reservoir
- Matte finish
- K-cup compatible
- Brew sizes mugs of 4, 6, 8, 10 ounces
- Available in three colors
- Removable water reservoir
- Removable drip tray
- Strength control setting
- Water level window
Pros
- Strength control lets you set coffee strength to exactly how you want it
- Can be used with K-cups and pods for easy on-the-go coffee
- Looks beautiful in any setting
- Huge removable water reservoir for easy refilling
- Easily cleanable because of the removable drip tray
- Water level window lets you see how much water you have left
- Touch screen LCD for easy operation
- Great optional accessories to buy
- Can choose any brew size you want
Cons
The off button tends to break
Summary
This is definitely one of the best coffee brewers in case you are planning to buy a single-serving machine. With so many upgraded features over standard coffee brewers, you’ll be surprised how much more utility you get over other costlier brewers.
Plus, the ergonomic K-cups let you handle your coffee all too well. You can even purchase it in different colors to go with your décor. Despite holding 40 ounces of water, this coffee brewer will take very little space in your home. The control setting is a technological marvel for coffee lovers.
The only reason to refrain from buying this model is if you really need the option to brew a pot, or if your budget for coffee brewers is low.
4. Aicok Single Serve K-Cup Coffeemaker
Aicok is the type of coffeemaker that does not need shiny LCD screens to do a good job of making coffee. It is a very basic machine on the outside, but a very potent deliverer inside your coffee mug.
This coffee maker is designed only to work with K-cups; this means ground coffee and coffee beans are out. However, that doesn’t take anything away from the greatness of this coffeemaker, and this machine is designed for people who run. Just fill it with water, use a K-cup and poof, you will have coffee ready for you within seconds.
There are no buttons on the coffee brewer either, just an “on” button to get you started. Don’t compare this brewer to the biggies you’ve seen before; it’s quick working is designed to give the entirely different purpose of simplicity and speed.
Features
- Designed only for K-cups
- Removable drip tray
- Removable 12-ounce water reservoir
- Travel sized device
- One-touch button controls
- Energy saving mechanism
- Auto shut-off
- BPA-free material
- Two-year manufacturer’s warranty
- Brew head locker
Pros
- Quick and efficient in its work
- Brews fairly good coffee
- Dispenses hot water
- Single button usage makes it easy to use
- Ultra-small design helps the device fit unnoticeably in any corner
- Shuts down by itself to save energy
- Brew head lock ensures there’s no spillage
Cons
- Can only be used with K-cups
- Tends to leak a little from the bottom
Summary
This one (full review) is perfect for those dorm room dwellers who study all day and need intermittent coffee, or those who live alone and have the coffee machine all to themselves. Not to take anything away from their utility in a home, but for full-fledged home usage, you are better off buying another coffee brewer.
Nevertheless, this is a very efficient and very speedy coffee-making machine that requires minimal maintenance. Plus, it fits anywhere, in any corner of the house and is easy to carry around if you need to take it with you.
Buy this if you are fine with only using K-cups to brew your coffee. Buy this if your coffee needs are frequent. Buy this if you want a coffee brewer performing its basic functions and your budget to buy one isn’t very big.
5. Mega Cocina Compact Single Serve K-cup brewer
The Mega Cocina K-cup Brewer Single Serve is fundamentally similar to the Aicok Single Serve coffee brewer. With an individualized brewing system for single serve, you can easily brew fresh hot coffee, hot chocolate, tea, and other hot drinks in a jiffy.
The working is simple; you insert a K-cup into the K-cup holder, add water to the water reservoir and press one button. Within three minutes, you have perfectly brewed coffee. Similar to the Aicok Brewer, it has a turn knob on top that lets you access the reservoir for easy refilling or cleaning.
The 12-ounce tank will do well for one or two servings based on what you prefer. You can brew straight into your coffee mug or take away the drip tray to fit in your travel mug. One advantage you have over the Aicok coffee brewer is that you get to choose between two colors, black or red.
Features
- 12 ounce/360 milliliter capacity
- Auto shut-off technology
- Multidirectional brewing system
- BPA free water tank
- Only K-cup compatible
- Available in 2 different colors
- UL certified
Pros
- Easy and simple operation
- Small enough to fit anywhere
- You can choose between 2 different colors
- Multidirectional brewing system gives better coffee than most others
- Simply refilling and replacing K-cups system
- Energy saving
Cons
- Can give an output of coffee grounds into your mug
- Is not compatible with all sizes of travel mugs
Summary
This device (read full review) is for those who want to simply make coffee and run to work. As it is only K-cup compatible, the only reason this coffee brewer was designed was for simplicity. A simple one-button operation will get you through the process.
This is especially recommended for dorm rooms and small offices. With the ability to give out only hot water, dorm room students can heat up water for other uses without much fretting. Plus, the bonus quality of your brew puts it ahead of the Aicok single-serve coffee brewer.
If you’re looking for a cheap, yet efficient single serve brewer, this one’s perfect for you. Do not expect it to do more than make one simple single cup of coffee.
Single Cup Coffee Maker Buying Guide
With the number of coffee making machines available on the market, you may wonder which machine is the most suitable for what you want to do. Here are some factors you need to consider before heading out to buy a coffeemaker:
- What are you going to use the coffeemaker for? If your household works in such a way that people need to refill coffee all the time, perhaps a coffeemaker which delivers in pots is the best for you. Single-serve coffee machines are also good for homes. However, they are best used in offices and dorm rooms to get one cup and head back to whatever you are doing.
- How much are you willing to spend on your coffeemaker? Obviously, not everyone’s budget for a coffee machine is the same. You can get a lot more added features with your coffee machine if you’re willing to pay more, features such as being able to pre-plan your brewing are definitely something that everyone wants. If you want a cheap one, you can get an efficient coffeemaker at a throwaway price
- What taste of coffee do you want? Again, this depends on how much you are willing to spend. Costlier coffee-making machines allow for extra special functions that help you brew the perfect cup of coffee. Cheaper coffee machines simply get the job done
Final Verdict
It is difficult to say which are the best single cup coffee makers; all of them will appeal to people who want to use them for different kinds of use. However, the highest praise must go the Hamilton Beach single-serve coffeemaker plus pot coffeemaker.Such a machine simply gives the best of both worlds in a moderately priced machine.
While the little larger size and incompatibility with K-cups might be a problem for some, it cannot be denied that the features, such as presetting when you want your coffee and selecting between regular and bold, trumps all its minor shortcomings.You can close your eyes after purchasing the machine, and you’ll never be disappointed.
The only reason to not purchase the machine is if you are an ardent user of K-cups. In that case, the Keurig K250 is the best machine to buy.While it does not make pots all too well, you get the option to choose between ground coffee and K-cups, which is worthwhile considering the price. The Aicok coffee brewer and Mega Cocina single server are best single cup coffee makers if your needs are not too high and if you’re on a strict budget.