The Best Single-Serve Coffee Makers: Our Expert Reviews & Top Picks For One
Whether you slowly sip your coffee as you work on your laptop, or quickly down it to get a jump start on the morning of yet another busy day, a single-serve coffee maker is a quick, convenient, and effortless way to produce a great-tasting cup of coffee. However, with all the variety on the market today, you may find it a bit difficult to choose the best single-serve coffee maker for your home or office.
Well, we’re here to make that daunting task simple for you! We selected and reviewed the best single-serve coffee makers you can get your under-caffeinated hands on. Our favorites include options for every taste, budget, and lifestyle. All you’ll need to do to find the perfect coffee maker is to read on!
Make sure to check out our handy buying guide at the end of our reviews, where we’ll go over the main factors you should keep in mind when choosing the best single-serve coffee maker for your unique taste.
| Product | Key Features | |
|---|---|---|
Best For Most People  |
Keurig K-Classic Coffee Maker
|
Check Amazon |
Most Versatile  |
Ninja Hot and Cold Brewed System CP301
|
Check Amazon |
Best Portable  |
Bialetti Moka Express StoveTop Coffee Maker
|
Check Amazon |
Best Single-Serve Coffee Makers Reviews
1. Keurig K-Classic Coffee Maker: Best For Most People
“You can always depend on this single-serve coffee maker to get a quick and flavourful cup of joe at any point of your day.”
The Keurig K-Classic is affordable, easy to use, and reliable, making it our top pick for most people. Keurig is a long-time customer favorite because it’s a dependable brand – in fact, they’re the first company that started the whole single-serve coffee maker craze. The Keurig conveniently uses coffee pods, but they’ve launched an eco-friendly alternative as well – and we’ll get to that in a minute.
We especially recommend the Keurig for offices where someone is always in need of coffee, as well as for folks that need a fast cup to go in the morning.
Pros:
The Keurig offers great value for your money, as it’s affordable and dependable at the same time. You can always rely on this single-serve coffee maker to get a quick and flavorful cup of joe at any point in your day. In fact, the purchase includes two water filters for the water container, ensuring that your coffee is made from tasty water.
The Keurig will brew your coffee quite quickly, making it ideal for busy mornings and hectic offices. It takes a minute to heat up the water, and another minute to brew the coffee and pour it in your mug!
Another thing that makes using the Keurig quite convenient is the large water reservoir. While most single-serve coffee makers will require you to refill the container before every brew, this unit features a 48 oz. water reservoir that will allow you to brew about 6 cups of coffee before needing to refill it.
“The Keurig will brew your coffee quite quickly, making it ideal for busy mornings and hectic offices.”
The Keurig uses coffee capsules for convenient use. Following environmental concerns, however, other brands have launched reusable, eco-friendly K-Cups that allow you to use your favorite ground coffee and will save you a lot of money – coffee pods and capsules are quite pricey!
We love that this coffee maker is designed to brew different amounts of coffee. You can choose from three beverage size options (6, 8, and 10 oz.) to get the exact amount of coffee you want – be it a full travel mug or an intense espresso shot.
Lastly, if you forget your coffee maker on, don’t worry! The Keurig has an auto-off feature, and it turns off after two hours of being idle, reducing the energy waste.
Cons:
Several customers have complained that the Keurig stops working after a while – however this issue is due to debris or coffee grounds getting stuck in the piercing needle. To fix this, get a paper clip and use it to remove the debris from the sides of the needle.
Check Amazon2. Ninja Hot and Cold Brewed System CP301: Most Versatile
“This coffee maker features five brew styles and four brew size settings, and has its own built-in frother.”
The Ninja Bar Single-Serve Coffee Maker CP301 has more brewing options than you’ll know what to do with, but that’s exactly what we love about it – its versatility. This coffee maker features five brew styles and four brew size settings, and has its own built-in frother. The Ninja Bar is quite eco-friendly as it doesn’t use pods or capsules, but has its own coffee filter. We especially recommend this coffee maker if you want to awaken the barista inside you.
Pros:
The Ninja Hot and Cold will allow you to customize your drink, every time. The five brew styles offered by this coffee maker (classic, rich, over ice, speciality, Cafe Forte) vary in intensity and allow you to make both hot and cold coffee.
As the Ninja Hot and Cold is pod-less and uses its own filter, you’ll also get to decide on the type and amount of coffee that you use. This will allow you to brew weaker coffee, like you’d get from a French press, or stronger coffee, like you’d get from an espresso machine. In fact, although the Ninja Bar doesn’t exactly make espresso the traditional way, you can adjust the settings to get an almost identical result in terms of flavor and intensity!
You also get versatility in terms of brew sizes – the Ninja Bar offers more size options than any unit we reviewed. Depending on your preference, you can choose from the cup, XL cup, travel mug, and XL multi-serve (coffee for two) settings. This machine has something for every coffee lover and every time of the day.
To complete the picture of this jack of all trades, the Ninja Bar features its very own milk frother. The frother can be used for both hot and cold milk, so you can get a perfect foamy finish for every mug and glass.
Cons:
The Ninja Hot and Cold CP301 is our priciest recommendation, so it’s not the best choice for a tighter budget.
Check Amazon3. Bialetti Moka Express StoveTop Coffee Maker: Best Portable
“The Bialetti Moka Coffee Maker is the ideal portable choice, as it’s not powered by electricity, but works on stovetops.”
If you’ve never tried coffee from a Moka pot, now’s a good time – it’s flavourful, rich, and easy to make. The Bialetti Moka Coffee Maker is the ideal portable choice, as it’s not powered by electricity, but works on stovetops. This single-serve coffee maker is perfect for campers and backpackers, as it’s light, affordable, and works on portable stoves.
Pros:
The Bialetti Moka pot is the most affordable recommendation on this list, and it’s none the worse for it: it makes great-tasting coffee. This Moka pot brews espresso-like coffee with an intense, velvety, rich flavor, which you can then adjust by adding warm water (if you prefer something closer to an Americano) or milk, to soften the taste.
This affordable single-serve espresso maker is ideal for camping, backpacking, or picnics – all you’ll need to get your flavorful caffeine fix is a portable stove. It’s super light, weighing just over a pound, which makes it the best portable choice. You can strap it onto your rucksack, and head for the mountains.
“This moka pot brews coffee with an intense, velvety, rich flavor.”
The Bialetti is quite easy to use and maintain. You fill up the bottom part with water, the middle part with coffee, screw on the top part, brew for 5 minutes, and voila! Your coffee is ready. To wash up, you just need to rinse each part with a bit of water and let it dry.
Now, this model makes a single espresso shot of about 2 ounces, which, if you’re anything like us, is just not enough coffee. Luckily if you want a larger-sized brew, or enough coffee for both you and your camping partner, you can get the 3-cup Bialetti Moka pot. It produces a 4 ounce brew, and the price difference from the single-cup model is minimal.
If you love camping and want to look at other brewers, check out our roundup of the best camping French presses.
Cons:
This Moka pot is made from aluminum, and there have been some health concerns in relation to this metal.
Check AmazonConclusion
The best single-serve coffee maker for most people is the Keurig K-Classic, as it’s dependable, easy to use, and makes great coffee. This coffee maker is affordable and a great choice for offices, always ready to make a quick cup of coffee in less than two minutes. The large water container makes use convenient, as you won’t have to fill it up every time you want coffee.
Our favorite versatile single-serve coffee maker is the Ninja Coffee Bar CF112. This unit offers the most options in terms of brew styles and brew sizes, allowing you to make different kinds of hot or cold coffee. Plus, it comes with its own milk frother, so it’s really like having your own coffee shop at home.
The best portable single-serve coffee maker is the Bialetti Moka Express. This lightweight, budget-friendly option works on portable stovetops and is the perfect companion for every camping trip.
How To Choose The Best Single-Serve Coffee Maker
Now that you’ve had a look at our favorite single-serve coffee makers, the question is: which one is the best choice for you? To get the answer, read on to discover the main factors you should consider when choosing.
Budget
Consider your budget limitations when choosing your new single-serve coffee maker. The Ninja Coffee Bar is our priciest recommendation as it costs around $100.
The Keurig is somewhat cheaper than the Ninja Bar, so it may be a better choice for a tighter budget.
The Bialetti Moka Express is by far the most affordable option on this list. You can get great coffee for very little money!
Taste And Variety
Each coffee maker produces different sorts of coffee.
With the Bialetti, you get a pretty consistent Moka brew taste. The only thing you can tweak in terms of flavor is the amount of coffee you use, to make it stronger or weaker.
“The Ninja Coffee Bar offers the most variety in terms of taste, as it has different brew options.”
The Keurig also offers a pretty consistent taste. Using capsules will be more limiting in terms of variety, while using a removable K-cup filter will give you more freedom in choosing the coffee and the intensity.
The Ninja Coffee Bar offers the most variety in terms of taste, as it has different brew options. Additionally, the reusable filter will allow you to use your favorite coffee grounds and adjust the strength every time.
FAQ
Q: Should I use hot or cold water in my coffee maker?
A: You should use cold water in your coffee maker. Using hot water from the tap means that you’re getting water from the bottom of the water heater tank. Cold water is fresher and tastes better.
Q: Is cold brew coffee healthier?
A: Cold brew isn’t necessarily healthier than hot brews, but does have some health advantages. While hot brew has more antioxidants, cold brew has less acid, which is better for your stomach and your teeth (1).
Q: How long does a coffee maker last?
A: How long a coffee maker lasts depends on the build of the unit and the way it’s used. Coffee makers with more plastic parts may have a shorter lifespan. On the other hand, maintenance is very important for increasing the life of a coffee maker. Depending on the upkeep, a coffee maker can last from several years to a few decades.
What’s Next?
Hopefully, you found our reviews and buying guide useful in your search for the best single-serve coffee maker. To get more information about each recommendation, such as their in-depth specifications, current prices, or customer reviews, follow the title links!
While we have you, make sure to find more of the best coffee makers, for every home, office, and taste!
Owen is a writer and editor at Caffe Streets who considers himself a coffee fanatic. He spends his time researching and testing different coffee beans and brewing methods and sharing what he learns with others.
