Our Favorite Home Machines

Automating the brewing experience doesn’t have to mean settling for mundane coffee. Instead, an automatic brewing setup can introduce simplicity to streamline your daily routine into something that can be positively anticipated. Even with the cheapest equipment, a great brew can be achieved while still saving time - all that you’ll need is great coffee and a few helpful tips. That's where we come in! 

We asked our team of coffee experts what coffee machines they recommend for home brewing, from espresso to automatic drip. Our team's featured recommendations don't hope to exclude any home machines, as there is an endless supply of great products out there. Simply put, the below insight is based on just a few home machines that each featured individual uses themselves, speaking volumes so that we may offer honest suggestions based on what we know and love.

Featured Partners Team Members

Miranda P. | Customer Experience Associate
Sam K. | Green Coffee Buyer & Head Roaster
Cary W. | Director of Coffee

 

There's definitely advantages to spending a little more on a home brew setup - most importantly, the nicer drip machines have improved spray heads and temperature control that can get you a higher and more balanced extraction. But, it's still possible to make great coffee with the cheapest automatic drip machines like Mr Coffee. (Sam K.)

 

Our Team’s Home Coffee Machine Recommendations

Breville (espresso)

I’ve been recommending Breville espresso machines for years, and I still do- they’re great for anyone looking to invest in their first machine or even seasoned brewers who want a solid setup at home. My personal favorite is the Dual Boiler because it can pull shots and steam milk at the same time while maintaining temperature. What I really love about Breville is how I can use cafe recipes and get espresso that’s nearly as good as what I make in the shop. They’ve got a solid lineup of machines to fit just about anyone’s needs. (Cary W.)

Fellow Aiden (automatic drip)

I am a big fan of the Fellow Aiden for home users because it combines a beautiful design with some exceptional functions. The user interface is thoughtfully designed, with intuitive controls and customizable settings that let you fine tune your brewing recipes. We were also surprised at how well the extraction was in our cup when testing and small design details that make it a top pick for me. (Cary W.)

Bonavita (automatic drip)

For folks wanting to take the first step in investing in quality equipment at home, Bonavita brewers are the perfect entry-level machine. I have personally enjoyed my Bonavita 8-Cup Drip Brewer for years now and am so pleased with the quality and clarity in the cup it produces. I love that this brewer features a helpful reference on the side of the machine to guide users in dosing the appropriate grams of coffee which serves as a great baseline for fine-tuning your ideal recipe. In my experience, a 1:16 ratio works perfectly for the vast majority of coffee offerings brewed on this machine. (Miranda P.)

Moccamaster (automatic drip)

 

Cary’s Advice

The key to great drip coffee is using freshly ground, high-quality whole beans, storing them properly, and maintaining a clean machine. Investing in a burr grinder and grinding just before brewing will result in the best flavor possible. A burr grinder will additionally help to ensure a consistent grind size, leading to even extraction and better-tasting coffee. Pre-ground coffee starts losing its freshness quickly, within 1-2 weeks, so grinding fresh makes all the difference.

 

Sam’s Advice (intermediate)

Use cool, filtered water and grind your coffee right before brewing it. If buying pre-ground coffee, buy it frequently and in small increments. Ideally, weigh your coffee and your water using a kitchen scale, and use that same ratio every day. I like 60 grams of coffee per liter of water, which makes about two large mugs. (I marked a liter on my machine at home so I don't have to weigh my water every time.)

Keep your machine clean! Dish detergent can leave residues that have unpleasant flavors. I prefer to simply rinse my carafe and basket with tap water after every use. If your carafe is dirty, you can buy cleaning agents specifically for coffee makers (like Cafiza) that work amazingly well.

For more clarity, use paper filters. For more body, use mesh filters. If your coffee is weak or sour, grind finer. If it is bitter, harsh, or excessively strong, grind coarser. Make grind adjustments incrementally until you find the sweet spot.

 

Sam’s Advice (advanced)

Choose a ratio where your bed of dry grounds doesn't fill your filter basket too much. When you maximize the amount of coffee in your machine, there is a higher likelihood of both channeling and dry pockets in the grounds, which will result in over- and under-extracted flavors. A depth of 3-5cm is often recommended; I like to simply say - don't make the biggest batch your machine will allow.

I like to use a paper filter inside of a mesh filter & suggest this if the design of your machine allows it. This seems to improve the flow of the water through the coffee.

Removing the filter basket and gently stirring or swirling it, both in the first 30 seconds of brewing and as soon as the water has finished dispensing, can help ensure that all of the coffee is uniformly saturated & uniformly extracted. This is especially helpful as it compensates for limitations of spray heads on automatic machines.

 

For home machine brew guides, recipes, and specific brewer information, browse our FAQ page here.

Any additional questions? Can’t find a particular recipe? Need help troubleshooting? Email us at help@partnerscoffee.com