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The 5 Best Programmable Coffee Makers
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The only thing better than that morning cup of coffee? One that’s automatically brewed before you even get out of bed. The best programmable coffee maker are priced for your budget and are designed with convenient features that brew a better, faster cup of coffee.
Most programmable coffee makers are drip coffee machines with warming plates and glass carafes, but you’ll also find single-serve options for a mugful of coffee, as well as machines with thermal carafes that can keep coffee hot for hours. In terms of capacity, most coffee makers come with 12-cup carafes, but you can also find 14-cup options for big households or 8-cup options for less refills. If you are interested in a single-serve programmable coffee maker, look for one with enough clearance for filling taller travel mugs.
The top programming feature to look for is the ability to set your coffee to brew ahead of time up to 24 hours; this is sometimes called a delayed brew. Beyond having a cup of coffee ready before you slip out of bed, some other convenient features you’ll appreciate are a keep-warm setting, automatic shutoff, adjustable brew strength, and the ability to pause brewing to pour a cup. Some coffee makers also feature reusable filters, digital control panels, or a removable water reservoir that’s easier to fill up. One of my picks even makes iced coffee and loose-leaf tea.
With all this in mind, below are the best programmable coffee makers; each one is highly rated on Amazon with thousands of reviews and can be set up to brew automatically in the morning.
1. The Overall Best Drip Coffee Maker
The overall best drip coffee maker can brew up to 14 cups of coffee before you make your way to the kitchen in the morning. Just set the machine for your usual wake time with up to a 24-hour delay. This highly rated pick is a much-loved coffee maker with over 17,000 reviews, including from one shopper who commented it "makes the best-tasting coffee."
There are several other features that make this pick a joy to use every day, including the option for regular or bold brew strength, an automatic pause allowing pouring before the brewing is complete, a reusable GoldTone filter, and a self-cleaning function (which is helpful since it has a fixed water reservoir). The carafe can make coffee for a full house or just enough for one to four cups. It'll beep when your coffee is ready (or you can mute it if you're the only early riser at home), and you can rest easy knowing it will automatically shut off after several hours. The coffee maker's backlit LCD display is especially easy to read, and this coffee maker has a unique option for selecting hotter coffee, too. This pick also comes in a 12-cup thermal carafe option.
A helpful review: “This is a great coffee maker. I love the program mode and auto shut off. I get the coffee ready the night before, hit auto program and it's ready by the time I get out of the shower in the morning. It has [a] setting for the carafe so if you like super hot coffee you can set it that way etc. Also [we are a] house of coffee drinkers so the 14 cup carafe is the BEST!”
2. The Best Budget Coffee Maker
If you're in the market for a programmable pick under $50, this is the best budget coffee maker to add to your kitchen. The drip coffee maker comes with a 12-cup carafe and a 24-hour programmable timer, as well as regular or bold brew strength, auto shut-off, and a keep-warm function.
This is another highly rated coffee maker with 6,000 reviews, and Mueller is a brand known for high-quality but affordable kitchen tools. You'll appreciate other features on this machine, like a visible water gauge, built-in cord storage, a reusable permanent filter, and a backlit LCD display. Keep in mind, however, that the water reservoir is not removable.
A helpful review: “I love love love this coffee maker! I normally use a Nespresso coffee maker, but due to budget limitations I wanted a simple/affordable (but good!) drip machine. [...] I've been using this for a few weeks now without any problems. It works better than expected and I think it makes a fantastic cup of coffee! It's easy to clean, [has a] reusable filter, and the option to delay brew. I set it and forget it until morning and it's ready to go! I would highly recommend using the 'strong' coffee setting every time, though this may just be a personal preference. Great purchase!”
3. The Best Budget Coffee Maker With A Thermal Carafe
If you prefer a programmable coffee maker with a thermal carafe that keeps your coffee warmer for longer, this is another affordable pick that brews up to 8 cups of coffee and features a stainless steel thermal carafe. Reviewers say the double-walled and vacuum-sealed carafe keeps coffee warm for several hours (one reviewer claims up to four hours). It has a 24-hour programmable timer and a touch-screen LCD control panel that also allows you to control your brew strength. The water reservoir is not removable, but it comes with a built-in filter (reviewers say you can also use paper filters). It has auto shut-off for safety.
A helpful review: "Not only does it come with the thermal pot, but you can adjust the strength of the brew which absolutely amazed me. My wife likes her coffee weak and I like mine strong. We always used to brew two pots in the morning for this reason. This is no longer necessary. Having never heard of the Sboly brand before, I was a bit skeptical buying this one, but in the end this turned out to be the best one. I wasn't going to spend $100 on a coffee maker just because it came with a thermally insulated carafe. So, if you're looking for a high quality coffee maker with a thermal carafe and strength control, this one is the way to go."
4. The Best Dual Coffee Maker For Carafes & K-Cups
The best dual coffee maker gives you options: brew a full carafe or a single serving of coffee. This pick makes drip coffee in 6 to 12 ounces or 6 to 12 cups. Plus, the single-serving side fits taller travel mugs if you'd like to take your coffee to go. The carafe side features auto shut-off for safety.
The flexibility of this coffee maker with over 5,000 reviews extends to the ability to use ground coffee or K-cup pods; a removable water reservoir feeds into either side of the machine. With this highly rated pick, you can brew a carafe up to 24 hours ahead of time and pause to pour in the middle of a brew cycle. There's also a strong brew button to easily make a bolder cup of coffee, and it can be programmed to stay warm for a couple of hours. This coffee maker is compatible with the brand's reusable coffee filter, and you can also use paper filters with this machine.
A helpful review: “Great item. We used to have a traditional Keurig and then switched to a generic coffee pot but missed the convenience of the single serve. This piece has the best of both worlds. I don’t have to waste a whole pot over one cup but can easily make a full pot when we have company. The design looks great too! The tank is super easy to clean. The auto brew feature is an awesome weekday life saver. The 'strong brew' option for a single cup is great too!”
5. The Best Coffee Maker For Iced Coffee & Tea
Here's the best programmable coffee maker if you also like cold brew and tea. This versatile machine makes hot drip coffee in a 10-cup carafe or a serving of iced coffee in just 10 to 15 minutes; a second brew basket is included for brewing hot or iced tea, and there's also a built-in frother for making lattes. This machine allows you to brew multiple sizes — six in total — that range from a single cup to a travel-size mug to a full carafe.
This highly rated pick features 24-hour-ahead programming, automatic shutoff, and a keep-warm function. It has a removable water reservoir and comes with two separate coffee and tea filter baskets with metal filters for each one.
A helpful review: “I rarely write reviews, but I need to tell you how amazing this is for making both hot and COLD coffee. I live in the deep south and in the summer it's entirely too hot for a cup of coffee. Enter the Ninja! I grind my beans, fill the filter, add the water, and program it. When I get up to go to work, I have a fresh carafe of cold brew that I add to some homemade creamer and coffee ice cubes and I'm good for the next hour and a half while I drive to the office. I can't recommend this enough!”
