Single Cup Coffee Makers

A single serve coffee reviews cup of coffeemaker will help you start your day with a delicious cup hot coffee. These fashionable machines make great gifts for the coffee lovers in your life.

If you prefer to use pods or grounds or pods, there's a top single-cup brewer for you. Find out which models scored highly in our tests for functionality, durability, user-friendliness and aesthetics.

Easy of Use

A single cup coffee maker is an excellent idea for those who drink only one cup of coffee per day and would like the convenience of being able to make it quickly. They're also great for a dorm or office, particularly because they take up less space than a larger drip machine and don't have a water reservoir to keep refilling.

The coffee makers are equipped with pre-filled single-serve pods of coffee or ground coffee. They also often have a "brew over ice" option which makes them suitable for making a cold brew. Single-cup coffeemakers can be used with loose leaf tea, which is perfect for those who prefer herbal or rooibos.

You'll have to decide which features are most important to you. For example, you might need a larger water reservoir to reduce the amount of times you'll need to fill it up. Some have water reservoirs that are removable that are easy to transport to the sink, whereas others don't have a water tank at all and require you to fill it with your own water.

A few of our top picks also have an extremely fast brewing time that can save you valuable morning minutes. Some of them also include a thermal carafe that keeps your coffee warm for a few hours after the brew cycle has ended this could be a great benefit if you need your cup to last for a long period of time.

You'll need to decide if you prefer the convenience and ease of K-Cups, or if you prefer to use ground coffee beans with filters. If you're in the second camp then you might want to think about the Ninja CM407 or other options such as the Nespresso Essenza Mini. Or, you could choose an AeroPress If you like the flavor of espresso made at home but don't like the extra work involved with traditional drip coffee makers. It is important to think about the number of people drinking the coffee. A single-cup coffee maker isn't the best option for families of three or more who all consume coffee at the same time, as you'll likely end up with leftovers that are destined to be thrown away.

Ease of Cleaning

While a single cup coffee maker may appear to be an efficient solution for people who are always on the go, it's important to keep it clean. This is because, if it doesn't receive proper maintenance and care gunk can build up in the machine’s carafe or basket, giving off an unpleasant taste. According to a study carried out by NSF International in 2011, If the reservoir is dirty, it may be a home for yeast and mold. Although these nasties won't seriously impact your health, it could be a bit of a turn-off to awake to a cup of brew that doesn't taste good. A regular cleaning routine can bring back your coffee maker to its original splendor.

A simple clean with the one household item you've got in your kitchen cupboards--white vinegar--can be a game changer in getting rid of the accumulation of hard water and sludge that could cause your coffee maker to stop functioning properly. We recommend de-scaling the machine once every month (or every three months) by following the same procedures you would follow to brew a pot of coffee.

Start by emptying the carafe and wiping down the lid, mug, and brewing basket with a soft cloth that has been dipped in warm soapy water. Pour equal parts of white vinegar and water in the reservoir. Then brew the mixture just as you would do with a regular pot of coffee. Let the mixture sit in the water reservoir for 45 minutes. This will allow the vinegar to dissolve the calcium deposits.

After 45 minutes, pour the solution out and run several brewing cycles using water that is clean to eliminate any residue. If you don't have vinegar available or a mixture of baking soda and water can do the trick, just be sure there aren't any seeds, pulp, or rind in the solution.

If your Keurig is showing signs of more extensive buildup, you can clean it using the same method as described above. You can take apart the machine to wash each part individually in soapy water. Then, rinse each component and dry it off before returning it to its original form.

Maintenance Ease

Our test participants enjoy the ease of using a one-cup coffee maker even though a pour-over could be the best choice for the flavor. So, when testing single-serve brewers, we focused on the ease of daily maintenance--including how easy it was to refill the water reservoir, how simple it was to dump spent grounds or pods, and whether the instructions for descaling were clear and easy to follow.

We also considered how much waste each model created either in the form of disposable coffee cups or a filter that can be reused and how often the brewer had to be descaled. For the latter we examined how easy it was to get the machine functioning with a home-based descaling solution that is typically a mixture of warm soapy water.

While a bare-bones, entry-level single-serve coffee maker may not be the most durable or pleasing of our choices but this small beauty from Sboly comes with a wealth of innovative features for its price. You can choose between pods and grounds, and it can brew cups of 8 or 14 ounces. It's small enough to fit into the cupboard.

Gift Giving Made Simple

There are many gift ideas for coffee lovers. You can give a person you love a beautiful coffee cup or bag of their most loved beans. But if you're looking to impress, consider giving one of the top single cup coffee makers (visit the next post) for home use. These gadgets will help your loved ones brew the perfect cup of coffee every time and save you money by not having to go to their local cafe.

Our experts have put together the best single brew coffee maker options that will fit a variety of budgets and lifestyles. They have also compiled shopping guides to assist you in making the best rated single serve coffee machines choice for loved ones.

We recommend the Ninja CM407 because of its outstanding performance. It produced the most smoky cup of coffee during our tests and has multiple brewing settings that let you select between a single serving or a full carafe. It's also compact and simple to use.

Keurig K-Cafe is another option, because it comes with several different brewing options. It's the best option for your family members or friends prefer the convenience of K-Cups or espresso. For those who prefer pouring by hand we recommend the Chemex with its sleek design and robust construction.

Cupping Spoons are a great method to gift your friends the gift of coffee. These tools are employed by professional tasters of coffee to make the most of every sip. This will help you and your family members enjoy the flavor, aroma and the texture of their coffee.

Of course, you shouldn't overlook the finishing elements that make a great cup of coffee: creamers and milks (both dairy and non) syrups and sauces, even coffee liquors. Talk to your friends and loved ones about how they like their java and what makes it different from the other person's. This will help you find the perfect gift to brighten their day.