Single Cup Coffee Makers

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

There's a single coffee machines-cup brewer for everyone, whether you prefer to use pods or grounds. Find out which models performed best in our tests on functionality as well as durability and ease of use.

Easy of Use

If you drink only one cup of coffee each day, a single-cup coffee maker is the best option for you. It allows you to make coffee quickly and easily. They're also ideal for a dorm room or office, particularly because they take up less space than a full-sized drip machine and don't have a water reservoir to keep refilling.

These coffee makers use single-serve pods or coffee ground. They often also have a "brew over ice" option which makes them ideal for making a cold brew. We've also found that some single serve coffee and espresso maker-cup coffee makers can be used with loose tea, which is handy for those who prefer teas that are herbal or rooibos.

There are a myriad of one cup coffee makers on the market, so you'll have to decide which features are important to you. For example, you might want a large water reservoir to reduce the amount of times you need to refill it. Some have removable water reservoirs that are easy to transport to the sink, while others do not have any water tank at all and require you to fill it with your own water.

Some of our top picks also have an extremely fast brewing time, which can help you save precious morning hours. Some come with thermal cups that keep your coffee hot for several hours after the brew cycle has been over. This is an ideal option if need to keep your coffee warm.

It's also important to decide if you want the convenience of K-Cups or prefer using ground beans and filters. If you fall into the latter category, you might be interested in the Ninja CM407 and other options like the Nespresso Essenza Mini. If you're looking to enjoy the taste of espresso without the hassles that come with using a drip coffee maker choose an AeroPress. Whichever type of one-cup brewer you pick, it's crucial to consider the number of people you could be serving. A single-cup individual coffee brewer maker isn't a great choice for a family of three or more people who all drink coffee at the same time. This is because you'll likely have leftovers that can be thrown away.

Ease of Cleaning

It is essential to clean your single-cup coffee machine. This is because, if it doesn't receive proper maintenance and care, gunk can accumulate in the machine’s carafe or basket, causing an unpleasant taste. According to a research conducted by NSF International in 2011, when the reservoir is left unclean, it can harbor mold and yeast. Even though these nasty things won't have a serious impact on your health, it's nevertheless a bit unpleasant to get up to coffee that tastes bad. A regular cleaning routine can bring back your coffee maker back to its original glory.

A simple wash using the only household item you're likely to have on hand--white vinegar--can do wonders when it comes to getting rid of the build-up and hard water deposits that could cause your coffee maker to stop working properly. We recommend de-scaling your machine at least once a month (or every three months) by following the same procedures you would follow to brew a pot of personal coffee maker.

Begin by emptying the carafe and cleaning the mug, lid, and brewing basket using an absorbent cloth dipped into warm soapy water. Next, pour equal parts white vinegar and water into the reservoir. Then, brew the mixture like you would with the normal coffee maker. Allow the mixture to sit for about 45 minutes, which will allow the vinegar to dissolve the calcium deposits inside the reservoir of water and basket.

After the 45-minute timer is over, pour out the solution and run a few brewing cycles with clean water to wash off any remaining residue. If you don't have vinegar available, a mix of baking soda and water could be used, but make sure there aren't any seeds, pulp, or rind in the liquid.

If your Keurig is showing signs of a more severe build-up, you can clean it using the same method mentioned earlier by disassembling the machine until it reaches a point where you can wash each piece individually in warm, soapy water. Then, rinse each component and dry it before returning it to its original form.

Ease of Maintenance

Our test subjects love the convenience of an easy-to-use one-cup coffee maker even though a pour-over may be the best option for the taste. 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 analyzed how much waste was generated by the various models, whether it was in the form disposable coffee cups or reusable filters, or how often the brewer had to be descaled. For the latter we examined how easy it was to get the machine up and running with an at-home descaling solution, which is usually a combination of vinegar and warm soapy water.

Although a basic single-serve coffee maker that is priced at the entry level may not be the most durable or visually pleasing of our picks, this little beauty from Sboly has a plethora of innovative features for its price. It lets you choose between pods and grounds, can brew either an 8 or 14-ounce cup, and is compact enough to tuck away in cabinets.

Gift Giving Ease

If you're looking for the coffee lover in your life, there are plenty of gift ideas. For instance, you can give your friend a bag of their favorite beans or a beautiful coffee mug. But if you're looking to impress, think about giving one of the top single-cup coffee makers for home use. These devices can help your loved ones brew the perfect cup of coffee every time and save them money on trips to the local coffee shop.

Our experts have chosen the most suitable options for a broad range of budgets and lifestyles. They have also compiled shopping guides to aid you in making the right selection for your loved ones.

In our list of choices we would recommend the Ninja CM407 for its exceptional performance. It produced the hottest cup we tested and offers a variety of options for brewing that allow you to choose between one-serving or a complete carafe. Plus, it's compact and simple to use.

Another option is the Keurig K-Cafe, which also provides a variety of coffee-making options. If you want to offer your friends and family the convenience of K Cups or espresso this is the ideal option. If you prefer to pour their coffee using a manual method, we recommend the Chemex due to its stylish design and sturdy build.

You can also gift your friends a great present that will allow them to enjoy their coffee to its fullest with a Cupping Spoon. These tools are employed by professional tasters of coffee to make the most of each sip. It will help your friends and family savor the aroma, flavors and the texture of their cups of coffee.

You can't forget about the finishing aspects to a good cup of coffee. These include creamers and milks, both dairy and non-dairy, syrups and sauces, and even coffee liqueurs. So talk to your friends and loved ones about how much they enjoy their coffee and what makes it different from the other person's. This will help you choose the ideal gift that will put a smile on their face.