The coffee did generally taste better, with more clarity of flavor and higher sweetness, but it’s likely not worth the extra effort for most people. Though it’s possible to make good coffee in an inexpensive machine, what you’re sacrificing by not buying a pricier (over $150) drip coffee maker is temperature stability. Those sacrifices can ultimately impact the quality of the coffee, since hotter water can extract better flavor from the beans, and most people enjoy their coffee hot. At about the same time, Mr. Coffee had decided to enter the espresso market.
Drip coffee brewers are inexpensive and fairly easy to use, helping us brew pots of coffee for families and offices. When it’s time to replace your trusty old coffee maker, you can choose among dozens of models. A more affordable option, this model has all your basics covered and also offers an additional spout for when you just need that one cup. It’s straightforward and easy to use, but still has convenient mr coffee latte maker features like programmability, auto shutoff, and brew-strength selection for a lighter or bolder brew. The height for the single serve is tall enough to fit a travel mug, perfect for those get-up-and-go mornings. Generally speaking, what you’re looking for is a flat or mostly flat bed of grounds and a high water mark that appears even and controlled, falling below the top rim of the filter.
Models that are simple to use and durable also get extra bonus points. The Cuisinart DCC-1200 Brew Central reliably brewed balanced coffee at a nice hot temperature (but slightly cooler than our pick, the Ninja CE251). The coffee lacked a little of the overall sweetness that was a hallmark of the Ninja’s brews, but finished at a higher temperature mr coffee machine than many of the other coffee makers, at an average of 176°F in the carafe. While the hot plate can’t be switched off like the Ninja’s, the Cuisinart’s plate does have a temperature control with settings for low, medium, and high heat-holding. We liked the low setting as a way to keep the coffee warm without causing it to turn acrid.
Competitors offer options as small as single-serve machines all the way up to 12-cup coffee makers. These include a drippy shower head in some of their products, meaning coffee continues to drip from beneath the filter, pooling below when you remove the pot. Though, as long as you can wait a few minutes for the coffee to finish brewing before pouring it, this won’t be an issue.
We considered durability and repairability when making our picks, but based on consumer reviews, found that models at this price point may not last long past their warranties (typically a couple of years). The first components to break down are usually electrical, such as the clock (if there is one) or heating element, and can rarely be repaired by the customer and will likely require replacement. Since these machines can be difficult to recycle, that could mean they’re destined for the landfill. However, before you dispose of them, check and see if your town recycles small appliances. First, it’s important to know what kind of coffee you want to brew on your machine and how you like it to taste, because so much about the experience of coffee is deeply personal.
Whether you like it in the morning, on-the-go, at work or a late night wake-me-up, a coffee maker is a must-have. With the right coffee maker you can get the desired coffee fix to get you through the day. No matter how you like your coffee, at Target, you can find a variety coffee brewers like single serve, automatic drip coffee maker, espresso and cappuccino machine and cold brew makers. If you like old school methods of brewing, try French press pots or pour-over coffee makers.
I tried cold coffee first since I’m a little bit of a Starbucks fangirl. Unfortunately, this was the highest TDS result I logged from the Cafe Barista with my Costco test beans. Other shots, pulled back to back, varied greatly in potency, with TDS percentages running from the high of 10.1 to 8.8 then down to 6.8 percent.
But it produced bitter brews that lacked sweetness and balance, and it lost an average of about 8 ounces of volume per 12-cup batch. The carafe’s measurements also didn’t correspond exactly to the figures in the water reservoir, which is likely why the coffee quality suffered. We did like the easy-to-use “small batch” feature and three-year warranty, though. The Ninja CE251 consistently produced the best-tasting coffee of all the models we tested, bringing out the sweeter chocolate and malty notes of the Big Bang Blend, with gentle fruity flavors to offer balance. There was very little difference in flavor quality between coffee brewed from the fresh-ground and pre-ground beans. Both had a creamy, rich body, which can be harder to achieve from pre-ground coffee in a cheaper machine, making this an especially good choice if you like buying ground beans.