We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs.
Coffee might just be hot bean water, but it takes a surprising amount of finesse to get it just right. You’re probably better off with a morning Monster than the syrup-based swill you’ll find at the gas station, and the good stuff usually comes with an inflated price and an atmosphere that’s just a little too hipster. It would be better if you could get great coffee, brewed just the way you like it, in the comfort of your own home — and with a small investment and a few adjustments to your morning routine, you can have it all.
One or two carefully chosen purchases can have you sipping espresso or stockpiling cold brew like a pro. Each style of coffee has its own tools, and all it takes is a little practice to be proficient with them. Here are six that can turn you into a connoisseur of caffeine.
Black Rifle Coffee Beyond Black
Bodum pour-over coffee maker
Breville espresso machine
OXO Brew coffee grinder
County Line cold brew jar
Micro milk frother
Nespresso coffee maker
Types of coffee makers
It seems like the local coffee shop is coming up with a new way to make coffee every week. Cold-brew, nitro cold-brew, flash-brew, pour-over – the list goes on. You can make your favorite style at home if you have the right tools. Before investing a month’s paycheck in a professional-grade espresso machine, see which styles of coffee you prefer and which you’re likely to actually make on a regular basis. Individual servings like you’d get from Nespresso or Keurig are the most convenient. Loading up your traditional coffee pot with fresh grounds results in dramatically improved flavor over instant coffee. Cold brewing is incredibly easy and mellows out the bitterness of your morning brew. If you feel like sipping with a pinky extended, milk frothers can get you the coffee shop experience without waiting in line.
Key features of coffee makers
- Brew method: The first step to making great coffee at home is deciding how you want it. With the exception of some premium coffee makers, most are good for one style of brewing. Start by choosing between traditional, single-serve, cold brew, or espresso.
- Price: The simplest coffee makers are readily available for less than $50. These options might not be fancy, but they’ll still give you a fantastic start to your day. You’ll pay a little more for single-serve machines, and espresso machines demand top dollar.
- Ease of use: Dropping a pod into a machine is as easy as it gets, and today’s options are far better than early machines. Cold-brew and pour-over coffee are as simple as dialing in your preferred ratio of coffee to water. Espresso makers are definitely the trickiest, but being able to bust out homemade latte art is an awfully cool party trick.
- Portion size: Single-serving coffee makers let everyone in your house pick their own flavor. Espresso machines make one drink at a time and require some extra work. Other methods are great for brewing up larger amounts.
- Features: Once you know what kind of coffee maker you want, it’s time to start comparing features like reusable filters, adjustable settings, and automatic timers that let you wake up to a fresh cup every morning.
Benefits of coffee makers
Aside from saving your coworkers from a caffeine-deprived morning rage, coffee makers can save you a lot of money. Plan on spending about half of what you’d pay per cup at a coffee shop on beans or grounds. That extra change adds up and pays off whichever coffee maker you bought in no time. It’s also rewarding to take pride in your homebrew and know that you’re enjoying the morning that much more than everyone choking down a cup of mass-produced coffee.
Coffee maker pricing
When it comes to making your own coffee, you can spend as much or as little as you want. Stepping up your game with a high-quality bag of beans won’t cost much more than you’re already spending. Decent cold brew makers can be had for under $30, and some even come with a reusable filter to save you money on paper filters down the line. The best single-serving machines start around $200, and some also include a frother. Espresso machines easily cost double even reach into the thousands of dollars. Luckily you don’t have to make that jump to get an awesome cup of joe.
Related: 13 pieces of gear that will help you enjoy a cold beer in the great outdoors