For those of us who love our morning brew, having an at home coffee maker is a game changer. Imagine waking up every morning to restaurant quality coffee – the smell, the warmth, the taste… suffice to say it’ll help get you off to a good start, every single day.
Getting a decent personal coffee maker is a bit of a no-brainer, but what does take careful consideration is just which model to actually buy. You’ll find there is a vast array out there on the market and it’s not always easy to decide on the perfect one for your circumstances.
The ideal coffee maker won’t be the same for everyone. Some people value quietness over speed and others a range of features over price tags or may be even a certain color like white coffee makers or pink coffee makers. So, what do you value?
To help you figure out which is the best coffee machine to get for your house we’ve compiled this top 3 personal coffee makers review which not only covers our top picks for best personal coffee makers of 2017, but also runs through the features to look out for so that you can make an informed decision when buying your coffee maker.
So without further ado, let’s get started.
Features to Consider When Perusing Coffee Machine
Strength Functionality
Some people like their coffee so strong it knocks them right into action, whereas others prefer to be soothed into the beginning of their day. A more advanced coffee machine will allow you to choose the strength setting that you want each brew made at. If you go for a machine with a single setting, make sure it’s the level that you like!
Capacity
If you’re serving more than just yourself (e.g. your whole family takes coffee with their meal) then you’ll want to ensure that your maker can create enough for everyone in just one brew. Not having to do multiple brews for one “lot” of coffees will save you lots of time in the kitchen. We will be focusing on machines intended for use by one or two person coffee consumer households.
Filtration
Most coffee machines will come with a water filter that ensures the water going into your coffee is clean and usable. It’s especially important to check that your machine has this if the tap water in your location isn’t too reliable health wise. The other filter-the one that keeps the bean bits out of your liquid – can be made of either paper or a more permanent substance. Permanent filters will need to be cleaned regularly whereas paper ones have to be thrown out after each use. As paper ones do tend to be recyclable these are both reasonably friendly environmental choices.
Serving Sizes
As mentioned previously, you can get machines with enough capacity to make coffee for a whole family in just one brew. There are however also machines that make a single serve at a time. As these work much faster than their bigger counterparts, they are ideal (both price, size and speed wise) for those who are making coffee for just themselves and/or one other person or a regular basis. We will be focusing on these machines in our reviews.
Espresso Attachment
Ooh la la. This is for the fancy people. Although super automatic espresso machines are an entirely alternate machine to coffee makers, some fancier coffee makers do indeed have an espresso machine attachment which can be used if desired. Clearly this is a must for those who love espressos.
Bean Grinding
We firmly believe that the best coffee is that made from freshly ground beans. Not to mention that the smell is absolutely delicious. But of course this isn’t a must, and for those looking to be a bit more price conscious, there are machines out there that can work off pre-ground bean packets.
Carafe type
You’ll find that most carafes’ these days are either made from glass or a special insulating material. Although glass ones are usually cheaper, the more modern insulating carafe’s do help to keep your coffee warmer for longer.
Automated features
There are a range of additional automation features available on different coffee machines. The relationship between features and price does tend to be linear, meaning the more features you want the pricier the machine is likely to be. One feature that we think is well worth it is the automatic morning coffee clock. Some machines allow you to set a time at which they’ll start brewing each day, meaning you can get up in the morning to an already steaming hot cup of coffee!
Now you have a good idea of what the best buyers look out for when reading coffee machine reviews, let’s take a look at the 3 best coffee maker machines on the market in 2017!
Best Personal Coffee Makers Reviews 2017
Product #1: BUNN MCU Home Coffee Brewer
One of the most well known coffee makers in the personal coffee makers review arena, the Bunn My Café MCU Coffee Maker is popular for a reason. This single serve coffee making machine is one of the best in its class, offering a reliable high quality option for those with a taste for a wide variety of coffees.It’s important to note that this coffee maker always comes with 4 different drawers when sold by ‘standard’ retailers. These drawers are paramount to the function of the BUNN and are what allows it to be used to create such a wide range of different coffee types.If we had to pick an ideal type of user for this machine we’d probably say it’s for the more exuberant, change-loving coffee people out there. And clearly, being single serve, it’s also for those who either are making coffee’s only for themselves or for one other – as are all the machines on our list.There are a whole load of things to like (and admittedly a couple of things to dislike) about the BUNN, so here’s our review of its strengths and weaknesses:
Pros:
• Easy to Use:You really don’t have to be an experienced barista to own and enjoy this machine. The creators at BUNN have obviously put a lot of thought into making a beautiful and user-friendly machine with this model. You’ll find that the switching out of the drawers is very intuitive and that the guidance lights produce strong clear colors to make it easy to know when your coffee is ready.
• Strength Setting
If you like your morning brew a little stronger than usual, then upping its strength rating is as easy as leaving your cup in the brewer a bit longer. A red glowing “pulse” light at the top of the machine will enable you toad a bit of extra flavor when desired.
• Variety of Types
There’s a lot of debate in the coffee industry as to which type of coffee is best. Fortunately owners of the BUNN don’t have to pick a side, with the four drawers of this machine accommodating pods, tea bags, loose grounds and K-cups!
• Speed
Due to being single serve, this machine creates your coffee quite quickly. This makes it perfect for those who often find themselves in a rush in the mornings.
• Build Quality
It’s a sad but true fact that some countries have better general manufacturing standards than others. With the BUNN machine you really don’t need to worry, as the beautiful stainless steel masterpiece has been created to North American electrical standards. And these standards, for those who don’t know, are rather high!
Cons:
• Not Energy Efficient
For some unfathomable reason the designers of this machine left off a universally accepted feature on this model, a power switch! As such you’ll need to turn the machine off at the wall if you want to cut the power to it. In addition the sleep mode only activates after 26 hours! Not the most energy conscious design, but hey, it makes a great coffee!
• Water Level Problem
It can be difficult to tell exactly how much water is already in this machine. The internal water tank heating means there is no way to completely empty the machine and refill it, so users are left to ‘guess’ at how much water is left in the machine. Again, not a huge obstacle, but it is definitely a con of the design.Final Thoughts on the BUNN MCU Home Coffee Brewer This coffee machine is definitely worth considering for those after an easy to use, yet versatile coffee maker for one or two person use. You’ll find that it measures up well against other machines in its price bracket, and definitely exceeds most of them with its clever 4 drawer design.
Anyone, even those looking for their very first coffee machine, will be able to use the BUNN to create delicious brews from the comfort of their own home. As such, it gets five stars from us!check price here
Product #2: Keurig K575 Coffee Maker
The brain baby of one of the biggest names in the coffee machine industry, the Keurig K575 Coffee Maker stands out as the best choice for those willing to spend a little bit more in return for quality.
As one of the larger machines in our coffee brewers reviews, this machine requires a fair bit of counter space. Before buying any machine you should check if you have enough space on your bench for it! Barring space requirements though, there really is no good reason to not get this machine, it has everything you could be looking for in a personal coffee maker!
The fact that this machine works so seamlessly with the lid of the K-cup mugs, regular K-cups and K-carafe only serves to further increase its value to owners. It’s like owning an apple product – you can get lots of cool matching accessories! Those who enjoy having a stylish kitchen will love this coffee maker.
Now, let’s take a look at some of its more practical strengths and weaknesses:
Pros:
• Huge Water Capacity:
Probably the only inconvenient part of owning a personal coffee machine is having to change the water between brews. The clever team at Keurig has made this easy for owners of the K575 by making a massive water reservoir that can handle up to 5 cups of coffee creation between refills. That’s a whole work week for a single user!
• Programmable
Coming with a fancy 2.8” color touch screen, this machine allows users to program it with a whole range of different features. These include:
– Coffee strength
– Coffee temperature
– Coffee altitude
– Language settings
– Digital clock settings
– Auto brew settings
• Beverage Versatility
Although we all love coffee in the morning, it’s understandable that this won’t be your hot drink of choice in the evenings when you’re preparing for a good night’s rest. Fortunately the K575 is incredibly versatile as a machine and can be used to create a lot of different tasty beverages including teas, hot chocolates, cocoa and even iced tea for those who live in warmer climates.
• Environmentally Friendly
For those with an energy conscious, this machine is a big win. The designers have created it with an auto-off function that activates if the machine hasn’t been used for awhile. Another handy feature is a complete shutdown time that can be programmed by the owner for a particular time of day, because, let’s be honest, most of us only use our machines between 6am and 11am each morning.
Cons:
• Product Matching Requirements
The fact that this machine matches so well with the Keurig Pod Carousel, K-cups and storage drawers may be a drawing card to some kitchen-[proud owners, but to others it is an unnecessary hassle. If you’re not after a machine that looks cool at the cost of a few extra dollars, then
you may want to look elsewhere as the K575 is definitely meant to be used with matching Keurig product attachments and add-ons.
• Single Serve Limitations
As with all the machines on your list, the Keurig K575 has its limitations in terms of serving size, that being that it can only brew one cup of coffee at a time. As such, it’s perfect for individual or couple users, but not as a whole family’s coffee making machine.
Final Thoughts on the Keurig K575 Coffee Maker
There’s a lot to love about the Keurig K575 as shown by it’s stellar personal coffee makers reviews online. It is definitely the most stylish single serve coffee maker on the market today. For those looking for a fancy home office add on or a high end kitchen device – this is the machine to get.
We love that it’s so versatile in the number of different beverages it can make and that the whole thing has been made to be so environmentally conscious. Overall this machine gets a very positive coffee makers review score from us!check price here
Product #3: Chulux Single Serve Coffee Maker
It’s small, it’s cute, and it works like a dream. Say hello to the Chulux Single Serve K-Cup Coffee Maker. This one is perfect for all of you stay at home mums or students out there.
Everything from the design through to the functionality of this machine has been simplified to include everything you need, and nothing you don’t.
We’ve perused a few coffee brewer reviews for this machine and found that owners are more than happy with its functionality, and absolutely in love with its appearance.
This particular model of coffee maker is on the list because it’d make a great addition to any desk anywhere. Whether it’s in your kitchen or your home office, this little machine will not only serve you joy in the mornings, but will brighten up the rest of your day with its cute appearance.
There are of course pros other than its look though, so let’s take a look at those…
Pros:
• Easy To Clean:
I have yet to meet somebody who enjoys cleaning their coffee machine water container and drip tray. Fortunately the Chulux team have designed this little model to be both quick to use (it makes a coffee in jiffy!) and quick to clean, a real blessing for the non-Martha-Stewarts out there.
• K-Cup Specialty
Because this machine was made to work with only K-cups, its design really does get the most out of these pods. And you don’t have to always stick to coffee, as K-cups come in many different types you can brew tea and hot cocoa too – the only requirement is that whatever you brew comes in a K-cup!
• Fast Start
One of the best features of the Chulux machine is its one touch use button. This button means that you literally only need to press a button and hey presto, your coffee is ready! For those who aren’t feeling too mentally conscious in the morning before our coffee, this simplicity of use is a real boon.
• Travel Friendly
As one of the most compact devices on the market for coffee making, the Chulux single serve coffee maker is ideal for those who want to take their coffee machine with them on trips abroad. Simply clean and dry your machine, then pack it into the suitcase and unpack it at the other end. Just be sure to empty all the water out of it before moving!
Cons:
• Non-Versatility
As previously mentioned, this machine only works with K-cups. For those who like to keep things simple this can be a pro, but for those who want to get one machine to create a variety of beverages from things like tea bags and loose grounds as starters, this isn’t going to be the best choice.
• Longevity
Perhaps partly because of its overly reasonable price point, this machine isn’t known for its longevity. It would perhaps be best for those looking to trial a coffee machine, or for those who only want a travel model.
Final Thoughts on the Chulux Single Serve Coffee Maker
This adorable little coffee machine would make the perfect test pilot for those wanting to know if they’d appreciate owning a top personal coffee maker, or the ideal companion for travelers. We don’t recommend it as a long term fixed place solution due to its non-versatility.
The coffee it makes it reported to be delicious though, and as that’s the most important part of any personal coffee maker machine, this model gets a thumbs up from us!check price here
Our Opinion
Given the hugely different intended users of the above three coffee machines, it’s hard to choose a pecking order. They are all absolutely great for their intended use type, but if we had to rank the products from our top personal coffee makers review section, it’d probably go like this:
1. Keurig K575 Coffee Maker
2. BUNN MCU Coffee Brewer
3. CHULUX Single Serve Coffee Maker
Every machine has its own benefits, but the Keurig outclasses the rest by having the best appearance, range of features, and optional attachments available. It’s the obvious choice for anyone looking to get great value for their money.
The BUNN MCU comes in a close second, with its only real failing point being it’s higher pricing. If price isn’t an issue for you though, then we’d recommend going with the BUNN.
Finally, there’s the CHULUX single serve coffee maker which is perfect for travel or as a temporary coffee making machine. Its cute appearance is guaranteed to make it a perfect gift over holiday seasons or special events as well.
What Are You Waiting For?
A good cup of coffee from the comfort of your own home is only 5 minutes of action away. You can easily purchase any of our top 3 picks off of Amazon, and we hope that you’ll get to enjoy coffees from them for many mornings to come.
The type of machine you pick should be based on your own personal circumstances, and we hope that you now feel better informed as to what options are out there on the market for you.
All the best with your brewing, and may your coffee’s always be hot and tasty!
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