2024 test15 productsHome Appliances
Which Coffee Maker Brand Wins?
We compared 15 coffee maker options head to head. General Electric came out on top. See the measured results, the runner-up, the budget pick, and a link to the full test video.
Winner
General Electric
Price shown in test: $80
Check price on Amazon
Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Runner-up
Ninja
Price shown in test: $70
Check price on Amazon
Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Budget pick
Black+Decker
Price shown in test: $35
Check price on Amazon
Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
The measured results
Every number below is read straight from the test. Scroll sideways to see all measurements. Products are listed in the order they finished.
| Product | Made In | Weight | Claims | Measured Wattage | Actual Capacity | Brew Time | Water Temp Fresh | Water Temp After 1 Hour | Pour Test | Coffee Extraction TDS | Overall Result | Actual Output |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1General Electric$80 | China | 6.71 lb | claimed 1,500 W heating element, wide showerhead design, regular/bold brew, programmable | 1,190 W, most powerful heating element measured of all the coffee makers | measured at 11.1 cups against a 12-cup claim | just over 7 minutes, one of the fastest measured | 187.2 F, second hottest (behind Ninja) | 185.9 F, about the same as the Ninja | no leaks, cover has a twist and lock design | 637 parts per million, one of the best results | came out on top with an average finish of 2.5 across graded performance categories; called a good all-around coffee maker with the most powerful heating element | not tested |
| 2Ninja$70 | China | 6.5 lb | two brewing styles, adjustable warm plate, programmable up to 24 hours out | 1,140 W | measured at 11.5 cups against a 12-cup claim, the closest of any brand to its stated capacity | close to 9 minutes, the slowest measured | 191.1 F, hottest of all coffee makers tested | 185.9 F, still very hot | no dribbles or water puddles | 638 parts per million, moved into second place behind the Hamilton Beach | not tested | not tested |
| 3Black+Decker$35 | Mexico | close to 3.5 lb | digital controls with quick touch programming, 2 hour auto shut off; host notes it had 20,000 sales in the past 30 days and is the least expensive programmable coffee maker he could find | around 1,000 W, most powerful heating element among the budget group at that point in the video | not tested | 7 minutes 40 seconds | 183.2 F, moved into the lead among budget models at that point in the video | 5 degrees hotter than when fresh | performed quite a bit better than Proctor Silex, Better Chef, and Mueller, though it did experience a small dribble | 625 parts per million, second place behind Amazon Basics at that point in the video | not tested | not tested |
| 4Proctor Silex$20 | China | just over 3 lb | 10-cup coffee maker, auto pause and pour, built-in cord storage, dishwasher safe pot and brew basket | 965 W, a pretty strong heating element for a budget coffee maker | 47.2 oz of water landed right at the 10-cup mark, but that only works out to eight 6 oz cups, described as two cups short | close to 7.5 minutes | 177.6 F | 175.5 F, 2 degrees cooler | made quite a mess when poured quickly, described as not designed for people who move fast | 616 parts per million | not tested | not tested |
| 5Better Chef$28 | China | 2.76 lb | 12-cup coffee maker, lighted power switch, swing-out filter basket, built-in cord storage | 935 W, not quite as powerful as the Proctor Silex | 47.2 oz of water split between the 9 and 10 cup marks | 7.5 minutes, same as Proctor Silex | 169 F, about 8 degrees cooler than the Proctor Silex | dropped 15 degrees to 154 F, the largest drop of any coffee maker | left more of a mess than the Proctor Silex | 621 parts per million, a little better than the Proctor Silex | not tested | not tested |
| 6Mueller$30 | China | very close to 3 lb | 12-cup coffee maker, auto keep warm function, automatic power-down after 2 hours, water level window, durable permanent filter | 950 W | 47.2 oz of water landed just below the midpoint between the 8 and 10 cup marks | close to 8.5 minutes, an extra minute compared to Proctor Silex and Better Chef | 181.9 F, the hottest water yet at that point in the video | lost 12 degrees to 174 F | performed even worse than the Proctor Silex and Better Chef; coffee pot spout is a leaker | 622 parts per million | not tested | not tested |
| 7Amazon Basicsaround $30 | China | 2.92 lb | makes up to 12 cups, reusable filter, lit on/off switch, visible water window | 905 W, the least powerful heating element measured at that point in the video | 47.2 oz of water split evenly between the 8 and 10 cup marks | about 7 minutes 50 seconds | 171.1 F, 10 degrees cooler than the Mueller | stayed about the same at 171.3 F | very well designed, no spills or drips | 633 parts per million, took the lead at that point in the video | not tested | not tested |
| 8Mr. Coffee$35 | China | 3.41 lb | makes up to 12 cups, illuminated on/off switch, cord storage; cannot be programmed unlike the Black and Decker | around 940 W | 47.2 oz of water looked to be around 8.5 cups | 8 minutes 10 seconds, a little slower than most other brands | 177.8 F, good enough for third place behind the Mueller at that point in the video | cooled down by 3 degrees | no dribbles or spills | 614 parts per million, a little low | not tested | not tested |
| 9Taylor Swoden$40 | China | 3.76 lb | 950 W programmable coffee maker, self-clean function, regular/bold brew strength setting, showerhead design | 975 W, a little better than average but not as much heat as the Black and Decker | 47.2 oz of water looked to be around 8.5 cups | 8 minutes 10 seconds, same as Mr. Coffee | 176 F, almost as hot as Mr. Coffee | cooled by 6 degrees | struggled at the beginning of the pour, made quite a mess | 627 parts per million, moved into second place at that point in the video | not tested | not tested |
| 10Krups$43 | China | 4.21 lb | 10-cup coffee maker (most others make 12), claimed 900 W, powers down after 2 hours, reusable filter | around 895 W, the least powerful heating element measured yet at that point in the video | water level looked to be around 8.5 cups; narrow 2.5 inch wide water fill opening | 8 minutes 50 seconds, the most time yet at that point in the video | 179.6 F, pretty hot | 6 degrees hotter, to 185.5 F | performed about the same as the Taylor Swoden, with water spilling onto the table | 628 parts per million, barely edging out the Taylor Swoden | not tested | not tested |
| 11Hamilton Beach$50 | China | 4.71 lb | wake up ready easy touch programming, front-fill design, water view window | 970 W, a little more powerful than average | 47.2 oz of water landed pretty much right on the 9 cup mark | 7 minutes 50 seconds, 1 minute faster than the Krups | 178.7 F, about 1 degree cooler than the Krups | warmed up by approximately 6 degrees | great job with no loss of water, has a plastic band around the pot top to channel water flow; the most user-friendly water fill area of the group | 655 parts per million, by far the best result of any coffee maker (Makita excluded due to using a permanent filter) | not tested | not tested |
| 12Braun$65 | China | 6.3 lb, by far the heaviest at that point in the video | 14 cup capacity claim, claimed 1,200 W heating element, claimed 'pure flavor technology', claimed to brew coffee 20% faster | 1,175 W, by far the most powerful heating element measured at that point in the video | measured at 12.3 cups against the claimed 14-cup capacity | 7 minutes 15 seconds, the fastest time measured at that point in the video | 185.2 F, the hottest water measured at that point in the video | cooled down by about 5 degrees to 180.5 F | made quite a mess, similar spout design issue to the Proctor Silex | 612 parts per million, a little short on extraction, the lowest result of the group | not tested | not tested |
| 13Cuisinart$100 | Indonesia | 6.29 lb | 14-cup capacity claim, BPA-free plastic, auto shut-off zero to 4 hours, regular/bold brew, programmable 24 hours out | around 1,150 W | measured at 12.2 cups against the claimed 14-cup capacity | 7 minutes 38 seconds | 183.2 F, hotter than most of the other brands | within 1 degree of where it started, at 183.9 F | a leaker, cover snaps in place but does not offer a very good seal | transcript states two different figures for this brand: 619 parts per million during the main test sequence, then the recap sentence says 'the Ninja and Cuisinart also performed very well at 638' (tied with the Ninja). Both numbers kept verbatim; likely a caption/number transcription inconsistency, not resolved with certainty. | not tested | not tested |
| 14Bunn$120 | designed and assembled in USA | 6.23 lb | claims to be the fastest 10-cup home coffee maker, claims a 4 minute brew time, claims the cleanest pour on the market via proprietary lid and spout design, switch-activated warmer | not tested | not tested | after the required initial setup/priming process, finished a brew in only 2 minutes, by far the fastest time measured of any coffee maker (not counting setup time) | 184.8 F, hotter than most other brands | cooled 12 degrees to 172.8 F | performed very well, no leaks or spills, matching its cleanest-pour claim | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 15Makita cordless coffee maker$150 | China | 4.58 lb with a 5 amp hour battery | works with Makita 12V, 14.4V, or 18V batteries (battery and charger not included), claims to brew one 5 oz cup of coffee in 5 minutes on the 18V battery, no paper filters needed (permanent drip filter included), claims up to three cups per 5 amp hour battery charge | not tested | not tested | 5.5 minutes | 173.5 F | not tested | not tested | 663 parts per million, the highest of any coffee maker tested, though the host notes using a permanent filter (instead of the paper filter used for all other brands) more than likely gave the Makita an unfair advantage | not tested | produced a full 9 oz cup, better than the advertised 5 oz claim |
How it was tested
- actual brewed capacity vs claimed cup capacity
- measured heating element wattage
- brew time
- water temperature immediately after brewing
- water temperature after 1 hour on the warmer
- water purity/TDS after passing through the machine (using distilled water)
- pour spout spill and leak test (fast pour and fast fill)
- coffee extraction strength (TDS parts per million from actual coffee grounds)
“the General Electric came out on top with an average finish of 2.5”