Single Cup Coffee Makers

A single cup coffee maker is perfect when you want to be convenient and you need coffee only for one person.

These machines brew one cup at a time, which accelerates the process and reduces the waste. They are also simple to clean and operate. Some models address the problem of plastic waste using reusable pods or recyclable capsules.

1. Keurig K-Select

The Keurig K-Select makes a great single cup coffee maker for everyone whether you're a Keurig expert or are new to the category. The sleek, compact machine is packed with practical features. It's compatible with reusable K-Cups, so you can make your custom blends.

This model offers four different sizes of brews, so you can create the perfect drink to suit your taste. For those who love a bold brew there's a "strong" button that can boost the strength and intensity of your coffee. It's also easy to use and simple to clean, making it a smart choice for anyone looking to enjoy an easy coffee in the morning.

You can also make use of Keurig K-Cups made from organic or fair trade beans which is a healthier and more responsible option for your daily cup of joe. You can also save money by buying K-Cups in bulk online or joining an online subscription service.

The Keurig K Select is an excellent choice for those who have high altitudes as it comes with an automatic brew function that adjusts to the right ratio of water to coffee. Other useful features include an automatic shut-off feature that turns off the machine after a period of two hours, and a descaling function to get rid of mineral deposits.

To ensure that your machine is running smoothly, it's important to take care of it properly. You should clean the water reservoir with warm soapy water, then rinse them before installing. It is also recommended to descale your Keurig K-Select every 3-6 months to get rid of the buildup of deposits that could affect the flavor and performance of your machine. Follow the instructions for your specific descaling product for the proper dilution and decaling procedure.

2. Keurig K-Duo Plus

The K-Duo Plus coffee maker is a "smart" modern machine that can make coffee up to 24 hours in advance. You can awake to freshly brewed coffee, without having to do anything. The machine comes with a repositionable reservoir that can be set to the left, the right or at the back of the unit. This makes it more apprehensible to various kitchen layouts than a traditional drip machine.

The machine can brew single-serve cups, as well as full carafes. It also offers K-Cup pods, ground coffee, in sizes of 6, 8, 10 and 12 oz. This versatility is ideal for homes with a family, dorm room, or office. The carafe allows you to pause the brew for up to 20 seconds when you are working in the kitchen. It can be programmed to 24 hours in advance to make your coffee at the time you'd like.

Its temperature consistency is superb, maintaining the same level of heat in each cup of coffee. This is particularly important when you're serving multiple people at a time. It's also able to make the coffee pot that can hold up to 12 cups, making it ideal for hosting guests. The manual isn't very detailed, but the Keurig website has a helpful tutorial that will help you get started with the machine. It also comes with a removable filter that can be used with reusable K-Cups or regular coffee filters. This will reduce the cost of cleaning and maintaining your coffee maker. It also has a matte black exterior, which gives it a classy appearance.

3. Bodum Chambord

Bodum's renowned French press is their flagship coffee maker. It features an insulated borosilicate carafe that is heat-resistant nested within a stainless steel frame with a well-crafted plunger made of metal. The brewer is completely taste neutral and allows the inherent flavors of your coffee to be fully expressed which is one reason it's among the top methods employed by professional coffee tasters for determining quality.

The design is minimalist and sleek, yet you can select from a range of materials to suit your home decor. The stainless-steel and copper choices have classic designs that are timeless, and the plastic is BPA-free. This brewer does not require a filter unlike other coffee makers. This means less waste, and is more sustainable for the environment.

Bodum has committed to creating sustainable products by recycling and reuse of their materials. Their cardboard boxes, for example, can be recycled 20 times before becoming too weak. The glass and steel components of the Chambord however are made of an 85% recycled blend.

Brew a cup of coffee with this French press. Add one teaspoon of espresso coarsely ground for each person. Fill the glass carafe to 2.5cm/1inches above the top. Then pour hot water over the grounds and allow to steep for four minutes. Then, slowly press down the plunger until you've got the perfect cup of coffee. You can serve it immediately, or let it rest for a couple of hours to make cold coffee. You can also prepare a pot of herbal tea using this French press, since it's suitable for all kinds of loose leaf infusions.

4. Nespresso Vertuo Plus

The Vertuo range of Nespresso machines is designed to make rich, full-bodied espresso and long coffee with the click of a button. The machine uses a technology called Centrifusion to automatically recognize and adjust the extraction of each capsule to ensure maximum flavor.

The machine has a sleek compact design that takes up only a small amount of counter space. It's easy to use. Simply put the pod into the machine and select the drink you want to drink and let the machine take care of the rest. Contrary to Keurig machines, Vertuo Plus doesn't have an inbuilt milk frother, so you'll have to add milk or cream to your drinks.

One disadvantage of the Vertuo Plus is that it's only compatible with Nespresso's own capsules that are branded. The capsules come with a barcode that the machine reads at beginning of making coffee, which allows it to customize the process of blending for each blend. This is a huge advantage over other single-serve machines, however it restricts your choices for pods. You'll also spend more per cup than you would on a Keurig machine that is similar in price.

In our Coffee Makers Test the Vertuo Plus machine made an espresso cup with a consistent temperature and a great flavor in only two minutes. It also performed well in our other tests, including the first-cup speed and repeat speed.

This is the first version of the new VertuoLine. It's an excellent option for those who wish to upgrade their older Nespresso machines. It features a smaller design and fast heat up time, and it's also designed to store an additional 10 pods used, which is a nice improvement over previous models. In addition, the new water tank can be positioned in different positions to optimize kitchen layouts and make the most of counter space.

5. Bruvi

Bruvi was introduced to the market in the latter half of 2022 with three big promises that it will make single cup coffee brew-serve coffee superior than pod-based machines available, it would offer a wider variety of beverages and use treated polypropylene cups that could be thrown away with less environmental impact than the conventional K-Cups. It did all three of these things which makes it the top choice for anyone who wants to improve their single-serve espresso game.

Designed to look more like a high-end kitchen appliance, rather than the standard pod-based machine, Bruvi features a large black touchscreen that shows monochromatic icons in bright white. The machine is quiet and efficient making brews in just three minutes. Contrary to other pod-based machines the hot water reservoir as well as the drip tray are separate from the brew chamber in order to prevent cross-contamination with flavor. The drip tray is able to be elevated to accommodate larger travel cups, and to reduce the chance of spills.

The Bruvi brewing device is unique as each pod is recognized optically by the machine. A variety of programmable options are automatically adjusted to complement the specific characteristics in the coffee. This provides a more personalised experience than other pod-based systems and ensures that each cup of coffee tastes just as the roaster wanted it to.

Additionally, Bruvi utilizes only the amount of water needed to extract the coffee. This not only reduces energy, but also eliminates the need to heat a large amount of water to produce a small quantity of coffee. As a result, the machine uses a lot less energy than a typical Keurig or Nespresso model.