Best Coffee Makers For Beginners

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James

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Mornings are the best because that’s when you feel the most energized. A night’s sleep purpose is to prepare the person for the next day’s chores. However, it does not happen in most cases. 

Despite a very well sleeping routine at night, you may still want a boost in your energy to meet the efficiency that your study or work demands from you. Coffee ranks higher as the best morning drink that can uplift your mood and hype up your energy and overall productivity. 

For a coffee lover, having a coffee machine is a must. If you are new to the coffee-making game, we have enlisted the best coffee machines for novices. These coffee makers are easily accessible, quite fast, and cost-effective. 

Our Top Picks


Below is a summary of the top picks from our JanusCoffee.com team. To help you understand where each pick ranked, we have included “badges” next to each pick’s key findings. “Best Overall” is a combination of price and value. “Best Budget” is great for coffee lovers who want a top-quality product but are on a tighter budget. “High End” is for coffee lovers who just want the best, and price is no object.

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Product

How did we pick these products?

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Our Top Pick

Philips 3200 Series Automatic Coffee Machine

Folds compactly for storage and offers three different height adjustments

Easy to clean with a cup holder for baby

More Information

Best Budget and Value

Breville Precision Brewer Thermal Coffee Maker

Folds compactly for storage and offers three different height adjustments

Easy to clean with a cup holder for baby

More Information

Best High-End

Nespresso Vertuo Next Coffee and Espresso Machine

Folds compactly for storage and offers three different height adjustments

Easy to clean with a cup holder for baby

7 Best Coffee Machines for Novices


When choosing the right coffee maker for you, we considered a few factors and shortlisted coffee machines that work best for beginners. Since the market has a saturated number of coffee makers, deciding on bringing one home becomes hectic. 

It is worth noting that the quality certificate from the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCA) is necessary to ensure any coffee maker’s working model. The coffee machines we have on our list today include this certificate as a primary factor or selection element. 

Here’s a detailed look at each:

Our Top Pick

Philips 3200 Series Automatic Coffee Machine

Pros

Entirely automatic coffee maker, the best choice for beginners

Simple interface with effortless cleansing

Customizable cup size for coffee

Highly efficient and easy-operable milk frother 

Cons

Makes much noise in operation

All varieties of coffee are at your fingertips with the Philips 3200 Series. With its convenient built-in milk dispenser, this coffee maker makes it easy to whip up a creamy coffee or cappuccino. Its bean-to-cup layout guarantees consistently excellent results with freshly ground beans.

It’s ultra-pampering to have a coffee-house experience in the comfort of your own home with no effort. The milk-frothing ability of this coffee maker, with its indicators for how much milk to use for various coffees, is a great addition to your kitchen. It helps conserve resources and can be cleaned easily in a dishwasher.

It’s sleek and contemporary without coming off as gaudy. Since no bean-to-cup coffee maker is particularly compact, this one should fit in almost every place. It fits neatly beneath cupboards and has enough headroom for you to easily access your supply of coffee beans whenever you need them.

The sophisticated touchscreen control panel allows you to modify the beverage’s temperature, strength, and serving size. A little pre-heat is required, but it’s not too lengthy, and the machine will flush out any water in the system for the night before brewing.

Best Budget and Value

Breville Precision Brewer Thermal Coffee Maker

Pros

Modern design with a stunning and fabulous appearance

Various automatic brewing modes, best for novice coffee makers

Basket with dual filters for a healthy coffee

Temperature maintenance, along with triple flow speeds of the coffee

Sustainable steel carafe with a modern tech-based LCD screen interface

Cons

Non-removable water container

Breville’s new Precision Thermal Brewer will revolutionize the coffee-brewing process for serious drinkers who enjoy tinkering with their drinks. The actual brilliance of this coffee machine is that you can choose the temperature, bloom velocity, and rate of flow to your liking and keep those preferences with the six preset brewing modes to brew a perfect cup of coffee.

The LCD screen and control dial makes it simple to fine-tune the settings to your requirements. Also, as it has a programmable interface, you can set it to begin brewing before you even get out of bed.

Besides, stainless steel is used extensively throughout the machine’s construction, which helps ensure it will last a long time. The Thermo Coil Heating System of this machine ensures that the water you use in your brew is cleaner than what you get from a standard aluminum boiler.

Moreover, the thermal carafe is great since it allows the coffee to stay hot for much longer. There are two different types of filter baskets available, one with a cone shape for smaller batches of coffee up to 8 cups and the other with a flat bottom for larger batches such as 12 cups.

Best High-End

Nespresso Vertuo Next Coffee and Espresso Machine

Pros

Tiniest coffee maker, easy to carry

Quality assurance due to sustainable materials

Best for gatherings due to five-cup brewing capacity

Milk frother in choice can buy without one

A plethora of colors to choose from

Cons

Waste-creating pods, difficult to cleanse

Limited capacity for coffee making

Nespresso is an excellent choice if you want a high-quality espresso or latte with no effort and at the push of a button. Nespresso’s current Vertuo series is thinner than ever and comes with more possibilities, with 16 regular coffee blends, dozens of specialized recipes, etc.

Although you may make many espressos before refilling the water tank, the 8-pod capacity is lower than that of other Vertuo models. In contrast to previous Nespresso models, this one has a broader range of brewing options, including an 18-oz carafe size at times when a single cup isn’t enough. Moreover, it can produce even larger servings of up to 14 ounces. 

The one-touch brewing technology of this machine is what makes it so unique. It works by scanning a capsule’s barcode; the machine determines the ideal brewing conditions like cup size, brewing duration, and temperature, and then automatically dispenses the coffee into the appropriate mug. 

Moreover, the Nespresso Vertuo employs a Centrifusion brewing method for flavor extraction instead of using a bar pump pressure mechanism. This technology works together to create a beautiful and velvety crema.

Pros

Ergonomics and stylish body with stunning appearance

Powerful coffee makers provide you with control of your coffee

The cutting-edge in-built grinder for quality coffee

Ample options for coffee up to five 

Compatible with a mobile application for interface control

Cons

Temperature maintenance limited to the mobile app

The warranty is merely 12 months

The Café Affetto coffee maker is a stylish and small machine that produces barista-quality espresso for one. This espresso machine is a visual delight, whether in white, black, or silver, especially with those striking rose gold accents.

The Café Affetto Automatic Espresso Machine includes a built-in grinding system having five grind options to accommodate a wide variety of beans. When compared to pour-over coffee, espresso requires finer ground beans. Therefore, we can consider the machine’s five-grind system a vital inclusion in the coffee maker. 

Furthermore, the controls are intuitively arranged on the top of the machine, with dedicated buttons for espresso, americano, and warm water. Moreover, it can operate via a mobile app where you can use the “My Cup” option and configure desired options for making a personalized coffee. 

Bialetti Moka Express Coffee Maker

Pros

Works without a kettle

Best coffee machine for novices due to its easy operation

The controllable coffee intensity and strength 

Best for brewing various coffees like espresso, latte, etc.

Cons

A fixed quantity of coffee on each serving

Biatella is the manufacturing brand behind this drip coffee maker. So, you can justify its fame among many households worldwide. The coffee maker functions by heating water in a reservoir at the base. The water is then forced upward through a tiny tray containing coffee grinds and into the primary chamber.

Thus, it is not quite like espresso, which is brewed at a much greater pressure, but it produces incredibly concentrated, flavorful coffee in very few quantities. Once again, when used in conjunction with a milk frother, you’ll have everything you need to brew delicious lattes, espressos, and many more coffees at home. In contrast to espresso machines, this coffee maker doesn’t cost you deep pockets. 

Moreover, it does not need you to measure the machine’s water and coffee. Simply add ample water that will fit for an easy approach to enjoy superior quality fresh ground coffee.

Furthermore, the coffee output of this 6-cup machine is excessive for a single user. If you need to brew coffee for a large group of people, you may begin with this model and then upgrade later.

Smeg Retro Style Coffee Machine

Pros

Make coffee in extensive servings, suitable for groups and gatherings

Temperature maintenance feature for about 40 minutes

Controllable brewing process to make coffee at your pace

Cons

Spacy and massive in size

The machine gets steamed up quickly

The Smeg Drip Filter Coffee Machine is among the best models for drip coffee lovers. It can brew many cups at once and maintain its temperature for about forty minutes. This way, you can return for more coffee when you feel particularly sluggish in the mornings.

We think the best way to start the day is with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee, and this machine allows you to have that even when you haven’t made it out of bed due to programmable features. It comes in a variety of colors and has Smeg’s characteristic vintage finish.

The coffee machine is simple to use and produces flavorful and well-balanced coffee. Additionally, it has a two-cup and a four-cup capacity, so it doesn’t make you prepare a whole carafe. The Smeg Drip Filter Coffee Machine’s user interface got quite steamy, and it’s a bulky appliance that requires a lot of counter space.

In simple words, Smeg coffee machines are hard to beat since they are aesthetically pleasing, provide high-quality coffee, and are simple to operate.

Cuisinart DGB-400 Automatic Coffee Maker

Pros

The quick brewing process for an effortless cup of coffee

Effortless in operation, suitable for beginners

Capable of coffee making from coffee grounds as well as whole beans

Cons

Lack of bean hopper in the coffee machine

Lack of temperature maintenance for an extended time

Not sure if you want to buy pre-ground coffee or grind it yourself. In both cases, this coffee maker is the best. One of the main reasons we enjoy the Cuisinart Auto coffee maker is that it can serve either purpose.

Its 10-cup thermal carafe claims to be larger than the normal coffee makers. This coffee machine is completely programmable, so you can schedule it to have hot coffee ready for you when you get up in the morning.

The thermal carafe retains the temperature of the coffee, but it can only hold five standard mugs before it becomes empty. Because of its double layer of insulation, the thermal carafe will keep your coffee hot. The Cuisinart Grind & Brew Auto produces an acceptable cup of coffee with no effort.

What we looked for

There are a few things to keep in mind when you compare coffee makers to choose the finest one for your kitchen. The advisable statement is that you choose a coffee machine with SCA certification.

SCA is a program that ensures and tests the quality of various coffee machines and coffee-related accessories. When a machine qualifies for this test, you can rely on that machine to make a fantastic coffee for yourself. 

Besides, we have listed a few more elements that will help you make an informed decision when selecting a coffee maker as a beginner. 

Style

Nowadays, consumers may choose from a diverse selection of coffee makers, each offering a unique set of advantages. Because they can often produce several individual cups of coffee all at once, conventional drip coffee machines are a popular option. 

Moreover, a pod coffee maker is also perfect for individuals who wish to prepare a single cup at a time. Last but not least, the option of using a manual coffee maker provides you with greater control over the brewing process.

Capacity

Some coffee makers create a single cup at a time, while others may produce as many as 12 cups at once. Consider the number of coffee cups that your family consumes while searching for an ideal solution for your coffee needs. 

Households in which more than one person consumes coffee will likely want a device with a greater capacity. However, a single individual with different coffee tastes than their housemates may find that a single-serve machine, of which numerous varieties offer a choice of serving sizes, is more suitable for their needs.

Brew Customization

If you have really particular preferences about the flavor of your coffee, you should probably seek a coffee machine that gives you the option to alter the brew to your liking. The ability to alter the intensity of the brew is the most crucial feature to look for in a coffee maker since it allows you to tailor each cup of coffee to your personal preferences and produces the greatest cup of coffee.

Modern coffee machines let you alter parameters like the brew temperature, brew duration, coffee intensity, and more, helping you prepare the best cup of coffee for your specific tastes.

Temperature Customization

Coffee makers often come equipped with a number of functions that work together to maintain the beverage at the desired temperature. Some machines include insulated stainless steel carafes, keeping the coffee warm for a longer time, while other temperature maintenance systems use a hot plate to maintain a constant temperature. 

Both of these features will keep the coffee at a comfortable temperature. These kinds of characteristics will most certainly be useful for you if you have a habit of getting a second cup of coffee during the day.

Cleaning

When shopping for a coffee machine from a coffee shop, the feature that makes it simplest to clean should be at the top of your priority list. If you want your coffee to have a pleasant flavor, keeping the machine in which you make it clean is an often overlooked but vital step. 

The quality of the coffee can be adversely impacted by the state of cleanliness of the coffee machine. The importance of cleaning the equipment once a month cannot be overstated.

FAQs

Which method is the best for coffee making?

Making coffee with an automatic drip machine is perhaps the most well-known method among consumers. An auto-drip maker is the epitome of convenience since it allows you to easily prepare coffee for more people in a shorter amount of time.

What to do before operating a new coffee machine?

Make sure the coffee maker has been meticulously cleaned before you use it for the first time. Use delicate dish soap to clean each detachable item individually, including the cover of the decanter, the filter basket, and the decanter itself.
Suppose you do not take the necessary precautions. In that case, coffee residue and mineral buildup may wreak havoc on your machine, lowering the overall brew quality and potentially causing your brewer to stop working correctly. Depending on how frequently you make coffee in your machine, you should clean it once every three or six months.

What difference does a coffee machine make in coffee taste?

A coffee maker may significantly influence the flavor since it affects the coffee extraction process. The coffee maker that you choose will undoubtedly affect the taste of the cup of coffee that you obtain in a variety of ways. 
Factors including the ability to reach the ideal temperature, to pour in a manner that uniformly and consistently moistens the bed of grounds, and ease in cleaning, are necessary to consider.

Which coffee is the best for everyone?

If you want to avoid a sugar high and a sugar crash, keep yourself away from sugary coffee drinks like mochas, lattes, etc. Cold brew coffee, which has a higher caffeine concentration than regular coffee but doesn’t make drinkers anxious, is an excellent example of the coffee you should focus on. Understanding how to brew cold coffee is a skill that may benefit anybody, especially students, due to this beverage’s health benefits and convenience.

What is the average lifespan of a coffee maker?

The typical lifespan of a high-quality coffee machine is approximately five years. The machine has the potential to last for up to ten years if it is given proper maintenance in the form of routine cleaning and descaling. 

What will happen if the coffee maker isn’t maintained?

If you do not clean your machine on a regular basis, the residue inside will have a number of unfavorable effects on your coffee, including the following: Your coffee will eventually have an unpleasant taste. A sharp odor will be produced by both your coffee and your coffee machine. The residue left behind from coffee can cause clogging and blockages, which can render a machine useless.

Summing Up

Coffee is the most widespread drink among people of all genres. Everyone loves to drink coffee. There are many well-decorated places to fulfill your coffee needs. However, you can’t rely too much on them for several reasons, notably the expensive outlet and low-quality coffee in many places. 

The only solution to this problem is that you bring a coffee machine for yourself and make coffee on your own. At the start, it can be challenging since you may not operate a coffee machine. We considered this factor and listed coffee machines that work best for starters. No one can believe how quickly these coffee makers brew.

These coffee machines are excellent in many aspects, and you don’t need to worry about anything else when buying them. However, to explore the coffee makers yourself, you must consider a few elements like quality, certification, capacity, etc. 

Since there are various types of coffees, including latte, espresso, cappuccino, etc., many kinds of machines hold a unique place for customers. Before buying any coffee machine, you need to find the coffee you like the most. This way, you can ensure that you bring home a suitable coffee machine. 

About The Author


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Reviewed by

James

James is a writer who is a self-confessed kitchenware and coffee nerd and a strong advocate of Sundays, good butter, and warm sourdough.