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Experts break down the pros and cons of single-serve machines that use pods versus those that utilize reusable filters.
This story was updated in May 2022 to ensure all picks tested and vetted by the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Culinary Innovation Lab were in stock and correctly priced.
A single-serve coffee maker offers the convenience and speed of making just one cup of coffee at a time, exactly the way you like it. If you live on your own and don't need to brew a full pot of coffee every morning, or your family members each have their own particular coffee preferences, a single-serve coffee maker is for you. While most people use them at home, single-serve coffee machines are also helpful in dorm rooms and offices. It means there will be no wasted coffee (or water!) since you’re only brewing 5 to 12 ounces at a time, and you're always guaranteed a fresh, hot cup right when you want it.
However, not all single-serve coffee makers are created equal. Here at the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Culinary Innovation Lab , we love a great cup of coffee and regularly run tests in our quest to find the best coffee machines on the market. Over the years we have brewed over 1,000 cups of coffee in different coffee makers, including French presses, portable coffee makers, Nespresso machines, cold brew coffee makers and espresso machines, to find the tastiest cups of coffee you can brew at home.
Our GH experts tested 15 best-selling and highly-rated models from brands we trust, including AeroPress, Cuisinart, Hamilton Beach, Keurig and Nespresso. When testing single-serve coffee makers, some of the things we use to evaluate each model are ease of use, set up, how easy it is to clean and brew time. Our list includes the top-performing machines in our hands-on tests, as well as popular ones from brands our experts have tested in the past and trust. Here are our recommendations for the best single-serve coffee makers you can buy in 2022.
This top-performing single-serve coffee maker brewed the best tasting coffee in our tests: it was consistently flavorful, full-bodied and smooth. Its easy-to-use control panel has simple buttons that allow you to choose from five drink sizes (from four to 12 ounces) and regular, strong or iced brews. But take note: The serving size options on the control panel aren't clearly marked with numbers (there are only pictures of cups in different heights).
The owner’s manual was clear and easy to follow, helping our testers quickly identify how to brew a cup of coffee. Out of all of the coffee makers we tested, the Keurig K-Elite boasted the largest water reservoir at 75 ounces (or about nine cups of coffee) — meaning you won't have to refill constantly. If you prefer to use your own ground coffee, there's also a reusable filter attachment that can be purchased separately.
Although our testers noted that it preheats in under one-and-a-half minutes, if you don’t like waiting, this coffee maker has an auto-on feature that sets the exact time you want it to turn on in the morning. (If you want even more control over starting your brew, our testers also recommend Keurig's new K-Supreme Plus SMART Single Serve Coffee Maker, which allows you to customize your coffee and start brewing through an app on your phone.)
This model is available in brushed silver, slate and gold.
• Brew sizes: 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 ounces • Brew options: Regular, strong, iced and hot water • Water reservoir: Removable 75-ounce capacity • Coffee type: K-Cup or reusable filter filled with ground coffee
The BLACK+DECKER Single-Serve Coffee Maker is a compact brewer that's great if you're short on countertop space and looking for a modest price tag. This basic machine includes just one simple control function: A start button that automatically shuts off at the end of the brew cycle. We found the included 16-ounce travel mug useful as a measuring cup to fill the water reservoir. The machine will brew all of the water you add, so make sure you measure your coffee accordingly.
This machine includes a reusable filter that our analysts found easy to remove and clean. Another plus? All non-electric parts are top-rack dishwasher safe, so it's extra easy to clean up after making a cup. But beware if you decide not to use a travel mug: Our testers noticed that when using a regular mug, hot coffee would often splatter while brewing. • Brew sizes: 16 ounces • Brew options: Regular • Water reservoir: Attached 16-ounce capacity • Coffee type: Soft pod or reusable filter filled with ground coffee
This machine was one of the few we tested that consistently brewed coffee at the same temperature and volume. Compatible with K-Cups and Keurig's reusable filter for ground coffee, the resulting coffee tasted flavorful and well-rounded. We love that the Keurig K-Duo Plus has multiple brew options and includes a thermal carafe that keeps up to 12 cups of coffee hot without a warming plate making it perfect for brunches where you want to keep the carafe at the table. The machine can fit a cup up to eight inches tall (like a travel mug), the most space we saw in testing.
One of our favorite features is the 60-ounce removable water reservoir that rotates to the left, right or back to fit your counter space. Not only can you pre-program it to brew coffee up to 24 hours in advance, this machine also has a button to pause the coffee maker mid-brew so that you can pour coffee from the carafe while it's still brewing.
• Brew Sizes: 6, 8, 10 and 12 ounces; up to 12 cups in carafe • Brew options: Regular and strong • Water reservoir: Removable 60-ounce capacity • Coffee type: K-Cup or reusable filter filled with ground coffee
The best espresso machine you can buy according to our tests, the Nespresso VertuoPlus makes a well-rounded brew with frothy crema that was consistent in temperature and volume every time. It can also brew other great-tasting single-serve coffee drinks, including double espresso, lungo and regular coffee that in sizes up to 14 ounces. When brewing coffee, our tasters were impressed by the foamy but smooth crema that made the coffee seem silky smooth; one tester didn’t even need to add milk although that’s how she normally drinks her coffee.
The coffee maker features a sleek and modern design that our testers found to be functional and easy to use. Coffee is ready with just one touch of a button, no fussing with brew size or coffee types since the machine reads the barcode on the coffee capsule and brews it accordingly. The Nespresso VertuoPlus only takes large Nespresso capsules, but they come in nearly 30 flavor options.
• Brew sizes: 1.35, 2.7, 5, 8 and 14 ounces • Brew options: Regular coffee and espresso • Water reservoir: Removable 37-ounce capacity • Coffee type: Large Nespresso capsules
The Aeropress is a coffee brewer made of a plastic tube with a filter on one end and a removable plunger on the other. The gadget is placed, filter-side down, over a cup and filled with ground coffee and hot water (you will need a separate source of hot water to brew the coffee, like a kettle). The plunger pushes the coffee down into the cup.At less than six inches tall and about four inches wide, the AeroPress is compact and travel-friendly. Plus, it was one of the few in our tests that does not require coffee pods.
Our testers liked that all parts comfortably fit into a gallon-sized zip top bag making it perfect for packing, plus it was a breeze to wash. The AeroPress does require brand-specific paper filters (350 are included with the product) and we recommend carefully reading the simple but important-to-follow instructions to get the best tasting cup of coffee.
• Brew sizes: Up to eight ounces • Brew options: Espresso, Americano and cold brew • Water reservoir: None • Coffee type: Reusable filter filled with ground coffee
There are many reasons why we recommend the Cuisinart Premium Single-Serve Brewer for an office. It features a 72-ounce removable water reservoir that eliminates the need for frequent refills andcomes with a reusable filter that is brilliantly hidden in a compartment on the right side of the machine. Our testers found it easy to access and use and it takes virtually no time to preheat — of all the coffee makers we tested, this model brewed a cup of coffee fastest, in under one-and-a-half minutes. It also consistently brewed the hottest cup of coffee at 172º F.
Choose from five drink sizes on an LED-lit control panel that is easy to read and use. Its programmable rinse cycle flushes out residual flavors between brews and our testers liked that it consistently brewed flavorful and well-rounded coffee.
• Brew sizes: 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 ounces • Brew options: Regular and hot water • Water reservoir: Removable 72-ounce capacity • Coffee type: K-Cup or reusable filter filled with ground coffee
If you like frothy milk in your latte or cappuccino, this single-serve coffee maker is for you. The Keurig K-Cafe not only makes regular coffee, it can also brew shots for lattes and cappuccinos using a regular K-Cup. (We recommend buying the espresso roast K-cups that have a stronger flavor.) The built-in frother with steaming cup will prepare both hot and cold milk in under two minutes and it's dishwasher-safe. It also has a lid so you can store extra frothed milk in the fridge for next time.
The Keurig K-Cafe features a well-marked and easy-to-use control panel for both brewing coffee and frothing milk. One of our favorite features is the "strong" button that brews a fuller flavored cup no matter which size you choose.
• Brew sizes: 6, 8, 10 and 12 ounces • Brew options: Regular and strong brew, lattes and cappuccinos • Water reservoir: Removable 60-ounce capacity • Coffee type: K-Cup or reusable filter filled with ground coffee
This single-serve coffee maker uses a small reusable filter with coffee grounds so no pods or paper filters are required. It has a 14-ounce water tank and can make a larger cup of coffee, such as in a travel mug. Unlike most coffee machines that accommodate travel mugs but cause splashing with a shorter mug, this coffee maker is equipped with an adjustable drip tray, so there’s less coffee splattering onto the counter. The small footprint and compact design also make it ideal if you have limited counter space or need to store it when finished.
• Brew sizes: Up to 14 ounces • Brew options: Regular • Water reservoir: 14 ounces • Coffee type: Ground coffee
With this Hamilton Beach machine you can make a full pot of coffee and a single-serve at the same time with two different reservoirs, making it great for when you have company over and need a full pot and a single-serve of tea or if you and your partner have different coffee preferences. The 12-cup carafe has the option to choose regular or bold coffee and the single-serve side lets you brew with K-Cups or the ground coffee of your choice.
In our tests, we found this coffee maker easy to use without needing to refer to the instruction manual. We were impressed with the 40-ounce water reservoir that eliminates the need for frequent refills — the tank is also removable making required refills a breeze. We found the temperature of its just-brewed coffee to be hot but not piping hot if that's your thing, though it did have a fairly fast brew time.
• Brew sizes: Up to 12 ounces or a single cup • Brew options: Regular or bold • Water reservoir: 12 cups for the carafe and 14 ounces for single-serve • Coffee type: Ground coffee, K-Cup or reusable single-serve filter filled with ground coffee
If you find yourself needing a full pot of coffee some days and a single cup on others, Nutribullet just launched their first single-serve coffee maker with the option of being able to brew a single cup or swap out the pod for a filter so you can brew a full pot of coffee. The single-serve pod setting allows for 6-, 8- and 12-ounce sizes and the carafe has the option of brewing six, nine and 12 cups of coffee.
To find the best single-serve coffee makers, the kitchen tech experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute tested 15 best-selling models from brands we trust. When we test single-serve coffee makers, we evaluate how straightforward each model is to set up and use, as well as how easy it is to clean the coffee machine after use. We also consider ease of use when it comes to filling the water reservoir, preheat time and brew time.
When making coffee, we measure how much coffee splatters during brewing and how much drips afterwards. We record the temperature and volume of numerous coffees brewed from the same machine to compare consistency and most importantly, we taste them in search of a full-bodied cup of coffee with little to no acidity and bitterness. Also considered: the cost and availability of coffee pods, refills and paper filters.
✔️ Single-use coffee pods vs. reusable filters: Most single-serve coffee makers use store-bought coffee pods, like the popular K-Cup pods from Keurig. Pods are small plastic or aluminum cups that contains pre-portioned ground coffee and a built-in filter. K-Cups and capsules are convenient to use, but are more expensive than using your own ground coffee. And while some pods are recyclable, like K-Cups, you need to remove the grounds and foil first, and check with your local recycling facility that they can process the type of plastic your pods are made from. Soft pods are a popular alternative: The ground coffee comes in a tea bag-like round paper filter, which eliminates the plastic waste.If you prefer a coffee maker with no pods, there are single-serve machines that feature a reusable filter to fill with your own ground coffee. Reusable filters are definitely the more eco-friendly option, but note that the filters do need to be washed after each use. All of the reusable filters we tested were easy to detach from the coffee maker and dishwasher-safe. We recommend adding two tablespoons of ground coffee into the reusable filter for a six-ounce cup of coffee.
✔️ Water reservoir: Consider how often you brew coffee. For two or more servings per day, you would benefit from a large water reservoir which means less refilling. When it comes to refilling, some water reservoirs are removable and have handles that make it easy to carry to the sink to refill and clean, while others are permanently attached to the coffee maker. Others lack a water reservoir altogether and require you to measure and add the amount of water you want to brew each time.
✔️Brewing options: While some single-serve coffee makers brew only one size of a cup, some models provide more brewing options from single espresso shots up to 16 ounces (perfect for a travel mug), with coffee choices ranging from basic (like regular or strong brew coffee) to fancy (think iced drinks, or even cappuccinos and lattes on more advanced models that have milk frothing attachments).
✔️ Speed: One advantage of single-serve coffee makers is that you can get a cup of coffee quickly. Some models have a powerful heating mechanism that can boil water and brew coffee in less than one minute! Others require you to heat and pour your own water over the ground coffee. In our tests, the average time it took to brew an eight-ounce cup of coffee was about two minutes.
Jamie Kim's first job at Good Housekeeping Institute was testing a variety of consumer products, including kitchen appliances and cooking tools. Since then she has tested and written about many kitchen related and cooking tools, especially anything coffee related. She has a passion for cooking and is always in her kitchen and loves trying all the new kitchen appliances and tools. She holds an apparel and textile design degree as well as mechanical engineering.
Nicole Papantoniou has run the Good Housekeeping Kitchen Appliances and Culinary Innovation Lab since 2019; she oversees all the content and testing related to kitchen and cooking appliances, tools and gear. Previously she worked in product development for small kitchen appliances and tools since 2014 as well as in several test kitchens, where she tested and developed recipes and food content starting in 2012. She has a grand diplome in classic culinary arts from the former French Culinary Institute and a certificate in culinary nutrition from the former Natural Gourmet Institute, now both known as the Institute of Culinary Education.