7 Best Coffee Makers Under $300; Reviews

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You’re definitely going to want one of the best coffee makers under $300 if you’re looking for a morning pick-me-up.

The coffee maker market today is saturated with all sorts of brands and models, but to find the best coffee machine for under 300 dollars, you need the one that produces a perfect balance of flavor, incorporated with a user-friendly design. 

But not all coffee makers are created equal, so I talked to a few baristas, roasters, and coffee-shop owners about their preferred models — the ones they themselves rely on for brewing truly good coffee.

Best Coffee Makers Under $300

Comparison Table

Best Coffee Makers Under $300 - reviews

1. Technivorm 59691 KB Coffee Brewer

Specifications:
  • Brews 40oz. in 6 minutes
  • Automatically shuts off after 2 hours
  • Manual-adjust drip-stop
  • Brews at the correct temperature (196-205°F)
  • Holds the coffee at the correct temperature (175-185°F)
  • Meets strict brewer guidelines set forth by the SCAA, & SCAE
  • “Golden Cup” quality guidelines.
  • Energy-efficient, long-lasting, reliable, cleanable, recyclable, & sustainable
  • Handmade in the Netherlands
  • 5-Year Warranty

This 10-cup coffee brewer is the perfect combination of stylish design and handmade craftsmanship.

This coffee machine also comes with a 5-year warranty and lifetime repairs.

The Technivorm Moccamaster meets the Golden Cup Standard developed by the Speciality Coffee Association of America. In addition, the Moccamaster KB excels in the coffee brewing temperature, time, turbulence, and total dissolved solids.

This machine is a manual drip coffee maker intended to brew a full pot of coffee. The sleek design and brushed silver exterior give it a very modern feel.

It comes with a 10-cup capacity glass carafe with a high-quality plastic handle. It also has a hot plate with an independent heating element that aims to keep your coffee at the perfect brewing temperature long after it finishes brewing.

The unit takes about five minutes and forty-five seconds to go from ground coffee to perfect coffee. 

Why We Recommend It

The Technivorm sports two copper heating elements which increase the brewing temperature to 200 degrees to both keep the hot plate warm and make coffee quick. 

It is a masterpiece that comes in silver and black, which can basically match any décor. It is also the best-equipped coffee maker to serve any type of coffee drinker.

The Technivorm Moccamaster KB includes a copper heating element that rapidly heats the water to the optimal brewing temperature of 196°F – 205°F. The auto-off feature kicks in as soon as the water reservoir is empty.

A simple switch lets you maintain the temperature of the hot plate between 175°F – 185°F. After 100 minutes, the manual power switch and hotplate will automatically shut off.

The Technivorm Moccamaster KB’s nine-hole showerhead design allows water to thoroughly saturate the pre-ground coffee beans during the brewing process by spraying the hot water evenly in the brew basket instead of using the traditional water-gun effect.

Pros:
  • Auto Drip Stop for less mess
  • Hot Plate works as advertised
  • Polished silver looks great
Cons:
  • Can’t double as an espresso machine
  • Glass carafe feels weak

2. Breville Precision Brewer

Specifications:
  • 60 oz. / 12 cup capacity
  • 2 Year Limited Product Warranty
  • PID temp control
  • Prebrew temp control
  • Pour over adapter compatible

The Breville Precision Brewer is one of the best coffee makers under $300 and it is not your average drip coffee maker. It doesn’t just brew big pots of tasty joe. It does so quickly and with robotic consistency, but it’s also incredibly flexible. 

The Precision accepts both cone and flat-bottom filters. It lets you customize key brewing factors, too. That includes water temperature, flow rate, and length of presoak. The Precision creates cold brew as well, automatically and without making a mess.

The Breville Precision Brewer is a beautiful coffee machine with a modern and clean look. It comes in one color, brushed stainless steel, and its 60-ounce water tank is located on top of the machine. 

The Breville Precision Brewer has an LCD screen that allows the user to customize their beverage.

The Breville Precision Brewer’s customizable settings make this machine stand out from its competitors. Not only does it make single and multiple servings, but this coffee machine also has six preset brewing modes to create the user’s dream cup of coffee. These include “gold,” “fast,” “strong,” “iced,” “cold brew,” and “my brew.”

Why We Recommend It

The Breville Precision Brewer comes with a permanent mesh basket filter plus a 10-pack of flat-bottom paper basket filters for brewing at least 40-oz of coffee.

The Breville brewer has a maximum capacity of 60 oz. or 12 cups. It’s also capable of single brews for cups or travel mugs up to 20 oz. 

It has a thermo-coil heating and pump system that allows for greater temperature control. Bloom time and water flow can also be adjusted to create the optimal cup of coffee that’s suited to the beans you use. 

Water is dispersed through a wide showerhead for even saturation of coffee grinds. 

There’s also the My Brew preset, which you’ll have to adjust to your specifications.

The coffee maker comes with a glass carafe with a locking lid, a permanent basket filter, and a 10-pack of paper basket filters. 

This coffee machine makes great-tasting coffee, whether it’s hot, iced, in a single cup, or in a carafe. 

Pros:
  • Lots of customizable settings
  • Produces Gold Cup-standard coffee
  • Makes cold brew & iced coffee
  • Beautiful aesthetic
  • Makes excellent cold brew
  • Brews single and multiple servings
Cons:
  • LCD screen control buttons are confusing
  • Must fill water tank precisely before each use

3. Smeg Drip Filter Coffee Machine

Specifications:
  • Coffee type: filter 
  • Pressure: N/A
  • Tank capacity: 1.4L
  • Cups: up to 10
  • 1-4 cups function
  • Keep warm function
  • Auto start
  • Programmable

The Smeg Drip Filter Coffee Machine features Smeg’s iconic retro-inspired design and is available in a variety of colors. It’s designed to produce large quantities of filter coffee in one go, and it has a hot plate that helps to keep the coffee warm for up to 40 minutes after brewing.

This machine includes a permanent reusable filter that you can use each time you make a batch of coffee, but you can purchase paper filters if preferred. 

In one brewing cycle, it can make up to 6 cups of coffee (though the carafe can hold up to 10 cups).

You can also adjust the water hardness and intensity of the brew by following the included instructions. 

This coffee maker also comes equipped with an automatic brewing feature. You can set this machine to make your coffee automatically at a certain time.

On the front of the machine, there’s a small screen that doubles up as a clock and four buttons, one of which allows you to program at a time you’d like the machine to start brewing your coffee. 

The other buttons are used to turn the machine on and off, adjust the aroma intensity, and select the machine’s four-cup setting – on this setting the machine stops brewing after four cups, allowing you to make a smaller quantity of coffee.

Why We Recommend It

There’s no set-up required before you can start using the Smeg Drip Filter machine – you simply need to wash the carafe and its lid in warm water, and rinse the machine through, and you’re ready to start brewing coffee.

Cleaning the machine is relatively easy – you can place the filter and the filter holder in a dishwasher, while the jug needs to be washed in warm soapy water.

When making your coffee, the machine also offers a choice in “aroma intensity” offering a “standard” or an “intense” brew, depending on how hard your particular morning is.

The machine is also heavy and sturdy, made out of quality materials as well as slightly bigger than expected. Because of its unusual shape, you will need more available kitchen space.

The machine is available in pastel green, red, black, and cream alongside a striking new crisp white hue.

Pros:
  • Stunning retro design
  • Automatic brewing feature
  • Reusable filter
  • Available in beautiful pastel colors
  • Accurate programmable timer
  • Makes multiple cups at once
Cons:
  • Interface steams up in use
  • Bigger than the average coffee maker

4. OXO Brew 9 Cup Coffee Maker

Specifications:
  • 2-9 cups (5 oz per cup) of coffee
  • Carafe “mixing tube”
  • Brew pause
  • SCAA Certified
  • Programmable
  • Clearly marked, transparent water reservoir
  • Pulse brew
  • Freshness counter

The OXO drip brewer consistently makes decent pots of joe, and it’s one of just a few coffee makers to earn the SCA’s (Specialty Coffee Association) “golden cup” qualification.

The OXO 9-Cup has an elegant appearance. Constructed from a mix of brushed stainless steel and black plastic with a transparent reservoir and a minimum of adornments, the brewer cuts a simple, handsome profile. 

Its large cylindrical main section contains a 45-ounce (1.3 L) water tank on top and a heater assembly below. 

Directly to the tank’s right is the brew basket. It accepts type-4 cone paper filters. Underneath that sits the Oxo 9-Cup’s thermal carafe.

A recessed LED display on the brewer’s front face further enhances its premium look. 

This coffee maker lets you choose between brewing 2-4 cups or 5-9 cups, using the selector dial and Oxo button.

This coffee maker lets you choose between brewing 2-4 cups or 5-9 cups, using the selector dial and Oxo button.

Why We Recommend It

Its stainless steel double-walled thermal carafe keeps your coffee hot for quite some time. It also comes with a brew-through lid and a silicone mixing tube to ensure proper temperature distribution in your brewed coffee. 

You can also program this machine to turn itself on at any time within a 24-hr period. 

This drip coffee maker’s brew basket will accept a #4 cone filter. Combined with a ‘Rainmaker’ shower head, the Oxo Barista Brain ensures an even dispersion of hot water over the coffee grounds.

This one of the best coffee makers for under 300 dollars has a microprocessor-controlled brew cycle, which means it will produce the same amount of coffee in the same amount of time, every single time.

It is also quite fast, brewing a full pot of coffee in about 6 minutes, which is within the ideal contact time according to SCAA.

All the removable parts are top-rack dishwasher safe, which makes cleanup easy. The stainless steel carafe and its lid need to be hand-washed, though.

Pros:
  • SCAA Certified
  • Makes great coffee
  • Freshness counter
  • Programmable
  • Easy, sleek interface
  • Clearly marked transparent reservoir
  • Brew pause
  • 7-hole showerhead for even saturation
Cons:
  • Drips when carafe is removed
  • Carafe doesn’t pour the last few ounces of coffee

5. Cuisinart SS-20P1 Coffeemaker

Specifications:
  • Removable 40oz. water reservoir
  • 10-cup thermal carafe
  • Built-in water filter
  • Height-adjustable drip tray.
  • Auto-off.
  • Makes 12-cup drip coffee
  • Accepts coffee grounds
  • Also uses k-cups

This coffee maker is for anyone looking for a coffee maker with a single-serve option for your home. 

You no longer have to waste coffee when alone, as its single-serve option allows you to brew one cup of coffee. But, when everyone else is around, the carafe will give you and your family enough coffee for everyone.

On one side, you have the classic drip coffee maker, complete with a 12-cup glass carafe. It has all the controls you’d expect, including a brew-strength control and a warming feature.

The other side of the coffee maker functions as a single-serve option and is compatible with Keurig K Cup pods. 

The controls for this side are basic, with just three buttons to choose the cup size you want to brew. 

There’s also a removable drip tray to fit your travel cup under the brew head or easily clean up any accidents.

Its single-serve feature comes with three serving sizes—the six, eight, and ten ounces capacity.

The coffee maker is compatible with any single-cup pod brand including the Keurig K-Cup pods.

The thermal carafe is made of double-wall stainless steel instead of glass. Thus, it is more effective in retaining heat.

Why We Recommend It

The Cuisinart SS-20 has programmable controls, you can easily set the coffee maker to brew coffee at a particular time without having to leave your bed

With its brew strength feature, you easily adjust your coffee brew strength between medium to a bold brew.

With the brew-pause feature, you can easily put a pause to the brewing process and grab a quick cup of coffee.

It also uses a charcoal filter to get rid of impurities from your water, and, in turn, gives you a cup of rich-tasting coffee.

It even comes with a gold-tone coffee filter that allows the only pure coffee flavor to flow through the charcoal water filter.

This Cuisinart coffee machine also comes with a 3-year warranty. 

Pros:
  • Brew Strength Control
  • The removable drip tray allows direct brewing into travel mugs
  • Gold-tone coffee filter
  • 24-hour brew start, self-clean, ready alert
  • Charcoal water filters
Cons:
  • Carafe may drip
  • Some may find the coffee not hot enough

6. Breville Vertuo Coffee and Espresso Machine

Specifications:
  • Brew Sizes: Espresso (1.35 oz), double espresso (2.7 oz), gran lungo (5 oz), coffee (7.8 oz), and alto (14 oz) capsules programmable from 0.3-17 oz
  • ‍Water Reservoir: 40 oz‍
  • Milk Container: None‍
  • Pressure: No pump; extraction via Centrifusion‍
  • Frother: Aeroccino3
  • Spent Capsules: 12 capsules

Nespresso Vertuo is offered in Black, Chrome, Red, and Titan color options, so you are spoilt for choice.

The machine looks quite elegant due to its retro-style aesthetics.

Its pouring outlet sits in the middle of the front side of the machine, flanked on both sides by two transparent containers: one for water and one for dumping used capsules.

Located on the top of the machine, the control panel was super easy and straightforward.

This machine also comes with the Aeroccino3 milk frother.

Brewing is simple, convenient, and easy. The machine automatically detects the type of coffee blend and adjusts brewing accordingly. 

It extracts coffee through a patented process of centrifusion, where water and coffee are well blended together, thus yielding a strong flavor. 

One inconvenient feature of the Nespresso Vertuo is that the user must purchase Vertuo capsules in order to use this machine. 

The type of capsule used will determine the appropriate cup size: a 1.35-ounce espresso, 2.7-ounce double espresso, 5-ounce Gran Lungo, 8-ounce coffee, or 14-ounce Alto. 

The cup support/drip grid, located at the base of the machine, has three positions to accommodate the various cup sizes. 

Why We Recommend It

The machine comes with an Aeroccino 3 milk frother that can produce smooth, fine-textured cold or hot milk froth within seconds.

Nespresso Vertuo has a pressure pump with a capacity of 19 bars, which helps the machine create coffee that is both rich and creamy.

Nespresso Vertuo has a removable water tank with a capacity of 40 oz. The machine even turns itself off after not being used for 9 minutes in a row, in order to save energy.

The water heating time is very short (15 seconds) and the brewing time itself takes under one minute.

The machine has an automatic self-cleaning feature that can be started by pressing the on/off button for a total of 3 seconds. 

Pros:
  • Speedy drink preparation
  • High-quality coffee and espresso beverages
  • Beautiful, compact design
  • Includes 12 coffee capsules
  • Brews different types of drinks
  • Can produce rich, delicious crema on top
Cons:
  • Buying new capsules adds to the expense
  • Only compatible with Nespresso Vertuo capsules

7. Ninja DualBrew Pro System

Specifications:
  • Water tank capacity: 55 oz./ 12cups
  • Water filter: No
  • Warming plate: Yes
  • Programmable: Yes
  • Cup options: Keurig K-Cup, Cup, XL cup, travel mug, XL multi-serve, half carafe & full carafe, plus four pod options
  • Warranty: 1 year

The Barista Pro is also designed with a clear user interface that allows the desired settings to be made effortlessly and intuitively. 

The Ninja DualBrew Pro Specialty Coffee System is a 12-cup drip coffee maker and single-serve brewer combined that allows you to brew coffee with either your favorite coffee grounds or convenient K-Cup coffee pods. 

It can make your classic cup of coffee, but you can take it up a notch with an extra-rich brew, iced coffee, and a coffee concentrate that mimics espresso.

The Ninja can brew up to 12 cups of coffee, or 55-ounces. It’s easy to simply turn the dial to your desired ounce size, with 13 options to choose from in all.

In the Dualbrew Pro box, you’ll find the fantastic Ninja coffee system, Ninja pod adapter, Ninja smart scoop, a paper filter kit, and a 12-cup glass carafe. 

You’ll also find a handy fold-away milk frother that is perfect for making lattes and flat whites or can simply be used to dispense hot water for a cup of tea. 

The built-in fold-away frother is a great addition to an already impressive machine, capable of creating creamy cappuccinos, flavorsome flat whites, luscious lattes, and more. 

Its removable water reservoir can hold up to 60 ounces of water.

Why We Recommend It

The Dualbrew Pro is powerful yet compact, taking up very little kitchen counter space.

The Ninja Dualbrew Pro suits pretty much every type of coffee drinker. It’s a machine with all the bells and whistles; it can give you a delicious standard cup or a just-as-tasty iced latte.

It has a keep-warm function and a programmable feature to set up your brew up to 24 hours in advance.

Once you’ve brewed a carafe, the precision plate will keep coffee warm for up to 4 hours without burning it or turning it bitter.

The separate hot water system is another very well-designed feature. When the knob is set to “Water,” the machine quickly changes to provide water-only options rather than coffee. There are two hot water settings: hot and boil. 

Simply select which one you want and choose how much water you need, from 2 to 55 ounces, meaning that you can effectively use the Ninja Dualbrew Pro as a kettle too.

Pros:
  • Slim design
  • Touch-screen feels high end
  • Brews a variety of sizes from 2 to 55 oz. to minimize waste
  • Built-in measuring scoop and whisk-style milk frother
  • Delay Brew option for both carafe and k-cups
Cons:
  • Not intuitive to use out of the box
  • K-Cup Adapter has to be removed to brew a carafe

Best Coffee Makers Under $300; Buying Guide

As you compare different coffee makers under 300 dollars, there are several factors you’ll want to consider to find the best model for your home.

1. Type of Coffee Maker

There are several kinds of coffee makers available today, and they all have their own benefits. Traditional drip coffee makers are a popular choice, as they can generally brew multiple servings at once. 

There are also pod coffee makers, such as Keurigs, which are ideal for those who want to brew one serving at a time. Finally, there are manual coffee makers, which give you more precise control over your brew.

2. Capacity

This is a straightforward point, of course, but the capacity of a given coffee maker should be a factor in whether or not you choose it for your own setup. 

Most on this list brew up to eight or ten cups, with one slightly bigger at 12 cups, one smaller at four cups, and one with the notable feature of being able to brew a single cup at a time.

3. Brewing Time

Speedy coffee makers make batch-brewed coffee more convenient, but there’s more to it than that. 

The SCA’s rigorous certification program, which has long separated the best coffee brewers from those that cut corners, only accepts brew times of four to eight minutes, and those aren’t made-up numbers. 

Coffee brewed any quicker than four minutes will be under-extracted (weak) and over eight minutes will be over-extracted (bitter).

4. Brewing temperature

Because the higher water temperature is the agent that extracts and dissolves coffee solids and oils from coffee grounds, brewing temperature is one of the best indicators of a machine that could make a decent cup of coffee. 

According to the Gold Cup standard, the best coffee brewers should be able to maintain the ideal temperature of 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. Thermal/Glass Carafe

The type of carafe — either glass or thermal — on automatic and programmable coffee makers can be important for the quality of your coffee. 

A glass carafe is the most common type and fits on a warming plate, while a thermal carafe is usually made of double-wall insulated stainless steel and can maintain the heat without an outside heating element.

In the end, choosing between glass and thermal carafes depends on personal preference: Glass carafes are typically the less expensive option if you don’t mind a warming plate and thermal carafes will be more effective at retaining the heat of brewed coffee.

Most coffee makers under $300 in this list come with a thermal carafe.

6. Ease of Use/Cleaning

If you’re pressed for time or don’t want to prep your coffee, a single-serve machine may be a benefit as there’s little to no prep and cleaning up. 

A drip machine takes longer to brew coffee since it’s making a larger quantity, however, this also allows you to choose your own coffee where you may be more limited if you’re using pre-packaged pods. 

If you have plenty of time on your hands, pour overs and French presses take longer to brew and require a more hands-on approach, but the flavor is typically richer, smoother, and worth the fuss.

7. Water tank volume

This also depends on how large your family is or how many cups of coffee you want to take in a day. For those living with a large family or friends, you need a larger water tank to accommodate everyone. The Keurig K-Elite holds about 72 ounces of water and can be perfect for large groups.

Conclusion

I hope this list of the best coffee makers under 300 dollars helped you choose the one that suits you the best.

To get the most out of your beans, you’ll need a great coffee maker! For speed, convenience, and reliability, the Cuisinart DGB-900BC Grind & Brew can’t be beaten. It combines a precise burr grinder and standard drip coffeemaker in one device. 

The handsome machine also boasts a thermal carafe to keep coffee warm for hours and is programmable.

Written by:
Emily Deneuve
Emily Deneuve

Emily discovered that a perfect cup of coffee is a culmination of wonderfully grown coffee beans and a high-quality coffee maker. She focuses on exploring coffee brewing tips and coffee makers.

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ABOUT US

We are a team of coffee affcianados with experience and expertise in making world renowned coffee. In fact, preparing the best coffee ever with a fluffy top reminds us of magic, with secrets of how to achieve each particular effect. Making coffee is not our only hobby, we always keep our ears open as to what’s happening around and what scientists and manufacturers produce for consumers. It’s not an easy task to do – it’s rather time consuming. Hence, Caféish website was launched.

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