Best Duo Coffee Maker 2024; Dual Machine Reviews

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links and I may earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you) if you click through and make a purchase. Thanks in advance – I really appreciate it!

Here in this article “Best Duo Coffee Maker” we’ve rounded up 9 best dual coffee makers of various types, specifications, and budget. Below, you’ll find in-depth reviews of each, as well as an elaborate buying guide to pick out your favorite.

Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:

Best duo coffee maker - Buying Guide

Best Duo Coffee Maker cafeish.co

Before you dive into each review, have a quick look at our buying guide and take the time to understand exactly what you need from a duo coffee maker.

Things To Consider In A Good Dual Coffee Machine

Do you want to brew with K-cups, ground coffee or both?

Some dual coffee makers rely on ground coffee for both brewing methods, whereas others need K-Cups.

If you don’t drink too much coffee, you might be happy with the idea of using K-Cup pods or capsules. If so, you’ll enjoy remarkable convenience, zero waste, and piping hot coffee in less than a minute.

Is Customization Important To You?

Do you enjoy pressing a button and waiting for your usual cup of joe to magically gush out without having to do much? If so, then there is no point in spending more money for a dual coffee brewer with a lot of customizable options.

On the other hand, if you enjoy being able to tweak your coffee strength or program the machine for frothy drinks as well, we’ve got some machines ready to deliver your perfect cup. When purchasing a more customizable coffee maker, make sure you understand the features of each model, so you don’t end up in over your head or disappointed with a machine that is too simple.

Brewing Size Options

Similarly, just like the brewing options, you obviously need to take into account the size options a particular machine offers. Some machines only have carafe and single serve, which is perfectly fine for some.

On the other hand, some of the duo coffee makers have much more versatility when it comes to size options.

Also, there are coffee machines out there that can brew a certain number of cups into a carafe, just not directly into your travel mug or coffee cup. So if that’s all you’re looking for and you don’t care much about speed, that route is also worth exploring.

Best Duo Coffee Maker cafeish.co

Programmable and Display Settings

Just like any other coffee machine on the market, the best duo coffee maker comes with a variety of programmable options and display settings. Some coffee machines allow you to set it the night before so that the brewing starts at a certain time so you can wake up to a freshly brewed cup of coffee.

It’s also recommended to look for a duo coffee maker that has a digital display as this is much easier to navigate than one with simple indicator lights, particularly when it comes to programming your machine.

Ease of Cleaning

If you end up with a duo coffee maker that’s easy to use but a pain to clean, then it’s not actually all that convenient after all.

Make sure you have an idea of what will be involved in cleaning before you buy it, so you know how involved the process will be. The more features and components the machine has, the more likely it is that it will take you a long time to clean.

Capacity

Many duo coffee makers come with the choice of a 10-cup or 12-cup carafe. Think about the maximum capacity you’ll need but don’t buy larger than you’ll use.

You should also think about the capacity of the water reservoir. If you have a single-serve machine with a tiny tank, you’ll endlessly be refilling it. This in many ways destroys the convenience of a single-serve machine.

Footprint

A duo coffee maker will save you some valuable space on the counter-top by performing the functions of two machines in one. That doesn’t mean, though, that some of these machines aren’t bulky. Be sure to check the dimensions to avoid unpleasant surprises.

Duo Coffee Maker Reviews

Best Overall

Cuisinart SS-20 

The Cuisinart SS-20 is a reliable dual coffee maker that will provide you with high-quality cups of coffee for a long time: it even comes with a 3-year warranty. It is available in both black and silver and with different carafes, so you’re bound to find a model that suits you.

Be sure to note that the material is not the only distinction between the carafes, the stainless steel model holds 10 cups of coffee while the glass carafe holds 12 cups.

The Cuisinart SS-20 is a fully automatic and programmable coffee maker: you can set it up to start brewing 24 hours in advance and activate the energy save mode, as well as making the most of its self-clean feature.

It’s 40 oz removable reservoir is easy to access and comes with a charcoal water filter that will improve the quality of the water used for your coffees.

The Cuisinart SS-20 is no doubt one of the best duo coffee maker with K cup compatibility.

Its single serve feature makes the Cuisinart SS-20 different from other coffee makers. Its single serve feature comes with three serving sizes—the six, eight, and ten ounces capacity.

The different available serving sizes allow you to enjoy your coffee without worrying about brewing a small amount.

The carafe is made of double-wall stainless steel instead of glass. Thus, it is more effective in retaining heat. With this coffee maker, you no longer have to worry about cold coffee any more.

If you are the type of person who loves experimenting with different brew strengths, then this feature is just for you. With the brew strength feature, you easily adjust your coffee brew strength between medium to a bold brew.

With SS-20’s programmable controls, you can easily set the coffee maker to brew coffee at a particular time without having to leave your bed. And when you wake up, you can enjoy your cup of coffee and start the day’s activities.

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

You can also remove the drip tray for cleaning and to brew into a larger travel mug. While this machine is compatible with K-Cups and other single-cup coffee pods, we recommend that you opt for the included reusable filter that lets you use your own coffee grounds.

Pros:
  • Brews: carafes, single-serve (K-Cups, pods and grounds)
  • Stainless steel carafe
  • Quick and intuitive programmable features.
  • The stainless steel carafe is sturdy.
Cons:
  • The K-cup reservoir is small

Best Budget Option

Hamilton Beach 2-Way Brewer

The 2-Way Brewer doubles as a compact single-serve coffeemaker for everyday personal enjoyment and a full 12-cup pot machine.

The Hamilton Beach 49980A Two-Way Brewer offers the ability to prepare either an entire carafe or just a single serving using your favorite ground coffee.

It’s brushed stainless steel and black plastic make for a look that matches a variety of decors.

We also appreciate the pleasantly minimal interface that features just a handful of buttons and a nice, bright digital display.

Hamilton Beach’s ‘cup’ measurement is 5-oz, so the 12-cup glass carafe is capable of holding a fairly generous 60-oz / 1.7 liters of coffee.

On the single-serve side of the machine, you have the option of brewing with a coffee pod or brewing a single cup/thermos of coffee.

This is ideal for those who need a quick sip of coffee before they hit the road, or they just want a smaller serving just for themselves.

Contrary to this, the carafe side of the Hamilton allows you to brew an entire carafe of coffee, up to about 12 cups.

This option is perfect for people who enjoy brewing a large amount of coffee to sip on throughout the day, or if you’re entertaining a large group of people.

Best Duo Coffee Maker

The mesh filter provided by Hamilton will allow you to brew over and over again without throwing your money in the trash.

This gold-tone filter fits perfectly on the single-serve side, allowing you to brew whatever roast or blend you may already have. It also has a sturdy handle, allowing you to use it as a coffee scoop.

Another amazing thing about the Hamilton Beach 49980A is that even if you have forgotten to turn it off, it shuts down automatically after two hours.

There is also the brew-pause feature which helps you drink the coffee in the mid brewing cycle. You don’t have to wait for it to be done.

Pros:
  • The many options – A choice between a large carafe and a single serve
  • The ability to use pods if you don’t have time to grind coffee
  • The ease of use
  • The great tasting coffee this machine consistently produces
Cons:
  • Not compatible with Keurig K-cups 

Best With K Cup

Keurig K-Duo Plus 

The K-Duo Plus is perfect for coffee lovers who like entertaining. It’s also great for larger families where having the possibility to brew larger quantities of coffee at one time would be both easy, quick and convenient.

Keurig Duo Plus is such a great looking coffee maker. It is one of the best duo coffee maker for home or office. It comes in one fashionable black color option. The color goes really well with stainless steel and silver accents of the coffee machine. The machine is extremely compact and makes phenomenal use of space.

Keurig Duo Plus makes coffee brewing really simple, convenient and easy. Saves space, and can brew drip coffee and single serve from one spout.

It comes with some basic features such as strength control, brew pause, and auto-off. I love that Keurig K-Duo Plus is more oriented towards ecology. It is compatible with reusable “My K-Cup” filters.

Duo Plus machine comes with a basket size large enough for 15 tablespoons of ground coffee and 12 tablespoons of decaf (Keurig recommends that we should use one tablespoon of ground coffee for each cup).

Best Duo Coffee Maker cafeish.co

The basket drawer can be easily open by pulling it outwards. It comes with a reusable, gold tone mesh filter. To increase the life of the filter the use of a 12 cups paper filter is also recommended.

A single serve part allowed me to choose between 6 oz, 8 oz, 10 oz and 12 oz of coffee. The drip coffee maker brewed 6 cups, 8 cups, 10 cups or 12 cups at once.

Keurig K-Duo Plus machine comes with a 12 cups, thermal, stainless steel carafe. The carafe has a design that makes pouring easy. Keurig makes claims that the stainless steel carafe can keep coffee hot for 2 hours.

This coffee maker boasts an adjustable water reservoir. This means that you can adjust the base of the water reservoir to either the back, left, or right of the machine to change up where the reservoir would live on the machine.

This machine comes equipped with a few extra features including Programmable Carafe Auto Brew, which allows the user to set a preferred brew time up to 24 hours in advance.

There is also a feature called Pause & Pour, meaning you can pull the carafe out before it’s finished brewing. The machine will pause the brewing process for 20 seconds so that you can pour a hot cup of coffee.

Pros:
  • Makes single servings and carafes
  • Adjustable water reservoir
  • Uses k-cups and ground coffee
  • Easy to use and set up
  • Warms coffee for several hours
Cons:
  • Settings are not very customizable
  • Requires regular cleaning

Most Versatile

Ninja Hot and Cold Brewed System

Ninja Hot and Cold Brewed System is a coffee maker that brews tasty drip coffee, lattes complete with frothed milk, hot tea and makes chilled drinks over ice. On top of that versatility, this countertop machine can also serve drinks in multiple sizes, ranging from small cups to full carafes.

The Ninja Hot and Cold Brewed System is a combination coffee maker that may be the most versatile option on the market. There is more to choose from than just hot or cold coffee, and that means almost endless drink choices.

This automatic coffee maker is made almost entirely from plastic, the surface of the appliance is a glossy, piano black. This, plus sleek LED indicators and a few silver highlights, give the coffee maker a stylish appearance.

It comes with a 50-ounce double-walled stainless steel carafe, but you can brew directly into a mug of your choice.

Best Duo Coffee Maker

This is no doubt one of the best duo coffee makers available in the marketplace today.

As a bonus, this machine boasts two permanent filters, one for coffee and the other for tea. The Smart Basket recognition identifies which basket to use to avoid cross-contamination.

One of the coolest features on the Ninja Hot and Cold Brewed System is the frothing arm. It’s even retractable, so it doesn’t alter the profile of your machine when it’s not in use.

It’s Specialty Mode brews a specific size of bold, robust coffee. It’s best described as espresso-like.

Since it doesn’t require the pressure of a pulled shot, this coffee isn’t going to deliver a creamy, thick shot. But it is a concentrated brew that makes a decent cappuccino or latte.

Making coffee in the Ninja Hot and Cold Brewed System is a heavily automated affair. The machine has no manual modes at all. In fact, the Ninja System decides one critical brewing parameter that’s usually up to you — the amount of water it uses.

This brewer tackles tea too. The Ninja System’s separate tea filter can accept both loose-leaf or tea bags. The machine detects the filter when you insert it into its slot. You then choose between herbal, black, oolong, white and green presets to match what you’d like to brew.

The machine is programmable so you can program the delayed brew with the time you desire, and your coffee will be ready when you need it.

When it comes to cleaning the Ninja detects build-up and alerts you on the display by illuminating a “clean” message below the “start” button.

Pros:
  • Provides lots of options
  • Simple to use scoop works great for beginners and convenience
  • Easy to clean
  • Great value for coffee drinkers who like variety
  • Single serve option with no pods
Cons:
  • Some brewing methods (cold brew in particular) are louder than typical drip brewers.
  • Machines is a bit tall

Best With Frother

DeLonghi BCO430

This single machine is capable of performing more than a regular coffee machine with the built-in tamper and the double espresso filters along with a manual frother.

The fact that this duo coffee maker is a front-loader machine, makes it all the more convenient for the users to use and master this because you do not have to put in effort to remove the head of the machine to pour the water and coffee.

The dedicated reservoirs are both designed in such a way that it offers frontal access for the users’ convenience.

The DeLonghi BCO430 has a polished look with sleek stainless steel accents. It will easily fit in with most other modern kitchen appliances.

The labeling on the machine is easily readable and self-explanatory. There is also a digital clock on the front control panel that will maintain accuracy if left plugged in.

Best Duo Coffee Maker

The espresso maker is on the left side of the unit and includes the group head (where the filter basket attaches), a water tank, milk frother, and a warming tray. The right side of the unit contains a standard coffee maker that can brew up to 10 cups of coffee.

Each side of the unit has its own water tank so the two sides can function separately and simultaneously.

The default manual frother is an excellent addition to all the coffee machines. However, this machine is a notch above every other coffee maker, mixing the steam and the milk to create exceptional thick foam, which is a delight for every coffee lover.

This machine also has a dedicated water filter, which will automatically eliminate all harmful particles, So you can enjoy a clear and mineral-free coffee.

Moreover, you can easily make two espressos in one shot, just use the included two-cup espresso coffee filter instead of the option for one cup or one pod. Yes, you can use easy serve espresso (E.S.E.) pods in this machine.

The brew unit can’t be removed, so you’ll want to clean it periodically via a cleansing tablet, and the controls are no more complex than your average drip-brew coffee machine. It’s just that there are a couple of extra buttons and options.

Pros:
  • Polished, modern look
  • Brews a lot of coffee at once
  • Simultaneously makes drip coffee and espresso drinks
Cons:
  • Long setup and cleanup
  • Expensive

Best With 2 Reservoirs

Hamilton Beach FlexBrew

With Hamilton Beach Flexbrew, you can brew a full pot which can hold 12 cups of coffee, or you can make a cup of coffee for an individual using K-Cup pack on the single-serve side with this 2 in 1 Coffee maker.

As it is the 2-way coffee maker, therefore, it has plenty of options for all types of coffees and any quantity as well. It is flexible with single-serve to a full pot of coffee.

Even if you have two different coffee drinkers than this coffee maker is quite flexible to customize according to how and what you brew which is a crucial reason why it is the most popular coffee maker.

It comes with a glass carafe which is able to hold an impressive 12 cups of coffee. It has a sturdy, smooth handle that’s dependable enough to support the brewing the weight of so much coffee. The lid also flips upward, allowing you easy access to pour and refill the carafe. Not to mention it’s dishwasher safe.

This machine is one of the best budget duo coffee makers available in the marketplace today.

Best Duo Coffee Maker

It also comes with a black funnel that is placed in the single-serve side and should be used to brew every single-serve batch of coffee. This helps with the filtration process while brewing, and helps ensure that no loose coffee grounds accidentally slip into your final brew.

The single serve basket is a permanent basket to place ground coffee in to brew a single-serve size cup of coffee. If you want to use disposable K-cup blends, then you can simply remove this basket and use a K-cup instead.

The K-Cup basket is a grey basket which is ideal for brewing K-cups. The basket will fit almost any K-cup size and make a delicious, strong cup of brew. It’ll also keep each cup steady and secure as the brewing process is taking place.

It’s a fully automatic dual coffee maker with k-cup and it is easy to program, and you can set your brew time up to 24 hours in advance.

Pros:
  • You can brew a full pot or a single mug with this 2-way versatile coffee maker.
  • It’s K-Cup pod compatible.
  • Comes with Brew Strength Selector 
  • Programmable carafe side
  • Auto shut-off after 2 hours of brewing started.
  • Easy to clean as well as maintain
Cons:
  • No indicator of when coffee is done brewing

Best For Home

Cuisinart CHW-12

The Cuisinart CHW-12 Coffee Plus Programmable Coffee Maker & Hot Water System is a one-stop beverage center ideal for the home. The coffee maker portion of this machine features a 12-cup glass carafe as well as programmable and automatic features to make brewing fresh java fast and easy.

Unlike most conventional coffee makers, the CHW-12 also has a hot water system. This machine can dispense hot water within moments for soup, tea, hot chocolate and more.

Like other Cuisinart coffee makers, the CHW-12 has a fully automatic system, which takes the work out of creating and enjoying a good cup of coffee for you.

In addition, this model has an automatic switch-on and shut-off feature, which is good news for people who tend to forget their coffee a lot.

This is undoubtedly one of the best duo coffee makers available in the marketplace today.

Also, Cuisinart CHW-12 has a 24-hour programmability feature, so your coffee is ready right when you are. Lastly, the CHW-12 has an auto shut off feature.

In CHW-12, the self-cleaning technology is made better by the fact that the carafe is dishwasher-safe. You will not appreciate something like this until you have had to spend many precious minutes trying to get residue out of corners and sides.

The Cuisinart 12-Cup Coffee Maker with Hot Water System is an excellent choice to brew your coffee. It comes with one carafe that has a dripless spout, which does not create a mess while you use it. The glass carafe has a plastic handle that makes it easy to pour your beverage.

This Cuisinart CHW-12 Coffee Plus 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker offers a quiet brew that is perfect for early mornings. It has a visible water window, which depicts measurements that allow you to keep a check on the water level and fill it when required.

The machine is designed to have an LCD display along with an auto shut-off mechanism that adds to its utility.

If you want to enjoy a cup of what you are brewing even before it is done, the CHW-12 offers you the option to pour a cup mid-brew.

Pros:
  • Quick brew time
  • Brewed coffee is very hot
  • Kept coffee warm for two hours in our test
  • Shuts off automatically
  • Carafe is dishwasher safe
Cons:
  • Controls are tricky to use
  • Not an easy-to-fill reservoir

Best With Multiple Brew Sizes

Keurig K-Duo Essentials

The Keurig K-Duo Essentials Coffee Maker lets you brew either a single cup or an entire carafe with just one machine. You can use both K-Cups and ground coffee here, with multiple brew sizes available in both single cup and carafe.

The Keurig K-Duo Essentials Coffee Maker holds a full 60 oz of water in its removable reservoir, which is a good size and easy to refill.

On the carafe side, you just insert a flat bottom paper filter into the basket, scoop in your choice of ground coffee, place your carafe on the heating plate, and select an 8, 10, or 12 cup brew. 

The machine unfortunately doesn’t let you choose a smaller brew size than 8 cups. So, if you’re making a pot of coffee for one, you might be better off just using the K-Cup side. 

A heating plate keeps the 12-cup glass carafe warm, and a Pause & Pour feature gives you 20 seconds to grab a cup before the machine is done brewing.

On the K-Cup side, just pop in your favorite K-Cup, place your coffee mug or travel mug on the drip tray, and choose either 8, 10, or 12 oz. 

This brewer is nice because, unlike with some other Keurig models, you don’t have to wait for the water to heat up before choosing a cup size.

It’s ‘Smart Start’ feature allows K-Duo to heat and then brew in one single process, right after you hit the brew button. This means you don’t have to stand around for the heating to be done before you can select your brew.

K-Duo can fit even taller mugs, up to 6.25 inches with drip tray intact and 8 inches with drip tray removed. If you like to use tall mugs, this can really make a difference.

The unit itself is indeed bulky, and fairly similar to other coffee makers that incorporate both a single serve (k-cup) and a drip coffee maker (a carafe). 

It’s about 12 inches in width, 13 inches in depth and about 13 inches in height. Unlike other coffee machines, this one seems to be well designed. The k-cup portion only slightly opens up, taking up another 2 inches of space. 

Pros:
  • Elegant and good-looking design
  • K-cup and ground coffee functionality
  • Easy and convenient to use
  • Multiple beverage sizes: single serve (8, 10, 12oz), drip coffee (8, 10, 12 cups)
  • Auto-off after 1 minute
  • Warming plate off after 2 hours
  • Glass carafe
Cons:
  • Lack of some standard features (temperature control)
  • Not programmable for a single cup side

Best With Glass Carafe

Cuisinart SS-15

The Cuisinart SS-15 Coffee Center is a great 2-in-1 coffee machine that fills in a gap for many households that need(or want) both a drip coffee maker and a single serve coffee maker in one machine.

The Cuisinart SS-15 coffee center combines a 12 cup carafe drip system and a single serve system that works with K-cups and coffee grounds.

Cuisinart driver, along with the texture of stainless steel material. It is made up of marvelous metal without BPA. It represents the glass carafe with a long-lasting alloy steel structure.

Cuisinart SS-15P1 coffee maker contains slim and slender removable water reservoirs of 40 oz. The LCD light blinks when the tank needs to be refilled.

This massive quantity of tank is pretty sufficient for the single-serve brewer or whole carafe pot. The feature of easy-view water windows is excellent for keeping an eye on the container.

Cuisinart SS-15P1 comes with three types of filters. Home Barista reusable K-cup pod filter, Gold-tone coffee filter, and charcoal water filter. The charcoal water filter makes sure that you brew the best quality taste cup.

Cuisinart brewing system features with self-clean and adjustable on/off. The device will turn on after its predetermined timing. It allows us to set brewer time up to 24 hours in advance.

The single-serve coffee maker also comes with adjustable temperature control and auto on/off feature. The temperature control system gives your option to choose the strength of coffee.

It also turns off after the period of inactivity of 30 minutes to save your electricity.

This appliance bold coffee option is excellent for the folks who get a strong flavor cup of coffee. You have to select the Bold button to brew a more robust brew flavor.

Pros:
  • The machine serves any number of people in any situation
  • Coffee taste is outstanding
  • Auto-off is customizable
  • Brew cycle on both sides is above average speed
  • Uses charcoal water filters for ultimate water purification
Cons:
  • Puncture mechanism on a single-serve side can be very messy if not calibrated perfectly
  • The machine takes up a large amount of counter space

Conclusion

We hope this comprehensive guide to the best duo coffee maker has given you plenty of useful information to further your knowledge of this broad but intriguing subject.

We hope, too, our duo coffee maker reviews have simplified your search for the coffee maker according to your requirements whatever your budget or preferences.

We realize that everyone has different needs so we’ve attempted here to bring together a wide range of the best coffee machines so there’s something for all tastes and budgets.

There’s no right or wrong answer as to what makes the best duo coffee maker. All we have done here is presented you with the full facts and honest reviews so you can go in forewarned and maximize your chance of spending wisely and ending up with superior coffee every day of the week without needing to head to the nearest cafe.

Written by:
Picture of 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.

More about me...
Most Popular
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.

LEGAL DISCLAIMER

Caféish is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Caféish also participates in affiliate programs with Clickbank and other sites. Caféish is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *