5 Best Single

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A big pot of freshly-made drip coffee is a morning staple for families, workplaces, and roommates, but there are plenty of times when a one-and-done brew is more practical and efficient. Single-serve coffeemakers are popular in large part due to how easy it is to operate them.

"Getting the coffee you enjoy, exactly right, every single time is a huge plus for most casual coffee drinkers," said Matt and Katie Woodburn-Simmons, veteran baristas and current owners/operators of Home Coffee Expert. Founder of Invita Cafe in California, Sara De Luca, also attests to the time-saving powers of the single-serve machine: "Not everyone has the time to calibrate and measure out their freshly ground [coffee and] espresso shots every morning."

This convenience means that there's a wide range of models on the market. However, if you're like me and refuse to compromise on flavor, body, and overall quality, then it's worth being particular before committing to a purchase. After testing nine different single-serve coffeemakers to evaluate their ease of use, the brew speed, and the taste of the finished product, I found the best single-serve coffee makers out there. Once you pick one, consider adding to your set-up with one of the best coffee mugs or milk frothers.

Best single-serve coffee maker overall: AeroPress Original Coffee & Espresso MakerThe AeroPress delivers on just about every possible coffeemaking front: it's fast, easy to use, inexpensive, travel-friendly, and makes flavorful coffee.

Best single-serve pod coffee maker: Keurig K-Supreme Smart Single Serve Coffee MakerThe K-Supreme Smart Single Serve Coffee Maker uses Bluetooth technology and a user-friendly app to customize your potent and fast-brewing morning cup.

Best single-serve espresso maker: Nespresso VertuoPlusThe ultimate machine for quality espresso at lightning speed, the Nespresso VertuoPlus simplifies the espresso-brewing process without compromising on flavor.

Best budget single-serve coffee maker: Black and Decker Single Serve Coffee MachineStraightforward and satisfying, the Black and Decker Single Serve Coffee Machine is a great no-frills coffeemaker at a budget-friendly price point.

Best portable/travel single-serve coffee maker: Nguyen Coffee Supply Phin FilterThe Nguyen Coffee Supply Phin Filter is an exquisitely-designed pour-over coffee maker that's easy to use, easy to clean, and ideally packaged for travel.

The AeroPress delivers on just about every possible coffeemaking front: it's fast, easy to use, inexpensive, travel-friendly, and makes flavorful coffee.

Pros: Portable, doesn't need electricity, quick brew time, dishwasher safe, allows you to customize the coffee-to-water ratio

Cons: Requires specialty filters

The manual AeroPress is our top pick because it's still relatively fast, but it yields a cup with a noticeably richer and more complex flavor than you'll get from pod-based machines.

The brewing process for the AeroPress is simple and well-articulated in its instruction manual. You add a paper filter and screw the cap onto the brewing chamber, scoop in your ground coffee, pour in your water, give it a stir, and then insert the plunger and push down until it reaches the grounds. With this versatile method, you can swap espresso in for regular ground coffee, or replace hot water with room temperature water and make a cup of cold brew in just 2 minutes.

The AeroPress's portability is also a major selling point in its favor. The coffeemaker does include a few different components, but they're all small and easy to stow in a work bag or a desk drawer for on-the-go barista action.

Finally, the flavor of AeroPress coffee will satisfy even the most discerning third-wave coffee shop fiend. The plunger and cylinder allow for quick coffee extraction without rushing through the infusion process, and the finished cup boasts fragrant aromatics, a long finish, and no trace of burnt grounds or excessive bitterness. You won't get exactly the level of complexity that you'd get from a pour-over brew, but the AeroPress makes a great cup of coffee in half the time that a pour-over does. It's a worthy trade-off.

The K-Supreme Smart Single Serve Coffee Maker uses Bluetooth technology and a user-friendly app to customize your potent and fast-brewing morning cup.

Pros: Easy setup, Bluetooth connectivity and paired app, compatible with all k-cups, fast brew time, can schedule brewing ahead of time

Cons: Big countertop footprint, no dishwasher-safe parts, k-cups aren't eco-friendly, pricey

Keurig revolutionized the concept of pod-based coffee brewing (almost all "hard" cup-shaped pods, regardless of brand, are now referred to as "K-Cups"). It's no surprise that our top choice for a pod coffeemaker is a Keurig that uses brewing technology and Bluetooth compatibility to offer a highly streamlined process and a tasty end product.

The K-Supreme Smart Single-Serve Coffee Maker is a new model and features BrewID, a technology developed by Keurig to recognize individual K-Cups and recommend a specific brewing temperature. You can press the Brew button and let BrewID do its thing. If you'd like more agency over your brew, the K-Supreme Smart's clear screen and control buttons let you control the coffee process.

You can remotely schedule and customize your coffee order through the app, which sends instructions via Bluetooth to the K-Supreme Smart remotely. You can also save your preferences in the app for easy access and can pre-schedule brews, perfect for rushed mornings.

As far as flavor goes, K-Cups won't (and really can't) offer the same level of nuance and depth as freshly-ground coffee. But sometimes, I don't need an artisanal creation; instead, I just want a drinkable, potent, and easy brew. Plus, fans of iced coffee will be glad to know that this machine includes a setting that brews extra-strong hot coffee designed to pour over ice. This coffee doesn't pack the punch of cold brew, but it's strong enough to avoid tasting watered-down. It's a convenient quick fix for iced coffee die-hards.

The ultimate machine for quality espresso at lightning speed, the Nespresso VertuoPlus simplifies the espresso-brewing process without compromising on flavor.

Pros: No technique required to make espresso, large water tank, storage compartment for used pods, makes coffee and espresso

Cons: A bit challenging to set up, only uses Vertuo pods (not Nespresso Originals), not eco-friendly, pieces aren't dishwasher-safe

Making espresso at home can feel like a daunting task. I don't have the coffee making expertise, available counter space, or budget to set up a full-scale espresso machine in my kitchen. That's why Insider's coffee reviewers and I have such a deep and abiding appreciation for Nespresso and its VertuoPlus model in particular.

The VertuoPlus has a sleek silhouette that's easy to set up on even a very small counter like in my galley kitchen. The pieces are clearly marked in the box and the instructions are detailed and broken down step-by-step. However, it did seem like the machine needed to warm up. You have to run a rinse cycle before brewing, but it took a few pushes of the "brew" button before the cycle started. The same thing happened when I went to brew my first cup.

Once the VertuoPlus is up and running, it's capable of making a remarkably flavorful espresso in less than 4 minutes. The machine's software scans each pod and automatically determines the best brewing temperature, pressure, and brew time. Nespresso's Vertuo pods also come in coffee brews, if you'd rather have a standard cup of coffee. With both the coffee and the espresso pods, the VertuoPlus creates a beautiful layer of crema at the top of the brew, and the flavor of the drink is rich and nicely balanced.

Straightforward and satisfying, the Black and Decker Single Serve Coffee Machine is a great no-frills coffeemaker at a budget-friendly price point.

Pros: Compact, can brew coffee with grounds or pre-packed pods, comes with a travel mug, parts are dishwasher-safe parts, affordable

Cons: No ability to customize water temperature, pressure, or brew size, doesn't make espresso or cold brew

I may be a coffee elitist, but I still have an undeniable soft spot for fuss-free, nothing-fancy drip coffee. That's exactly what the Black & Decker Single Serve Coffee Machine provides in a user-friendly, efficient, and mega-affordable manner.

This small and lightweight machine would be an ideal choice for a dorm room, a tiny apartment, or a work desk. You can use ground coffee — and the thorough instructions explain how much to add for a single coffee serving — or pre-loaded drip coffee pods. Those pods are compostable mesh pouches filled with a single serving of ground coffee and designed to work in a drip coffee maker (unlike the hard-sided K-Cups, which only work in coffeemakers designed for that style of pod and can't be composted). From there, it's as simple as filling the machine with water, adding the grounds or pod, and flipping a switch.

Instead of a carafe, the Black & Decker model includes a 16-ounce insulated travel mug that fits right beneath the dripper to collect the brewed coffee.

Will you be blown away by the multilayered flavor profile of the coffee made with this machine? Honestly, no. What you're getting is a single serve of standard drip coffee: mild, drinkable, and quickly brewed.

The Nguyen Coffee Supply Phin Filter is an exquisitely-designed pour-over coffee maker that's easy to use, easy to clean, and ideally packaged for travel.

Pros: Comes with a travel pouch, dishwasher-safe, affordable

Cons: Brew time is longer than other single-serve makers

The phin filter is a pour-over brewing device that's wildly popular in Vietnam, and now that I've used one to make my own coffee, I think that American java fiends will find plenty to love about this remarkable stainless-steel tool.

Nguyen Coffee Supply is a roaster that has roots in Vietnam and was founded by Vietnamese-American entrepreneur Sahra Nguyen. Their phin filter coffee maker consists of a small cup-shaped brewing chamber, a perforated plate that serves as a filter, and a cap that fits over the top of the brewing chamber to keep in the heat. This might sound like a lot of pieces to carry around (and to potentially lose), but the components all stack neatly together. The set even includes a cloth carrying pouch.

This coffee maker uses finely-ground coffee and water that's just below boiling (approximately 200 degrees Fahrenheit) to make a pour-over cup with robust body, innumerable flavors, and a pleasantly-lingering finish. It takes a bit longer to make a cup with the phin filter than it does to make a K-Cup or a Nespresso, but trust me: it's more than worth the wait. The included instructions have a conversational flow that still clearly communicates the steps; I felt like I was reading a note from an especially smart and coffee-savvy friend.

Nespresso Essenza Mini : Attention, small-apartment dwellers: this is the Nespresso machine for you. The Essenza Mini brews espresso with the same ease as the VertuoPlus (although it uses Nespresso Original pods rather than Vertuo pods), but it takes up a fraction of the space. The VertuoPlus may become my "special occasion" Nespresso machine, but the Essenza Mini is my workhorse model for daily use and has a permanent place in my kitchen.

Hamilton Beach FlexBrew Single-Serve Plus Coffee Maker : This machine is compatible with both ground coffee and with K-Cups, gives you multiple size options for your brew, and allows you to choose between "Regular" brew strength (which has a medium body) and "Bold" (which is more intense). It's easy to set up and to clean (the reusable filter for ground coffee and the K-Cup holder are both dishwasher-safe) and sells for under $80.

Cuisinart Single-Serve 40-Ounce Coffeemaker : Sleek and simple, the Cuisinart Single-Serve bears many similarities to a classic Keurig. It's compatible with K-Cups (you can also purchase a separate refillable Cuisinart K-Cup) and it makes serviceable pod coffee. The finished brew won't rock your world, but the machine will save you time and look very pretty on your countertop.

Kalita Wave Dripper 185 : The Kalita Wave is about as straightforward as a pour-over gets: you insert a filter (you need to purchase specialty ones for the Kalita), add ground coffee, and pour hot water over the grounds in a circular pattern until enough coffee drips through the bottom to fill a cup. That said, the simplicity of the method means that there's a lot of room for variation and a lot of room for error. It takes time and effort to figure out the formula, so it's best for people with pour-over experience.

As a long-time coffee snob and lifestyle product reviewer, I used my experience to compare the coffee makers on the basis of speed, usability, and taste of the finished brew. I also spoke to Matt and Katie Woodburn-Simmons, veteran baristas and current owners/operators of Home Coffee Expert and Sara De Luca, founder of Invita Cafe in California to get their takes on single-serve coffee makers. Here is how I tested each product:

Brew time: To determine the efficiency of each coffeemaker, I timed the brewing process starting from pushing the "brew" button for electric models and from the addition of the hot water for manuals. I used 10 ounces as the sample size for each brew. I set the standard or "signature" brewing temperature for each of the electric models, and for the manual models, I heated the brewing water to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

Ease of use: I evaluated each coffeemaker's instructions, considering after reading if I had all the information I needed or any outstanding questions. Next, I put each coffeemaker together and determined the difficulty of each assembly. Finally, I cleaned each coffeemaker and noted whether the coffeemakers could be washed in the dishwasher and how many different compartments needed to be cleaned.

Taste: I used Starbucks Pike Place coffee for each brewing test (finely-ground Pike Place for the manual brewers, Pike Place K-Cups for the models that could accommodate K-Cups, and Pike Place Nespresso pods for the Nespresso machines). I then critiqued each finished cup on the basis of flavor balance, nuance, and strength.

Every 3-6 months, Keurig recommends that you remove the mineral deposits (known as "scale") that build up in your machine over time and can negatively affect the timing and flavor of your brew. To descale a Keurig, you'll need either Keurig's proprietary Descaling Solution or white vinegar. Add the solution to your water reservoir with a water bottle's worth of water, place a mug under the drip area, and run a Brew cycle. Follow that up with a Brew cycle using fresh water to thoroughly rinse the machine.

Not all single-serve pod machines are compatible with K-Cups. For instance, K-Cups can't be used in Nespresso machines, as those coffee makers use their own pods. Same goes for drip coffee machines like the Black & Decker; these coffee makers are only compatible with "soft" pods, which are compostable. K-Cups and Nespresso pods, on the other hand, include hard plastic and aren't compostable. Only use K-Cups with machines that are specifically designed to accommodate K-Cups.

As already mentioned in this piece, K-Cups and other pre-measured pods won't produce exceptional coffee. "The coffee isn't necessarily bad, but it's far from great" said the Woodburn-Simmonses. However, reusable K-Cups can be purchased, which can be filled with your ground coffee of choice and used just as you would a standard K-Cup. "[By] using freshly ground beans in a reusable K-Cup filter, you absolutely can make a great cup of coffee," said the Woodburn-Simmonses.

While pour-over and drip coffee both involve saturating ground coffee with hot water and allowing the resulting infusion (the liquid coffee) to drip into a vessel, the similarities between these methods end there. "Pour-over" is a manual process that requires you to heat the water (and to determine the water's temperature yourself) and to slowly pour the water over the grounds. "Drip" automates that whole procedure. After you add the grounds and cold water, the machine does the rest for you. Think of drip coffee machines as automatic cars and pour-overs as stick-shifts. They'll both make a car run, but the latter is far more hands-on (and more car-nerd-friendly) than the former.

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