The 5 Best Stainless Steel Coffee Makers (2024 Guide)
Stainless steel is a favorite finish for home appliances. It provides a sleek look, and it is easy to clean and maintain.
Many people like to coordinate all of their appliances for a consistent and elegant look. Whether you’re looking for a sleek and attractive appliance or you want all of your kitchen gear to match, a stainless steel coffee maker is a must.
The problem is that it can be hard to find the best stainless steel coffee makers. There are so many options, and they come with all sorts of features, designs, and prices.
So, to help you find the best stainless steel coffee maker, we’ve put together this handy buying guide. As you read on, you’ll find helpful buying advice to use when you’re shopping for your stainless steel coffee maker. We will also include a list of our top five favorite stainless steel coffee makers.
at a glance: Best Stainless Steel Coffee Maker
How to Choose the Best Stainless Steel Coffee Maker
We mentioned this briefly, but stainless steel coffee makers come in every shape, size, and price. There are so many options out there that it can be a daunting task to find the perfect product for your kitchen.
To help you find the perfect stainless steel coffee maker we’ve put together a list of product features that you should consider when shopping for a great stainless steel coffee maker. These are the features that we think are the most important and have the greatest impact on product quality.
Things to Consider Before Buying a Stainless Steel Coffee Maker
Brew Method
The way that you brew your coffee is the first and most important question you need to ask when you are considering a new coffee maker. Obviously, drip coffee makers come to mind first (at least for us) because that is the easiest way to make coffee.
However, drip coffee makers aren’t the only ones that come in durable stainless steel. If you love espresso, you may want to look for an espresso machine in stainless steel. Or, if you’re not into automatic brewing processes, you may want to consider a stainless steel french press.
For the sake of this article, we’ll be focusing on drip machines, because they are the most popular and the type of coffee maker that is most often found in our kitchens.
Capacity
When it comes to capacity, we are thinking specifically of the number of cups that your stainless steel coffee maker can make. Most home coffee makers have capacities that range from one to two cups to up to 16 cups.
When you’re thinking about capacity, you do want to consider how much coffee you like and if you’ll be using your coffee maker when entertaining. If you’re a single person and only drink one cup of coffee per day, you may want to consider a single-cup maker.
On the other hand, if you have to make coffee for multiple people or you entertain frequently, you’ll probably want to consider a larger-capacity coffee maker.
Easy Operation
Sometimes we find really cool products that turn out to be incredibly miserable to work with. Coffee makers tend to come with either an abundance of options or no options.
No options are easy to use, and the opposite, those coffee makers that have all the buttons can be very challenging to operate. Look for a coffee maker that has intuitive controls that are easy to set or operate.
Remember, manual coffee makers are going to be the easiest to use, but they can have some challenges. Drip coffee makers are smack in the middle when it comes to ease of use, but there are some out there that are as complicated.
Espresso machines are going to be challenging to use, even if you pick the one that is supposed to be simple. If you’re not up for thinking extra hard first thing in the morning, go for the option that fits your needs and is also simple to operate.
Filter Type
This is particularly important if you are shopping for a drip coffee maker. All drip coffee makers will require a filter to keep grounds from being in your coffee. You have two general options for the type of coffee filter you can consider.
First, you have paper. The benefit of coffee filters is that they keep the fine grounds from passing into your coffee. Many people think paper filters also remove some of the bitterness of a cup of coffee.
You may not want to use paper filters if you are concerned with being more environmentally responsible. They are generally not made from recycled paper.
Metal coffee filters come in stainless steel or gold options. Metal filters allow you to enjoy the flavors and body of coffee with the oils that may be filtered out if you are using a paper filter. Metal filters are washable and reusable, so they are a nice eco-friendly option.
One thing we don’t love about metal filters is that they will allow very fine particles of grounds to pass through the filter and into your coffee pot.
Not sure which you prefer? The great thing about coffee filters is that most coffee makers have the ability to use either, so try both and see what you like.
Cleaning
Cleaning your coffee maker goes along with ease of use. When it comes to stainless steel coffee makers, we think that this is where they shine.
Because stainless steel is smooth and tends to not attract static, this material is almost dirt-resistant. This also makes stainless steel more hygienic, and less likely to harbor bacteria.
While stainless steel as housing is easy to clean, you’ll also want to consider how easy it is to clean the inside of your coffee maker. Some newer drip coffee makers have a cleaning cycle built in, espresso machines often have a steam purge option.
To keep things easy, also look for coffee makers that have removable parts that are dishwasher-safe. Being able to throw your filter, filter basket, carafe, and other parts into the dishwasher is great for convenience, but your dishwasher also does a good job of sanitizing the parts of your coffee maker.
The 5 Best Stainless Steel Coffee Makers
1. Cuisinart 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker with Thermal Carafe
The Cuisinart 12-cup programmable coffee maker is our favorite stainless steel coffee maker. There are a number of reasons that we think that this coffee maker is the best you can buy.
This coffee maker is super easy to use. The controls are intuitive, and it’s easy to get a good cup of coffee without needing to spend a ton of time with your owner’s manual. We recommend that you look through the owner’s manual as there are some cool features that are built-in to this coffee maker that you may want to utilize.
Besides being easy to use, this coffee maker is a really nice-looking stainless steel appliance. It is made with the high-quality standards that you expect from a Cuisinart appliance. The stainless steel housing is sleek and easy to clean.
The simple design fits well into any kitchen space. And, this coffee maker isn’t too big so you don’t have to worry about it taking up tons of space in your kitchen.
Our favorite feature of this coffee maker is the 12-cup thermal carafe. This double-walled insulated stainless steel carafe keeps your coffee hot for hours without needing a warming plate. This is a great feature because you don’t have to worry about that last little bit of coffee burning to the bottom of the carafe.
In general, we think this is a great coffee maker, and it will make a wonderful cup of coffee for a wide range of coffee drinkers. The price of this coffee maker is reasonable so you can enjoy making coffee at home, without the sticker shock that comes with some other coffee makers.
Pros:
- Fully programmable coffee maker that has intuitive controls and is easy to use
- The LCD back-lit display is easy to read
- Coffee maker has a tone that announces when your coffee is done
- Thermal carafe keeps coffee warm for hours
Cons:
- The lid on the carafe makes it difficult to pour all of the coffee from the pot. You have to take the lid off to get all the coffee out.
- The lid is a little challenging to remove, especially if your hands are wet or greasy
- Hard to see how much coffee is left in the carafe
2. OXO Brew 8 Cup Coffee Maker
The OXO Brew 8-cup coffee maker is another great coffee maker from a reliable company. This coffee maker comes with some great features and is a good option for the coffee lover that doesn’t mind spending a bit more for a good quality appliance.
The first thing that stands out to us about this coffee maker is the styling. This is a very attractive coffee maker, and the stainless steel carafe is super sleek. This coffee maker is also quite compact so it fits well even in smaller kitchens.
The OXO 8-cup coffee maker has some neat features that are unique. The coffee maker comes with a clear water reservoir so you know exactly how much water you need to add. The filter basket is separate from the water reservoir, which you won’t see as much with lower-priced coffee makers.
The really great part about this coffee maker is that it has brewing options for a range of capacities. This ability to pick how many cups you want allows the OXO to heat your water to the perfect temperature for the number of cups of coffee you’ll be making.
This feature allows the OXO Brew 8-cup coffee maker to be certified as a Specialty Coffee Association Golden Cup coffee maker.
The biggest downfall of this coffee maker is that it’s not programmable. This means that you can’t tell the machine to brew your coffee before you get up. It also doesn’t have a clock, which is a feature that we like to have in our kitchen.
Pros:
- Coffee grounds are pre-infused or bloomed before full brewing begins. This makes for a tastier cup of coffee
- Heats water to the perfect brewing temperature
- Minimal operating controls for easy brewing right from the box
- Stainless steel carafe keeps coffee warm for a decent amount of time
Cons:
- You can’t program this coffee maker to start at a particular time
- The styling looks almost like a commercial coffee makers
3. BLACK + DECKER 12-Cup Thermal Coffeemaker
The Black+Decker is a great thermal coffee maker, particularly if you are on a budget. This reasonably priced coffee maker has all of the features that we look for in a great stainless steel coffee maker.
This programmable coffee maker allows you to set a particular start time and has an easy-to-set clock and start timer. You’ll enjoy the ability to make a smaller pot of coffee that actually tastes good thanks to the 1-4 cup setting that this coffee maker offers.
Holding your coffee is a good-sized double-walled stainless steel carafe. This carafe keeps your coffee warm for many hours. We also think that this carafe is one of the easiest to pour without making a huge mess on your counter.
Besides being able to set your brewing start time, this coffee maker allows you to set the aroma quality that best suits you. It offers the option to select bold brewing for a more robust cup of coffee.
This is one of the coffee makers on our list that has minimal stainless steel for the housing. There are a lot of plastic parts in this coffee maker. However, considering the price of the Black+Decker, we really aren’t too bothered by this. This is a really great coffee maker, even if it isn’t as shiny as some of our other picks.
Pros:
- Fully programmable, including brew strength
- Has a good-sized carafe
- Compact design is great for small kitchens
- Reasonably priced
Cons:
- Lots of plastic on this coffee maker
- Carafe can be kind of hard to clean
4. KRUPS Simply Brew Digital Drip Coffee Maker
If you are looking for a simple-to-use but great-quality coffee maker then look no further than the Krups Simply Brew coffee maker. We found this coffee maker to be one of the easiest to use, while at the same time making a really great cup of coffee.
We really like the digital controls of this coffee maker. The easy-to-read display allows you to know exactly how your coffee will be made. You can program this coffee maker to start at a particular time, or manually start your morning coffee with just a push of a button.
One of our favorite features of the Krups Simply Brew is the ability to select from three different brew strengths. With just a push of a button, you can select light, regular, or bold brew. This allows you to make the perfect cup of coffee for you, so you’re not stuck wondering every morning if your coffee is going to be too strong or really weak.
This coffee maker is different from the others on our list as it doesn’t come with a thermal carafe. The Krups coffee maker comes with a glass carafe, so you know exactly how much coffee is left. It has a nice warming plate that keeps your coffee warm. The warming plate can be set to automatically shut off after a few hours.
Pros:
- Brews light, regular, or bold coffee at just a touch of a button
- Easy to program and set the clock for brewing at any time of the day
- Most parts of this coffee maker, including the carafe are dishwasher safe
Cons:
- Warming plate stays on only for a maximum of 2 hours
- Not one of the best-looking coffee makers out there
5. Breville Precision Brewer Thermal Coffee Maker
If you are looking for a more sophisticated coffee maker both in operation and looks, then the Breville Precision Brewer is a really great option. This coffee maker is ideal for the coffee lover that wants the best possible cup of coffee from their drip coffee maker.
The Breville is one of the few drip coffee makers that have a PID controller that provides the perfect brewing temperature for a delicious cup of coffee. When your coffee is done, the Breville Precision will keep your coffee warm for up to two hours. You can even program the temperature that you want to keep your coffee warm.
For coffee connoisseurs, the Breville Precision Brewer offers the “Gold Cup mode”. This brewing selection makes your coffee using the standards for a perfect cup of coffee set by the Speciality Coffee Association.
Pros:
- Some of the best programming features
- Thermal Carafe is also warmed to the perfect temperature for up to 2 hours
- Comes with six preset programming options
Cons:
- Water tank is not removable and can be challenging to fill
- Controls are not as easy to use
- This coffee maker has a high price point
Final Thoughts
We love how a great stainless steel coffee maker looks on our counter. There really are a ton of great options out there for you to choose from.
We have given you our top five favorite stainless steel coffee makers to help guide your choice. There’s something here for everyone including those on a budget and those that demand an exceptional cup of coffee.
When you’re shopping for the best stainless steel coffee maker for you, our buying guide is here to help you narrow the options. This way, you can find the perfect coffee maker for your kitchen without feeling overwhelmed or lost.
