The best filter coffee machine – picks from Moccamaster, Kitchenaid and more tried and tested

Once upon a time, the best filter coffee machines were simple things, percolating a gallon of coffee that would sit on a hot plate for hours.

Things have moved on somewhat. The latest filter coffee machines can do everything from grinding beans for you, starting at specific times, creating different brew styles and strengths, and cleverly pausing the brewing process if you can’t wait to grab a cup. They're often the top choice of the best coffee machines for those who want full-bodied and flavourful brews without too much hands-on operation.

So, to establish which of the best filter coffee machines are most suitable for anyone who wants to stay caffeinated all day long, I tested six of them at home. Then, aided by other reviews from another of our expert testers Helen McCue, I compiled this list of the ones you need to know about. Here are the highlights.

The quick list

Short on time? Take a look at this quick start guide to my favourite filter coffee machines instead.

Best filter coffee machine overall

The Moccamaster KBG Select is pricey, but it's without a doubt the best filter coffee machine we've tested here at Ideal Home. Our reviewer Helen was loathe to part with it and was almost tempted to swap out her usual manual espresso machine for it.

That's thanks to its high-quality design, build and the loveliness of the flavour of the coffee it produced. Ad even better, it's a simple procedure to get the machine to work to do that for you. All you need is add your coffee and wait for it to brew. A 10 cup brew took around 6 and a half minutes, while an 8 brew cup took 6.

Our reviewer Helen recorded that on average, from all the cups she drank, the average temperature was 80C, which is seriously hot. The hotplate stays on for 40 minutes once you've brewed, and can be switched back on again after that.

All in all, this machine is effortlessly cool, easy to use and produces gorgeous coffee. It's a delight.

Our Moccamaster KBG Select review has the full details.

Best looking filter coffee machine

The Kitchen Aid 5KCM1209 claims to reinvent the home coffee experience. It’s a nice looking kitchen gadget, and while larger than some, isn’t too imposing. However, the fact the display is on what I would call the side rather than the front means you do have to position it a certain way, which might mean it takes up more space than you’d like. The carafe is larger than some other, allowing you to brew even more coffee in one go, which might appeal to some.

The LCD display is clear and easy to use, and you can select your brew strength which allows a degree of customisation. Like many other machines, there’s an auto feature so you can set the machine to start brewing at any time, but this one goes a step further with two different auto presets - meaning you can set it up for a certain time during the week, and a different time at weekends, or whatever suits you best.

The machine offers the usual ‘pause and pour’ feature, and has a warming plate too. It has a ‘dosage ladder’ in its filter which is says will help guide you on how much coffee to use, but I found this a bit fiddly and preferred to opt for going for a certain number of scoops. For the price, I think the design (not to mention, that KitchenAid branding that will pair perfectly with the best stand mixer) is a real winner.

Best filter coffee machine with a thermal jug

As with anything coffee-related, the Sage machine has all the bells and whistles. It’s got a more industrial feel with its stainless steel brewing basket and large 1.8l carafe, but would still make a pretty striking addition to your kitchen counter.

It has a state-of-the-art feel to it, with the display walking you through the process - reminding you to fill the tank when needed, and offering you all the options you need. The Sage Precision Brewer goes beyond simply changing the strength of the brew and offers six brewing modes, including: fast, ‘gold’ which is supposedly the optimum brew, strong, your own customised ‘My Brew’ setting, as well as options for pour over and cold brew.

Like the KitchenAid, the positioning of the display means you would have to have your machine a certain way round, which might not be the best use of space, but if you’ve invested in something like this, there’s every chance you’ll be giving it pride of place in your kitchen.

The Sage machine brews coffee quickly and isn’t too noisy, and the thermos element of the carafe means it seems to keep it hotter than glass equivalents. It’s not cheap by any means, but is one for those who take their coffee seriously and want one of the best machines on the market.

Best filter coffee machine with a grinder

If you want to go one step further with your coffee and grind your beans before you brew, this could be the machine for you. The Melitta Aroma Fresh II has a built-in grinder making it your one stop shop for bean to cup coffee at home.

The extra element means it was the biggest of the machines I tested, and not the sleekest, but is still a fairly attractive kitchen gadget. The LED display is easy to use and includes a timer feature allowing you to set your coffee to brew at whatever time you like.

Overall, this machine goes one step further by adding the grinding option and brews good coffee simply and easily. It’s also got a fairly reasonable price tag given the extra element, so would make a good all-round purchase that saves you buying a separate grinder. The claim that your coffee will stay hot for 60 minutes is absolutely true, too.

Best filter coffee machine under £100

The Russell Hobbs Buckingham is one of the simpler machines I tried, but pretty much does everything you need. You can brew your coffee on the spot or set it for ‘coffee later’, selecting the time you want it to start.

It’s fairly quick to get brewing from a standing start, so you won’t have to wait long, and has a few options to customise your coffee, mainly the option of making the brew slightly stronger if you’re making lots of cups. It’s got a ‘pause and pour feature’ so you can remove the carafe at any time but you’re warned to get it back on the hot plate within 20 seconds or the brew basket might overflow. I didn’t find this happened, but the warning did make you nervous about taking the carafe off for too long.

I quite liked the status light that shows you how long it is since your coffee was brewed - basically how fresh it is. Apparently this machine uses ‘advanced showerhead technology’ for improved extraction, but I'm not convinced that I would be able to tell the difference in the taste.

How I tested the best filter coffee machines

I tested each filter coffee machine in the same way, assembling them from boxed then following the instructions to brew a carafe of coffee.

I tested each machine (where possible) on both the immediate process as well as setting it up to start automatically.

Testing involved looking at the appearance of the machine and how it would fit in your kitchen at home, as well as ease of use, practicality, and the finished product for its taste and flavour profile. Here are some images of our in-depth testing process.

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I tested all of the machines in this guide bar the Moccamaster - you can read more about my coffee expertise below.

Ellen Manning

Ellen is a freelance journalist who writes for a range of national publications on all sorts of subjects - but mainly food and drink. She reviews coffee machines, air fryers and all range of kitchen gadgets for Ideal Home.

When she’s not eating food, she spends most of her time thinking, talking, and writing about it, and also writes an award-winning food blog Eat with Ellen.

Her favourite coffee is a double espresso first thing in the morning, but she’s also partial to a caramel latte on the odd occasion.

FAQs

How can I choose the best filter coffee machine?

When it comes to choosing the best filter coffee machine, it really does depend on what you want. If you’re after something cheap and easy that just brews coffee when you want, then one of the simpler, cheaper versions might be best. If you are a coffee aficionado who wants to customise your brew, or opt for different strengths of brew at different times, you might want to spend more on a higher spec versions.

Most machines have certain standard features, like a keep warm option or the ‘pause and pour’ option that allows you to pour a cup before the brewing process has finished, as well as the option to set a timer so it starts automatically, but some do have the extra bells and whistles, like a grinder or customisation options, so it depends how far you’re willing to go and how much you want to spend.

Another factor to take into account is size and style - this machine is most likely going to live on your kitchen counter, so make sure you’ve got the space for it and are happy for it to be there.

What is the difference between espresso and filter coffee?

I spoke to Luke Powell, Manager - Speciality Coffee EMEA at Sage Appliances, to find out more about the difference between filter coffee and other types of coffee that you might get from one of the best pod coffee machines, or an espresso machine. "Espresso is any coffee brewed at pressure, often nine bars but pretty much anything above two bars can be termed espresso. Filter coffee is anything below involving a filter, so at regular atmospheric pressure."

The taste profile of your filter coffee can often be determined by the shape of the filter itself. A flat shape will often result in a lighter and more fruity flavour, whereas a cone filter shape can often leave you with a more rich and earthy taste.

The secret to great-tasting coffee is fresh-ground beans. According to Luke, "Any food product's freshness is a hugely important influence. Coffee starts to degrade the moment it's roasted and although keeping it in a bag helps, coffee will continue to lose flavour and become stale after around three months.

The key factors affecting coffee freshness are sunlight, air contact, moisture, and heat. If you just buy coffee when needed and keep sealed in the bag provided, you’ll most likely never experience stale coffee." You can take a look at Sage's 'Beanz' coffee subscription for more information on fresh coffee beans, and take a look at our guide to the best coffee grinders to make sure you're able to make freshly-ground coffee every morning.