The Best Small Coffee Maker

Cutting boards, canisters, and miscellaneous utensils all litter the counter, and this makes it hard to find counter space to work without adding a big coffee maker to the mix. This is where the best small coffee maker comes in, as it allows you to have delicious coffee whenever you want it without taking up your valuable counter space. 

As a bonus, the best small coffee makers tend to pack in a lot of power without driving the price up. This could be a great chance to experiment with pour-over or French press-style coffee makers. You can find a range of the best coffee makers for under $100, and some are as low as $20.00. We’ve picked out 10 great options for you to consider below. 

It’s relatively easy to pick out a smaller coffee maker to match your decor and needs. You should sort though a few products to ensure you get a good match that you can use every day. Our new coffee maker by Joe Hall / CC BY 2.0

1. Keurig K-Mini Plus Maker – Top Pick 

 

When you think of the best small coffee makers, Keurig tops the list again and again. It has K-Cup pods that are very user-friendly and it offers a huge range of teas, coffees, and much more. You get the convenience you’ve come to expect with this brand all packed into a five-inch-wide machine, and it’s perfect for people who are trying to save space on the counter. You get a pod storage bin that will hold nine K-Cup pods to keep them on-hand when you need them, and it slides easily into the front of the machine when it’s not in use. 

This best small coffee maker makes it very easy to pick the perfect strength for your coffee with just the push of a button. It brews either 6 or 12-ounces of coffee, and all you have to do is add the water to the reservoir. You can use the fill reservoir if you’re not sure how much your mug holds to prevent spilling, and the drip tray will hold any extra liquid to make it easy to get rid of. You can brew into a mug that is seven-inches tall, and it’ll turn off by itself 90 seconds after it finishes the brewing process. 

PROS

• Cord stores neatly in the back of the machine
• Has a nine K-Cup pod holder 
• Makes 6 or 12-ounces 
• Shuts off automatically 
• Larger drip tray 
• Can brew into a travel mug 
• Easy to maintain 

CONS

• Water container latch is flimsy

2. Ninja CE251 Programmable Brewer – Step-Up Pick 

 

Our step-up pick may not be the smallest one of the list, but it is still compact enough to be considered one of the best small coffee makers due to the more narrow design to it. You get a 60-ounce water reservoir with a 12-cup carafe that is perfect to have out on your patio by your movie screen. There are multiple brew settings on this Ninja coffee maker that allow you to make the perfect cup of coffee each time you break it out. There is a thermal extraction process that allows you to get the best flavor out of your coffee grounds without any lingering bitterness. 

If you’re in a hurry, it’s possible to pause the brewing process and pour your cup without a mess before resuming the brewing process. If you only want one cup, this product can do that too. You can program it up to a day in advance, and it has an adjustable warming plate on it. It’ll keep your coffee warm for up to four hours, or you can have it switch off automatically after two hours. You get a permanent filter when you buy it, and this cuts down on paper waste while saving you money. 

PROS

• Has a warmer function
• 12-cup carafe 
• Very narrow design 
• Multiple brewing settings 
• Thermal extraction process
• Can pause the brewing process 
• Permanent filter included 

CONS

• Hot plate isn’t very durable  

3. BLACK+DECKER 5-Cup Coffeemaker – Mid-End Budget Pick

If you’re on a slightly tighter budget and you don’t mind a coffee maker that doesn’t have a lot of extra frills, this best small coffee maker could be a great fit. The carafe will hold up to five cups at one time, and this gives you plenty to last through the morning. It has a very simple on-off switch that will light up to let you know when it’s on, and the hot plate will keep your coffee carafe warm as long as you keep the coffee maker on. However, you should be advised that it doesn’t have an automatic off feature with it, so you will have to manually turn it off. 

The carafe comes designed to give you ergonomic handling, and you get drip-free pouring that won’t make a mess. When it comes time to clean it, you can easily remove the lid to get to each part of the interior. Additionally, you can pause the brewing process to get a cup before you fill the carafe, and you can start it again once you pour your cup. It has a permanent filter in it that is easy to clean, and it removes the need for paper filters. It has a two-year limited warranty with it from the date of purchase. 

PROS

• Holds up to five cups at once
• Keeps your coffee warm
• Ergonomic handle 
• Drip-free pouring capability 
• Easy to clean 
• Has a permanent filter
• Comes with a two-year warranty 

CONS

•  Opening the lid can be difficult to clean it

4. Bodum Pour Over Coffee Maker – Bargain Budget Pick 

This is a very small pour-over device that is easy to use, affordable, and it can save more space in your kitchen over the slimmest and best small coffee maker. It has a very elegant design to it with a rounded glass body and a cork or rubber band. Also, it comes with a permanent stainless steel filter with it, and this removes the need to purchase paper ones. It will hold a maximum of 17-ounces, and this is roughly two to three cups of coffee per fill. However, you can also purchase this same model in 34 or 51-ounces if you have a slightly higher budget. 

This best small coffee maker comes in at under $20.00, so it’s perfect for those on a tighter budget. To clean it, all you have to do is remove the rubber band or cork piece and put it in your dishwasher, so it’s very quick and easy. You get a one-year limited warranty on this product from the date of purchase, and this helps to protect your investment while ensuring that you can get a feel for how this coffee marker works. It has an ergonomic design with a sturdy bottom to prevent it from tipping over. 

PROS

• Available in three sizes
• Very budget-friendly 
• Has a one-year limited warranty 
• Permanent stainless steel filter included
• Dishwasher-safe and easy to clean 
• Very sturdy design 
• Thicker glass

CONS

• Can chip due to the glass design

5. Nespresso Inissia Original Espresso Machine – Best for Specialty Coffee Making

 

Even though this best small coffee maker is more of an espresso machine than an actual coffee maker, it’s a very compact device that allows you to quickly and easily make specialty drinks like cappuccinos or lattes. You typically buy this coffee maker in a bundle deal that comes with the Aeroccino milk frother to make the price a little better. Depending on what your preferences are, it could be more convenient for you to buy the frother and coffee maker separately. This could also make it much easier to store, especially if you’re very cramped for space. 

This best small coffee maker only uses Original Nespresso capsules, so you have to keep this in mind when you buy it. It can brew two different cup sizes, including a five-ounce lungo espresso and a 1.35-ounce espresso shot. The water tank is also on the smaller size, but this matches the machine size. It’ll brew your cup in less than 30-seconds, and it’s an extremely easy to use machine that you can use to make consistent drinks for years after you buy it. It comes with a one-year warranty from the date of purchase, and it’s a single-serve machine with a narrow profile.

PROS

• Allows you to make specialty drinks
• Available in a bundle deal 
• Brews two cup sizes 
• Brews in 30-seconds or less
• From a reputable brand 
• One-year warranty attached 
• Very user-friendly design 

CONS

• Will only work with Original Nespresso capsules  

6. AdirChef Grab N’ Go Coffee Maker  – Best for Personal Use

 

If you’re the only person who drinks coffee in your home or you’re on your own, this is a very slim coffee maker that can easily fit into a range of crannies and nooks. This best small coffee maker does very well in an apartment, RV, or dorm room. It has single-serve capabilities that makes it terrific for personal use. One interesting point is that it doesn’t take pods as you’d expect from a coffee maker of this size, but it uses real coffee grounds to help brew fresh coffee. It’s extremely easy to use, and it has a very quick brewing process to allow you to get your coffee faster. 

Additionally, this best small coffee maker comes with a stainless steel coffee mug when you order it, and this ensures that you can take your coffee to go and it’ll stay hot. It’s also tall enough to use with other travel mugs if you have a favorite that you’d prefer to use. It has a very slender and compact design that allows it to sit neatly on your counter without eating space, and it has a leak-proof design that ensures you won’t make a mess each time you use it. 

PROS

• Uses coffee grounds over pods
• Tall enough to use with travel mugs
• Comes with a stainless steel mug
• Very compact and slim
• Has a leak-proof design 
• Single-serve capabilities 
• Has a one-year limited warranty 

CONS

• No programmable settings available

7. Cuisinart DCC-450BK 4-Cup Coffeemaker – Best Thermal Unit

Cuisinart’s best small coffee maker has a petite four-cup carafe on it that allows you to make enough coffee to either enjoy by yourself or share with someone. If you can’t wait for it to finish brewing to get your first cup of coffee, you can push a button and pause the stream, grab a cup of coffee, and restart the brewing process without making a mess. There is an indicator light that lets you know when the unit is on, and the warming plate will switch off after 30 minutes to prevent you from forgetting about it and accidentally scorching the coffee to the bottom of the carafe. 

There aren’t as many features on it as you’d get on a bigger coffee maker, but it’ll make you a solid cup of coffee each time you use it. This best small coffee maker has a stainless steel carafe that is unbreakable and very durable because it won’t corrode or rust. There is also a knuckle guard that keeps your hands away from the hot carafe as you pour to prevent burns. You get a wider base that makes it much more stable and sturdy, and the cord folds up neatly for storage. 

PROS

• Has a pause function during brewing 
• Stainless steel carafe 
• Has a knuckle guard 
• Thermal plate switches off after 30 minutes
• Rust and corrosion-proof 
• Easy to clean 
• Has a three-year limited warranty

CONS

• Carafe lid can stick

8. Zojirushi Drip Coffee Maker – Best for Small Households

 

If you don’t want to have to purchase coffee pods because you go through a lot of them, this best small coffee maker could be a nice choice. It is a slim five-cup coffee maker that allows you to use your favorite grounds to make five cups of coffee in one go. It has a removable water tank on it, and this makes it very easy to fill in your stainless steel sink without making a mess. Since you don’t have to try and pour water into a small cavity, you’re much less likely to spill water. There is also a scoop provided in each purchase to make measuring your grounds easy. 

You have a switch on the side of this best small coffee maker that will switch the hot plate on and off, and this allows you to keep your coffee warm for as long as you want once you make it. The cone-shaped basket gets housed right inside the carafe, and this makes it more compact by removing a lot of the height. It comes outfitted with a charcoal water filter that will last for up to two years, and this cuts down on the need to purchase paper ones. 

PROS

• Water tank is removable 
• Can warm your coffee as long as you like
• Charcoal water filter included 
• Makes up to five cups at once
• Uses fresh coffee grounds 
• Shorter than many models 
• Easy to use

CONS

• Water tank can break

9. Capresso Mini Drip Coffee Maker – Best for Modern Decor 

 

This best small coffee maker is very compact and lightweight, and it has a very sleek black and silver design to it that fits well into most modern decor styles. It has a glass carafe on it that will hold up to five cups of coffee per brew, and this makes it nice for trying to serve one or two people. It has a reusable filter system on it that saves you money while ensuring that you can have coffee whenever you want it without having to see if you have filters on hand. It also allows you to program it to suit your needs, and you can set a brewing time that works well for you. 

There is a multi-nozzle system on this best small coffee maker that will evenly and thoroughly saturate the grounds to bring out the best coffee flavor possible each time you use it. You can press a button to stop the brewing process to pour your first cup if you don’t want to wait for it to finish, and the pour spout comes with a drip-free design to help prevent messes and spills. The pot will stay on for two hours to keep your coffee warm before switching off automatically to prevent scorching or burning.

PROS

• Warms for two hours 
• Has an automatic shutoff feature 
• Nozzle is drip-free
• Has a multi-nozzle system on it
• Reusable filter included 
• Very modern decor style 
• Easy to program

CONS

• Materials are slightly flimsy 

10. Hamilton Beach Single Serve Coffee Maker – Best for Fast Brewing Time

 

The final best small coffee maker on the list is from Hamilton Beach, and it’s a great machine if you want to brew a quick cup of coffee to your specifications. You can use the automatic drip setting for a traditional cup of coffee, or you can use the bold setting for a more robust flavor profile. It has a scoop mesh filter on it that makes it easy to measure out the perfect amount of grounds, and you want to load your grounds to the lowest filter line to prevent overflowing it. As a bonus, this machine brews very fast, and you can have a 14-ounce cup of coffee in under 90-seconds. 

You get a very compact design with a host of nice features, including a built-in mug stand to help prevent spills and an automatic shut-off button to ensure that you don’t scorch anything. The drip tray will help contain smaller spills, and it won’t brew without water so you don’t have to worry about running it dry and burning out the motor. You can also adjust the cup size to get the nozzle as close to the cup as possible so you don’t splash on your marble counters. This machine is also the recipient of the Good Housekeeping Very Innovative Products award in 2012. 

PROS

• Won the Good Housekeeping Very Innovative Products award
• Has a scoop mesh filter 
• Brews in 90 seconds 
• From Hamilton Beach
• Automatic drip filter or a bold function 
• Very compact design 
• Built-in mug stand 

CONS

• Doesn’t work well with fine coffee grounds

Best Small Coffee Maker Buying Guide

Having a set of buying criteria handy when you start comparing products can help to ensure that you get a machine that you’ll use, and it can make the search go quicker. Ghetto Coffee Maker Fix by Schezar / CC BY 2.0

When it comes to picking out the best small coffee maker, you’ll quickly realize that you have a huge amount of choices available. This can make trying to pick out the best option very difficult and time-consuming, so we’re going to list out a few buying considerations to keep in mind as you shop. 

Capacity

Just because we rounded up the 10 best small coffee makers, it doesn’t mean that it has to have a limited capacity to it. There are a lot of space-saving coffee makers available that will brew up to 14 cups in one go. To get the correct capacity, try to think about how much coffee you typically consume every day. Also, consider how many people you have in your home that drink coffee. If it’s a lot, the best choice you have is a drip coffee maker. If you usually brew a cup or two a day for just yourself, you could get away with pod-based, French presses, or pour-over machines. 

Hot or Cold Coffee

Do you prefer to drink hot coffee, cold coffee, or both? A lot of people prefer iced coffee or cold brew coffee over hot, especially during the summertime. Some pod and drip models have a brew over ice mode or cold-brew mode. If you like a concentrated brew, you could consider a cold-brew option. Once you decide which one you want, this can help you narrow your choices down right out of the gate. 

Warming Function

Maybe you like to make a pot of coffee and enjoy it throughout the day. If so, your best small coffee maker should have a warming function on it to keep the coffee in the carafe warm. Some options will warm until you switch it off manually, and this increases your chances of scorching it. Other coffee makers have an automatic warming function that will switch off after two or four hours. Decide which function you want to have and match your coffee maker to it. 

Programmable Features

There are a lot of possible programmable functions your best small coffee maker can have on them, but not all of them have these features. You should consider what functions you want to have and find a coffee maker that has them. For example, do you want it to turn on in the morning? Maybe you want it to warm for a few hours before automatically switching off. Another option is to switch between traditional and bold flavor. The more functions your coffee maker has, the higher the price will go. 

Brand

It’s a good idea to go with a reputable brand for your best small coffee maker. This will help ensure that they use quality materials in the build that will last longer. Also, they’re more prone to be available if you have issues with your coffee maker. Better-known brands also tend to have better and longer warranties on them. 

You want to go with a well-known brand over a little-known one to help ensure that you get a durable machine with responsive customer service. 180105-coffee-maker.jpg by r. Nial bradshaw / CC BY 2.0

Warranty

Ideally, you’ll get a coffee maker that has a full warranty on it from the date of purchase instead of a limited one. You should check which type of warranty you get, and you also want to see how long it lasts. Some offer a one-year limited warranty while others offer a three to five-year full warranty. Full warranties cover more damage and parts than a limited one does. The more you use it, the more likely it is that something will wear out and need to be replaced. 

Bottom Line

We’ve reviewed 10 of the best small coffee makers on the market for you to compare, and we’ve attached a short buyer’s guide to help you narrow down your choices. You can compare the products and see which one fits your wants and needs the best to ensure that you can have a hot cup of coffee every time you need it.