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Best single-serve coffee makers of 2024, tested and reviewed
Get your caffeine fix minus the effort with these pod and K-Cup brewers from Nespresso, Keurig, Ninja and beyond.
Even the most discerning coffee drinkers can agree that sometimes you need your morning buzz without having to do anything other than pushing a button. That's the beauty of the best single-serve coffee makers — you simply drop in a pod or K-Cup and fresh coffee is yours in less than two minutes. No wonder the National Coffee Association reports that 28% of Americans use this kind of machine.
Now, I should point out that convenience doesn't always translate to great-tasting coffee. In general, single-serve machines do not produce the kind of brew you'd get from the best espresso machines, a great French press or a solid pour-over system. With a Nespresso, Keurig or similar pod coffee maker, you're paying for efficiency — not that there's anything wrong with that! Having worked as an editor at lifestyle and food magazines for 20 years, I've seen many single-use appliances that promise to make your life easier, when all they really do is clutter your counter. The best single-cup brewers are better than that. They do exactly what you need them to: Make a decent cup of joe, and make it fast.
I tested 11 machines over several weeks, looking for ease of use, clever design, eco-friendliness and more. I brewed cup after cup of hot coffee (and espresso and iced coffee when the machines offered those functions). Was I jittery for days? Yes. Was it worth it? Yes, because now I can confidently share our picks for the best single-serve coffee maker on the market. Your mornings are about to get brighter.
Nespresso VertuoPlus Coffee and Espresso Machine
Best single-serve coffee maker overall
Ninja DualBrew Pro 12-Cup Coffee Maker
Best drip single-serve coffee maker
Keurig K-Café Barista Bar
Best single-serve coffee maker for lattes
Table of contents:
Best single-serve coffee maker overall
Water tank capacity: 40 oz. | Size: 8.7" W x 12.7" D x 12.8" H | Color options: Gray, silver, charcoal, red, navy, black and matte black | Wattage: 1,300W
Nespresso pods are as close as you're going to come to a really good-tasting cup of drip coffee or espresso, and the VertuoPlus makes the experience as easy as possible. You push just one button to operate it, and there's a built-in mechanism that automatically tosses your used pod into a receptacle built into the machine.
But how do I choose what kind of brew I want? you might be wondering, considering that there's no way to program the machine. Nespresso VertuoLine coffee machines use pods printed with a bar code that indicates the type of drink it makes. There are espresso pods for shots of espresso, double espresso pods for double shots, coffee pods for an 8-ounce mug of joe and so on. Pop in the pod you want, and the machine automatically adjusts to brew your desired drink. Note that all Nespresso drinks are brewed with a layer of crema on top — I found it added to each cup's richness, but if that's not for you, you may prefer a K-Cup machine instead. Also: Nespresso Vertuo pods typically cost more than $1 per pod, so while using one is cheaper than buying a latte every day, it's definitely an investment.
As far as looks go, the VertuoPlus (this model is made by De'Longhi) is sleek and stylish and doesn't have a huge footprint. Another nice touch is that the 40-ounce water tank is movable — you can swing it to either side of the machine or keep it tucked behind it. I liked this flexibility, but I also found that it made the reservoir less secure than other models. More than once I accidentally toppled it, getting water all over my counter.
The VertuoPlus requires minimal upkeep: Just empty the used-pod receptacle (which holds about 10 pods) and descale every three months or 300 pods.
One of my main issues with single-serve machines is the amount of waste they produce, much more than a drip coffee maker that uses grounds. Many companies have tried to combat this by offering the option of a reusable single-serve filter that you fill with grounds, but with Nespresso you're locked into their proprietary, one-time-use-only aluminum pods. Not ideal — but at least the company offers a recycling program. You can drop off used pods at 250-plus locations or order free recycling bags with prepaid UPS labels. If you live in NYC or Jersey City, N.J., you're in luck: Just toss used pods in your curbside blue recycling bins.
One final note: I found the paper instruction manual that came with most of the Nespresso machines I tested to be quite confusing. (They reminded me of IKEA instructions — I'll leave it at that!) If you need guidance, I recommend checking Nespresso's website, which has how-to videos and manuals that, for some reason, are often different from what's in the box and more user-friendly.
- One-button operation
- Movable water tank
- Virtually maintenance-free
- Brews premium coffee
- Water tank didn't clip on securely
- Pods can get expensive
- No reusable single-serve filter available
More top single-serve coffee makers we recommend
Water tank capacity: 60 oz. | Size: 11.4" W x 9.1" D x 15.5" H | Color option: Black | Wattage: 1,550W
Ninja's DualBrew Pro is our pick for the best coffee maker that's also a total multitasker: It can accommodate single-serve K-Cups, but it also produces hot water and makes regular drip coffee, iced coffee and even lattes (it comes with an attached milk frother). This machine is easy to operate right out of the box, thanks to stickers that tell you how to use each component.
All of the DualBrew Pro's different components (the aforementioned milk frother, plus a 12-cup carafe and a ground coffee scoop) snap neatly onto the machine, which looks like an old milkshake machine if it got a modern makeover. Similar to the Nespresso VertuoPlus, the water reservoir can be adjusted — in this case, it swings from the side to the back of the machine and is secured with a latch. When I plugged in the DualBrew, I was even more impressed by the digital display, which is colorful and high-tech and makes choosing your desired brew easy.
Other perks of this machine include a mug stand that flips up to accommodate an extra-large travel mug, an automatic warming plate for the drip coffee carafe and the ability to produce both hot and boiling water (if you're worried about the water tasting coffee-esque, don't: The water dispenses from a separate outlet to eliminate that possibility).
I admit it did take me a bit of tinkering to understand how to use the adapter that lets you brew K-Cups in this machine. But once I figured it out, it was quick going, and I was able to make cup after cup, even bleary-eyed in the morning. You can also brew a single serving of coffee using grounds, but you follow the same steps you would to make a carafe of drip coffee, which means you need a paper or reusable filter. Ninja sends five paper filters to get you started; a permanent filter is sold separately.
Taste is subjective, so I won't spend much space letting you know this machine did not produce my favorite coffee as far as flavor goes. But the lattes and other espresso-style drinks were tasty — and fun to make.
I only had a couple of gripes with this machine, and they're pretty minor. First off, it emits five high-pitched beeps when it's done brewing, which seemed unnecessary, especially early in the a.m.! Maybe I should have recontextualized them as an additional alarm? The other is that this machine has numerous components, so it can be a pain to take apart and clean. But most of the pieces are dishwasher-safe (unlike with other machines), so all in all, it's not too annoying.
- Makes a wide variety of drinks
- Digital display is very easy to understand
- Most parts are dishwasher-safe
- Movable water tank
- Emits loud beeps when done brewing
- Built-in milk frother gets a bit messy
- Requires paper or a reusable filter if brewing from grounds
Water tank capacity: 42 oz. | Size: 5.1" W x 12.6" H x 12.8" D | Color option: Black | Wattage: 1,520W
I'm not gonna lie, I had a grand time playing around with this machine. Keurig has long been the go-to for single-serve coffee makers because of their simplicity and relative affordability. The K-Café Barista Bar is all that and more. This slim, sleek-looking model produces a steaming cup of joe (172 degrees, which is the hottest of almost all the models we tested), plus it comes with one very enjoyable bonus for anyone who likes lattes, cappuccinos and other espresso-style drinks: a standalone milk frother.
And the K-Café Barista Bar really does excel at making milky drinks. The frother can whip up both hot and cold froth that somehow manages to straddle the line between dense and fluffy. I liked it so much, I continued using the gadget well beyond my testing. And when I accidentally put it in the dishwasher (it's hand-wash-only), I found Keurig customer service helpful in getting me a replacement.
As for the actual coffee maker, it's intuitive and straightforward, with just five buttons for selecting the size and type of drink you want. Rejoice, all you cold-coffee fiends: It includes an option for brewing over ice. Cleanup is minimal — the machine has very few parts, so while they are hand-wash-only, it's a simple job. And at around 7.7 pounds, the K-Café Barista Bar was also lighter than most, handy if you're tight on counter space and need to move the machine around your kitchen.
Keurig has made some strides toward a more sustainable machine, and I appreciated that I could swap out one-time-use-only plastic K-Cups with the brand's dishwasher-safe reusable filter, which you fill with grounds. It's sold separately, but I paid only $8 for mine, a worthy investment. If you opt for regular K-Cups, know that you can't recycle them everywhere, so you'll need to check your local guidelines.
This machine is the most affordable of our top picks, and Keurig also frequently runs sales, not just on its coffee makers but also on K-Cups.
- Small footprint
- Comes with standalone milk frother
- Can accommodate a reusable filter
- Parts are hand-wash-only
- Coffee had some sediment at bottom of cup when using the reusable filter and grounds
What to look for when choosing a single-serve coffee maker
Of course you want your machine to brew good coffee, fast. But you should also consider these factors:
Ease of use: Even if you're not someone who makes coffee the second you wake up, you probably don't want to have to mess with a lot of settings every time a caffeine craving hits. The best machines offer you options to customize without a lot of fuss. Are you looking for a programmable single-serve coffee maker? Most Keurig and Nespresso machines don't have that function, but other models we tested, including the Ninja DualBrew Pro, do and can be quickly programmed with a few pushes of a button.
Eco-friendliness: Unlike with a regular drip coffee maker, you don't need a grinder or coffee beans to make coffee in single-serve machines because they use disposable pods (also called capsules or K-Cups). This creates a lot of trash, and so many companies try to counteract the idea that single-use machines are wasteful by touting how sustainable their brands are. Nespresso's Vertuo Next (read more about it below) is made from 40% recycled plastic, and both Nespresso and Keurig use recycled material in their boxes and packaging. K-Cups and Nespresso pods are also recyclable — though it does require some effort. If you are concerned about excess waste, your best bet is to find a machine that fits a reusable filter and use that with your favorite grounds.
Size and weight: The top machines on our list don't have huge footprints — and they can tuck away under upper cabinets when not in use. You should also look at a machine's weight before buying if there's a chance you'll have to drag it to a different spot in the kitchen on a regular basis. Many of the machines are a pain to move around, so look for something on the lighter side, like the Keurig K-Café Barista Bar, which clocks in at about 7.7 pounds.
Variety of cup sizes: Do you want to brew just a shot of espresso and call it a day? Or are you looking for a machine that can make a wide range of drinks, from shots to 8-ounce coffee mugs to 12-cup carafes? Despite their name, many single-serve coffee makers can brew multiple sizes. They usually range from a 2- or 4-ounce shot to 12 ounces (for a travel mug's worth of coffee). But others can brew larger cup sizes and even carafes, handy if you're serving multiple family members.
Variety of drink types: All the machines we tested make espresso-style shots and most make 8-ounce mugs of coffee. But the options abound in some of the best coffee makers. If you're craving a powerful jolt, look for a button that lets you control brew strength — some of the Keurig machines, for example, feature a "strong" button for a more concentrated drink. Others include a button for making iced coffee or settings for making lattes or cappuccinos.
Water tank capacity: If the idea of having to refill your machine's water tank every time you want another cup makes you cringe, then look for a reservoir that can hold at least 40 ounces, or roughly enough for five cups of coffee. Overall, don't leave water in the tank for extended periods of time; all the machines were very specific in their instruction to use fresh water for the best taste! Keurig machines even come with an optional water filter.
How we tested
I made coffee ... and coffee ... and more coffee until it seemed like I should open a café out of my home. In all seriousness, I evaluated every machine from the moment I opened the box to its final brew. I used each machine a minimum of five times, with an 8-ounce serving of coffee as my control. I timed each machine to see how quick it was, and I also used a food thermometer to test the temperature of each freshly brewed cup. Once I knew how the machines compared making regular joe, I tested any other brews they could make, including espresso, lattes and larger servings using grounds. If they came with an attachment (like a milk frother), I used that multiple times as well.
I also had less technical considerations. I hunted for sleek design, pieces that fit together well and high-end finishes. After all, most of us keep our coffee machine on the counter in broad daylight — I wanted to make sure our top picks looked as good as they functioned.
Because taste is so subjective, I kept my notes on flavor to a minimum and instead focused on how hot the coffee was, its mouthfeel (did it seem watery?) and whether there was any grittiness or sediment left in the bottom of the mug.
Other single-serve coffee makers we tested
Cuisinart Single-Serve Coffee Maker SS-10: There is a lot to like about this programmable single-serve coffee maker. It has an LCD that leaves little room for confusion (I laughed when I saw it said "not ready" while I was filling the water tank), a handle by the brewing head that makes it easy to open and close, a reusable, dishwasher-safe filter for using with grounds and a water tank that holds a whopping 72 ounces. My only gripe was with its chunky size and design, which could use an update.
Hamilton Beach FlexBrew Trio 2-Way: This was one of the best programmable single-serve coffee makers I tried, with a clear-cut digital display and a solid range of cup sizes, from 6 ounces to 14. I also liked that it was quiet (no loud whirring or humming) and comes with its own reusable filter basket for ground coffee that tucks inside the cup rest when not in use. It would have made it to the top of this list if not for a few reasons: At about 12 inches wide and 12 inches deep, this machine takes up a ton of space (it has a carafe for drip coffee that sits next to the single-serve brewer); I also found sediment at the bottom of every cup I brewed. And it gets K-Cups searing-hot, so you have to wait quite a while before you can remove them.
Keurig K-Elite: This machine made some of the strongest coffee of any Keurig machine I tried. Unfortunately it also looked pretty clunky, like something you'd see in a '90s office kitchen. I also found the buttons on this one confusing because they're just icons and don't indicate what size drink you're making. That said, it does offer lots of drink sizes and styles once you can figure them out, and this machine gets raves on Amazon, with more than 50,000 five-star reviews.
Keurig K-Mini Go: At less than 5 inches wide, this pip-squeak is ideal for tight spaces, plus it comes in colors other than black, like navy, lavender and charcoal (as a design lover, I really appreciated this!). I liked its straightforward design and how easy it was to clean the few parts that need it. It lacks the bells and whistles of other models, but at $100, it does enough, with three cup sizes and a "strong" option for a more concentrated brew.
Keurig K-Supreme: A 66-ounce water reservoir means you can quickly make cup after cup with this model, which looks similar to the Keurig K-Mini Go. It's just as easy to use but slightly larger and features a movable water tank that can go from the back to the side of the machine. In theory it's a nifty feature; in reality it only caused me problems. I ran into the same issues I did with my beloved Nespresso VertuoPlus — the tank did not clip firmly onto the machine and so it proved very easy to knock over, leading to major spillage.
Nespresso Essenza Mini: There's a reason this single-serve coffee machine resides in hotel rooms all over the world — it measures just 3 inches wide and 8 inches tall and makes decent single and double shots of espresso. I found it a bit loud and drippy, but if you're looking for something failproof and you love espresso, this itty-bitty brewer will do the trick.
Nespresso Vertuo Lattissima: I love a good latte and so I loved this machine, which operates — and looks — almost exactly like the Vertuo Next (see below) but with one major upgrade: a built-in milk frother that lets you make a latte or cappuccino with the push of a single button. My one complaint is that this model retails for $500, more than twice the price of the Vertuo Next, even if you buy the Next with a standalone frother! Sorry, but no milk is worth that amount of dough.
Nespresso Vertuo Next: If Nespresso never made the VertuoPlus, this machine, by De'Longhi, would jump to the top of my list. Though it's narrower than the VertuoPlus, it makes five cup sizes to the VertuoPlus's four and offers Wi-Fi connectivity to an app so you can personalize your experience and keep track of your pod stash. Alas, this machine is noisier than the other models I tried, and you have to physically lock the machine after inserting a pod by pushing a lever (it's not automatic like with the VertuoPlus). It takes some muscle, and I could see it becoming difficult for someone who doesn't have a ton of hand strength.
Single-serve coffee maker FAQs
What does 'single-serve' mean in a coffee maker?
A single-serve coffee maker brews enough coffee in one go for just a single cup. But the size of cup varies — most machines can make everything from 4 ounces of coffee to 12 ounces, so you're covered whether you want something akin to a shot of espresso or want to fill a large travel mug. To make matters more complicated, some machines do more than single servings and can also brew full carafes of drip coffee.
How do you clean a single-serve coffee maker?
It depends on the machine, but generally you should rinse the water tank regularly and hand-wash any removable components (some machines, like the Ninja DualBrew Pro, Hamilton Beach FlexBrew Trio 2-Way, Nespresso Vertuo Lattissima and Cuisinart Single-Serve Coffee Maker SS-10, have dishwasher-safe parts, but many don't). As with any coffee maker, you'll also need to descale (a.k.a. deep-clean your machine) — check your model's manual for how often this should happen.
Do single-cup coffee makers make good coffee?
You won't get the kind of brew you'd expect from an espresso machine, but you can come close with a Nespresso. For something closer to what you'd get from a drip coffee maker, a Keurig or other machine that uses K-Cups is the way to go. Both Nespresso pods and K-Cups come in a ton of varieties, with coffee sources from all over the world. They have limited-edition flavors, pods specifically meant for iced coffee and even celeb-crafted bean blends. Recently, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (which is owned by the same company as Keurig) partnered with Kevin Costner on two new K-Cups.
If you opt for a reusable filter with grounds, you have even more options because you can choose any bagged coffee you like.
Is Keurig or Nespresso better?
It's all a matter of personal taste. Both companies make a huge range of machines with various levels of bells and whistles. Generally Keurig machines are more affordable (they start at $90 to Nespresso's $130), whereas Nespresso machines are known for their quality of coffee.
We received complimentary samples of some products and purchased others ourselves, but we reviewed all products using the same objective criteria.
