It shouldn’t have to be a battle to make a decent cup of coffee. It also shouldn’t have to cost an arm and a leg to land a coffee maker that brews a good tasting cup of coffee. You should be able to find a coffee maker under $100.00 USD that will get the job done for you.
Let’s face it, if you’re struggling with your coffee maker every morning, it’s that much harder to face the day. You want a great tasting cup of coffee without the hassle but also without the expense. No one should feel like they have to take out a loan just to buy a coffee maker.
There are certain requirements that coffee makers need to meet in order to get an optimal cup of coffee (known as the Golden Cup) and this is where manufacturers cut corners. Trying to find a balance between designing a good coffee machine and getting it to consumers at a decent price is nearly a magic trick.
Here are eleven coffee makers under $100.00 that will get you a very good, if not great, cup of coffee. You’ll have money left over for some tasty coffee blends.
The list covers more than one type of coffee maker. This gives you an idea of what’s out there.
1. Bialetti Moka Stoptop Espresso Coffee Maker
A powerhouse and extremely popular moka coffee maker. Moka coffee makers are great for those that like to start their day with an espresso but can’t afford a true espresso made from a pressurized machine like those by De Longhi. It’s designed to brew coffee on your stove top.
That’s a drawback for those that want a programmable coffee maker.
The six cup model makes about 9 ounces of coffee and is the only model made in Italy.
You’ll get an extremely robust cup of coffee from this moka coffee maker.
Click here to check out the Bialetti Moka Stovetop Espresso Coffee Maker on Amazon
2. BLACK+DECKER 12-Cup Thermal Coffee Maker
Yes, BLACK+DECKER makes appliances that don’t necessarily put holes in your walls. This coffee maker, with its thermal carafe, is a great choice for those that love keeping a pot of coffee going all morning.
If you just need to brew one or two cups, there’s a small batch feature that will get the job done.
It’s programmable and has an auto shut-off feature. The double walled thermal carafe means your coffee will be ready when you are. This is a popular choice with a lot of coffee drinkers, even those that don’t know how to use a drill.
Click here to check out our review of the Black+Decker Model CM2035B.
Click here to check out the BLACK+DECKER 12-Cup Thermal Coffee Maker on Amazon
3. Bonavita 5-Cup One-Touch Coffee Maker
This Bonavita coffee maker just slides into the category of under $100.00 automatic drip coffee machines. The specs on this machine are like those found on higher end coffee makers. It meets SCA certification standards. An independent test revealed you can get a Golden Cup Standard level of coffee from this machine.
We like the pre-infusion option and the showerhead design. This combo joins forces with an 1100 watt water heater. This really helps to bring the coffee grounds to a full bloom.
It’s often described as an automatic pour over and we couldn’t agree more.
Click here to see the Bonavita 5-Cup One-Touch Coffee Maker on Amazon
4. Cuisinart Classic Thermal Programmable Coffee Maker
This coffee maker has all of the bells and whistles you’re looking for in an automatic drip coffee maker. Cuisinart is a reliable brand and this machine features a thermal carafe, auto-reset in case of a power failure and 1-4 cup option for those days when one or two cups will do.
A charcoal water filter and a GOLD-TONE coffee filter are included.
Really. Programmable coffee makers don’t come much easier to uses than this.
Click here to check out our review of this Cuisinart Classic Coffee Maker
Click here to see the Cuisinart Classic Thermal Programmable Coffee Maker on Amazon
5. Cuisinart CHW-12 Coffee Brewer
Another great choice from Cuisinart. This is a 12 cup coffee maker with a plain hot water dispenser. This effectively eliminates the possibility of a coffee flavor infusing your flavor packet of ramen noodles.
Like the Cuisinart above, it has 24 hour programmability, auto shut-off and a 1 to 4 cup option. The tradeoff is this CHW-12P1 doesn’t have a thermal carafe.
If you’re looking for a fast and easy way to dispense hot water on a regular basis, check out the CHW-12.
Click here to check out the Cuisinart CHW-12 on Amazon.com
6. Hamilton Beach 2-Way Brewer Coffee Maker
This coffee maker by Hamilton Beach offers two ways to dispense your coffee. You can use the carafe for a lingering hot pot of coffee. There’s also single serve side if you just need to fill a single cup or your travel mug.
There’s a full selection of programming features, including a brew strength option which allows you to choose from a regular or bold brew strength. The single serve side uses loose coffee grounds so you don’t have to purchase two types of coffee.
Click here to check out our review of the 2-Way Coffee Maker by Hamilton Beach
Click here to see the Hamilton Beach 2-Way Coffee Maker on Amazon
7. The Scoop Single Serve Coffee Maker by Hamilton Beach
This is the latest model of a long-time favorite of many single serve coffee drinkers. Its simplicity can only be rivaled by Keurig but this model uses loose coffee grounds. It includes a scoop so you can measure out a perfect cup of coffee every time.
- It isn’t programmable but it does have an auto shut-off timer.
- Its style will fit anywhere and it’s portable enough to feel comfortable at work or at home.
- It’s fast brewing, too. Brew fourteen ounces of coffee in under three minutes.
Click here to see the Hamilton Beach Single Serve Coffee Maker on Amazon
8. Keurig K-Classic Coffee Maker
The K-Classic is a versatile single cup coffee brewer. Brewing size selection is measured in ounces. For this mode, your choices are six, eight and ten ounces.
Keurig uses its own proprietary K-Cup pods. Nearly all of the major brands have licensing agreements with Keurig so, if you’re a fan of say, Newman’s Own, you won’t have a problem using this machine.
The 48 ounce reservoir means you don’t have to refill it after each use.
Click here to check out the Keurig K-Classic Coffee Maker on Amazon
9. Krups 14-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker
(Model EC322) Krups pulled out all of the stops when designing this coffee maker. It’ll keep your coffee warm for up to four hours. It also has a Pause and Serve feature so you don’t have to wait until the end of the brew cycle to grab a cup.
We like the brew strength options and that Krups was thoughtful enough to include a GOLD-TONE filter.
We’re still trying to figure out their ThermoBrew technology. All we know so far is that it doesn’t handle fine coffee grounds but most automatic drip coffee makers are not designed for fine grounds.
Click here to see the Krups 14-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker on Amazon
10. Mr. Coffee 10-Cup Coffee Maker
This 1300 watt coffee machine is quite the statement from Mr. Coffee. It has a removable reservoir so you don’t have stand over the machine, balancing a carafe of water in your hands (for those unfamiliar with Mr. Coffee, trying to fill the reservoir without creating a mess should be an Olympic game).
The 205° water temperature allows your grounds to bloom. It comes with a GOLD-TONE filter and a charcoal water filter. It also includes automatic shut-off and delay brew programming options.
Click here to check out review of the Mr. Coffee 10-Cup Coffee Maker
Click here to see the Mr. Coffee 10-Cup Coffee Maker on Amazon
11. Mr. Coffee 12-Cup Coffee Maker
This Mr. Coffee machine is as basic as basic gets. It’s a 900 watt, 12-cup work station that’s easy to use. Brew as few as four cups (that’s 20 ounces). Filling the carafe all the way up to the 12-cup mark means you have 60 ounces of coffee to enjoy so you won’t mind sharing if someone needs a little extra jolt in the morning.
The carafe water lines are very easy to read which makes it great for the elderly or anyone who suffers from chronic eye strain.
Click here to check out our review of the Mr. Coffee 12-Cup Coffee Maker
Click here to check out this Mr. Coffee Make on Amazon
Final Thoughts – Our Top Three Choices
While any of the coffee makers listed above will get the job done, these three coffee makers edged out the rest.
The Bonavita 5-Cup One-Touch Coffee Maker is our top choice for a magnificent tasting coffee. It’s rare that you find a coffee maker under $100.00 that can deliver a certified Golden Standard cup of coffee. The Bonavita does just that. It’s only a five cup machine which is enough for 25 ounces. The coffee that comes out of this machine is meant to be savored.
The Scoop Single Serve Coffee Maker by Hamilton Beach. If you just want a single cup of coffee to go and hate the idea of bulking out the landfills with plastic K-cups, the Scoop Single Serve will serve you well.
Cuisinart Classic Thermal Programmable Coffee Maker. We like this for households where time is of the essence. Its programming capabilities mean you’ll have a running start with the first carafe of coffee of the day.