Coffee Maker Types Explained
Drip machines brew a pot, pour over gives hand control, a French press steeps coarse grounds and cold brew steeps for hours; carafe cups are often 5 ounces.
By Amanda RoseContributing writer.
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The short answer
Most coffee makers do the same job, getting hot or cold water through ground coffee, in one of a few ways:
- Drip: a machine heats the water and drips it over the grounds into a carafe. Press a button and walk away.
- Pour over: you pour hot water over grounds in a filter cone by hand. More work, more control.
- French press: coarse grounds steep in the water, then a mesh plunger holds them back.
- Cold brew: coarse grounds steep in room temperature or cold water for many hours.
- Percolator: cycles boiling water up through the grounds again and again, on a stove or plugged in.
How the methods compare
The National Coffee Association (NCA) gives these starting points:
| Method | Grind | Contact time | Coffee to water |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drip | Medium | About 5 minutes | 1 to 2 tbsp per 6 oz of water |
| Pour over | Medium | 2 to 4 minutes | 1:13 to 1:16 by weight |
| French press | Coarse | About 4 minutes | 1:10 to 1:16 by weight |
| Cold brew | Coarse | About 12 hours | 1:4 to 1:5 by weight |
For pour over and French press, the NCA suggests water at 93 degrees Celsius, give or take 3 degrees. Cold brew uses room temperature water or cooler, which is why it takes hours instead of minutes.
Drip coffee maker vs pour over
Both run hot water through a paper or mesh filter. The difference is who does the pouring. A drip machine controls the water for you and can brew a full pot, often on a timer. Pour over takes a kettle and a few minutes of attention, but you choose the water temperature, the speed and how evenly the grounds get wet. Pick drip for a household that wants several cups at once; pick pour over for one or two cups made with care.
How to choose a coffee maker
Start with how much you drink and how much effort you want each morning:
- Hands off, several people: a drip machine with a timer.
- One or two cups, best control: pour over.
- Rich, full-bodied coffee with no paper filter: a French press.
- Iced coffee in summer: cold brew, made the night before.
- Camping or travel: a manual brewer. On Wiki Shopping, 155 coffee makers are tagged for travel and camping.
The materials matter for keeping coffee hot: 166 coffee makers on Wiki Shopping list stainless steel and 124 list glass, and 67 are insulated.
What size coffee maker do you need
The "cups" on a coffee maker are often smaller than a mug. De'Longhi, for example, counts 5 fluid ounces per cup, so its 12-cup carafe holds about 60 ounces. A 10-ounce mug, by that count, takes two carafe cups.
On Wiki Shopping, 17 coffee makers make 1 to 3 cups, 25 make 4 to 7 cups and 47 make 8 cups or more.
How we count
Type, cup count, material and features are read from each coffee maker's store listing. Coffee makers whose listing does not state a value are left out of that count. A coffee maker can carry more than one tag. The counts change as listings are added or removed.
Shop by spec
Coffee Makers
Pour over
- This product comes with an 02 SWITCH dripper and a 40-pack of 02 size V60 filters.
- This dripper is designed to be a hybrid that allows your to brew like a standard pourover and an immersion brewer.
- Plastic switch activates a stainless steel ball valve that open and closes the dripper allowing coffee to flow or stay in place.
- This dripper is compatible with 02 size V60 filters.
- Glass V60 cone is made of Hario's signature heatpoof glass.
Cold brew, Glass, 35 oz or more
- BREWING MADE SIMPLE: Easily brew smooth cold brew coffee or iced tea at home with this gallon cold brew pitcher. Add grounds or tea to the mesh filter of the coldbrew coffee pitcher, pour water into the 1 gallon (128 oz) glass cold brew coffee maker, and steep 12–18 hours. Enjoy rich, bold flavor that stays fresh for up to 2 weeks.
- SAVE MONEY, DRINK BETTER: Skip expensive coffee shop runs. Use this barista-quality cold brew jar at home and save daily. This glass cold brew maker works as a tea infuser or beverage dispenser–perfect for parties, gatherings, and everyday use.
- PREMIUM GLASS BUILD: The drink pitcher is made with extra-thick, durable, shatter-resistant glass for long-lasting use. Your new cold brew kit features an airtight stainless steel lid to preserve freshness and a leak-resistant stainless steel spigot for smooth, mess-free pouring. A cold brew coffee pitcher unlike any other.
- NO GROUNDS, SMOOTH TASTE: Food-grade 304 stainless steel fine mesh filter keeps coffee grounds, tea leaves, and residue out of the cold brew mason jar. Enjoy clean, smooth cold brew every time with this sun tea maker. Removable filter is easy to clean and designed for repeated use.
- LARGE CAPACITY FOR ANY OCCASION: This large capacity cold brew maker, 1-gallon (128 oz) capacity, makes it ideal for home, office, parties, and entertaining. Brew once and serve multiple cups. Ideal as a cold brew coffee maker, iced tea maker, lemonade dispenser, or infused water pitcher.
- HASSLE-FREE, ZULAY GUARANTEE: We love and take pride in our cold coffee maker and back this up with a lifetime guarantee. If there are ever any issues with your iced coffee maker, just contact us and we will make it right.
Pour over, Ceramic, Under 20 oz
- Chantal’s Lotus Ceramic Coffee Dripper is perfect for brewing hand crafted coffee with its innovative shape resembling the lotus flower!; Pour over
- Our filter provides a uniquely designed handle, view through filter window ensuring coffee does not over flow and two small holes for slow dripping and maximum flavor; Coffee dripper
- Made of high quality stoneware and accommodates #2 or #4 paper filters
- Non-porous glaze will not react with foods or flavors; all Chantal ceramics are lead and cadmium free and meet FDA and CA Prop 65 requirements
- 8 oz capacity; Pour-over coffee instructions included
Pour over, Glass, 35 oz or more
- Quick and Easy Handcrafted Brewing: This 52 ounce pour-over coffee maker with carafe is the perfect way to make a great pot of gourmet coffee; Includes a carafe, brewing cone, and lid, plus a start up supply of Melitta Number 6 cone filters
- Smart, Convenient Design: This pour-over's design allows you to monitor your pour and avoid overfilling
- The Best Way to Brew: Aficionados agree that pour-over brewing makes the best coffee; Just place a paper filter in the pour-over, scoop in your favorite coffee, pour hot water over the grounds and enjoy
- Pour Your Own Coffee: Your perfect cup of coffee awaits right at home when you brew with our pour over coffee sets, porcelain pour overs, pour-over cones, mugs and kits
- Join the Pursuit for Better Coffee: Melitta is dedicated to providing the Ultimate Coffee Experience with our premium coffee filters, coffee pods, pour-over brewers, coffee makers and premium coffees