Best Small Coffee Makers

Coffee meets all the criteria of this website: It’s simple to make, it’s healthy to drink, and if you make your own, it’s budget-friendly! Your coffee maker should also be like that. The best small coffee makers are, at the very least, going to make a cup of brew with a minimum of strain and pain.

In looking at different models of coffee makers for this review, I saw one that I would have had to spend two days’ income to buy! Nobody but nobody needs one like that! That’s my opinion, of course.

Me and a 5-Cup Coffee Maker

A 5-cup coffee maker is a product that I use pretty much each and every day when I’m on the road. Buying my own coffee and filters, and a coffee maker, saves me a ton of money over the long term. Buy just one can of coffee; make the coffee yourself; save literally scores of dollars.

If you buy coffee ready-made at the local coffee shop – that’s when it’s not cheap.

On a bitterly cold central North American winter morning “on the road,” when the temperature outside is far below freezing, I  usually make my own. Sometimes I could get free coffee inside the truck stop, but I really and truly don’t feel all that much like putting on my parka and gloves, and traipsing across a parking lot full of ice and snow just to get my “cuppa joe.”

Inside the truck, I can just turn around twice, wait a few minutes, and have the same beverage that tastes pretty much the same as the store version would.

Personally, I buy the very cheapest version of coffee maker available, from “that” famous big low-price department store. Even that super-low budget model delivers month after month, no problem!

Do You Need the Bells and Whistles?

The main function of a coffee maker is to safely and efficiently get water heated, lifted up, dribbled over a waiting bed of fresh coffee grounds, filtered, and delivered to your waiting cup.

Will all the coffee makers we are reviewing here do that basic job? I’ll dare say they do! But let’s take a look and see if there’s anything worthy of note.

5-Cup Vs 12-Cup

Just a quick mention of this, there seem to be more 12-cup coffee makers out there than 5-cup models. But if you are just one person, you probably don’t need the 12-cup! But maybe you do, who am I to say?? I’m good with 24 oz in the morning – you might not be.

Here are summaries of what we’ve gleaned about these 4 top models of small coffee makers.

Mr. Coffee 2134286 5 cup Switch Coffee Maker – For Amazon pricing
Black & Decker 5-cup coffee maker – For Amazon pricing
Holstein Housewares 5-cup compact coffee maker – For Amazon pricing
Krups Simply Brew 5-cup drip coffee maker – For Amazon pricing

Reviews of Four Top Models

Mr. Coffee 2134286 5 cup Switch Coffee Maker

This coffee maker is one of those “if your budget allows it” coffee makers. I mean, it’s not a “dig-into-your-savings-account” price, but it is a little on the pricier side. But it has some unique features that may make it worth the price. And hey – if the only extra money you spend is for a programmable coffee maker, you’ll still be able to take that vacation.

And “programmable” it is, indeed. This is probably the outstanding feature of this coffee maker. You can put the coffee in the evening before, tell it you want a hot cup at 6 am, and lo and behold, next morning there it is, just waiting for you after you are ready for the day!

It also allows you to choose your brewing strength, if you want it stronger or not so strong.

Another cool feature: the carafe is “drip-free!” I don’t know if that means it can’t possibly drip no matter how hard you try or not, but at least it’s better than those that are not drip-free… At least I assume that.

A stainless steel carafe option keeps the coffee warm longer.

On the downside, it doesn’t have an automatic turnoff feature. I assume some do, mine doesn’t.

All in all, a great coffee maker, just a tad more expensive.

Black & Decker 5 cup coffee maker

We could say amazing things about this coffee maker – but in reality, it’s just a basic coffee maker that gets the job done! I was amused by how one reviewer described positively what were functions that virtually no coffee maker could be without and still do its job! And then downplay the features of other more sophisticated coffee makers as “over-the-top!”

But hey, if you want a coffee maker that just makes coffee, that you can actually drink, with a minimum of fuss – and a minimum price – this one is for you. What it does, it does right!

Here are a few of the basics that it does right:

• It has a hotplate that keeps the coffee warm (have you ever seen a coffee maker without this?)
• On/off switch located on the front (now that’s useful, you don’t have to hunt it down somewhere else on the machine).
• Pauses brewing when you remove the carafe.
• Mostly drip-free – that’s a great feature, actually.
• It looks great!
• It’s great value for money.

And that’s truly one of the best things you can say about this coffee maker. For a reasonable price, you can brew up to 5 cups of coffee.

It’s the kind I would buy, for sure.

Holstein Housewares 5-Cup Coffee Maker

If the Holstein Housewares 5-cup coffee maker could lay a particular claim to fame, it would be in its very unique appearance. It’s likely the only teal-colored coffee maker on the market! So for coffee drinkers who want a coffee maker with a personality as colorful as they possibly presume their own to be, this may be just the right coffee pot! What’s more, all that personality comes at an affordable price!

Another unique feature is that it comes with a measuring spoon and a reusable coffee filter. However, the coffee filter has a unique shape that may make it difficult to find a paper filter to put in, if one should choose to do so.

It also has an illuminated on/off switch. Wait – don’t they all? Maybe not, but I don’t think that’s all that unusual!

Otherwise, it’s a basic coffee maker that does its job satisfactorily.

Krups Simply Brew 5-Cup Coffee Maker

The best we can determine, the Krups 5-Cup Coffee Maker is very comparable to the Holstein Housewares coffee maker – but without the “cool” teal look. However, it has it’s own different unique look, in my opinion.

It’s fairly minimalist and sleek in its appearance. It, like the Holstein Housewares coffee maker, comes with a reusable filter and measuring spoon.

Otherwise, this coffee maker has the “normal” features:  keep-warm function to keep coffee warm for up to 30 minutes, carafe with no-drip spout, an easy-to-fill water tank, that all-important on-off switch. Essentially, it successfully turns coffee grounds and water into a great cup of coffee.

Krups, as a coffee maker-making company, has a long history going back to 1846 – and a great reputation as a maker of affordable and quality coffee makers. If that is important to you, then this may very well be the coffee maker you choose.

Our Recommendation and Conclusion

It’s pretty hard to say which coffee maker you should buy. The only one that really stands out as functionally uniquely different is the Mr. Coffee coffee maker because it has a programmable function that allows you to have the brewing start automatically at a time of your choosing.

Otherwise, if it were me – I’d probably pick the least expensive one.

Feel free to share any thoughts or comments about this review in the space below!