I Asked a Coffee Expert To Name the Best Coffee Maker Under $100—This Is the One

When I moved in with my now-husband, he made coffee using a French press. I thought this was very cool—dare I say très chic, though, just to be clear, he is not French. What I quickly learned about the French press, however, was how easy it was to accidentally brew a bitter cup and how annoying the components of the press are to clean.

Eventually we moved on to an automatic coffee maker that we inherited from a friend, but it wasn’t anything memorable. It was fine at the time. Fast forward a decade and three kids later, coffee has taken on a new meaning. It’s a luxury but also a need—something I can’t screw around with. My coffee needs to be good and strong. 

Recently, someone (who shall go unnamed but who used to use a French press) dropped our coffee pot. It shattered into a million pieces. I was tasked with replacing it. Instead of giving the replacement little thought, like I may have done in the past, I called up an expert to find out the best affordable coffee pot to use at home.

I wanted something efficient that consistently brews great coffee, is easy to clean and use, and is under $100. Here's what I learned.

The Best Home Coffee Maker Under $100 

Cary Wong, Director of Coffee at Partners, a Brooklyn-based specialty coffee roaster and café, recommends the Cuisinart 14-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker.

Wong says, “The Cuisinart Coffee Maker offers a few more features than most coffee makers in that price range that can make your coffee routine more convenient.” 

It has many great features, including its generously sized 14-cup carafe, a container that makes it easy to measure water accurately, and an automatic shutoff option. Two features that Wong highlights are the 24-hour brew start, which allows you to wake up to freshly brewed coffee, and a brew-strength control, which means you can make a pot that’s regular strength or bold. 

Wong notes the importance of water temperature when making coffee at home. “Another important feature to look for in a coffee maker is temperature stability. The water temperature needs to be hot enough to extract the wonderful flavors from ground coffee.”

This means the water has to get hot enough—between 195°F to 205°F—and stay hot enough during the whole brewing process. This Cuisinart coffee maker brews a very hot cup of coffee, and the glass carafe keeps the coffee hot for a long time.

BUY IT: Cuisinart 14-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker

Pro Tip: Get a Burr Grinder 

To take your cup of coffee from good to great, Wong suggests using a burr grinder.

Burr coffee grinders crush beans into more uniform sizes, while blade grinders slice beans into uneven grinds. You can get more precise and uniform grinds with a burr grinder, and it makes it easy to adjust the size. If your coffee tastes bitter, the grinds might need to be bigger. If it tastes weak, the grinds might be too big.

“My main advice is to invest in a good burr grinder, which—with a decent coffee maker—can brew some wonderful coffee,” he says. “Alternatively, you can have your local coffee shop grind your coffee beans for you when purchasing a bag of coffee.” It’s true. When all else fails, ask the experts.