I’m a Former Barista, and This Is the Coffee Maker I Recommend to Everyone for Perfect Brews Every Time

Well, folks, I’ve finally come full circle: After years of enjoying pour-over, French press, moka pot, espresso, Chemex, Aeropress, and cold brew coffee, I recently picked up a good ol’ fashioned drip coffee machine. And, though it pains my former barista/coffee nerd self to admit it, I’ve been absolutely loving it. While I’ve used a smaller 5-cup Mr. Coffee machine in the past — which worked well for my old living situation — my new Mr. Coffee 10-Cup Stainless Steel Thermal Programmable Coffeemaker (it’s a mouthful, I know) is leaps and bounds ahead of my previous drip machine. Plus, its thoughtful design and no-frills functions make my morning routine streamlined and easy, and I’ve been enjoying the delicious, hassle-free coffee it brews for a while now. As a former barista, I can recommend this relatively affordable coffee maker to pretty much anyone who wants something intuitive, reliable, and easy on the eyes. 

This programmable coffee machine is easy to use and comes in under $150. It features a responsive touchscreen display with a brew later function, a cleaning cycle, and a stronger brew function for a bolder cup. The double-walled, stainless-steel thermal carafe keeps coffee warm for hours, and the removable water reservoir makes cleaning a breeze. Plus, its sleek design looks great on every countertop. 

Besides making delicious coffee, there are a ton of features I really value in the Mr. Coffee 10-Cup Stainless Steel Thermal Programmable Coffeemaker. First off, it brews a pot of coffee very quickly. I’m talking like, five minutes for a full 10-cup pot, which is awesome. (Plus, there’s a sneak-a-cup function — though I’m not sure if they call it that — which lets you pour yourself a cup mid-brew without spilling.) The next big thing for me is the carafe: Since it doesn’t sit on a hot plate, the brewed coffee doesn’t cook, which means it won’t taste burnt if you don’t have a cup right away. And, there’s a running clock that displays the time since the coffee was brewed, so you know exactly how fresh the pot is. The “strong brew” mode is nice for high-octane days, too, and the programmable “brew later” function is simple and intuitive — and there’s nothing like waking up to morning coffee, even though the coffee nerd in me wants to remind you that it’s better to grind fresh! 

Plus, with almost 10,000 five-star ratings on Amazon, it’s clear I’m not the only one who’s been loving their Mr. Coffee machine. “With our old coffee maker with the hot plate, it didn’t have an auto shut off and once it got below half a carafe it would end up burning the coffee if you left it more than an hour,” one reviewer writes. “This carafe keeps it hot for hours (4-5 hrs in our case, everyone’s idea of hot is different). It makes great coffee, hot, flavorful and when we want an extra boost we use the strong brew setting.” 

So, if you’re looking for a coffee machine upgrade, the ease of use, sleek design, and tasty end result make the Mr. Coffee 10-Cup Stainless Steel Thermal Programmable Coffeemaker a no-brainer pickup this spring. 

Buy: Mr. Coffee 10-Cup Thermal Programmable Coffeemaker, $130.40