Filter coffee machines provide an automated answer to a pour-over coffee, and produce a lighter, fruiter taste than espresso.

These machines have been popular in the USA and Scandinavia for many years, but are gaining popularity in the UK. Most similar to manual brewing methods like pour-over, a filter coffee machine allows you to save time and simplify your brewing process.

Our reviews experts have tried and tested the best filter coffee machines in the market and rated them according to strict criteria including safety, ease of use and coffee flavour. Read on to find the best filter coffee machine for your home.

Looking for other coffee advice? We've got guides on the best cafetieres, best moka pots, best coffee machines and more.

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Best filter coffee machines at a glance

  • Best filter coffee machine: Sage Precision Brewer Thermal, £259.95
  • Best blow-out filter coffee machine: Melitta AromaFresh II Therm Pro, £289.96
  • Best affordable filter coffee machine: Morphy Richards Equip filter coffee machine, £30
  • Best retro filter coffee machine: Moccamaster KBG Select, £211.99
  • Best stylish filter coffee machine: Smeg drip filter coffee machine, £199
  • Best filter coffee machine for a crowd: KitchenAid drip coffee maker, £124.96
  • Best filter coffee machine for beginners: Russell Hobbs Buckingham coffee maker, £44
  • Best filter coffee machine for minimalist kitchens: Philips Eco Conscious drip filter coffee machine, £55

Best filter coffee machines to buy in 2024

Sage Precision Brewer Thermal

Sage Precision Brewer Thermal with accreditation badge

Best filter coffee machine

Star rating: 4.5/5

Sage is well-known for its domestic espresso machines, but here it's applied its brewing and heating technology to a filter coffee machine with seriously impressive results.

There are five pre-set functions to choose from, plus you can adjust the brew strength, water flow rate and brewing temperature. This offers a great balance between automation and customisation, and we found this produced the highest quality coffee of any filter machine we tried. We also liked that it opted for a thermal carafe rather than a hot plate (which can lead to burnt coffee).

This machine only missed out on a five star rating because of the amount of non-recyclable polystyrene and plastic it was packaged in. Sage has plans to update its packaging to make it more sustainable over the next year.

If you want to read more about Sage, check out our guide to the best Sage coffee machines where our experts have tried and reviewed every machine produced by the brand.

Melitta AromaFresh II Therm Pro

Best filter coffee machines

Best blow-out filter coffee machine

Star rating: 4.5/5

This machine is more expensive than most, but for your money you get a built-in coffee grinder, whisper-quiet machine and stylish design that would look good in any kitchen.

Melitta is a brand well-known for its pour over coffee, and if you're looking to invest in an electric machine which produces high quality filter coffee, this could be a great option. The integrated grinder not only means you guarantee the freshness of your coffee (as long as your beans have been stored properly) but means you can customise the intensity, too.

After a few tries tinkering around with the settings to get the correct balance of intensity, we were impressed by the flavour. It comes out super hot, but once allowed to cool for a few minutes we were left with a delicious and moreish cup of coffee.

Morphy Richards Equip filter coffee machine

best filter coffee machines

Best affordable filter coffee machine

Star rating: 4.5/5

With a single button the machine is super easy to use with a small footprint that makes it an unassuming addition to a kitchen, but still packing a punch when it comes to functionality.

This machine works in cups rather than millilitres, with a choice of four, six, eight or 10 cups indicated on the water tank. It's recommended that you use 7g of ground coffee per cup which is easy thanks to the measuring spoon that comes with the machine.

The coffee brewed quickly with 10 cups being produced in three minutes. The resulting drink was well balanced and a nicely drinkable temperature. The hot plate remains on for 30 minutes after brewing and the coffee still had a decent flavour after this period, if a little on the burnt side.

Moccamaster KBG Select

Moccamaster KBG Select

Best retro filter coffee machine

Star rating: 4.5/5

This machine has a recognisable retro design which is available is a range of colours from Midnight Blue to Brushed Brass to Pastel Yellow. It's quite a wide and tall machine, so you'll need to be committed to using your filter coffee machine to justify the countertop real estate.

We found setting up very simple, with grounds easy to load into the filter and the controls straightforward to operate — there are two buttons, one for on/off and one for capacity. The water tank has a wide opening which makes it easy to fill and top up.

After some trial and error with the coffee to water ratio we found a good balance which produced a good cup of coffee with and nice strength. Be aware that the coffee is very hot when first brewed and we had to let it cool down before it was drinkable.

Smeg drip filter coffee machine

Smeg drip filter coffee machine

Best stylish filter coffee machine

Star rating: 4/5

Whether you're after a Smeg appliance to match others in your kitchen or are just looking for an attractive and stylish machine, this filter coffee maker is sleek and elegant with a choice of colours available.

The height and breadth of this machine means that you'll need to dedicate some counter space as it's unlikely to fit under raised cupboards. It comes with a scoop, which not only makes it straightforward to load the coffee grounds, but takes the guesswork out of the coffee-to-water ratio as one scoop is enough coffee for a cup of water.

The coffee produced was a little on the bitter side even when we reduced the intensity from two to one. If having a great-looking filter coffee machine is a priority to you then this could be a good option.

KitchenAid drip coffee maker

Best filter coffee machine

Best filter coffee machine for a crowd

Star rating: 4/5

If you've got a large kitchen or bustling household where you regularly need to make coffee for a crowd, this filter coffee machine makes up to 12 cups at a time. Alongside a large capacity comes a large footprint with a tall height.

For someone who favours KitchenAid appliances in their kitchen this will fit right in. It features the brands signature design style with a premium feel, smooth rounded edges and a choice of colours including Onyx Black and Empire Red.

One thing we really liked on test was the detachable water tank which we didn't see in many other models. This means that you can take the tank to the tap to fill directly which makes it much easier when brewing large quantities of coffee.

The coffee was very hot but once cooled it was pleasant, if slightly bitter. The hot plate keeps it warm for 30 minutes after brewing.

Russell Hobbs Buckingham coffee maker

Russell Hobbs Buckingham coffee maker

Best filter coffee machine for beginners

Star rating: 4/5

This machine is lightweight and straightforward to use, producing up to 15 cups of filter coffee at once. While the design of this machine is slightly dated with a clunky digital display it produced a nicely balanced cup of coffee with a satisfying flavour.

The controls on this model weren't entirely clear, and a slightly vague manual left us to perform trial and error to find the correct settings, but once we got our head around the machine it was easy to use.

There were also some innovative features which we appreciated, particularly the self-clean button which takes away the hassle of needing to flush out the machine.

Philips Eco Conscious drip filter coffee machine

Philips Eco Conscious drip filter coffee machine

Best filter coffee machine for minimalist kitchens

Star rating: 4/5

With rounded edges, a neutral colour palette and Scandinavian feel, this filter coffee machine would work well in minimalist kitchens.

According to Philips, the sustainably sourced materials on the machine have reduced its carbon footprint by 24 per cent during the production process. However, we were disappointed that this model which is billed as 'Eco Conscious' was packaged in a large amount of un-recyclable plastic.

The machine produced 400ml of coffee in just over three minutes. It had a nicely well rounded flavour with just a touch of bitterness, but it was too hot to drink after it was first brewed, and we had to wait for it to cool down before taking a sip.

Available from:
Coffee Friend (£55)

How do filter coffee machines work?

Filter coffee machines are generally simple to use. They work by heating water which then bubbles onto ground coffee. Usually the water dampens the coffee for a short period of time, known as the 'bloom time'. This is to help remove carbon dioxide from the coffee grounds and improve flavour and is adjustable on some filter coffee machines.

After this the hot water travels through the coffee grounds before passing through a filter and into the jug. The speed the water passes through the coffee is called the flow rate and, again, is adjustable on most coffee machines. The main difference between filter coffee and espresso is that for espresso the water passes through the coffee grounds under pressure (typically 12 bars of pressure) and this, combined with a different ratio of coffee to water, produces a more concentrated drink than filter coffee.

Are filter coffee machines worth it?

The type of coffee machine you should buy depends entirely on your own coffee habits. How do you and the people you live with like to enjoy your coffee? Do you want a quick caffeine fix before heading off for a busy day at the office? Do you like to take your time grinding beans, brewing coffee and frothing your milk before pouring some barista-worthy latte art? Need a pot of coffee next to you to sip over the course of a day working from home?

If the latter appeals, it's more than likely that a filter coffee machine will be worth it for you. Filter coffee machines typically produce a jug of coffee rather than other models which produce it by the cup, which means they're great it you're after volume. They can also be a good option if you're on a tight budget but still want drinkable coffee at home.

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Imogen Hope

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