Best 5-Cup Coffee Makers To Buy in 2019: Zojirushi, Bonavita, BLACK+DECKER, Mr. Coffee, Capresso
Not all of the coffee addicts are familiar with all the possibilities a good coffee maker can bring, especially if they are used to having their coffee in cafes rather than preparing one themselves. Once I came to the idea to start preparing coffee myself instead of going out every time I crave for a nice cup of coffee, I realized that with a wisely bought coffee machine you can become your family’s favorite barista in no time.
That’s why in this article I’ll do two major presentations. Firstly, I’m presenting some of the most useful tips that have helped me choose my coffee maker, and then, I’m sharing my top choices of coffee makers that I considered while looking for an ideal 5-cup coffee maker for my home. So, let’s begin!
Table of Contents
What to Consider Before Buying a Coffee Maker?
If you want to buy a coffee maker wisely, you should think about several essential aspects of your purchase. There are some key criteria that I had when making my choice and that you may want to adopt too before you get a new coffee machine.
First of all – think about how much coffee you consume daily. While there are people who live alone and drink only a cup a day and they’re just fine with a single-serving machine, there are also some of us who either drink a lot of coffee or have big coffee-addicted families. I went for a five-cup machine since I found it ideal for my family’s needs but you can also find coffee makers that can provide you with up to 12 cups at once. Whatever works for you!
Secondly, make sure it has good specifications. For instance, if a coffee maker cannot provide you with the brewing temperature between 195°F to 205°F, it probably won’t be able to provide you with a good-quality cup of coffee since these are the ideal temperatures. Additionally, consider the time your machine needs for coffee preparation, and the type of carafe that it has since these features will shape your daily coffee drinking routine. Can you clean it easily? Does it have some special features? All these are questions you should answer before you decide to bring a coffee machine to your home.
Finally, don’t rush and compare the offer. Don’t only think about the initial cost but consider your long-term budget as well – single-serving machines require you to keep buying pods and capsules, while drip machines may need filters, grinders, grounds or beans.
Extra tip: When buying a coffee maker, check if there is a return policy. This way, you can return it if you decide that you don’t like it.
Top 5 Best Five-Cup Coffee Makers
As I’ve already said, I went for a five-cup coffee maker since it suits my needs perfectly. That’s why I’m going to talk specifically about five-cup coffee makers that I found amazing during my purchase journey and that I strongly recommend for all of you who are having second thoughts.
#1 Zojirushi EC-DAC50 Zutto Five-Cup Coffee Maker
Why is Zojirushi my absolute number one coffee maker? Apart from the fact that it fits my five-cup needs, I fell in love with its appearance and design at the first sight. I could practically imagine it in my kitchen from the moment I saw it – the minimalistic combination of silver and black parts with a carafe made of glass looks modern and sophisticated. And it’s not only its design what captured my attention.
Even though it has a bit higher price than the other coffee makers in this list, Zojirushi Zitto definitely is not overpriced, since it also has pretty good specifications. First of all, its dimensions are only 6 x 9 x 11 inches which makes it highly practical – it won’t occupy much of your countertop. Secondly, it’s based on a 650-watt drip system, includes a removable water tank and a replaceable charcoal water filter which can last up to 2 years, and it comes with a measuring spoon and a user manual. Thirdly, what makes it pretty practical and easy to use is the fact that the filter cone is positioned inside the decanter. And that’s not all! This coffee maker also includes the automatic keep-warm feature that I simply adore since I can have my coffee hot without spending time on heating it additionally!
Finally, a surprising curiosity that I came across while investigating about Zojirushi Zutto is that this appliance was developed in a collaboration with an interior designer, and it first got the design of appearance and then the technology. How impressive is that?
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#2 Bonavita Five-Cup One Touch Coffee Maker
What made this interestingly designed coffee maker one of my top picks is its incredible 1100-watt heater that provides the optimal temperature that I’ve already mentioned (195°F – 205°F), as well as its thermal carafe made of stainless steel. Also, it doesn’t occupy too much room – its dimensions are 12.3 x 6.2 x 10.6 inches, and it weighs less than 3 pounds.
This five-cup coffee maker from Bonavita is also highly convenient because of the one-touch brew operation that comes with the automatic turn-off feature. In addition, what made me consider it a nice solution for my kitchen are its shape and design that make it not only look interesting but also have a special purpose: the showerhead provides the optimal extraction when it comes to small batch sizes. This special design which is also based on the use of double-walled tempered glass also lets the coffee maker simultaneously retain heat and keep the carafe cool from the outside, providing an absolutely safe environment.
Finally, one more great thing that makes Bonavita’s coffee maker easy to use is the fact that you can clean its parts, including showerhead, carafe lid, and filter basket, in a dishwasher with no worries.
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#3 BLACK+DECKER Five-Cup Coffee Maker
Black+Decker Coffee Maker was another well-evaluated coffee machine while I was looking for the right one. First of all, it’s a great solution for all of you who are buying on budget and can’t afford to buy Zojirushi’s appliances. Black+Decker is not only a coffee machine that comes at a reasonable price but it also has some really nice features that will let you enjoy a good-quality coffee. First of all, it’s as practical as the previously mentioned coffee machines, with the dimensions of 9.75 x 7.25 x 10.75 inches, it’s made of plastic and you can wash its parts in a dishwasher, including carafe.
I found it pretty handy since it comes with a removable filter basket that you can use with basket-style paper filters, and it also has a pretty convenient precise indicator of water level on the carafe.
Another reason why I considered this coffee maker a nice solution for my kitchen is the fact that this one, just like Zojirushi, also offers a keep-hot feature that provides constantly hot coffee without the need of warming it up every once in a while, risking that it loses its original freshness.
And the reason why I didn’t buy this coffee maker may actually be the reason why you will – although this model comes in three different color combinations (black, black and chrome, and white), its design in each of these colors seemed too powerful and modern to me, and I kind of looked for a model with a slightly less striking appearance that would be a better visual fit for my kitchen. Nevertheless, I still highly recommend this model because of its pretty nice price – value ratio since I had no major cons apart from design.
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#4 Mr. Coffee Five-Cup Coffee Maker
There are several reasons why I put this coffee maker on this list but I simply have to start with the one that absolutely blew my mind. So, here we go: The amazing Mr. Coffee lets you stop the brewing cycle using the Auto Pause button if you want to grab a cup of coffee even before brewing is finished! How awesome is that?!
Now that I’ve shared my main reason for falling in love with this coffee maker, let’s check some other interesting aspects. It represents another practical coffee maker since its dimensions are 6.5 x 8.5 x 9.8 inches and it weighs about 2.5 lbs – it can be placed and moved around effortlessly.
Another feature that makes Mr. Coffee extremely convenient is the dual water window that lets you see the liquid level as you fill the tank – in other words, you won’t be overflowing it and making a mess all around the machine. In addition, you don’t have to worry if you forget to turn it off – the appliance comes with the automatic one-hour shut-off feature.
One of the curiosities when it comes to the maintenance of this appliance is that if you decide to clean the pot manually, you may not be able to get your hand in there – the pot opening is too small so you may have some difficulties trying to rinse it. However, all of its parts can be washed in a dishwasher which makes things fine.
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#5 Capresso Five-Cup Drip Mini Coffee Maker
This handy coffee maker is probably everything that a coffee addict may need. What I like the most about it is that you don’t have to deal with paper filters if you decide to buy it – it has the permanent filter that you can clean in no time. It also comes with a carafe made from glass which has an internal level indicator that shows the number of cups you can fill with the existing amount of water in it, with a brew-through lid and a pouring spout that prevents from dripping.
The minimalistic design based on stainless steel and polypropylene in black and silver shades features a practical LCD display with a digital clock and a timer, while the non-stick plate at the bottom can keep your coffee hot for up to two hours, which is when the machine automatically turns off.
Its dimensions are 8 x 6.25 x 10 inches, it weighs 2 lbs, and even though it is not the cheapest of the listed coffee makers, in my opinion, it is definitely worth spending some extra dollars since you can easily program it for timed brewing and it provides consistent coffee texture with no trouble with grounds in your coffee. Not to mention that it seems pretty sturdy and reliable yet visually attractive, with a nice and smooth design.
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Pick Your Favorite Five-Cup Coffee Maker Today
As you could see, depending on your budget and preferences, you can find a number of pretty reliable coffee makers. While my final choice was Zojirushi, I also strongly recommend considering the rest of the coffee makers from this list, since they are also high-quality appliances that will let you make your favorite coffee effortlessly in a long term, without unexpected breakdowns or messy brewing. All you have to do to get the most of your purchase is to purchase wisely – perform a thorough research and pick the one that best balances your expectations when it comes to the ratio of features and prices.