Best Single-Serve Coffee Makers in 2023 [Reviewed]

Here’s how I imagine this single-serve brewer going: you live alone or are the only coffee drinker in the household. You drink your coffee on a decent-lengthed commute, either train or highway. You like to keep things pretty streamlined, which is where the the Brew ‘n Go comes into play.

This cute little machine takes up minimal space on your counter, makes 15 oz. of coffee, and it drips directly into a travel mug. The one-button start function is ideal for that life on-the-go. No muss, no fuss, no coconuts. Unless you enjoy coconut coffee, that is. No judgement here.

I imagine the same exact scenario in my head for the Hamilton Beach Single-Serve, but the long commute is optional. This one boasts a stainless-steel look, so it comes down to personal preference in that regard. It caps off its reservoir at 14 oz.

This little trucker is fancier than its sticker price indicates, though. You can brew a cup of either Regular or Bold coffee and in two different sizes, either 8 or 14 oz. They take 90 seconds and 2.5 minutes to fill your cup, respectively, and the built-in mesh filter means you won’t be spending moola on pods or capsules. 

We’re upping the ante here, both in reservoir size and capability. This model is definitely for the coffee connoisseur in us all. Opt for the version with a built-in frother and really acquire that instagram-worthy picture of your morning cup without leaving your very own kitchen.

It offers multiple brewing sizes ranging from Cup to XL Multi-serve, but it’s reservoir is limited to 22 oz. before needing a refill, so keep that in mind.

There are also a number of ways to brew your grounds, from Classic to Rich to Specialty, which adds a dash of fancy to your rocket fuel that definitely can’t be attained in simpler models. 

If the Ninja Coffee Bar Single-Serve System didn’t prove it already, single-serve coffee doesn’t have to be minimal — not if you don’t want it to be, at any rate.

The Nespresso Inissia Espresso Machine continues down that vein, and it also begins our discussion about pods. This beaut has a quirky design, a remarkably quick heat up and brew time, can be purchased with a frother (called an Aeroccino), and has a high-pressure pump that produces up to 19 bars. That means you can make espresso shots, if you’re wondering why we're throwing that measurement at you. 

Learn more by reading our list of the best Nespresso machines in 2020.

We want to throw a wrench into the works here, because there is such a thing as having the best of both worlds. This iteration takes all of the cool aspects of a single serve brewer and just kind of mashes it together with a full-pot brewer. Because, you know, you’re not just a one-dimension kind of person, so why should you only be able to make coffee one way? The single-serve side can make up to 14 oz., while the Full Pot Coffee Maker yields 12 cups. While they don’t break this down into ounces, the assumption is that a cup equals 6 oz, so that’s a 72-oz. reservoir. 

We’ve been talking a lot about the fancy options, mostly because it's fun to fantasize about smooth layers of foam and working on deluding myself into thinking that I’ll actually have any interest in using a frother at 6 am. (Ha!)

The Keurig K55 is a more no-nonsense type of machine, but it still features options that you’ll really appreciate, especially if you’re a black coffee drinker. There’s no frother or milk dispenser, but it has a 48 oz. reservoir, three cup sizes to choose from, and an auto-on feature so it’ll rise and brew before you’ve hit snooze the first time. Or fifth. 

Learn more in our full review of the K55.

If you need more from your single-serve, these next few will warrant some due consideration. You’ll also have to remember this simple correlation: the larger the reservoir the higher the sticker price.

The VertuoPlus Deluxe has a 60 oz. reservoir, and a price to match. It comes with a few other features that you may have never known you wanted though, including a moveable water tank that swivels around the machine. Prefer it to the left rather than the right? You can have your wish from this coffee-making genie.

This high-tech number also doesn’t need any input from you. The barcodes on the pods tell the machine everything it needs to know — it makes all adjustments necessary to make you the perfect shot of espresso or cup of coffee without making you answer any hard questions, because what question isn’t difficult before that first cup of caffeinated goodness? Like its other iterations, you can add the Aeroccino onto this purchase if you want to dole out the extra cash. 

What you need to understand is that Keurig has a lot, and I mean a lot, of options on the market. They have offerings across the board, including this 70 oz. reservoir one. It can make single-serve cups as well as full carafes, but those large batches max out at 30 oz., require special pods, and the carafe is sold separately.

The stand-out feature on the Keurig K475 is the touchscreen. Easily set auto-on and -off times, as well as your cup size, ranging from 4 oz. to 12 oz. It also boasts a temperature setting so, if you’re anything like me, you can make a “kids-temp” cuppa without having to actually verbalize it to the barista. 

This is another one of those wrench-in-the-works makers. It’s especially useful for those who don’t dig an all-black cup of coffee. This model even has a milk reservoir and does the whole kit-and-caboodle for you, which is a huge perk if you’re not keen on frothing and mixing yourself.

A one-touch control panel makes it super easy to get this model going and, despite Mr. Coffee being strangely secretive about the exact reservoir side, it’s neither large nor small. The big highlight on the Cafe Barista is that you can cut down on the fivers your spending on lattes, cappuccinos, even just cups of coffee at local chains. This machine can really do it all — no degree in magic beans required. Or barista school.