Best Drip Coffee Makers Under $100
The best drip coffee maker under $100 depends on how many cups you brew, whether you want a timer, which filter you prefer and how long you expect the machine to last. This page ranks every drip coffee maker we reviewed on the same criteria, with a comparison of glass carafes, strength settings, single serve options and budget bands.
How this list is ordered
Ranked by arithmetic, not opinion. Every score is worked out from the specifications each maker publishes, so you can open the working on any product page. Anything commercial is labelled and sits outside that order, and how we score explains what each criterion measures.
Drip Coffee Makers Under $100, ranked by score
scored on what the maker publishesOpen a row for the score working1
Cuisinart14-Cup ProgrammableFrom $84.996.1How it scored
Brew Qualityweakest link0.7brew temperature not publishedcarries 30 of the 88.1 points scoredBrewing Control & Programmability10.0Build Quality & Durability6.9Ease of Use & Cleaning7.5Carafe & Heat Retention4.3Capacity & Flexibility10.0reservoir not publishedValue for Money10.0Price from$84.99Score6.1CarafeGlassFilter TypePaper, Reusable metal meshBrew Size12+ cupsBloom / Pre-infusionNoRead the Cuisinart 14-Cup Programmable review →2
Hamilton Beach2-Way 12 Cup ProgrammableFrom $76.795.6How it scored
Brew Qualityweakest link0.7brew temperature not publishedcarries 30 of the 88.1 points scoredBrewing Control & Programmability10.0Build Quality & Durability4.4Ease of Use & Cleaning7.0Carafe & Heat Retention4.3Capacity & Flexibility10.0reservoir not publishedValue for Money10.0Price from$76.79Score5.6CarafeGlassFilter TypePaperBrew Size12+ cupsBloom / Pre-infusionNoRead the Hamilton Beach 2-Way 12 Cup Programmable review →3
Hamilton Beach46310 12-Cup ProgrammableFrom $34.995.1How it scored
Brew Qualityweakest link0.7brew temperature not publishedcarries 30 of the 88.1 points scoredBrewing Control & Programmability7.5Build Quality & Durability4.4Ease of Use & Cleaning7.0Carafe & Heat Retention2.9Capacity & Flexibility10.0reservoir not publishedValue for Money10.0Price from$34.99Score5.1CarafeGlassFilter TypePaperBrew Size12+ cupsBloom / Pre-infusionNoRead the Hamilton Beach 46310 12-Cup Programmable review →4
KrupsSimply Brew 5-Cup Coffee MakerFrom $34.995.1How it scored
Brew Qualityweakest link2.1brew temperature not publishedcarries 30 of the 88.1 points scoredBrewing Control & Programmability5.0Build Quality & Durability5.6Ease of Use & Cleaning7.5Carafe & Heat Retention2.9Capacity & Flexibility6.0reservoir not scoredValue for Money10.0Price from$34.99Score5.1CarafeGlassFilter TypePaper, Reusable metal meshBrew Size5-6 cupsRead the Krups Simply Brew 5-Cup Coffee Maker review →5
BLACK+DECKERBlack and Decker CM1160B 12 CupFrom $34.995.0How it scored
Brew Qualityweakest link0.7brew temperature not publishedcarries 30 of the 88.1 points scoredBrewing Control & Programmability5.0Build Quality & Durability5.6Ease of Use & Cleaning7.0Carafe & Heat Retention2.9Capacity & Flexibility10.0reservoir not publishedValue for Money10.0Price from$34.99Score5.0CarafeGlassFilter TypePaperBrew Size12+ cupsBloom / Pre-infusionNoRead the Black and Decker CM1160B 12 Cup review →6
BLACK+DECKERBlack and Decker CM0915BKD 12 CupFrom $27.974.9How it scored
Brew Qualityweakest link1.4brew temperature not publishedcarries 30 of the 88.1 points scoredBrewing Control & Programmability5.0Build Quality & Durability5.6Ease of Use & Cleaning5.0Carafe & Heat Retention2.9Capacity & Flexibility10.0reservoir not publishedValue for Money10.0Price from$27.97Score4.9CarafeGlassFilter TypePaperBrew Size12+ cupsBloom / Pre-infusionNoRead the Black and Decker CM0915BKD 12 Cup review →7
Mr. Coffee12-Cup ProgrammableFrom $34.994.9How it scored
Brew Qualityweakest link0.7brew temperature not publishedcarries 30 of the 88.1 points scoredBrewing Control & Programmability5.0Build Quality & Durability4.4Ease of Use & Cleaning7.5Carafe & Heat Retention2.9Capacity & Flexibility10.0reservoir not publishedValue for Money10.0Price from$34.99Score4.9CarafeGlassFilter TypePaper, Reusable metal meshBrew Size12+ cupsBloom / Pre-infusionNoRead the Mr. Coffee 12-Cup Programmable review →8
Mr. Coffee12-Cup SwitchFrom $404.5How it scored
Brew Qualityweakest link0.7brew temperature not publishedcarries 30 of the 88.1 points scoredBrewing Control & Programmability5.0Build Quality & Durability4.4Ease of Use & Cleaning3.5Carafe & Heat Retention4.3Capacity & Flexibility10.0reservoir not publishedValue for Money10.0Price from$40Score4.5CarafeGlassFilter TypePaperBrew Size12+ cupsBloom / Pre-infusionNoRead the Mr. Coffee 12-Cup Switch review →9
NinjaCE251From $89.994.5How it scored
Brew Qualityweakest link0.7brew temperature not publishedcarries 30 of the 88.1 points scoredBrewing Control & Programmability10.0Build Quality & Durability4.4Ease of Use & Cleaning6.0Carafe & Heat Retention2.9Capacity & Flexibility5.0reservoir not publishedValue for Money7.4Price from$89.99Score4.5CarafeGlassFilter TypePaper, Reusable metal meshBloom / Pre-infusionNoRead the Ninja CE251 review →10
Amazon BasicsDripFrom $18.894.4How it scored
Brew Qualityweakest link0.7brew temperature not publishedcarries 30 of the 88.1 points scoredBrewing Control & Programmability5.0Build Quality & Durability4.4Ease of Use & Cleaning6.5Carafe & Heat Retention2.9Capacity & Flexibility6.0reservoir not scoredValue for Money10.0Price from$18.89Score4.4CarafeGlassFilter TypeReusable metal meshBrew Size5-6 cupsBloom / Pre-infusionNoRead the Amazon Basics Drip review →11
BLACK+DECKERBlack and Decker DCM600B 5-CupFrom $26.994.3How it scored
Brew Qualityweakest link0.7brew temperature not publishedcarries 30 of the 88.1 points scoredBrewing Control & Programmability5.0Build Quality & Durability5.6Ease of Use & Cleaning4.0Carafe & Heat Retention2.9Capacity & Flexibility6.0reservoir not publishedValue for Money10.0Price from$26.99Score4.3CarafeGlassFilter TypePaperBrew Size5-6 cupsBloom / Pre-infusionNoRead the Black and Decker DCM600B 5-Cup review →
What to know about Drip Coffee Makers Under $100
Under $100 a drip coffee maker is a simple appliance, and the differences that matter are few: how many cups it brews, whether it has a timer, what kind of filter it takes, and how long the maker will stand behind it. Every machine on this page uses a glass carafe on a warming plate, so the real decisions sit around that. This guide takes them in the order most buyers run into them, then puts names to budgets and to the kind of household each machine suits.
5 cups to 14 cups
Five and six cup machines suit one or two drinkers. The twelve and fourteen cup machines are for a household that empties a pot.
Timer and strength
Several machines start themselves at a set time and offer a bold setting. The cheapest have one switch and nothing else.
Filters and warranty
A permanent filter saves buying paper. Warranties run from one year to three, and that gap is the clearest quality signal at this price.
How to choose a drip coffee maker under $100
Pick the cup size first, decide whether a timer will actually get used, then compare warranty and filter type. Past that, a drip coffee maker in this range differs more in convenience than in what ends up in the cup.
Match the cup count to who drinks it
Makers count a cup as a small measure, not a mug, so a twelve cup machine fills roughly six large mugs. One person drinking one mug a day will not finish a big pot, and coffee left on a warming plate goes bitter. The smaller machines here, the Krups Simply Brew and the Black and Decker DCM600B, brew five cups. For background on what a drip brewer is doing, see what drip coffee is.
Decide if you will use a timer
A programmable machine can brew before you are out of bed, and for many households that is the whole reason to buy one. If you will always walk to the kitchen and press a button, a switch-only model costs less and has less to go wrong.
Check the filter
Paper filters (see how paper coffee filters differ) give a cleaner cup and cost a little every week. A permanent mesh or gold-tone basket costs nothing to run but passes more fine particles and needs rinsing. A few machines accept either.
Read the warranty
Most budget drip makers carry one year. A few carry two, and the Cuisinart 14-Cup Programmable carries three. If you expect to keep the machine a long time, that difference is worth more than any feature on the box.
Thermal vs glass carafe: which drip coffee maker keeps coffee better?
A thermal carafe holds heat without a heater, so coffee stays closer to how it brewed for hours. A glass carafe sits on a hot plate that keeps cooking it. Every drip coffee maker under $100 on this page uses glass.
That is a point to know before you buy, not a flaw you can fix with a setting. A hot plate keeps coffee drinkable for the first hour, then the flavor turns flat and bitter. The makers here handle it with auto shut-off: two hours on several models, four on the Cuisinart and the Mr. Coffee 12-Cup Programmable. If you want a thermal carafe you will usually pay above this price, which is what the drip coffee makers under $250 page covers.
What glass does well
You can see the level and the color of the brew, it goes in the dishwasher on several of these machines, and a replacement pot is cheap. It is also the cheapest way for a maker to build a carafe.
Where glass falls short
The plate underneath keeps heating the pot, so a half-full carafe an hour later tastes cooked. Glass also breaks, and the pot is the part most likely to fail first.
Drip coffee maker brew temperature and bloom: what budget machines leave out
None of the eleven machines on this page has a bloom or pre-infusion stage, and several makers publish no brew temperature at all. Specialty drip brewers add both, and they cost more.
Brewing coffee well wants water in the range of about 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit, which is why water temperature gets so much attention. Budget makers rarely state where they land. The Hamilton Beach 2-Way, the Black and Decker CM1160B and the Mr. Coffee 12-Cup Programmable all leave the figure unpublished. The Ninja CE251 advertises Hotter Brewing Technology and is rated 1100W. Black and Decker says the Vortex showerhead on the CM1160B and the CM0915BKD wets the grounds evenly, which is the nearest thing to a pre-infusion claim at this price. Bloom means wetting the grounds first and pausing so trapped gas escapes, and no machine here does it.
Programmable drip coffee makers: do you need a timer?
If coffee should be ready when you wake, yes. Five machines here are programmable, and the rest start only when you press the switch.
Cuisinart, Hamilton Beach, Black and Decker, Mr. Coffee
The Cuisinart 14-Cup Programmable is a 24-hour timer. The Hamilton Beach 46310 programs up to 24 hours ahead, the Black and Decker CM1160B has 24-hour auto brew, and the Hamilton Beach 2-Way and the Mr. Coffee 12-Cup Programmable also take a delayed start.
Press and brew
The Black and Decker CM0915BKD and DCM600B, the Mr. Coffee 12-Cup Switch, the Krups Simply Brew and the Amazon Basics Drip have no timer. They suit a household that makes coffee at the moment it wants it, and they cost less.
Drip coffee maker sizes: 5 cup vs 12 cup vs 14 cup
Buy the size you will fill. A big carafe for one person means stale coffee, and a small one for a family means two brews every morning.
One or two people
The Krups Simply Brew, Black and Decker DCM600B and Amazon Basics Drip fit a small counter and make a pot that is gone before it spoils. The Krups has a 1.2 litre reservoir and a no-drip spout.
A shared household
Six Black and Decker, Hamilton Beach and Mr. Coffee machines brew twelve cups and range from basic to programmable. This is the size most households buy.
Large volume
The Cuisinart 14-Cup Programmable has the largest carafe on the page, and a 1 to 4 cup setting for when you only need a small batch.
Drip coffee maker strength settings and single serve options
Strength settings change how the machine brews, not how much coffee you add, and only a few budget models have them. Two machines also brew a small batch or a single cup.
The Cuisinart 14-Cup Programmable, the Hamilton Beach 2-Way and the Hamilton Beach 46310 offer regular or bold. Bold usually slows the brew so water spends longer in the grounds. The Ninja CE251 uses Classic or Rich and adds a small batch setting for four cups or fewer, which brews slower to make up for the smaller dose. The Hamilton Beach 2-Way is the unusual one: beside its 12-cup carafe it has a single-serve side that brews up to 14oz into a cup or travel mug. If you want a pod machine instead, see K-Cup coffee makers. For a single drinker who prefers a ground-coffee brewer, coffee makers for one person covers the options.
Drip coffee makers by budget: under $25, $50 and $100
Prices as checked when this page was written. The ranked list at the top shows each one's current price.
| Budget | Machines | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Under $25 | Amazon Basics Drip | A five to six cup brewer with a permanent mesh filter and a one-year warranty. The cheapest way to get hot coffee, with no timer. |
| About $25 to $50 | Black and Decker CM0915BKD, Black and Decker DCM600B, Krups Simply Brew, Hamilton Beach 46310, Black and Decker CM1160B, Mr. Coffee 12-Cup Programmable, Mr. Coffee 12-Cup Switch | Most of the page. Twelve cups with or without a timer, or a compact five cup, with two-year warranties on the Krups and the Black and Decker machines. |
| About $50 to $100 | Hamilton Beach 2-Way, Cuisinart 14-Cup Programmable, Ninja CE251 | The extras: a single-serve side, a three-year warranty with the largest carafe, or a small batch mode at 1100W. |
Which drip coffee maker under $100 should you buy?
For most households, a programmable twelve cup machine under $50. Pay more only for the Cuisinart warranty or the Hamilton Beach single-serve side.
A household that fills the pot
Choose the Cuisinart 14-Cup Programmable. It has the largest carafe, a permanent gold-tone filter, regular or bold strength, and a three-year warranty that no other machine here approaches.
One person with a travel mug, the rest sharing
The Hamilton Beach 2-Way brews a full carafe or a single cup of up to 14oz. It is the only machine on this page that does both.
A morning coffee waiting on a timer, on a tight budget
The Hamilton Beach 46310 and the Black and Decker CM1160B both give twelve programmable cups, with the Black and Decker adding a two-year warranty. The Mr. Coffee 12-Cup Programmable adds a reusable filter basket.
One or two drinkers in a small kitchen
The Krups Simply Brew takes a permanent or paper filter, brews five cups, and has a two-year warranty. The Black and Decker DCM600B has a dishwasher-safe carafe and a similar warranty.
The lowest price, nothing else
The Amazon Basics Drip is the cheapest, with a reusable filter. Accept a lower wattage and a one-year warranty. Those who need a bigger pot with no timer can look at the Black and Decker CM0915BKD or the Mr. Coffee 12-Cup Switch.
If you care about cup quality more than convenience, a drip machine at this price is not the best route. A manual brewer will do more for flavor, and our pour over drippers under $50 page shows what that costs. You can also browse the full drip coffee makers category.
Drip coffee maker problems on a budget
What to expect
A dependable pot of coffee on a schedule, an auto shut-off that protects the counter, and parts that mostly go in the dishwasher. Cleaning is a rinse of the basket and carafe.
What to watch for
Burnt-tasting coffee from a long stay on the plate, a short warranty on several models, and no way to set brew temperature or bloom the grounds. A weak cup usually means too little coffee, not a broken machine; the coffee to water ratio is the first thing to check.
Drip Coffee Makers Under $100 FAQ
Is a thermal carafe better than a glass carafe on a drip coffee maker?
A thermal carafe keeps coffee hot without a heating plate, so it does not keep cooking the brew and tastes fresher an hour later. Glass shows the level but sits on a hot plate. Every drip coffee maker under $100 on this page uses glass, and thermal carafes usually cost more.
Do cheap drip coffee makers get the water hot enough?
Good extraction needs water around 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit. Many budget makers do not publish their brew temperature, so you cannot confirm it from the box. Higher wattage helps, and the 1100W machines on this page have the most heating power.
Is a programmable drip coffee maker worth it?
It is worth it if coffee should be ready when you get up, because you load it the night before and it brews at the set time. If you always make coffee on the spot, a switch-only machine costs less and works the same.
How many cups is a 12 cup coffee maker really?
Makers measure a cup as roughly 5 ounces, not a full mug. A twelve cup machine therefore fills around six large mugs. Buy for the number of mugs you drink, and a smaller carafe if you are the only drinker.
Paper filter or permanent filter for a drip coffee maker?
Paper gives a cleaner cup and costs a little each week. A permanent mesh or gold-tone filter costs nothing to run, passes a few more fine particles and needs rinsing after every pot. Some machines on this page accept both.
Can a drip coffee maker make a single cup?
A few can. The Hamilton Beach 2-Way has a single-serve side that brews up to 14oz into a mug, and the Ninja CE251 has a small batch setting for four cups or fewer. Most machines under $100 only brew a full pot.
How long should a drip coffee maker last?
Budget drip makers usually carry a one year warranty, some two, and the Cuisinart 14-Cup Programmable three. Heating plates and pots are what tend to wear out first, so a longer warranty is a useful guide to how long the maker expects it to last.
Why does my drip coffee taste bitter or weak?
Bitter coffee often comes from a long wait on the hot plate or grounds that are too fine. Weak coffee usually means too little coffee for the water. Measure by weight, use a medium grind, and take the pot off the plate once it has brewed.