Only a true coffee lover can appreciate an automatic pour-over coffee maker that saves you from having to brew a fresh cup of coffee manually every morning. No wonder the hassle of brewing a fresh cup or visiting a nearby coffee shop is a grueling task when your eyes are barely open. Getting up to go to the coffee shop to “start” your day, well, is undoubtedly unfair.
The clever way around this loophole in technology is the automatic pour-over coffee maker! If you haven’t already heard about this blessing in disguise, it is about time you also benefit from this wonderful creation!
What Is An Automatic Pour-Over Coffee Maker?
An automatic pour-over coffee maker is a machine that brews fresh coffee with a simple press of a button automatically. These machines make the richest and most flavourful coffee without requiring manual brewing. As opposed to a manual pour-over coffee machine, an automatic pour-over coffee maker heats water and prepares great pour-over coffee by mixing the heated water with ground coffee beans, all automatically.
If coffee is a part of your daily routine, an automatic pour-over coffee machine will surely be the perfect long-term investment for you. However, there is no doubt that buying a coffee maker requires a hefty investment, and so such a crucial decision requires careful consideration. You certainly do not want to invest loads of your precious money on a device that does not fulfill your purpose. Therefore, we have compiled a list of the very best automatic pour-over coffee makers available in the market so that you do not have to go through the hassle of evaluating all on your own.
Best Automatic Pour-Over Coffee Makers
To make your decision easier, consider the following best automatic pour-over coffee makers first.
The Moccamaster KBG coffee maker is a great option when you want to make freshly brewed pour-over coffee for your family without having to go through the hassle of manual work. It brews a complete 40oz pot in only 6 minutes, a total of 10 cups, which means that the entire family can enjoy every freshly brewed pot.
1. Technivorm Moccamaster 59616 KBG, 10-Cup Coffee Maker
The coffee pot stays hot on a unique hot plate that has an independent heating element that evenly distributes heat in the coffee pot. So you will enjoy the perfect taste in every cup till the very last drop. You can decide whether you want to maintain the temperature at 175 degrees or 185, so you get a customized cup every time.
The brew basket is automatic and detachable, so you get to take it out to pour yourself a mug. And its auto-drip stop ensures that it does not create a mess with dripping coffee that you have to clean later.
You may check: How To Clean Your Coffee Maker?
What makes an automatic pour-over coffee machine special is its even distribution of water over the beans for extraction. This coffee maker has a 9-hole outlet arm to pulse water over the coffee beans at the ideal temperature of 196 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit. This even extraction will make the ideal flavourful java cup to please your palate.
Its power switch will turn off the machine after every 100 minutes of inactivity, cutting down on your electricity bill significantly. It has two power switches, one on the right that controls the hot plate and one on the left that controls power. Its rectangular body style is both aesthetic and efficient, and it takes merely 4 to 6 minutes of brew time to give you the perfect pot of coffee.
2. OXO Coffee Maker, 9 CUP, STAINLESS STEEL
This easy-to-use and excellent quality coffee maker is the perfect choice for people new to the art of automatic coffee makers. If you desire an effortless quick-fox pour-over coffee every morning, this is just the thing for you. All you need to do to start the process is to use a single dial to choose the cups, set the timer, and wake up to a freshly brewed mug.
Its ideal temperature control and optimized brew cycle give the perfectly flavourful cup to start your day. The temperature-controlled brewing process will maintain the temperature at 197.6 to 204.8 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the perfect temperature for effective extraction.
Even distribution of hot water is the key to a perfect extraction and flavourful coffee. This coffee maker has a rainmaker showerhead to disperse water evenly over the coffee grounds. Coupled with the mixing tube, it guarantees that every cup tastes as good as the first.
If you get impatient when it comes to your morning cup of coffee, this coffee maker has a pause and pour feature that allows you to get yourself a quick mug even before the brewing process is complete.
Coffee enthusiasts love nothing more than perfectly hot coffee, and its thermal, double-walled stainless steel carafe will keep the coffee steaming hot while the freshness timer will let you know, at a single glance, if the coffee is fresh enough for your liking.
The OXO coffee maker can manage as many as 9 cups in a single brewing process so your entire family can enjoy freshly brewed coffee in one go. The machine is SCA certified for gold-standard coffee with its perfect temperature and precision control. The stainless steel coffee maker is both durable and aesthetic-looking.
3. Breville Precision Brewer Thermal Coffee Maker
This unique Breville precision thermal coffee maker has numerous outstanding features in addition to those that make an automatic pour-over coffee maker worth its cost. Its gold-standard coffee making ensures that you get the best-tasting pour-over coffee you have ever tasted.
Its water temperature control feature is precise and adjustable, allowing you to get the best-customized coffee mug every single time. PID temperature control and 3 flow rate pump options, together with its Thermocoil heating system, guarantee the best extraction and, subsequently, the best-tasting coffee mug.
The best part is the complete control over the customization process and the brew settings that allow you to make coffee just the way you like it. You can customize your mug on several parameters, including the brew temperature, flow rate, bloom time, etc., so that you can make the best use of your coffee beans.
It has 6 unique and outstanding brewing pre-set modes that give you the best-balanced coffee. These brewing modes, including Gold, Strong, Fast, Iced, Cold brew, and My brew, let you make your coffee mug just the way your taste buds like it!
The Breville Thermal coffee maker weighs only 3.15 pounds and is made from stainless steel, which guarantees durability. Its dual filter baskets are a unique addition to automatic pour-over coffee makers. The only drawback I see is its relatively more expensive cost.
4. Bonavita BV1900TS 8-Cup One-Touch Coffee Maker
The Bonavita BV1900TS 8-cup coffee machine is a great coffee maker that is both efficient and easy to use. It prepares the best Golden Cup standard coffee that is bound to please the palate of coffee lovers. With its robust and accurate 1500 watt heater, extraction will be perfect because of the ideal brewing temperature of 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit.
All you need to do to get the brewing started is a single touch. After a certain period of inactivity, it will automatically power off. Its pre-infusion mode will enable degassing before brewing and wet the roasted ground coffee to make the best-ever tasting pour-over coffee.
Its stainless steel thermal carafe is durable and heat retentive, allowing hot and fresh coffee every time. Its showerhead design is perfect for distributing water evenly over the coffee grounds and giving a uniform flavor. Together with the flat-bottomed filter basket, it ensures even saturation and delivers the optimal flavor at a strength that you prefer.
You can make as many as 8 cups of coffee from one brewing process. This means that your entire family can enjoy freshly brewed coffee every morning.
This stainless steel automatic coffee maker weighs 6.13 lbs and has a capacity of 8 cubic inches. Its touchscreen interface makes it unique and appealing.
5. Cuisinart CPO-850 Coffee Brewer
Cuisinart CPO coffee brewer is a plastic and stainless steel coffee maker that lets you make three different flavor strengths; mild, medium, and strong. So no matter what kind of coffee you like, this coffee maker has got you covered.
It has hot and extra hot control options, so you get to choose as per your preference. Its pre-wetting feature before brewing starts allows the flavor to bloom to its best and brews flavourful coffee.
It includes a unique charcoal water filter, stainless steel filter, and a starter pack to optimize your experience. These filters will enhance your experience tenfold, allowing for freshly brewed and pure coffee.
Its 8 cups thermal carafe made of glass is large enough to accommodate freshly brewed pour-over coffee for your entire family. The thermal feature will keep the coffee hot until poured, so you get a steaming hot mug every time.
It is SCAA (Speciality Coffee Association of America) approved for exemplary home brewers and is known and recognized for its outstanding coffee flavor. What makes it even better is its brew-pause feature that lets you snag a cup even before the brewing process is complete.
Why Should You Get An Automatic Pour-Over Coffee Maker?
For fans of pour-over coffee, an automatic pour-over coffee machine will brew you a fresh cup unlike any other you have tasted. Not only does this machine eliminate any need for manual work and time, but it also does a much better job of extraction from coffee grounds than you can ever manage manually.
How Does An Automatic Pour-Over Coffee Maker Work?
The pour-over coffee maker is indeed a miraculous gift of technology, and it is no surprise if you are curious about how it works. The process is very simple, but the task is, no doubt, exhausting if it has to be done manually. The machine heats the water and pours it over coffee grounds. An accurate water temperature ensures that the flavor from the grounds blooms to its best taste.
Brewing in the automatic pour-over coffee maker is quite different from a standard brew machine. Firstly, the way the water is poured is much more effective in extracting the flavor of the coffee grounds. Water is poured such that it is evenly distributed over the beans rather than being dripped at the center. Secondly, the water is preheated before it is poured over the coffee grounds.
If you haven’t had pour-over coffee ever before, here is what it means. Pour-over coffee, as the name suggests, is when boiling water is ‘poured over’ a coffee filter filled with coffee grounds. An automatic pour-over coffee maker does all these steps, including grinding the beans automatically and relieves you of the responsibility.
How Is An Automatic Pour-Over Coffee Maker Different From Manual Coffee-Making?
Manual coffee-making involves manually grinding coffee beans and pouring over hot water that you boiled yourself. This tedious and time-consuming process is taken over by the automatic pour-over coffee maker so that all you have to do is fill the reservoir and press a button, and the machine will do all the hard work! You can fill the reservoir the night before and set the timer so you can wake up to a freshly brewed cup of coffee ready to pour.
Another thing that makes the automatic pour-over machine much more effective than manual coffee-making is how the water is poured over the coffee grounds. Its special shower distributor evenly distributes the water over the grounds, unlike pouring water manually in the center. Doing so guarantees the best extraction of the essential from the coffee grounds.
Things To Look In Automatic Pour-Over Coffee Maker
It is obvious when making such a hefty investment, you would want to get yourself the best product in the market and at the best price possible. Only after a thorough review of the features of each can you decide on the best product, but for that, you must know what things you have to consider when buying a pour-over coffee maker. The most important factors to keep in mind are the following:
Specifications
Specific features like the capacity, material, interface options, auto power-off options, brew basket functions, brewing time, and programmable options are all important things to consider. These features will either make or break your pour-over coffee experience. Be well aware of your preferences before you begin considering these features.
Functions
When considering the functions of each product you go over, remember to review your own preferences and decide accordingly.
1. Number of Programmable Settings
The best product would be one with a range of programmable settings and display options. In certain machines, you can program the machine at night and set a timer or input a certain time when the brewing should start. With this function, you will wake up to a freshly brewed cup of coffee without any effort needed at that time.
Another necessary function is the “blooming step,” which is the step that ensures the perfect extraction of the coffee beans.
2. Temperature Control
If you genuinely are a coffee lover, you must know the importance of water temperature control in making the best and most flavorful cup of coffee. The ideal temperature for pour-over coffee is 195-205 degrees Fahrenheit. When looking for an automatic pour-over coffee machine, look for one that not only heats but also maintains the temperature during the brewing.
3. Hot Plate or Thermal Carafe
The hot plate does look like a fabulous idea, but a close inspection would reveal that it actually does not result in a good-tasting mug of coffee. Since the heating process continues even after the brewing is over, the continuous ‘cooking’ of coffee results in a poor taste.
An alternative and more effective healing process involve a thermal carafe that maintains heat. When looking at the heating process, it is better to go for a thermal carafe with double-wall insulated carafes.
Space in Kitchen
An automatic pour-over coffee maker is not a machine for which you can simply make space after buying it. It requires sufficient space for all its components, so you must already know how much space you can devote to it before you go looking for one in the market. A nearby power socket is a necessity. The location should be such that the machine does not compromise accessibility to any other component of the kitchen.
Features
1. Glass or Thermal Carafe
Glass carafes are inexpensive and easy to clean alternatives to thermal carafes, but thermal carafes are certainly more effective in retaining and maintaining heat. Thermal carafes are also more durable and resistant to shock than glass carafes.
2. Cleaning Mechanism and Process
Cleaning is perhaps the most aversive and undesired part of getting an automatic pour-over coffee maker. When looking for a coffee maker, consider one that comes with removable components because they are much easier to clean. If you know that you cannot keep up with a cleaning schedule of a coffee maker, consider one that indicates when it needs to be cleaned. Most of the components are also dishwasher safe, so you need not to worry about that.
3. Auto Shut-off Feature
As the name indicates, this feature automatically shuts off the coffee maker after the brewing process is over. This saves energy, reduces your electricity bill significantly, and prevents overheating of the machine.
4. Colour Options
Some products are available in more than one color. This allows you to select products that match the aesthetics of your kitchen.
Capacity And Size
If you love coffee several times during the day or have many family members who love a freshly brewed mug of pour-over coffee, you would need a machine with a big carafe. The sizes vary between 4 to 14 cups of coffee, so you must consider this feature as well.
Types Of Automatic Pour-Over Coffee Makers
Pour-over coffee makers typically are very similar in terms of their functioning. However, the major factor on which some types can be differentiated is the material used for making the machine.
1. Ceramic
Ceramic automatic pour-over coffee makers are made of chemically inert ceramic that does not cause any taste difference. The material is thick, sturdy, and more durable than glass. It is also a better insulator than glass, so it would keep your coffee hot for longer.
2. Glass
Glass, like ceramic, is also chemically inert and thus suitable for the job. Glass is aesthetic-looking as well. To maintain optimal temperature, however, you would need to preheat the glass, and it is a lot less durable than ceramic.
3. Metal
In particular, copper metal is a lightweight and durable material for a coffee maker, but it does not retain heat efficiently. Since the coffee grounds will quickly lose their heat, extraction may not be effective in a metallic automatic pour-over coffee maker.
4. Plastic
Plastic is another excellent alternative that is both lightweight and durable. It makes for a good portable coffee maker, and the material is able to retain heat well in the brew bed.
Pros And Cons Of Getting A Pour-Over Coffee Maker
If you love to wake up to a freshly brewed cup of pour-over coffee, an automatic pour-over coffee maker is the perfect investment. When you get one for yourself, you will get wonderful-tasting coffee, much better than you would have ever tasted. This is because the automatic coffee grinder has high-quality mesh filters that will remove sediments and oil that make the coffee taste bitter. As a result, you will surely get the best-tasting coffee! In addition to that, most coffee makers can brew more than one cup at a time.
On the contrary, however, an automatic pour-over coffee maker requires several accessories, the cost of which you have to include in your budget calculations. The original price of the machine itself is also a deterring factor. While many people love coffee, only a few are willing to spend on this luxury item. Yes, coffee machines do indeed make things a lot simpler by eliminating the need for manual work. Still, some people do not consider this luxury worth its cost. Maintenance and cleaning of the coffee maker is another task that sounds less than appealing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Is pour-over coffee better or drip coffee?
In general, pour-over coffee has a better taste than drip coffee. It has a much more vibrant flavor than drip coffee, although it takes much longer to make.
Q2. How does the flavor of a pour-over coffee from an automatic pour-over coffee maker differ from that of a manually brewed pour-over coffee?
If there is any difference at all, it is certainly in favor of the coffee because of the difference in the way the water is poured over the grounds. The water is sprayed evenly over the grounds via the shower distributor, allowing better extraction.
Q3. How should I adjust the cup size of the machine if it has no selector?
The water reservoir has a fill line indicating the level of water needed. If your machine does not have a selector, simply fill the reservoir with less water if you have a cup smaller than the maximum cup size.
Q4, How will I be able to tell how much coffee grounds one mug would need?
Most of the machines in the market have a fill line for the level of grounds indicating how much needs to be added. If this is not the case, you would have to try out the various amounts to decide what the ideal quantity is for you.
Q5. Are automatic pour-over coffee makers hard to operate?
Understanding an automatic pour-over coffee maker is certainly not a tricky thing to do. On the contrary, they are pretty easy to understand, customize, and program if you read the manual thoroughly.
Q6. How does pour-over brewing of coffee differ from drip brewing?
In both types, hot water is passed through grounds placed in a filter. The difference exists in the brewing time, flow rate, taste, aroma, and quality of the coffee. Since pour-over coffee involves greater precision, it often tastes better.
Q7. What coffee beans are the best for automatic pour-over coffee?
Although it is entirely dependent on your personal preference what kind of coffee beans you like, I prefer medium roasted beans for pour-over coffee as it gives a bright and smooth flavor.
Q8. What grinds are best for pour-over coffee from an automatic coffee maker?
Flat and cone bottomed coffee makers make the best use of medium-coarse coffee grounds. The grind size should be increased when using Chemex paper filters.
Q9. How is pour-over coffee a healthier alternative?
Pour-over coffee is healthier for the heart as the heat-harming cholesterol from the coffee beans is filtered out, and the risk of cardiovascular disease is reduced significantly.
Q10. Is pour-over coffee a better choice than the French press?
For users who love smooth coffee, pour-over is definitely better than the French press. A pour-over coffee machine is also easier to clean up after as no dismantling is needed.
