17 Best Stainless Steel Coffee Makers for Savory Cup of Coffee

Top 5 Best Stainless Steel Coffee Makers (Summary)

Image	Product	Details
	Cuisinart Thermal	Self-cleaning function 12-cup carafe capacity 3-Year Limited Warranty	Check on Amazon
	KRUPS Simple Brew	Convenient filling water tank Built-in coffee filter Easy to clean	Check on Amazon
	Mr. Coffee	Sleek and stylish design Gold-tone filter basket that reduces chlorine Automatic shut off after 2 hours	Check on Amazon
	Ninja CE251	Affordable price Impressive design Large capacity that eliminates frequent refills	Check on Amazon
	BETTY CROCKER	A removable basket filter holder Easy to gauge the amount of the remaining coffee Fully programmable	Check on Amazon

For more detailed and complete product reviews on benefits and features, keep reading.

17 Best Stainless Steel Coffee Makers – Pros and Cons of Each

1. Cuisinart Thermal

Cuisinart Thermal Coffee Maker delivers the best of two worlds – your favorite regular or an extra-strong and hot cup of coffee. The Brew Strength Control offers options to select Bold or Regular taste.

It uses a cutting edge coffee technology that makes coffee hotter than usual, without compromising its distinct taste and quality. There is a Brew Pause function that allows you to pour a cup of coffee without waiting for the brewing cycle to finish.

This sleek and fully-automatic is programmable up to 24-hours, letting you prepare in advance your next day morning drink. The backlit LCD helps you monitor the brewing process, while the easy-to-view Water Window makes filling more accurate.

For exceptional blend quality, it comes with a Charcoal Water Filter and a Gold-Tone Coffee Filter. In case of power loss, use the 60-Second Reset recall function to restore your brewing setting.

 

2. Mueller Ultra

Mueller Ultra Stainless Steel Coffee Maker is crafted to optimize the flavor of your favorite ground variety. It offers two strength options to brew coffee – Bold and Regular flavor.

It has a ‘Pause and Serve’ function that allows the pouring of one cup during the brew cycle, letting you enjoy your morning drink. The built-in water reservoir is easy to fill, eliminating the mess or drip on the countertop.

The unique design of the carafe ensures a convenient and drip-free pouring down to the last drop. It comes with a permanent coffee filter that is washable.

The superior construction and faster brewing speed of this brewer are perfect for coffee lovers. It delivers up to 205 degrees Fahrenheit to give you a great-tasting and hot coffee.

 

3. Ninja CM407

Ninja CM407 Stainless Steel Coffee Maker is what you need when you want a cup of cappuccino, macchiato, latte and coffeehouse-style blends. It has multiple options that let you enjoy a variety of hot or iced coffee.

This ergonomic and sleek coffee maker is equipped with Thermal Flavor Extraction Technology that delivers an excellent quality standard for the home brewing experience. The innovative technology earned the much-coveted Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) Home Brewer Certification.

It allows 6 brew sizes – a single cup, XL single cup, travel mug, XL travel mug, full carafe or half carafe. It functions more than just a coffee maker, as the fold-away frother converts your cold or hot milk into a silky-smooth froth.

This impressive portable machine has a thermal carafe that can hold up to 50-ounces of water or 10 cups of rich-flavored coffee. There is an accompanying Ninja Scoop for easy measuring of ground coffee.

 

4. KRUPS Simply Brew

KRUPS Simple Brew Stainless Steel Coffee Maker is a compact and portable machine with a no-drip spout. It is designed to make your morning coffee freshly-brewed and flavorful.

This robust and ergonomic coffee maker has a Pause & Serve system that lets you have a cup of steamy hot coffee while the brewing process is going on. The automatic “Keep Warm” function keeps the coffee warm until your next cup.

If features an easy-to-fill top water tank that is placed near the brewing chamber. The sturdy and stylish glass coffee delivers up to 5 cups of delicious brewed coffee every single brew, making it a perfect choice for a small family.

It is easy to use, simply turn on the button to begin brewing and touch to turn off when you are done. This stainless steel unit fits any contemporary kitchen and it’s ideal for personal use.

 

5. Posame

Posame Stainless Steel Coffee Maker is perfect for people who want a hot and freshly-brewed coffee as soon as they wake up or arrive home. It allows you to program the brewing of coffee up to 24-hours in advance.

The large capacity carafe can brew 12-15 cups at a time, making it the ideal unit for home gatherings or office use. The water window allows a convenient and precise water filling.

It is designed with an anti-drip system, enabling a Pause and Pour function during the mid-brewing operation. A digital screen near the bottom helps you set the timer accurately, while the on/off light indicates if it is working or not.

The carafe warm plate ensures a steady warming temperature and automatically shuts off after two hours. It comes with a removable mesh filter basket.

 

6. Mr. Coffee

Mr. Coffee can brew your favorite morning drink 20% faster than other machines. It also generates up to 205 degrees Fahrenheit and extracts the rich flavor within 7 minutes.

While brewing, you can enjoy your first cup with its Pause ‘n Serve feature, while the Delay Brew function awakens your senses with the aromatic smell of coffee. It has a Fresh Brew timer that lets you track the freshness of your beverage.

It comes with stainless steel, double-walled thermal carafe that sustains the temperature and fresh flavor of the coffee. The removable water reservoir makes filling more convenient and slides into place easily when you are done.

To get rid of water impurities and chlorine, use Water Filtration disk during brewing for better-tasting coffee. For the total elimination of calcium build-up, make sure to run the special cleaning cycle regularly.

 

7. Cuisinart DCC-1200BKS

Cuisinart DCC-1200BKS Coffee Maker is designed to impress and satisfy your coffee cravings at all times. It features a sleek, stainless steel carafe with dripless spout, knuckle guard and ergonomic handle.

The large capacity lets you brew up to 12 cups at a time, while the convenient features make it ideal for a contemporary kitchen or office pantry. It allows 24-hour brew programming and the Brew Pause button enables you to pour one cup of hot coffee while brewing is going on.

The Keep Warm temperature control and Automatic Shutoff are both adjustable. And when it is time to decalcify, the indicator light will alert you.

It comes with a measuring scoop, paper coffee starter kit, charcoal water filter and gold-tone coffee filter. To ensure safety, it is programmed to automatically shut off from 0-4 hours.

 

8. Zojirushi

Zojirushi Coffee Maker is designed to brew hot and iced coffee. It has a special feature that can make 4-5 cups of stronger brew that does not lose its excellent taste when poured over ice.

The advanced heating system of this coffee maker heats up to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, extracting the flavor of ground coffee that produces aroma-rich beverage. The pre-infusion cycle wets the ground coffee prior to brewing, producing a perfect extraction.

If you are running out of time, use the Time Saver Mode that lessens the brewing time and lets you enjoy your coffee faster. The vacuum insulated carafe with a drip prevention mechanism keeps the coffee hot without the ‘burnt’ taste caused by the heating plate.

It features a removable water tank and easy-to-access filter basket that swings out for easy cleaning. When it requires cleaning, the clean indicator alerts the user.

 

9. Ninja CE251

Ninja CE251 Stainless Steel Coffee Maker is powered by Hotter Brewing Technology, which is an advanced boiler that delivers a perfectly brewed cup of coffee. It has two brew settings – Classic and Rich strengths to suit your preferences.

It features a 24-hour Delay Brew function that lets you program the brewer, ensuring a freshly-brewed coffee when you wake up or when you come home from work. The flavor straw promotes total coffee circulation for a flavorful result.

It is engineered to brew a small batch of coffee or about 1-4 cups that is as good and hot as a full carafe. The adjustable warming plate keeps coffee in optimum temperature up to 4 hours without the bitter taste.

This ergonomically-designed coffee maker allows a Mid-Brew Pause, letting you enjoy your first cup while the brewing is going on.
It comes with a permanent gold-tone coffee filter.

 

10. Capresso

Capresso Coffee Maker has a compact design that is perfect for personal use. It can quickly brew 5 cups or 25-ounces of coffee.

It comes with a glass carafe that features a drip-free pouring spout and ergonomic handle. The hot plate that keeps the coffee hot stays ON for 2 hours before it automatically turns off.

This portable brewing machine is fully programmable, letting you set the desired time, so when you wake up in the morning or want a quick energy boost, your coffee is waiting for you.

The multiple nozzles of this unit spray water into the ground coffee evenly, ensuring full saturation that results in rich flavor and aroma. It uses a GoldTone filter that makes cleaning very convenient.

 

11. BUNN-O-MATIC

BUNN-O-MATIC is made of premium quality stainless steel. It is powered by Heat N’ Brew Technology that heats the water first for 6 minutes before the brewing starts for another 4 minutes.

The shatter-resistant carafe has a proprietary lid and spout design that ensures a drip-free pour. The innovative design wicks the rest of the coffee into the carafe while arching the remaining coffee into your cup.

The digital touchpad controls allow easy programming of the start time in advance, so you wake up in the morning with a ready drink. It delivers very quick brewing time, almost half of the normal cycle.

The warmer plate automatically turns on when brewing begins and turns off after 2 hours for safety precautions. This product is covered by 3-Year customer service in Springfield, Illinois.

 

12. MEOMY

MEOMY Coffee Maker is a classic-style stainless steel brewer that can produce 12 cups of perfectly hot coffee. It comes with a shatter-proof large carafe that features a stainless steel handle for drip-free pouring.

This professional and elegant machine is powered by an advanced brewing technology with two strengths option – Classic and Rich. There is an adjustable heater plate that keeps the coffee at its optimum temperature for up to 4 hours.

If you like waking in the morning with the aroma of freshly-brewed coffee, program your desired time in advance. There is a Brew-Pause feature that allows you to pour a cup of coffee before the brewing finishes.

It has a programmable standby time from 0-4 hours to facilitate the next use without the need to reset the time and also saves time. The cleaning cycle reminder and automatic cleaning function ensure the long working life of this unit.

 

13. BETTY CROCKER

BETTY CROCKER Stainless Steel Coffee Maker is a chic brewing machine that fits the need of a large family. It is also ideal for social functions or office use.

It features a heat-resistant glass carafe with a strong handle that ensures easy and drip-free pouring. There is a non-stick warming plate that automatically starts during the brewing and turns off after 2 hours, letting you enjoy another cup or two after the initial drink.

For busy people who want the first cup before the brewing is complete, the convenient Pause and Pour feature is very useful. It has LCD digital controls that are easy to use.

The water reservoir is easy to fill. It comes with a permanent filter that is cost-saving and eliminates paper filters.

 

14. Hamilton Beach

Hamilton Beach is a stylish brewer that is capable of giving 12 cups of hot coffee at one session. The robust construction of this portable machine sustains the optimum temperature and freshness of the coffee.

The vacuum-sealed carafe requires rinsing with hot water before you start brewing. It pre-warms the stainless steel material to help it hold the optimum temperature.

The front-fill design makes it more convenient for adding coffee or water filling, reducing messy drips on the counter. There are 3 brew options to suit your preferences – Regular, Bold and 1-4 cups brewing.

The programmable timer lets you pre-set the brewing time, so you wake up with the sweet aroma of coffee. It automatically shuts off after brewing.

 

15. Technivorm

Technivorm is a stylish brewing machine that delivers up 1.24 l or 10 cups of hot coffee. It features a manual-adjust brew basket that allows the adjustability of coffee flow to the waiting glass carafe.

The ergonomic design is engineered to create a separate, independent element that ensures even taste by rolling heat into the coffee. It brews coffee within 6 minutes.

It is equipped with a unique, copper element that heats water up to 196-205 degrees Fahrenheit, optimizing the extraction of coffee flavors and nutrients. It automatically switches off once the water tank is empty.

The hot plate lets you choose between two settings- 175° or 185° F to keep your coffee temperature for about 100 minutes before it shuts off.

 

16. Breville

Breville Stainless Steel Coffee Maker is true to its name, delivering your favorite coffee with perfect flavor and temperature. This 60-ounce machine brew craft filter coffee with precise control over flow rate, heat and contact time.

It is equipped with Thermocoil Heating System, making the water purer and safer for coffee drinkers. There are two filter baskets that let you brew the right volume of coffee.

The ‘Steep and Release” valve makes water in contact with ground coffee when brewing small cup volumes. It features customizable and automatic pre-sets that help you fine-tune your coffee.

There are 6 brewing modes, such as Gold, Fast, My Brew, Iced, Strong and Cold Brew. My brew allows customization of the parameters to suit your preferred coffee flavors like floral, earthy or fruity.

 

17. BUNN CSB2G

Bunn CSB2G holds the record of being the fastest home brewer in America. It is designed to give a potful of coffee in less than half of the brewing time of other coffee makers.

The upgraded design of this unit is powered by Speed Brew Technology that brews coffee in about 4 minutes. It is made possible by the commercial-grade stainless steel tank that sustains the maximum water temperature, letting you enjoy a perfect cup of coffee any time you want.

The exclusive drip-free carafe has a proprietary lid and spout design. When pouring, it automatically arcs the coffee into your cup and wicks the remaining back into the glass pot.

It allows you to brew 20 ounces to fill one big travel mug or a full carafe. The unique spray head ensures maximum coffee extraction and full flavor.

 

What Is a Stainless Steel Coffee Maker

A stainless steel coffee maker is a coffee brewing device that is constructed either entirely or almost entirely of stainless steel. Stainless steel coffee makers come in hundreds of different forms across multiple brands, catering to pretty much any method of brewing, including manual and automatic drip coffee, percolation, and espresso. Stainless steel coffee makers are durable, safe and easy to use, and brew fantastic tasting coffee.  

Benefits of Using a Stainless Steel Coffee Maker

Extremely Durable

There are a few really great reasons to choose a stainless steel coffee maker over one made of plastic or glass. First of all, stainless steel is incredibly durable— it is built to last. If you pick up a machine of stainless steel construction, you can rest easy knowing that if the machine eventually becomes unusable, even in the far future, it is likely due to something electronic within the machine, rather than the construction material itself. Coffee brewers that are either constructed of plastic or have many plastic parts can be susceptible to cracking and warping if they get too hot— and coffee makers made of glass can shatter. Luckily, stainless steel has none of these issues. 

Non-Toxic

The second, and possibly the biggest benefit of stainless steel, is that it doesn’t leach toxic chemicals when heated, the way plastics can. Even BPA-free plastics can leach some nasty chemicals into foods or drinks. If intaking these chemicals can be avoided by simply using a stainless steel device, there is simply no downside. 

Better Tasting Coffee

The flavor of coffee brewed in a stainless steel coffee maker is just as good, if not better than coffee brewed in a plastic brewer— better because your coffee will never have that plastic taste that is present when brewing with some generally low-end plastic brewers. A couple of other little bonuses of stainless steel is that it’s easy to clean and is dishwasher safe.

How Does a Stainless Steel Coffee Maker Work

There is a large range of stainless steel coffee makers, from Vietnamese coffee drippers and pour-over coffee makers, French press and stovetop espresso makers, all the way through to espresso machines, electric drip coffee makers and electric percolators. The options are varied and practically endless.

Some are electric and automatic, some are fully manual, and some don’t even use hot water to brew (like cold brew!). What they all have in common, though, is that they all gave the same goal — to use water to dissolve a certain percentage of the coffee bean over a set amount of time. This is what we are tasting in a cup of coffee; we are tasting the coffee beans soluble material that has dissolved into the water that we added. 

Regardless of what the device is constructed of, whether it be plastic, glass or stainless steel, they all work in one of three ways, using either immersion, infusion or pressure (we’ll get to these more in-depth in a moment) to get the job done. 

Pros and Cons of Stainless Steel Coffee Makers

As with anything, there are always pros and cons to each option. While this again is the case with stainless steel coffee makers, the pros far outweigh the quite minor cons. 

Pros

• Stainless steel is an incredibly durable material that is very long-lasting. 
• Brewing in stainless steel tastes better. Because the coffee won’t come into contact with anything plastic, there will be no plastic taste. 
• Containing no plastic means that BPA’s and other chemicals found in plastic can’t leach into the brew. Multiple studies have shown that plastics, especially ones found in low-quality devices, cause some pretty serious health effects, from cancer to reproductive issues.
• There is a huge variety of brewers to choose from.

Cons

• Coffee brewers made of stainless steel are generally more expensive than those made of plastic. 
• Stainless steel is a heavier material, which may discourage some who are looking for a device to travel with.  
• One of the things plastic has going for it is that it doesn’t suck up the heat the way steel or glass does. Stainless steel draws away quite a lot of heat from the brew, absorbing it for itself. This can affect extraction. Having said that, it is doubtful this will negatively affect the average home coffee enthusiast or drinker in any way whatsoever.  
• While stainless steel doesn’t leach the same toxic chemicals as plastic, it still can leach chemicals of its own. The plus side is that the chemicals leached by stainless steel are considered non-toxic, and the amounts leached during an average brew time of under four minutes would be extremely low. 

Types of Coffee Brewing

Brewing coffee, in essence, is quite simple. It is simply the act of dissolving a certain percentage of coffee beans soluble material using water. While there are hundreds of different brewing machines and devices out there, every single one will work in one of three ways. Either infusion, immersion or with the use of pressure. 

Infusion

Infusion brewing is a very efficient method of making coffee that involves a constant supply of fresh, clean water passing through a bed of ground coffee. With this method, the water and the coffee are kept separate and only meet in small quantities at a time. As the water passes through the coffee, it dissolves solubles in the coffee, dripping through the entire bed, and finally ends its journey, collected by a carafe or cup below. 

Any form of drip coffee maker, like those made by Moccamaster, Bonvita and OXO, and including manual brewing methods like the V60, Kalita Wave and stovetop espresso makers, are infusion brewing methods.  

It is important when brewing using the infusion method, that the coffee bed is being saturated evenly, over the entirety of the bed. We need all the coffee grounds to be wet evenly. If the water is poured into one spot — the center of the coffee bed, for example, the coffee in the center will extract and will possibly over-extract, leaving the untouched areas of coffee that the water hasn’t reached entirely under-extracted. To ensure this doesn’t happen when making coffee using a V60, Kalita Wave or the like, a pour-over kettle is used. A pour-over kettle hits each coffee ground evenly.

Immersion

Immersion brewing is any form of brewing in which the coffee and the water are all together, at the same time, for the entire brewing process. Methods including the French press, Aeropress, Clever dripper and tasty cold brew coffee are all types of immersion brewing. 

Because immersion brewing is slightly less efficient than infusion brewing, we do need to increase our dose of coffee slightly in order to achieve a really tasty brew.

Espresso

While espresso is technically a method of infusion brewing, it seems fitting, due to its use of pressure, that it gets its own category. 

Espresso is unique from the other two brew methods because it needs more than atmospheric pressure to achieve its results. True espresso works by pushing a small amount of hot water (usually around a 1:2 ratio of coffee to water) through a puck of finely ground coffee at 9 bars of pressure. This combination of pressure, the coffee’s very fine grind size, and tight brew ratio means the resulting brew is an intense, and reasonably thick ‘shot’ of espresso.

Until recently, the only way of brewing true espresso was with the use of a very large and very costly commercial espresso machine. Thanks to a love of coffee, and much innovation, there are a number of different devices now available that utilize a piston, a lever arm, and a bit of good old elbow grease to build up enough pressure to brew some delicious espresso. These devices, including the Flair, and the Rok, are known as manual espresso makers.     

Types of Stainless Steel Coffee Makers

We’ve discussed the different kinds of brewing; immersion, infusion, and espresso— now let’s look at the different kinds of brewers

Manual Drippers

Many manufacturers of manual coffee drippers make stainless steel versions of their classic coffee makers. Kalita offers it’s 155 & 185 sizes of the Wave in stainless steel, while Hario makes a stainless steel version of their famous V60 in the 02 sizes, perfect for between one and four cups. 

One of the beautiful things about a stainless steel coffee dripper is its durability. Combine one of these bullet-proof (maybe not quite) drippers with the best stainless steel coffee mug, and you’ve got yourself a legitimately solid coffee setup for camping.  

Manual drippers, otherwise known as pour-over coffee makers, are a classic infusion brewing method. Use a pour-over coffee maker daily and it will almost certainly become a ritual, and the part of the day you look forward to the most. 

Vietnamese Drip Filter

If you’ve ever been to Vietnam, chances are you know about the famous; Ca phe sua da. Ca phe sua da— translated directly; coffee milk ice, is a sweet and delicious Vietnamese caffeinated beverage consisting of ice cubes, sweet condensed milk, and strong drip coffee.

The Vietnamese drip filter, a form of immersion brewing, is a small stainless steel coffee filter that sits atop a cup. It consists of four parts, which all fit neatly together; the main chamber, the base filter, the press, and the lid. 

They are inexpensive, incredibly durable, dishwasher safe and extremely easy to use.  

Electric Drippers

Electric coffee drippers would have to be a perfect balance — where flavor and convenience meet. 

An electric dripper brews coffee in almost the exact same way as a manual pour-over, with only a couple of differences. The first main difference is that the machine pours for you. This can be good and bad— good because you can add coffee, add water and walk away. When you come back, a carafe of coffee will be waiting— bad because you have no control over where, and at what speed, the machine pours the water over the coffee. 

Some electric coffee drippers also have the huge benefit of a delayed start timer. This means that you add your coffee and your water to the machine in the evening before bed. You set it to begin a brew cycle at 7:20 am. When you wake up at 7:30, stumbling into the kitchen all puffy-eyed, you’ll have delicious coffee ready and waiting — convenience at its best.  

Some coffee makers have both an electric dripper and K-cup brewer —  get double caffeine dose with dual coffee maker. Combine this with the world’s best coffee pod holder and you’ll have a dream coffee setup right at home!

Percolators

There are a couple of different types of percolators. Those where the water passes through the coffee repeatedly, and those in which the water is on a one-way trip. A stovetop espresso maker is one such example of the latter, and an electric percolator is an example of the former.   

A percolator is made up of three main parts; the base, the filter basket— which is like a funnel, and the top chamber. While we do have a more in-depth guide below, the main idea is this: hot water is poured into the base of the device. Ground coffee is added to the filter basket before the top chamber is reattached. In the case of stovetop espresso, the device is placed over a heat source, and, once the water begins to boil, it will make its way up the funnel at the bottom of the filter, passing up through the coffee, ending its journey in the coffee collection chamber above. A stovetop espresso machine makes strong coffee and is ideal for both at home and the outdoors.

An electric percolator works in a very similar way. The difference is that the water in electric percolator cycles through, traveling up through the coffee. Then the water cools slightly and falls back to the bottom of the device, where it will repeat the process multiple times.   

French Press

A French press is a classic example of immersion brewing. A French press is an extremely simple and easy to use manual brewing device, consisting of a brewing carafe and a plunger. The base of the plunger is affixed with a steel mesh filter. The coffee is placed into the brewing carafe with hot water and is left to steep for around four minutes before the plunger is placed on top and pressed down. The mesh filter pushes all of the coffee grounds to the bottom of the carafe, separating them from the brewed coffee.   

Due to the French press using a mesh filter rather than paper, it allows all the oils and some sediment to pass from the coffee into the cup, producing a heavy-bodied, velvety coffee. 

Espresso

Espresso, as mentioned above, is essentially infusion brewing with added pressure. The great thing about using an espresso machine is that the parts of the machine that touch coffee are almost always made of stainless steel. Making espresso at home can be a wonderful (and delicious!) hobby. 

How to Choose the Best Stainless Steel Coffee Maker

Carafe Capacity

Carafe capacity is all about how much coffee you want to be able to make at one time. If you’re simply brewing for yourself, a one or two cup brewer will suffice. If you’re brewing for the family, or for gatherings, you might want to look into something that either brews large amounts with a large carafe capacity or again, something that brews smaller amounts quickly. The Keurig k55 comes with a large water reservoir and brews single cups fast, which might make it the perfect option for large gatherings too.

Type of Carafe

Most carafes on the market today are either stainless steel or glass. Both have their own benefits— with steel being durable and glass being clear, making the amount of coffee left easily visible. Most steel carafes have the added benefit of being insulted, keeping your coffee hot for longer. 

Brewing Temperature

A very important part of brewing coffee— so important in fact that it is probably the most hotly debated topic within coffee geek forums around the globe— brewing temperature. Because different flavors within the coffee will be extracted at different temperatures— floral notes, for example, may only be present brewing using water under 90°C, whereas more chocolatey notes might only be extracted at closer to 95°C— it’s important that our chosen machine is ideally temperature variable, or at the very least, can brew at a high enough temperature, around 95°C. 

Brew Strength Control

When brewing coffee using manual brew methods, like a French press or a Kalita Wave, you have entire control of everything in your brew, brew-strength included. Luckily though, this kind of control isn’t reserved only for manual brewing, with many machines offering a brew-strength control function also.  

If you are someone who knows you like a coffee stronger than most, a machine with brew-strength control might be right up your alley. But if you’ve gone through this list and you’ve found a machine that ticks all the boxes minus this one, never fear!

To make a stronger coffee in a machine without brew-strength control, simply add five to ten grams more coffee to the basket. If you’ve been brewing your coffee in either Keurig k475 or k575, and you know brew-strength control is a feature you can’t live without when choosing a new machine, there are certainly stainless steel devices with this option.  

Programming Features

As mentioned earlier, the delayed start timer is one programmable feature that becomes hard to live without. But the programmability doesn’t stop there, with other features like brew size, brew-strength and freshness indicators included in some machines. 

Pause and Serve

The brew is only halfway done, but you’re dying for a cup and you need it now? The pause and serve function has you covered. Some machines allow you to remove the carafe during the brew cycle. This will pause the brewing, giving you enough time to pour a cup and replace the carafe before it begins brewing once again.  

Water Filter

Many cities throughout the world have quality, clean water, perfect for drinking. But unfortunately, coffee can be quite fussy, requiring water that is not only clean but also water with the correct mineral content and Ph level.

Some coffee brewing devices come with a water filter included. Some of them only remove foreign objects from the water, but others remove unwanted minerals and level out the Ph of the water, making it more ideal for brewing.   

Included Coffee Grinder

To brew excellent coffee at home, you really do need to grind it fresh. This is one of those non-negotiables that make a massive difference. Even the cheapest of grinders are better than using pre-ground coffee.

Some coffee brewers come as a whole package. It’s a filter, a brewer and a grinder—all in one.

SCAA Certification

The SCAA (Specialty Coffee Association of America) is, in a way, the governing body of specialty coffee in North America. Their goal is to elevate coffee to a higher standard, through education and research.

The SCAA has a prestigious list of SCAA certified drip coffee brewers. For a coffee brewer to be awarded the coveted certification, it must first pay a rather substantial fee to the SCAA; then, the machine must pass multiple tests related to the mechanics of the machine and the flavor of the coffee it can produce. Any coffee machine with the SCAA certification will be a good machine capable of brewing great coffee. 

How to Use a Stainless Steel Coffee Maker

Manual Drippers

There are so many beautiful manual coffee drippers out there, from the Chemex to the Kalita Wave and far beyond. While they are all slightly different both in shape and in the flavor of the coffee they brew, they all work in the same way, and the recipes can be interchanged from one dripper to the next.

There are hundreds and thousands of recipes out there, and this is just one of them. This is a very easy recipe to brew and doesn’t involve any intricate pouring patterns or hard to remember timings.

Today we are going to be brewing a pot of coffee for two. We will be using 600ml of water and 40g of coffee, which will give a nice sized mug of coffee to each person. 

Things you’ll need:

• Stainless steel coffee dripper
• Pour-over coffee kettle 
• Carafe
• Paper filter
• Scales 
• Timer
• Spoon
• 40g Coffee 
• Hot water 

Step 1 – Boil the water

We want to use clean water that is at around 95 degrees celsius (203 Fahrenheit), so we will put the water on the boil first, then, by the time we’re ready to brew, the water will have reached around the correct temperature.

Step 2 – Grind the coffee

Next, we’ll weigh out the coffee, 40g, then we’ll grind it on a medium setting, around the texture of kosher sea salt.

Step 3 – Rinse the filter

Next, we’ll place a filter into the brewer, place the brewer onto the carafe and pour enough hot water through it to rinse any papery flavors from the filter. This not only rinses the filter but also preheats the brewer and the carafe below. 

Step 4 – Add the coffee

Transfer the coffee into the preheated and rinsed filter. Be sure to discard the rinse water before you begin brewing. Place the dripper and carafe onto the scales and press tare. Have your timer ready to go. 

Step 5 – Bloom the coffee

Press start on your timer and pour 80g of water into the brewer rather quickly, within 10-15 seconds. Try to make sure you hit every bit of coffee, so the entire bed is fully saturated. Wait 30 seconds. 

Step 6 – Main Pour

Once the timer reads 40 seconds, we’ll begin the main pour. Start pouring in the center and pour in circles, right out to the edge of the filter, then back to the inside. We want to have all the water poured by about 2 minutes. Try for a steady pour rate the entire time, not speeding up, nor slowing down. Try to adjust your pour to fit all the water within the 2 minutes. It may take a couple of tries to figure out how fast that pour is, but once you do, it becomes incredibly simple.    

Step 8 – Stir

The coffee at the bottom of the carafe will be much stronger than the coffee at the top. Give the entire brew a stir with a clean spoon.

Step 9 – Serve

Serve your delicious coffee in your favorite mug!

 

Vietnamese Drip Filter

There are a few ways to drink Vietnamese coffee; black, with ice or with milk. The coffee for each of them is prepared in the same way; the only difference is what you put into the cup below the dripper.

This style of coffee almost always uses very dark roasted coffee from Vietnam, which has been pre-ground. This is almost the only way you will get it in Vietnam— strong and dark. You can do that, or you can use something a little lighter and grind it yourself— coffee is all about preference. You do what you think tastes good. 

Today we will be making a single-serve black Vietnamese coffee in the traditional style using Trung Nguyên pre-ground coffee from Vietnam. If you want to make the classic Vietnamese iced coffee with milk, simply add condensed milk and ice to the cup below.  

Things you’ll need:

• Vietnamese coffee dripper
• 25g Vietnamese coffee
• Cup or glass
• Scales 
• Hot water 

Step 1 – Boil the water

First, begin boiling some fresh, clean water. For this recipe, we’re going to use water fresh off the boil. 

Step 2 – Add the coffee

We’re going to use pre-ground Vietnamese coffee. If you want to use whole beans, grind them around the same texture as you would for filter coffee. Place the cup on the scales and the dripper on the cup. Add 25 grams of coffee to the dripper and give it a shake to flatten out the bed. Place the press on top of the coffee. Press tare on the scales.

Step 3 – Add the water

Pour 110g of water, then place the hat on the brewer and allow the coffee to drip through to the cup. The brew should take around 10 minutes, give or take. 

Step 4 – Serve

This coffee can be served as is but is more commonly served with 10-30g (depending on how sweet you like it) of condensed milk, either hot or over ice.  

 

Electric Drippers

Electric drippers offer the best balance between convenience and quality. They are extremely easy to use and can offer a superb cup quality. 

Most electric dripper manufacturers recommend 60g of coffee per liter of water, so for this recipe, we will follow these instructions. Feel free to add more or less to suit your taste preference.

As with coffee made using a manual drip method, we want nice fresh coffee that has been roasted not too dark— no oily coffee, thank you!

Things you’ll need:

• Electric coffee dripper
• Grinder
• Scales 
• Coffee
• Filter
• Clean water 

Step 1 – Grind the coffee

First up, weigh out 60g of coffee using the scale and grind the coffee at a medium setting, around the same texture as crystallized sugar. 

Step 2 – Add the water

Top up the machine with as much water as you need to brew the desired amount of coffee you want to brew. In our case, that’s 1 liter of water. Using a separate clean carafe, we’ll weigh out 1000g of water on the scale. If you are doing this without a scale, just use a measuring cup to pinpoint your 1 liter.

Step 3 – Add a filter

Place a filter into the basket. If you want to be super geeky about it, you can then rinse the filter with hot water to remove any papery taste, though this is not essential. Add the coffee to the filter and basket.  

Step 4 – Turn on the machine

If your machine has brew settings, make sure they are in line with a 1-liter brew. Once that’s done, simply turn the machine on and you’ll have your delicious carafe of coffee within ten minutes. 

Percolators

Percolators come in many different forms. For this brew guide, we’ll be using a stovetop percolator. Though they are a little different, the electric ones brew in a very similar way. Try your best to keep the percolator clean. Much of the reason why many people associate percolators with bitter, dirty tasting coffee, is that they are often not kept clean. 

In contrast to the other brewing methods, how much coffee and water you use in a stovetop percolator will entirely depend on your percolator.

Things you’ll need:

• Stovetop percolator 
• Grinder
• Scales 
• Coffee
• Boiling water
• Stove or heat source 

Step 1 – Grind the coffee

For a long time, people have been grinding their coffee for stovetop percolator extremely fine, almost as fine as espresso. This is also a contributing factor as to why stovetop percolators and bitterness are thought of together. We’re going to grind medium-fine, a touch finer than crystallized sugar.

Step 2 – Add the water

Add boiling water to the bottom chamber of the percolator. Fill the chamber until just under the pressure valve. Be sure not to pour too much and cover the valve (the valve is there to release pressure from the chamber).

Step 3 – Add the coffee

Fill the filter basket with ground coffee. No need to press the coffee down or pack it in tightly— simply fill the filter and flatten the bed using a swiping motion with your finger. Place the filter into the bottom chamber and attach the top chamber.

Step 4 – Begin to brew

Place the percolator over moderate heat. The boiling water will begin to rise up through the coffee bed and into the top chamber. You will know your brew is done when you hear a gurgling, bubbling sound. This means all the water has passed through the coffee and is in the top chamber. Immediately remove the percolator from the heat, serve in your favorite cup and enjoy!

 

French Press

The French press is a full immersion brew method. It is easy to use and can produce a spectacular cup of coffee.

We’re going to be brewing a 500ml French press. With full immersion methods such as this, it is recommended to use a slightly higher dose of coffee than you would for a pour-over. We’re going to use 70g per 1 liter of water. 

Things you’ll need:

• French press
• Grinder
• Scales 
• 35g Coffee
• Boiled water
• Spoon
• Timer

Step 1 – Boil the water

Put the water on to boil. For this recipe, we want to use water that is right off the boil.

Step 2 – Preheat the French press

Pour some hot water in the French press to preheat it.  

Step 3 – Grind the coffee

Weigh out 35 grams of coffee and grind on a medium setting— very similar to the grind we used for the drip methods mentioned above (similar to the texture of kosher salt). 

Step 4 – Add the coffee

Discard the preheat water from the French press and add the coffee. Place the French press on the scale and press tare.  

Step 5 – Pour the water

Press start on the timer and aggressively pour 500g of water. We pour aggressively to make sure that we wet every little grind of coffee in the French press. Make sure there are no clumps left in the bottom. There is no need to stir at this point. Just leave it and let it brew for 4 minutes.

Step 6 – Stir and serve

At the 4 minute mark, give the crust on top and light stir, then insert the plunger and press down. Pour the coffee into your favorite coffee cups and enjoy! 

 

How to Clean a Stainless Steel Coffee Maker

One of the best tips for brewing great coffee is keeping your brewing equipment clean. When using a coffee brewing device regularly, oils eventually buildup in and around the device, imparting a noticeably bitter and dirty taste to the coffee. It is essential to keep brewing gear clean. One of the coolest things about stainless steel is how easy it is to keep clean.

Stainless steel coffee making devices should be cleaned after each use, using soap and hot water. 

Step 1 – Remove the coffee

Remove the coffee from the device and discard or use it as compost. 

Step 2 – Wash

Because we are talking about stainless steel coffee makers here, most parts should be ok in the dishwasher (check manufacturers recommendations first). Any plastic parts can also be run through the dishwasher— just use a cooler water setting and place it on the top rack. This includes removable water reservoirs from automatic drip coffee makers. 

Step 3 – Rinse

Dishwashing soap doesn’t go so well with the flavor of the coffee. Make sure that everything is completely soap residue free before brewing again.

Step 4 – The quarterly deep clean

Every three months or so is it good practice to give all your brewing equipment a deep clean. This is done by using a specialized coffee machine cleaner.

In the case of automatic drip coffee makers, you’ll add the recommended amount of cleaner to the reservoir and brew like normal (minus the coffee, of course).   

For the French press, stovetop percolator and manual coffee drippers, we’ll give them a soak in the solution, then wash and rinse like normal. Follow the instructions on the coffee cleaner you buy and you’ll be all set!  

 

Does More Spending Mean More Quality

All stainless steel certainly isn’t created equal. If you spend enough time checking out various stainless steel coffee makers, you’re bound to come across numbers like 304, and 18/8 or 18/10. These numbers refer to the different metals, and in what portions, that go into making up the stainless steel.

When talking about electric or automatic coffee makers, the price you pay is generally connected to the quality of the device. For an inexpensive automatic drip coffee maker to be made of the same high-quality material as an expensive one, there has to be a sacrifice elsewhere in the machine. Whether that be in the electronics, functions, or the way the water is poured over the coffee. 

While it is common for a higher-priced coffee maker to use higher quality steel, this isn’t always the case. Many options, like the Vietnamese coffee drippers or a stainless steel French press, can be inexpensive, while also being made of high-quality materials. These devices have no electric element, meaning that the quality of materials can be high, and the price can be low, and all you’ll need to sacrifice is a little extra time for each brew. 

Do’s and Don’ts With a Stainless Steel Coffee Maker

• Do choose a quality device. Spend a little more now to have a machine that will last.
• Do use good coffee. No matter how good your machine is, if you use bad coffee, the brew will never be great. 
• Do clean your brewing equipment regularly.  
• Don’t use anything abrasive to wash your stainless steel coffee maker.
• Don’t add any syrups or sweeteners to the coffee maker itself. You can use syrup for adding a taste to the coffee, just make sure you add it to the cup and not the device.

FAQ About Stainless Steel Coffee Makers

Is the plastic in coffee makers safe?

While some plastics are certainly safer than others, no plastics, when heated, are entirely risk-free. The safest coffee makers to use are ones which contain no plastic parts in the areas where the coffee and hot water will come into contact with. Instant coffee is another good way of avoiding plastics. Provide your body with antioxidants from the instant coffee. 

Is there a stainless steel coffee maker with no plastic parts?

Yes! There are a number of French presses, stovetop percolators and manual coffee drippers, which contain zero plastics. 

What is a BPA-free coffee maker?

A BPA-free coffee maker is one that doesn’t contain any BPAs in its plastic parts. BPAs are a chemical that has been added to plastic since the 1960s. They can disrupt the function of cells and can lead to multiple negative health issues. 

Why my coffee maker isn’t as fast as it used to be?

If your coffee maker has slowed down since you first got it, it may be time to give it a deep clean. Water contains minerals, and these minerals will build up in the pipes of coffee makers over time. Use a specially formulated coffee cleaner to decalcify and descale your coffee maker and return it to its former glory. 

Can I reheat cold coffee in a coffee maker?

Absolutely! Any coffee maker that has a heat plate on which the carafe sits, as with most electric drip coffee makers, can both keep coffee warm and reheat cold coffee.

Conclusion

Stainless steel coffee makers are an excellent option for brewing at home. They are long-lasting, can produce delicious coffee, and are a healthier option when compared to their plastic counterparts.

Photos from: foto4inet / depositphotos.com, belchonock / depositphotos.com, Corepics / depositphotos.com and Aksakal / depositphotos.com.