Only the best boss ever would search for the best office coffee maker, so if you’re reading this you must be a pretty cool boss.
Only the best boss ever would search for the best office coffee maker, so if you’re reading this you must be a pretty cool boss.
Well, I suppose it’s possible that you’re an office manager or HR representative, too. In any case, you’re trying to make your workplace better by bringing in a rad new coffee machine. Kudos to you!
Fortunately, you’re in the right place. Read along to discover my top picks for the best office coffee maker!
Best Office Coffee Makers at a Glance
Here’s a sneak peek at the best office coffee makers I’ll be discussing today.
Bunn Speed Brew
Great value
Quick to brew
Straightforward design
Breville Barista Touch Impress
Makes great espresso
Intuitive user interface
Automatic steam wand
Three bean hoppers
Tons of specialty drinks
Impressive build quality
What Is an Office Coffee Maker?
Basically, anything can be an office coffee maker! If it’s a coffee maker and it’s in an office, it’s an office coffee maker. But of course, which model you decide to buy for your business depends on what you’re looking for.
If you just want to serve one cup at a time, a single serve coffee maker or even a carafe-free machine like the Cuisinart DCC3000 could be a good place to start. Meanwhile, a super automatic espresso machine enables employees to quickly brew up a specialty espresso drink at a moment’s notice.
Coffeeness Signature Espresso Blend
Experience a rich, smooth espresso with a hint of chocolate
Notes of Chocolate & Hazelnut
Easy on the stomach
Freshly roasted right in Brooklyn
Medium roast
On the other hand, you may want a no-frills drip machine to brew a whole pot at once. In that case, many of my picks for the best drip coffee maker would suffice. On that note, a dual brewer like the Cuisinart Coffee Center features both a single-serve coffee maker and a regular ol’ drip brewer.
As it happens, I’ve touched on most of these categories in my guide to the best office coffee maker. Keep reading along to discover my top picks!
Why Buy an Office Coffee Maker?
This question is basically a no-brainer, right?
Let’s put aside for a moment the reality that millions of people – including 9-5 office workers – rely on a cup of joe to jump-start their days. Why else might you want to provide an office coffee maker?
Two words: productivity and morale. Incidentally, studies show that caffeine helps improve cognition, concentration and efficiency. Providing your employees with a complimentary cuppa to get through their inevitable mid-afternoon crash could be beneficial for their productivity.
For my part, I know I work a lot faster when I have a steaming mug of black coffee next to my keyboard!
Meanwhile, who doesn’t like free things? Giving your office a coffee maker and coffee bean budget is an easy and inexpensive way to show your team that you care.
Even better, brewing coffee in the office break room is undoubtedly much cheaper than an office-wide coffee shop run.
If you decide to purchase an office coffee maker, I only ask one thing: forego the Folgers, okay? And no Hamilton Beach, either. Buy some delicious specialty coffee beans and your staff will thank you!
The 5 Best Office Coffee Makers
Without further ado, let’s get into my top 5 picks for the best office coffee maker.
Jura GIGA 10: Best Overall Office Coffee Maker
PROS
- Specialty espresso drinks
- Easy to use
- Large capacity
- Durable build
CONS
- Quite expensive
- No carafe option
If you want to win the “boss of the year” award, buying the Jura GIGA 10 super automatic espresso machine is your golden ticket.
With a $4,987.95 price tag, this baby surely costs a pretty penny. That said, the GIGA 10 is basically the star of all super automatic espresso machines. After all, Jura espresso machines are nothing short of celebrities in the home coffee world.
More importantly, this stainless steel beauty is stylish, easy to use and brews up some superb espresso. Plus, getting a fully automatic espresso machine like the GIGA 10 will allow your staff to enjoy some specialty milk drinks in the comfort of their office.
Since it’s fully automatic, this baby comes equipped with an awesome milk frothing system. Even better, it’s got two independent grinders and bean hoppers. In other words, you can cater to the caffeine-sensitive with a designated decaf hopper.
Finally, the intuitive touch screen interface is super easy to use, even for the technologically challenged. And when it comes time to do all the necessary maintenance and cleaning, the GIGA 10 will take care of that all on its own.
Clearly, this office coffee maker is a must-have if you have the desire to bring caffeine-fueled joy to your office staff.
See Also: Jura GIGA 10 Review
Bunn Speed Brew: Best Office Coffee Maker for Drip Coffee
PROS
- Thermal carafe
- Quick brew times
- 10 cup capacity
- Single cup option
CONS
- No specialty drinks
- Lacks a built-in grinder
When the Bunn Speed Brew says it’s speedy, it means it! This drip coffee maker can brew a 10 cup carafe in five minutes flat.
You know what that means? Get to the office five minutes early, start some coffee a-brewing and you’ll have steaming cups of joe just in time for your first meeting of the day. What better way to say “good morning” to your crew?
This coffee maker is also quite versatile, seeing as you can brew anything between a 20-ounce (590-milliliter) single cup and a full carafe. Naturally, the brewing times vary according to the brew size.
What’s more, the Speed Brew’s $169.99 price tag is pretty reasonable considering the stainless steel hot water tank, thermal carafe and commercial-style spray head design.
Really, if you’re looking for a no-frills drip brewer, you can’t go wrong with this Bunn model. After all, it’s got a decent capacity and quick recovery time. Plus, the design has retro diner vibes, which will fit in well in most office break rooms.
That said, if you’re looking for a brewer with specialty drink options the Speed Brew won’t cut it. This coffee maker is a drip brewer through and through. What’s more, if you go this route you’ll also get to pick out a fancy new burr coffee grinder.
See Also: Bunn Speed Brew Review
Breville Barista Touch Impress: Best Office Coffee Maker for Espresso
PROS
- Built in grinder
- Specialty espresso drinks
- User-friendly controls
- Fast recovery time
CONS
- Requires more skill
- No carafe
If you’ve spent any time on my website, you know that Breville espresso machines are after my heart. So you won’t be surprised to hear that I’m including the Breville Barista Touch Impress in my guide to the best office coffee maker.
As it happens, the Barista Touch Impress is one of my favorite Breville machines, all thanks to its intuitive interface. Sure, it requires more skill and effort to navigate than, say, a super automatic espresso machine. That said, Breville included some user-friendly controls that make it all the easier for newbies to make lattes with ease.
For example, it’s got assisted tamping, an automatic milk frother and touch screen navigation. You’ll still have to move the portafilter around and pour latte art on your own, but Breville takes care of pretty much everything else.
At the same time, given its $1,199.95 price tag you’ll definitely want to invest some time into teaching your employees how to use the Barista Touch Impress.
Consequently, I wouldn’t recommend this machine if you have a huge team. Rather, it’s ideal for a small office with a dozen or so staffers, so you can make sure everyone is trained up and confident in their barista skills.
See Also: Breville Barista Touch Impress Review
Miele CM 7750
PROS
- Stainless steel build
- Three bean hoppers
- Specialty drinks
- LCD touch screen display
CONS
- Very expensive
- Quite bulky
Let me start with a disclaimer here: costing an eye-watering $5,999.00, the Miele CM 7750 certainly isn’t for everyone.
On the contrary – this high-end super automatic espresso machine is designed for caffeine lovers who happen to have wads of cash burning holes in their pockets. With that in mind, I won’t blame you if you skip on down to my next pick for the best office coffee maker.
Then again, if you’ve got money to spend and a burning desire to impress your employees, look no further than the Miele CM 7750.
First off, this super automatic espresso machine has three independent bean hoppers. In other words, you can give your staff options for their morning brews – for instance, light roast, dark roast and decaf coffee beans.
Perhaps more importantly, you’ve got an array of specialty drink options to choose from. Even better, they’re all conveniently located in the intuitive touch screen display. Again, one of the biggest appeals of a super automatic espresso machine is how easy it is to use.
I assure you, the Miele CM 7750 won’t disappoint in that regard. And the cherry on top? Not only does it perform well; it makes spectacular espresso and looks good while it does so.
See Also: Miele CM 7750 Review
KitchenAid KF7
PROS
- Built-in grinder
- Touch screen display
- Stylish and durable build
CONS
- Can’t froth non-dairy milk
Last but not least, the KitchenAid KF7 is another strong contender for the best office coffee maker. Like others on this list, this is a super automatic espresso machine.
But here’s the good news: at $1,259.99, it costs less than a third the price of a Jura or Miele machine. Needless to say, if you want to brew up specialty espresso drinks on a smaller budget, the KF7 is worth considering.
Now, I probably don’t need to tell you that KitchenAid is a reputable brand. I mean, the name is pretty much synonymous with “durable” and “quality” in the home appliance world. Fortunately, the KF7 lives up to the KitchenAid legacy. It’s got a gorgeous (and shiny!) stainless steel build with an elegant LCD display and sensor-touch buttons. Meanwhile, it’s easy to use, maintain and clean.
Unfortunately, the KF7’s biggest flaw is its inability to froth non-dairy milk. If this is a deal breaker for you but you’re sold on everything else about this machine, consider shelling out a bit more for the KitchenAid KF8.
Otherwise, this machine is great: reliable, a decent size and sure to impress the break room coffee club.
See Also: KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine Review
Choosing the Best Office Coffee Maker: What to Consider
Now that I’ve introduced my picks for the best office coffee maker, I should go over possible factors to consider when you make your purchase. As usual, there’s a lot to think about – so buckle up!
Budget
I’m sure you noticed that the coffee makers I’ve chosen for this list fall in a huge price range.
One of my picks costs well over five grand, while my most inexpensive pick is still under $200 after tax.
Still, you get what you pay for. If you want a premium, specialty-drink-slinging hunk of metal sitting on the break room table, shelling out for a Jura or Miele is a good choice. On the other hand, if you want specialty drinks on a budget, you could opt for the KitchenAid KF7.
Meanwhile, the cheapest option – as usual – is a no-frills drip brewer like the Bunn Speed Brew. Of course, you’re getting less with this pick. At the same time, who says you have to supply cafe-quality espresso shots in a humble office break room? For most people, a quality drip brewer will be just fine – and it’ll cost significantly less than a fancy espresso machine.
Capacity
Needless to say, a simple pour-over dripper won’t suffice for an office of twelve people all jonesing for their morning brew. And unless your office only has a few employees, even a 5 cup coffee maker likely won’t cut it.
So, you’ll want to keep an eye out for the capacity of the machine. For a drip brewer, this means the carafe size; I’d consider anything over 8 cups to be a generous capacity.
In the case of a super automatic espresso machine, look out for a large bean hopper and water reservoir. Better yet, opt for a machine with two or more hoppers.
On the other hand, you’ll also want to consider the machine’s recovery time after brewing. As it happens, super automatics with quick recovery times are well suited to brew back-to-back espresso shots.
Durability
On a similar note, you’ll want to make sure the coffee maker is durable enough for daily use. Fortunately, you don’t have to worry about this point too much – all the machines I’ve chosen for this list are built to last. That said, things like brand reputation and build materials are good markers for how long a coffee maker will be able to perform its job.
Type of Coffee Drink
This is a big one. Do you want your office coffee maker to serve up cafe-quality espresso drinks or simple homestyle black coffee? Obviously, only an espresso machine can brew true espresso.
If you’re feeling democratic, now would be a good time to poll your team and see what their coffee preferences are. If no one’s gonna make a specialty milk drink, you might as well save yourself some cash and just buy a drip brewer.
However, if you can’t choose between the two types of coffee drinks there’s always the option of going with a dual brewer.
Built-in Grinder
As it happens, all but one of my picks feature a built-in grinder. This happens to be the drip brewer, of course. After all, a built-in grinder is just part of the deal when you get a fully automatic or hybrid semi automatic espresso machine.
If you’re set on a drip brewer but also want the convenience of a built-in grinder, check out my guide to the best coffee maker with grinder.
Employee Skill Level
Finally, employee skill level is an important factor to consider. I mean, you wouldn’t want to toss a prosumer espresso machine into an office full of people who won’t know how to use it. That’s a recipe for a broken machine or, worse, an office coffee maker that gets very little use. In either case, it’d be a waste of money.
If you’re worried about this, a fully automatic espresso machine is your best bet. These machines require very little skill; simply press a button and you’re good to go.
On the other hand, most people are familiar with how to use basic drip coffee makers. So, you likely can’t go wrong with a simple drip brewer. Just make sure you teach your staff how to use the coffee grinder, too!
Decision Time
There you have it, my guide to the best office coffee maker. Ultimately, it all comes down to what’ll serve your team the best.
All in all, buy the best office coffee maker for your team. Because they only deserve the best, right? While you’re at it, you might as well slip a “Best Boss Ever” mug into your Amazon cart.
Are you on the hunt for an office coffee maker? Did I leave any of your favorite coffee machines off this list? Let’s talk shop in the comments section below!