Best filter coffee machines: tried and tested

The best filter coffee machines take the faff out of making your morning brew.

We've tested filter coffee machines from all the popular brands, including Smeg, DeLonghi, Melitta, Lakeland and more. 

As well as assessing the taste of the filter coffee and how easy the machines are to use, we test for speed of brewing, how hot the coffee stays and any annoying drips or coffee grounds that slip through the filter. 

We also compare how much energy the best filter coffee machines use, given that they're often left switched on for a good while. 

We tested filter coffee machines ranging from £25 up to £250. Our testing found one Best Buy, one Great Value, and a machine that's both a Best Buy and a Great Value.

The filter coffee machines we tested

The biggest brands and the most popular filter coffee machines are listed below. 

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All the filter coffee machines we've tested are listed in alphabetical order below. 

Only logged-in Which? members can view the best filter coffee machines from our tests. 

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Bosch TKA8011/TKA8013 Styline

Available from Coffee Friend (£79)

Most recently tested August 2022

Filter papers required Yes

Accessories included None

Size 35.5 x 26 x 25cm (HxWxD)

Need to know 2.6kg, brews between three (414ml) and 10 large cups (1.38 litres), descale program, 40-minute keep-warm cycle, dishwasher-safe carafe, auto switch-off

Breville Flow Filter Coffee Machine

Most recently tested September 2024

Filter paper required No

Accessories included Reusable filter basket

Size 32 x 20 x 33cm (HxWxD)

Need to know 1.5kg, brews between two and 12 cups (minimum four recommended), 30-minute keep-warm cycle, auto-pause function, reusable filter basket

DeLonghi Clessidra Filter Coffee Machine ICM17210

Most recently tested August 2022

Filter papers required Yes

Accessories included Coffee scoop, filter-paper holder, 4x filter papers

Size 33 x 19 x 28cm (HxWxD)

Need to know 2.4kg, brews between two (250ml) and 10 cups (1.25 litres), pour-over program, 40-minute keep-warm cycle, pour-over showerhead, auto switch-off

DeLonghi Filter Coffee Machine ICM15210 

Most recently tested September 2024

Filter paper required No

Accessories included None

Size 20.5 x 22.5 x 32cm (HxWxD)

Need to know 1.7kg, brews between two (250ml) and 10 cups (1.25 litres), 40-minute keep-warm cycle, dishwasher-safe carafe and filter holder, auto shut-off

Lakeland Filter Coffee Machine with Glass Carafe 1.5 Litre

Most recently tested August 2022

Filter papers required No

Accessories included None

Size 35 x 26 x 22cm (HxWxD)

Need to know 2.2kg, brews between two (250ml) and 12 cups (1.5 litres), 24-hour digital timer, 40-minute keep warm cycle, auto switch-off

Logik L14DCB19

Most recently tested August 2022

Filter papers required No

Accessories included None

Size 35 x 18 x 27cm (HxWxD)

Need to know 1.8kg, brews between two (250ml) and 14 cups (1.75 litres), Stronger Brew program, 24-hour digital timer, 30-minute keep-warm cycle, automatic switch-off

Best coffee machines: See how all the other coffee machine types we've teste compare before you buy a new filter coffee machine

Melitta Aromaboy Filter Coffee Machine

Most recently tested September 2024

Filter paper required Yes

Accessories included Jug lid

Size 20 x 17 x 13cm (HxWxD)

Need to know 0.8kg, brews between one (125ml) and two cups (250ml), 40-minute keep-warm cycle, automatic shut-off

Moccamaster KBGT Filter Coffee Maker

Most recently tested September 2024

Filter paper required Yes

Accessories included Lid for carafe

Size 41x 33 x 17cm (HxWxD)

Need to know 2.9kg, brews between two (250ml) and 10 cups (1.25 litres), thermal insulated jug

Morphy Richards Equip Filter Coffee Machine 162501

Most recently tested August 2022

Filter papers required No

Accessories included Coffee scoop

Size 32 x 22 x 21cm (HxWxD)

Need to know 1.7kg, brews between three (360ml) and 10 cups (1.2 litres), 30-minute keep-warm cycle, pour-over showerhead, automatic switch-off

Russell Hobbs Buckingham Digital Filter Coffee Machine 20680

Most recently tested September 2024 

Filter papers required No

Accessories included Coffee scoop

Size 32.5 x 23 x 20.5cm (HxWxD)

Need to know  2kg, brews between two (260ml) and 10 cups (1.3 litres), pour-over showerhead, descale program, 24-hour digital timer, 40 minute keep-warm cycle, dishwasher-safe filter basket, automatic switch-off

Smeg DCF02

Most recently tested August 2022

Filter papers required No

Accessories included Coffee scoop

Size 36 x 24.5 x 26cm (HxWxD)

Need to know 3.5kg, brews between two (280ml) and 10 cups (1.4 litres), Delicate Aroma and Intense Aroma programs, 24-hour digital timer, 40-minute keep-warm cycle, customisable water-hardness and sound settings, dishwasher-safe reusable filter and basket, auto switch-off

How we test filter coffee machines

We select popular filter coffee machines from leading UK retailers to be put through our tough tests. We buy every product we test.

We regularly revisit the filter coffee machines on sale to see if there are any more popular models that need testing – and when we find them, we do. We frequently reassess our test programme to ensure it focuses on the key features you would want from a filter coffee machine, and we've made some key improvements – including focusing more on filtration.

Find out more about how Which? is not influenced by product manufacturers or retailers, and how your support helps us to stay editorially independent.

Taste and aroma

We assemble a panel of regular filter coffee drinkers for a blind tasting of coffee brewed from each machine.

Each panellist considers how the coffee tastes and smells, and every brew is made using the same ratio of coffee grounds to water.

While some of the machines we test do have recommendations for the coffee grounds-to-water ratio, most recommend you experiment until you find a combination that brews your coffee the way you like it.

Ease of use, speed and cleaning

We assess how straightforward it is to get the machine ready for brewing, and whether there are any confusing controls.

We record how speedily each machine brews the minimum amount of coffee it can make. The best filter coffee machines took 2 minutes to brew; the worst filter coffee machines took as long as 8 minutes to brew.

After the coffee is brewed, we clean the machine by following the instructions and then consider how easy that process is.

Temperature, filtration and drips

Once brewed, we measure the temperature of the coffee in the jug to see if it's within the ideal serving temperature range of 60-88°C. We then check the temperature again after the keep-warm program has finished.

We pour the coffee through an extra filter to see if any bitter coffee grounds have slipped through the machine's filter into the brew, and note if the machine drips when removing the jug to pour the coffee. 

The top-performing machines didn't drip at all, whereas the worst machines dripped quite a lot. 

Energy efficiency

We use an energy meter to record and calculate how much power each filter coffee machine uses to brew two cups of coffee a day for a year. We also check how much energy they use on standby, and how much they use to keep the coffee warm after it's finished brewing.

• On average, we've found the filter coffee machines we've tested will cost around £6.31 a year to run if brewing the minimum amount twice a day, every day, based on the March 2026 energy per kWh cost of 24.67p.
• The cheapest-to-run machine we've tested would cost around £2.52 a year to run, whereas the most expensive would cost around £10.63. 
• If using the keep-warm program every time, it could cost up to around £17.00 a year for the priciest-to-run filter coffee machines.

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Filter coffee machine types explained

Standard filter coffee machines

Classic drip-brew filter coffee machines have been around since the 1970s – they heat water as it flows through a tube from a water tank and then let it drip down through ground coffee held within a filter basket. The coffee then drips down into a jug at the bottom of the machine.

Some machines require cone-shaped filter coffee papers, whereas others have reusable filters made of metal or fabric mesh.

Pour-over filter coffee machines

This type of filter coffee machine makes coffee in a different way to standard drip-brew models. The 'pour-over' technique originated in Japan as a manual technique that involves pre-wetting the coffee, then slowly pouring water over the grounds. The aim is to produce a richer, more complex brew. 

A number of premium coffee makers now have pour-over technology in their machines. These work by heating all the water at once and then using a controlled pouring system to recreate the 'pour-over' method.

Grind-and-brew filter coffee machines

As the name suggests, grind-and-brew filter coffee machines grind coffee beans with the aim of delivering the freshest coffee possible.

When the coffee machine is switched on, it grinds the coffee beans and then immediately brews the coffee.

Most grind-and-brew machines can also use coffee that has been pre-ground, for those times when you're out of beans or in a hurry.

We haven't tested any grind-and-brew filter coffee machines, as they're not particularly popular or widespread and are usually more expensive.

Discover which coffee grinders give the smoothest grind for your coffee machine. See our reviews of the best coffee grinders.

How do you use a filter coffee machine?

It can vary slightly from machine to machine but here are the basic steps for how to use a filter coffee machine.

1. Fill up the water tank to a fill line that matches the amount of coffee you want to make.
2. Place a filter paper (or a reusable mesh filter, if your coffee machine comes with one) inside the filter basket compartment.
3. Put scoops of ground coffee into your filter. One scoop per cup is usually enough, but you can alter it depending on how strong you like your coffee, and how efficiently your machine extracts coffee from your grounds.
4. Place your empty coffee jug underneath the point where the coffee drips from, then choose your program and hit go.

Filter coffee machine features to consider

Manufacturers will try to turn your head by promoting all sorts of extra features. Some of them may be nice to have but if you're not sure you'll use them, then stick with a simple model – it's likely to cost you less.

• Automatic switch-off – This means the filter coffee machine will switch itself off after a set period of time. Machines with insulated jugs usually switch off after a maximum of five minutes, and machines with non-insulated (i.e. glass) jugs usually switch off after 40 minutes, once the keep-warm cycle finishes. All the filter coffee machines we tested have this feature.
• Glass jugs – Glass jugs are most common, but some filter coffee machines come with an insulated jug to help keep your coffee warm for longer without using an energy-hungry hotplate. A couple of the machines we tested have insulated jugs rather than glass ones.
• Programmable timer –This handy feature allows you to set a time for the machine to switch on and start brewing, which is particularly desirable if you love the idea of waking up to a pot of freshly brewed coffee.
• Showerhead – Both standard and pour-over models may use a showerhead. As the name suggests, this means that a fine spray of water is sprinkled over the coffee grounds rather than a single stream. The idea is that this will wet the coffee more evenly to ensure a consistent brew. Some worked better than others in our tests, though, so a showerhead is no guarantee of a better cup of coffee.

Take your coffee on the go with the best reusable coffee cups and travel mugs