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10 Best Coffee Makers With Reusable Filter (Permanent Filter For Less Waste)

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Kieran

October 10, 2023

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The first-ever drip coffee maker I owned came with a reusable filter and I’m so glad it did.

So much waste gets saved when you don’t have to throw away a paper filter after every use.

And when the coffee doesn’t taste that different and your clean-up is easy there’s no good reason to get a coffee machine with a permanent filter.

But which one?

I’ve gathered all the best right here and each one is available on Amazon so you can order yours today and be drinking delicious coffee in no time.

With that said let’s dive into the top 5 best coffee makers with reusable filters.

Top 5 Best Coffee Makers With Reusable Filters

• Top Choice – Cuisinart DCC-3200P1 Perfectemp Coffee Maker
• Best Pour Over – Bodum 11571-109 Pour Over Coffee Maker with Permanent Filter
• Best 4-5 Cup – KRUPS Simply Brew Compact Filter Drip Coffee Maker
• Best 12 Cup – Cuisinart DCC-1100BKP1 Coffeemaker
• Best Permanent filter choice – Bialetti 4953 Moka Express Espresso Maker

1. Top Choice – Cuisinart DCC-3200P1 Perfectemp Coffee Maker

This is everything you could want from a drip machine because it makes coffee at a high enough temperature to properly extract the flavors. A lot of drip machines don’t brew at a high enough temperature and you end up wasting lots of coffee to get a decent flavor in a cup.

It’s got a good-sized 14 cup carafe to make plenty of coffee for a group but you can also use the 1-4 setting for small batches of coffee for 1-2 people.

It’s also got a water filter built in that does need to be replaced periodically but if you live anywhere you don’t want to drink the tap water this is a blessing. If you don’t want to drink the water because it doesn’t taste the best then it’s not going to make great coffee!

But if you don’t want to, you don’t have to use the water filter, if you want to really minimize waste as far as possible.

The filter is a gold-tone standard filter that works perfectly and is fine enough to stop you from getting any coffee fines in your cup.

If you want a great-tasting cup of coffee and don’t want the waste of a paper filter then this is the machine for you.

2. Best Pour Over – Bodum 11571-109 Pour Over Coffee Maker with Permanent Filter

This is a great option if you want a more manual approach to your coffee making because you might need to start measuring how much water and how much coffee you use, not to mention what grind.

If that sounded like kind of a lot then you should stick to the drip machine above.

If you’re keen to make pour-over coffee then this is ideal because the filter is made to fit the carafe, no need to try and squash a misfitting filter inside a Chemex or anything like that.

The filter is stainless steel and again it’s a nice fine mesh so that you don’t get any fines inside the cup of coffee. Very similar to a paper filter made cup of pour-over without the waste, what more could you want?

3. Best 4-5 Cup Budget – KRUPS Simply Brew Compact Filter Drip Coffee Maker

If you’re a coffee drinker who just likes a cup of coffee in the morning then this is your go-to.

You’re not fussed about getting maximum extraction, using a grinder, or any of that noise. You buy your ground coffee, possibly in bulk, and you want a cup of coffee.

Boom, the Krups is ideal, not too expensive, makes 25 fl oz of coffee which is a big travel mug worth or 2-3 normal mugs worth of coffee.

It’s got a coffee scoop, it’s got a dishwasher-safe coffee pot for easy cleanup, and it’s got a removable coffee filter that you can clean up and reuse.

Couldn’t be easier and you get a pretty good cup of coffee to boot.

If you’re more interested in quality coffee and getting a bit more in-depth then the Cuisinart at the top or the one below this will be much better choices.

4. Best 12 Cup – Cuisinart DCC-1100BKP1 Coffeemaker

This Cuisinart can make 12, 5oz cups of coffee, plus it’s got the important removable filter that lets you cut down on waste.

And the coffee it makes? I hear you ask.

Excellent, it’s got a showerhead design which gives you full saturation over all the coffee grounds allowing for an even better cup of coffee. Some coffee makers only pour water on the center of the coffee which just isn’t good. you don’t get an even saturation and you get the bitterness pulled from some of the grounds and no flavor at all from other parts.

Nice hot water over all the grounds for an excellent cup of coffee.

It’s programmable for the next day and if you want a smaller batch or a stronger brew strength you can select the 1-4 setting. But equally, if you want a nice big pot of coffee for guests (or for yourself, I’m not judging) you’ve got that option too.

Cuisinart easily makes some of the best drip coffee makers which is why they’re on this list twice, another great choice for anyone who cares about great tasting coffee and wants to be able to make large quantities.

5. Best Permanent filter Coffee Maker – Bialetti 4953 Moka Express Espresso Maker

I got my first Moka Pot only a few months before writing this, Scott, the co-owner of this site told me it would fast become my staple way to make coffee.

He was right!

Near every morning this is filled with freshly ground coffee beans and put on the stovetop. Combined with my milk frother (review here) and I can make my wife and I cappuccinos every morning. It’s a good time!

The filter is built into the Moka pot for those who don’t know, you fill the base with water, put a coffee filter basket on top, fill it with coffee grounds and screw the top chamber on, then put it on the stove. Easy.

It says 6 cups but it’s enough for 2 cappuccinos or a single cup of standard mug size, although it is stronger than most coffee so be wary!

There is no way to include a paper filter in this and it just doesn’t need one, the coffee is smooth, it’s sediment-free and all-around delicious.

If you want a little more hands-on but not so much as the pour-over further up then this is a great choice.

Other Ways To Have Coffee Without Paper Filters

French Press

This is the classic way to have coffee without using a paper filter, the filter is built in as the wire mesh that presses through the coffee.

It is a tried and tested way to make coffee but a lot of people don’t like the coffee it makes. The wire mesh lets through a lot more of the coffee fines than you would normally get from a paper filter, leaving you with a thicker cup of coffee.

I’ve grown to really like that, and you get used to not drinking the bottom mouthful but I fully understand why people don’t like it.

Plus getting a really consistent cup is surprisingly hard, it gives you a lot of room to move to really tweak and refine your coffee but be aware it does take a little practise.

Moka Pot

I already recommended a Moka Pot but I wanted to talk about them a bit more generally, these are the best way to make coffee with a built-in filter in my opinion, no paper, a clean cup of coffee, and they’re built to last being made largely of metal with only a rubber gasket that could wear out.

The coffee is much more similar to a paper filter method and you get a really repeatable cup of coffee because you use the same amount of coffee each time. Just fill it up to the top of the basket without pressing down.

Do Reusable Filters Taste Different?

Yes, in a word.

Paper filters have one drawback, and that’s the fact that they trap the coffee oils in the filter and don’t let them pass through to your cup. Now in those oils are both some of the key flavors of the coffee and what’s called “mouth feel” which if the coffee you’re drinking had far too much mouth feel it would feel buttery in your mouth.

It’s not essential which is why people drink so much paper filter coffee but it’s a noticeable taste aspect that you miss out on when you use a paper filter.

If you try both and don’t taste a difference then don’t worry about it. Both methods can make excellent coffee.

F.A.Q

What is a permanent filter coffee machine?

This is simply a coffee machine that comes with a reusable filter as standard. You don’t have to buy it separately and it will definitely fit.

It can sometimes be a coffee maker that’s got a built in filter like a French press but generally people mean the above.

Are Reusable coffee filters good?

Yes they are!

Reusable coffee filters are good because they cut down on waste but they also don’t change the taste of your coffee too much. You still get a nice clean cup and all that same great coffee flavor.

Are permanent coffee filters better than paper?

I’d say so, permanent coffee filters can be used again and again, they don’t end up in the trash day in and day out, America alone is responsible for millions upon millions of coffee filters going into the garbage every single day.

Plus as I said a moment ago the flavor is largely the same, even arguably better so they are definitely better.

How do you clean a reusable coffee filter?

You simply bash out the grounds in the garbage disposal and rinse it under the tap keeping it moving to dislodge all the stuck grounds. Give it a gentle scrub with a brush and you’re good to go.

Then if you want a deeper clean you can put it in the dishwasher after it’s been rinsed on the top shelf, or even get some special coffee cleaner if you want to get rid of any discoloration.

Other Coffee Makers With Permanent filters Reviewed

Braun KF7070 BrewSense Drip Glass Coffeemaker

The Braun BrewSense is an ideal choice for its price range below $100, it’s got a nice big 12 cup capacity plus an easy-fill water reservoir at the back.

It’s got a built-in water filtration that a few of these models have had with the charcoal water filter.

But what this machine does that the others don’t is that it’s got an alert system for descaling, letting you know when the scale is starting to build up and it’s time to give it a proper deep clean with some descaling agent.

This is ideal for anyone in a hard water area because limescale can ruin a coffee machine stopping it from heating up the water properly and sometimes even stopping the water from flowing through the machine completely.

Aside from that, it’s 14″ tall so if you’re low on kitchen counter space this should fit under most cabinets.

BLACK+DECKER 5-Cup Coffeemaker

This is a small compact coffee maker, similar to your standard Mr. Coffee and Hamilton Beach coffee makers, with no bells and whistles, just a simple on/off for a bargain price.

How’s the coffee?

Better than instant coffee which is all you can really hope for at this price, and no worse than a Keurig pod coffee maker.

I may not be selling it but if you want a coffee maker for less than $30 then you’re going to have to compromise!

It, of course, has the reusable filter but it’s a basket style rather than a cone style, this is more a space saver and isn’t hugely different to the cone to be quite honest.

If you need a quick, simple, and small coffee brewer then this is the choice for you. Anything better than having to waste plastic using K-cups! And you still get a hot cup of joe at the end.

Mr. Coffee Simple Brew Coffee Maker 4 Cup Coffee Machine

The main difference between this and the above machine? This one brews one less cup… And to be honest that’s about it!

Mr. Coffee is classic though, they’ve been offering low price good quality coffee machines for years. You won’t get any fancy espresso machines but you will get an automatic filter machine that does a good job.

Good coffee taste, hot coffee at the end, and a stain resistant warming plate, what more could you want?

It’s also got the brew-pause system so you can “steal a cup” while you’re brewing before it’s finished. Just take the jug out and it will drip a little but it won’t just continue brewing all over the place.

But don’t take too long you’re stealing the cup so out, pour the cup, and back in. Boom.

Mueller Ultra Coffee Maker, 12-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker

On this model, I really like the onboard cord storage, because it’s a pet peeve of mine when you press a coffee machine back against the wall to store it and you’ve got this big snaking cable popping out around the side.

You’ve also got brew-strength selectors to adjust the strength of the coffee you make but also to adjust the brew sizes, stronger brew strengths for less coffee to ensure you get a great cup of coffee.

This also claims to heat water up to 205 degrees, which is the upper end of the ideal brew temperature and exactly what we want. Some coffee machines don’t brew at a high enough temperature to ensure an effective brewing process so this is ideal.

There are some claims this is BPA free but I can’t find any confirmation of that from the manufacturer so don’t entirely trust the Amazon answers.

An easy top pick, a great coffee machine with a reusable filter.

Ninja CE251 Programmable Brewer

I like a few different things about this coffee machine, the long-brewing time isn’t particularly one of them but it does mean an effectively extracted cup and it’s only if you’re doing a full pot so it’s OK.

I do like that the water tank is removable, When filling up with the carafe I pretty much always end up dripping at least a little water over the countertop and this stops that from happening.

Other than that you’ve got all the usual good stuff, a 24 hours programmable timer, dishwasher safe components, a cleaning cycle, which is everything you want to make your favorite coffee in the morning.

Final Thoughts

And that covers it!

I hope this was helpful and you’ve found a machine you like, if you did please consider clicking through a “Price & Reviews” button and ordering it on Amazon to support this site.

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