If you live in a small home then it’s really important to consider the size of appliance you buy otherwise you can end up with an extremely crowded kitchen. Tiny homes, small apartments, shared accommodation, student halls, and caravans are all examples of living spaces that need to be carefully furnished.
Just because you live in a small space, this does not mean you have to sacrifice delicious coffee. Coffee makers come in all shapes and sizes and, as long as you know what you’re looking for, you’re guaranteed to find one that suits your home.
To help narrow down the vast array of options available, here are ten top picks. There is a small coffee maker for every kind of coffee lover out there whether you like it fast and automated or you prefer hands-on like a barista.
To start you off, here’s a quick summary of all the brilliant coffee makers we’ve reviewed, and then let’s jump right in and look at the top choice today, the Keurig K-mini.
Best Small Coffee Makers
- 1. Top Choice – Keurig K-Mini Plus Coffee Maker
- 2. Runner Up – Mr. Coffee 5 Cup Programmable Mini
- 3. Best Espresso Maker – Breville BES500BSS Bambino Plus Espresso Machine
- 4. Best Portable Option – Aeropress Coffee and Espresso Maker
- 5. Budget Option – BLACK+DECKER 5-Cup Coffeemaker
- 6. Luxury Option – Nespresso Essenza Mini Coffee and Espresso Machine by DeLonghi
- 7. Best Non-Electric – Mueller French Press Double Insulated 304 Stainless Steel Coffee Maker
- 8. Best Cold Brew Coffee Maker – OXO Brew Compact Cold Brew Coffee Maker
- 9. Best Drip Coffee Maker – Cuisinart 4-Cup Coffeemaker
- 10. Best Single Serve – Hamilton Beach FlexBrew Single-Serve Coffee Maker
1. Top Choice – Keurig K-Mini Plus Coffee Maker
Pod machines are perfect for those bleary-eyed mornings when you can’t tell up from down. Simply add the coffee pod, press a button, and your cup of coffee is brewed in no time at all. This little coffee maker is mini by design and will fit in even the smallest spaces. Despite its small footprint, it can accommodate travel mugs up to 7 inches tall.
Auto shut off helps save energy and this option comes with storage for up to 9 pods so saves even more counter space. It has a bold brew feature and a removable water reservoir for easy refilling and cleaning.
You can always use the my k cup universal reusable coffee filter with your favorite ground coffee to make this option a bit more eco-friendly. This machine is compact, easy to use, and has so many flavor options you’ll never get fed up with this coffee machine.
2. Runner Up – Mr. Coffee 5 Cup Programmable Mini
Drip coffee takes the barista’s classic pour-over coffee and automates it to give all the delicious taste you’d expect from a Chemex yet a simplified brewing process.
This is one of the best small coffee makers for brewing batches of coffee with ease. With a 5-cup glass carafe, it can hold up to 24 ounces of hot coffee ready for when you need it most. It’s a fully programmable coffee maker so you can awake to the smell of fresh coffee and the hotplate switches off after 2 hours to save energy.
It comes with a reusable filter basket but this can affect the brew strength. I’d recommend removing this and using paper filters instead. If you’re using paper filters do make sure you remove the basket otherwise the machine can end up overflowing coffee and making a mess!
3. Best Espresso Maker – Breville BES500BSS Bambino Plus Espresso Machine
Espresso making requires you to achieve a perfect balance between grind size, brewing temperature, pressure, and timing. A lot of espresso makers are huge and take up a lot of counter space due to all their design as well as all the extra equipment they need. The Bambino by Breville gets around this issue and even though it’s a small machine it can really rival any larger espresso machine.
Low-pressure pre-infusion is programmed into this machine meaning it gets the water pressure just right for every stage in the brew cycle. The thermojet heating system means the machine is ready to go in only 3 seconds and the digital temperature control ensures the water temperature is always perfect.
You have the choice of 2 cup sizes, a single or a double shot and this machine even has a steam wand so you can create cafe-quality microfoam to make cappuccinos and lattes. This is one of the best compact espresso makers on Amazon and a perfect choice for a small space.
4. Best Portable Option – Aeropress Coffee and Espresso Maker
The Aeropress is a coffee-making sensation. It’s ultra-compact and lightweight and can brew hot or iced coffee anytime, anywhere. It’s a plastic syringe-like device that brews coffee using a combination of immersion and micro-filtration to brew a bold and sweet coffee that’s low in acidity and full of flavor.
The coffee brews in the central chamber before you press down on the plunger and this forces the liquid through a filter and into your mug. The plastic used in this device is all food safe, BPA, and phthalate-free so it’s a safe choice for brewing your cup of joe.
This option includes a funnel, scoop, stirrer, 350 microfilters, and a microfilter holder so everything you need to start brewing delicious coffee. It’s easy to use, brews great coffee, and packs away extremely small. It’s one of the most compact coffee makers available to buy and an ideal choice for all coffee lovers.
5. Budget Option – BLACK+DECKER 5-Cup Coffeemaker
Brand: Black + Decker
Brew Method: Drip Coffee Maker
Size: 9.75 x 7.25 x 10.75 inches
The perfect option for coffee drinkers who need delicious coffee on a budget this compact drip machine won’t set you back by much at all. With a warming plate and glass carafe, your coffee stays hot for when you need it.
The brew basket is removable for easy cleaning and this plus the carafe are both dishwasher safe so clean up is a breeze. Small features like the level window on the water tank and the light-up on-button let you quickly see the state of the machine and cord storage makes it even more compact.
This is a small, easy-to-use, easy-to-clean coffee maker that can easily brew 1-5 cups of great coffee. It fits easily onto any countertop and keeps your coffee warm all day if you want it to!
Tips for Brewing the Best Coffee in Your Small Coffee Maker
Use a Burr Grinder
Whole coffee beans lock in all those delicious coffee flavors and aromas and these start to decrease as soon as the coffee is ground up. The only way to grind coffee up to an even and consistent grind size is to use a burr coffee grinder. These work using rotating burrs that can be set to varying distances apart to evenly grind coffee beans into a uniform consistency. A burr coffee grinder can elevate your coffee brewing game to new levels straight away.
Filtered Water
If your coffee seems to be tasting a bit off and you’re not sure why then it may be the water you’re using. Tap water often contains hard minerals and other impurities that impart a bitter taste to the coffee. This also can affect the coffee extraction and leave the java weak or thin in body. Filtered water is the perfect solution as this avoids all these issues.
Brew Ratio
You need to get the correct coffee to water ratio for your chosen brew method otherwise your coffee will taste a bit off. The general rule for most brew methods is a 1:15 ratio of coffee to water. This works for french press, drip coffee, and pour over. For espresso, you want a 1:2 ratio and cold brew concentrate requires around a 1:4 ratio. Weigh your coffee out using digital scales rather than scoops or spoons as this is way more accurate.
Fresh Coffee
As with most foodstuffs, fresher is always better. Freshly roasted coffee beans mature about 1-2 weeks post roasting and are best enjoyed as soon as possible. If you can’t find a roast date on the bag the chances are it’s not very fresh. If possible, buy your beans from a local roastery as this ensures the freshest flavors and also helps support local businesses.
Keep It Clean
It’s a common misconception that coffee makers don’t need to be cleaned out or that the coffee residue ‘matures them’. Coffee leaves an oily residue as it’s brewing and this will turn sour tasting with time. It’s a focus for mold to grow and absolutely needs to be cleaned away.
Rinse your coffee maker out with clean water after each use and once a week or so (depending on how often you use it) make sure you clean all the parts with warm soapy water or put it through the dishwasher (if the manufacturer states it’s safe to do so). Descale your coffeemaker as the manufacturer recommends to keep it in good working order.
More Small Coffee Makers Reviewed
6. Luxury Option – Nespresso Essenza Mini Coffee and Espresso Machine by DeLonghi
Brand: Nestle Nespresso
Brew Method: Single Cup Coffee Maker
Size: 12.8 x 8.1 x 4.3 inches
If you’re a sucker for specialty coffee then this Nespresso machine is the top pick for you. This single-serve coffee maker brews espresso or cafe lungo using its 19 bar high-pressure pump to create a thick crema. It uses Nespresso capsules and each machine comes with a welcome pack with 16 pods to get you started.
If you love espresso then this machine provides you with a really simple way to enjoy this. If you prefer, you can also choose the option to buy the Aeroccino milk frother alongside the coffee maker and this allows you to make cappuccino and lattes with ease.
It heats up in as little as 30 seconds and after 3 minutes it reduces its power consumption before turning off after 9 minutes of inactivity. It’s ultra-lightweight and compact and the easiest way to brew quality coffee in tiny spaces.
7. Best Non-Electric – Mueller French Press Double Insulated 304 Stainless Steel Coffee Maker
If you need a compact coffee maker that can pack away in an instant then a non-electric brew method is best. The humble french press is such a good choice as it takes up hardly any cupboard space yet it brews bold and delicious coffee with ease.
All you need to do is add coarsely ground coffee and hot water, wait and then press the plunger. With a brew time of 4 minutes, french press coffee is quick to make and brews a thick and rich cup of coffee that’s hard to beat.
This option is double-wall insulated so the coffee pot keeps your java piping hot. The mesh filter has four layers to ensure no sediment ends up in your cup and the pot is made out of high-quality stainless steel so is food safe, hygienic, and rustproof. It’s also dishwasher safe, making cleanup a breeze.
It even comes with a bonus canister to store your coffee beans to help them stay fresh and aromatic.
8. Best Cold Brew Coffee Maker – OXO Brew Compact Cold Brew Coffee Maker
Cold brew coffee is a unique and low-maintenance way to brew coffee. It deserves a lot more hype than it currently has for a number of reasons. This brewing method uses cold water to slowly extract only the sweetest and most aromatic flavors from the coffee beans without any burnt or bitter taste ending up in there. the resulting coffee is delicious to drink and also low in acid so gentle on the stomach.
This Oxo cold brew dripper makes cold brew even easier. Simply add your coarsely ground coffee, fix the rainmaker in place, and pour fresh filtered over the top. Fix the lid in place and sit the device on the countertop or in the fridge for 12 hours or so. Once it’s brewed you fix it on top of the glass carafe and the liquid is automatically dispensed and ready to serve.
It can brew up to 16 ounces of coffee concentrate which can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks using the cork bung to keep it fresh. This is such a clever little coffee maker and is really easy to use. It’s super compact and makes cold brewing even easier.
9. Best Drip Coffee Maker – Cuisinart 4-Cup Coffeemaker
Drip coffee makers are a wonderful invention. They make delicious piping hot coffee effortlessly so are perfect for those bleary-eyed mornings. This 4 cup coffeemaker by Cuisinart is small in size but has loads of great features that make it very user-friendly.
It has a stainless steel carafe with a dripless pour spout to avoid any mess and a knuckle guard to protect your hands. It’s a thermal carafe so will keep your coffee hot for hours without the risk of burning it as a hotplate can. If you want your coffee as hot as possible, always pre-heat the carafe with hot water and discard this before you start the brewing cycle.
If you’re impatient, brew-pause lets you grab a quick cup of coffee before the brew cycle is complete and the 30-minute auto shut off saves power automatically. This is a small yet mighty coffee machine that brews delicious coffee without any fuss.
10. Best Single Serve – Hamilton Beach FlexBrew Single-Serve Coffee Maker
Brand: Hamilton Beach
Brew Method: Single Serve Coffee Grounds or Pods
Size: 13.35 x 10.2 x 6.5 inches
If you’re the only coffee lover in your household then a single serve coffee maker is a brilliant choice. This option by Hamilton Beach has the flexibility of taking fresh coffee grounds or K-cup pods so you can tailor your coffee to suit you. It comes with an adjustable cup rest to suit a huge range of mug sizes whilst avoiding coffee splashes as it brews.
The brew time is a short 3 minutes and the machine only heats the water needed to brew the coffee so there’s no unnecessary energy used. All you need to do is pour the amount of water into the reservoir that relates to the size of cup you’re after, add your coffee, lower the lid, and press brew.
This machine is compact, easy to use, and brews a bold and delicious single cup of java.
Final Thoughts
A small coffee maker is an essential piece of kit if you live in a tiny apartment, shared housing, or you just don’t have a lot of countertop space to spare. Whether you enjoy espresso, french press, drip coffee, or cold brew there’s a small coffee maker out there to suit your needs. Even if you don’t have much room to spare this doesn’t mean you have to miss out on great tasting coffee!
