Sometimes, you need to make a pot of coffee to get everyone in the house properly caffeinated. Other times, you just need to make a stiff cup to get you over a drowsy hump in the middle of the day. Those are two different types of brewing that require very different machines, which isn’t exactly ideal for those who want a more streamlined kitchen counter. That’s where dual coffee makers come in.
As the name implies, dual coffee makers combine drip brewing and single-serve brewing in one device, giving you the option to make a big pot of coffee or just a single cup without cluttering your countertop with multiple small appliances. That means, you get to keep just one coffee maker while having the flexibility to brew a big batch or go single-serve, depending on what you need each time out.
Not all dual coffee makers are the same. Some keep things simple, offering just the option of brewing a pot or making a cup. Others offer a wider range of choices, allowing users to make espresso, cold brew, and other types of coffee, while offering to make them in different serving sizes, too. Some will let you use coffee pods for the single-serve cups, while others only offer the option of fresh coffee grounds for whatever serving you’re trying to make.
Because of their versatile capabilities, dual coffee makers tend to be a tad larger than your typical countertop brewer, too, especially for machines that have separate spouts for cups and pots. Some dual coffee makers, though, are bigger than others, so that’s another potential consideration when it comes to making your pick. Basically, your choice in dual coffee makers will depend a lot on your personal preferences and what you actually need from your brewing appliance.
These are the best dual coffee makers to bring more choices to your home brewing.
Hamilton Beach 2-Way Programmable Coffee Maker
Pros
- Very budget-friendly
- Easy to use
- Useful features like timer, brew strength, and cup size
Cons
- Separate non-removable water tanks for each side
The most affordable dual coffee maker in the list, this machine is a literal two-in-one. As in, it feels like two separate coffee makers combined into one. On the left side, you get the single-serve brewer, which comes with its own spout, its own water tank, and its own filter that can accommodate around three tablespoons of ground coffee, with room underneath to accommodate different sizes of drinking cups. On the right, you get the drip coffee maker, which also has its own spout, water tank, and larger filter, along with a glass pot sized to hold around 12 cups of brewed goodness.
A simple switch lets you toggle between which one to activate, while a few other buttons allow you to set a timer, so you can have it brew a pot right before you get up in the morning. There’s also an option for a stronger brew, which steeps the grounds a little longer for a much more intense flavor. It’s simple, straightforward, and gets the job done. Do note, this doesn’t work with any kind of single-serve cups, so you best pick up something else if you want a machine that can use those.
Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker
Pros
- Versatile coffee maker offers six sizes and four brew styles
- Built-in milk frother with steaming wand
- Simple controls
Cons
- Won’t keep a pot of coffee hot for extended periods
More than a dual coffee maker, this countertop brewer doesn’t just let you choose between a 10-cup pot of coffee and a single-serve cup. Instead, it lets you choose from six different serving sizes (including an entire pot) and four different brew styles, allowing it to produce regular brews, extra strength brews, iced coffees, and espresso-style beverages. They even threw in a built-in milk frother on the right top side, complete with as teaming wand that folds out from the side, so you can make lattes and cappucinos to your heart’s content. The controls are pretty simple, too – simply turn the knob to choose the serving size and select the brew style you prefer. Other nice features include a programmable timer, a detachable water tank, and dishwasher-safe components, so they’re easy to clean.
Braun Multiserve
Pros
- Versatile coffee maker offers seven sizes and four brew styles
- Makes cold brew coffee in under 15 minutes
- Dispenses hot water for tea with adjustable temperature
Cons
- Taller than usual profile
We love the modern styling of this dual coffee maker, which should fit in nicely in any contemporary home kitchen. It has a single spout design, so you only have to deal with one filter and one water tank, with a heated plate at the bottom, so it can heat up your pot to keep the coffee warm, and a fold out tray if you don’t want to use the plate for your cups and mugs. There’s a dial on the right side allowing you to choose the serving size you want to make (they offer seven options from a 5oz. cup to a full pot), while offering four brew style options, including one for Over Ice and one for Cold Brew. According to the outfit, it’s certified by the Specialty Coffee Association, which means the machine closely monitors temperatures and automatically adjusts the entire brewing process to ensure it achieves a consistent taste. Make sure you get the newer version, by the way, which adds a water dispenser with adjustable temperatures to the same spout, along with the new Cold Brew setting.
Ninja Hot & Cold Brewed System
Pros
- Brews coffee and tea in one machine
- Offers five brew styles for coffee and another five for tea
- Integrated milk frother
- Makes cold brew coffee
Cons
- Milk frother not as powerful as more specialized machines
Similar to Ninja’s other dual coffee maker, this one can brew in six different serving sizes, from a single cup all the way to a full pot. Unlike it, though, this more expensive machine doesn’t just brew coffee, but can also make tea, complete with a separate filter for tea leaves included. It even has five different brew options for tea to go along with the five brew options for coffee, which include Over Ice and Cold brew options, making this an absolute treat for fans of hot and cold coffee alike. Want to render a latte or a cappuccino? There’s a built-in milk frother, too, which works good enough for making basic specialty drinks, while the coffee pot actually does a good job of keeping the coffee hot for a fair amount of time.
Keurig K-Duo Plus
Pros
- Can use K-Cups or regular ground coffee
- Thermal coffee pot keeps drinks warm for two hours
- Narrow profile
Cons
- No heat plate
- Pretty expensive for a coffee maker with basic features
- Deep profile (up to 15 inches with the water tank in the back)
Like many, we know Kuerig best for their single-serve coffee makers. They, pretty much, put that category on the map, after all. If you want the convenience of the outfit’s K-Cups in your dual coffee maker, then this compact option is definitely the one you want to get. As you can probably guess, this uses K-Cups (both disposable and reusable options) for its single-serve mode, which can be inserted through a dedicated compartment at the top rear section, with four cup size options (6oz, 8oz, 10oz, and 12oz). For drip coffee, you can use the filter out front, with four brew size options (six, eight, 10, or 12 cups). Overall, we like the simple, straightforward operation, as well as the fact that it’s narrower than your typical dual coffee maker at just 7.6 inches wide. Do note, it goes pretty deep, especially with the water tank in the back, which you can move the side if you prefer it in that position. Other features include a timer that lets you program it 24 hours in advance, a pause control for getting coffee from the pot mid-brew, and a thermal carafe that can keep coffee warm for up to two hours.
Cuisinart Coffee Center 2-in-1 Coffeemaker & Single-Serve Brewer
Pros
- Compatible with all types of single-serve coffee pods
- Keeps your pot of coffee hot
- Excellent modern aesthetics
Cons
- Limited features
- Charcoal filter requires replacement after some time
Similar to the Hamilton Beach brewer above, this dual coffee maker puts a single serve spout on one side and a drip coffee spout on the other, giving it a wider profile. For single serve, it’s compatible with any brand of coffee pods, so you can use your favorite K-Cups or Nespresso pods to your heart’s content, although it also comes with a reusable cup for using your own grounds. You can choose from 4oz, 6oz, 8oz, 10oz, or 12oz servings. For drip coffee, they offer clean, bold, or over ice brew styles, with a heated plate, so you can keep your 12-cup pot on the machine to keep the coffee warm. Do note, it makes the full 12-cup serving every time, so use the single-serve instead if you just want to make two or three cups at a time. Other features include a 24-hour timer, a self-cleaning mode, dual filters (charcoal and goldtone), and a brew pause feature.
Breville Precision Brewer
Pros
- Versatile presets for serving size and brew style
- Lets you manually control brew time, temperature, and flow rate
Cons
- Tiny text on LCD screen may be hard to read for some
Out of all the dual coffee makers in this list, this one looks the most like a regular drip brewer. Seriously, it kind of looks like something you probably owned a few years back. You begin to understand why this simple-looking coffee maker is priced quite high once you start fiddling with the settings and realize this offers way more control than your typical dual coffee brewer. While it has quick presets for serving size and brew style (including cold brew and over ice), it also lets you tweak each brew exactly to your liking with options for contact time, brew volume, temperature, and flow rate to really dial in on how it makes your coffee. Yep, they don’t call it a “precision brewer” for nothing. Suffice to say, if you want maximum control over the way your coffee is brewed, this is really the best way to go. This one comes with a glass carafe, by the way, although they offer a more expensive one with a stainless steel pot.
