The Best Coffee Maker At Costco: You’ll Be Surprised
Costco has a limited but diverse lineup of coffee makers you can choose from. But that diversity means it isn’t always clear which is the best coffee maker for you. Why is one better than the other? We all have different coffee styles and preferences, so which machine fits your needs exactly?
Luckily, we’ve done all the legwork of comparing the best coffee makers at Costco to help you along your journey.
All you have to do is read to determine which machine best fits your needs.
At A Glance:
- Best Overall Hamilton Beach FlexBrew 2-Way
- Budget Pick: Cuisinart Brew Central 14-Cup Programmable
- Most Versatile Ninja XL Dual Brew
The 4 Best Coffee Makers At Costco
Not all the coffee maker models available at Costco are the same, and you must weigh all the options. That’s why we’re here to help.
1. Hamilton Beach FlexBrew 2-Way – Best Overall
Specifications
Serving Sizes: Up to 12 Cups
- Pods Or Drip: Both
- Durability: High
- Size: Medium
The name of this Hamilton Beach brewer kind of gives away the award: the FlexBrew 2-Way. And it truly lives up to its name. Which is why we think it’s the best coffee maker at Costco. The FlexBrew brews every size of coffee imaginable. And with any coffee you can find: from single-serve pods to full carafes. The FlexBrew has a pod coffee accessory that allows you to fill up a single-serve pod with any ground coffee you want and brew a single cup at a time.
No other coffee maker does that.
It’s a machine made from high-quality, durable plastic with a simple enough brewing system that doesn’t require much maintenance. Put that all together, and you have a machine that’ll last long. Almost long enough to become an heirloom.
And as far as size goes, it won’t take up too much of your kitchen. Its footprint is 12.2×11.4″. That’s small enough for most kitchens. The 13.7″ height means it fits under most cabinets.
2. Keurig K-Supreme Plus Special Edition – The Best Bundle
Specifications
Serving Sizes: Up to a 12oz cup
- Pods Or Drip: Pods
- Durability: High
- Size: Small/Medium
Like many Keurig coffee makers, you’ll also find the K-Supreme Plus Special Edition coffee maker at Costco. It comes in a bundle with a handful of K-Cups. That makes this the best bundle option for your coffee brewing needs.
It fits the economical and fast-paced coffee lover. Keurig machines are known as fast, reliable, and convenient brewers. Yes, the K-Supreme only brews single-serve pods and doesn’t brew entire carafes. However, you can still choose from a 4, 6, 8, 10, or 12 oz cup of coffee. That means no matter what, you’ll have a perfectly-sized coffee, and you can choose from three strength settings as well.
The K-Supreme matches your pace and will give you consistent results for years. We’ve known some Keurigs to last a decade with proper maintenance and care, and it’s a safe bet that you’ll still get many years out of your machine with regular use.
The size of the Keurig K-Supreme Plus is reasonable, and it has a narrow body at just over 8″ wide and a reasonable height of just over 12″. Even if you have a smaller kitchen, this machine will likely fit just fine. Keurig also make some of the best coffee makers on Amazon.
3. Cuisinart Brew Central 14-Cup Programmable Timer – The Budget Pick
Specifications
Serving Sizes: Up to 14 Cups
- Pods Or Drip: Drip
- Durability: High
- Size: Medium
Simplicity is the name of the game for the Cuisinart Brew Central 14-Cup Programmable coffee maker. And the simplicity makes it relatively cheap and earns it our budget pick award.
Now, this Cuisinart doesn’t brew single-serve pods. But that helps keep the price down. Plus, you still get the convenience of brewing single cups at a time. And you can consistently brew just 4 cups at a time with this Brew Central. And up to 14 cups at once.
The brew system’s low price and versatility mean this is the best choice for a more traditional coffee drinker. It’s great for someone who drinks a cup or two of coffee every morning and wants the simplest yet most durable coffee maker on the market.
Cuisinart coffee brewers are known for their quality. There’s no reason the Brew Central won’t last for many years.
As for the size, it’s almost a cube. Its 10×10.5″ footprint doesn’t take up too much counter space, and the 16″ height still fits under most cabinets. The biggest issue with the size is that you must load coffee from the top, so you’ll likely have to move the machine out from under your cabinet.
4. Ninja XL Dual Brew – Most Versatile
Specifications
Serving Sizes: Up to 12 Cups
- Pods Or Drip: Both
- Durability: Medium
- Size: Medium
We think the Ninja XL Dual Brew is the most versatile option at Costco, and that’s because it has the most drink option and the broadest range of cup sizes. Plus, it can even brew single-serve coffee pods. What’s in it for you? It means this machine fits just about every coffee lifestyle you can think of.
You like to drink single-serve pods? The XL Dual Brew has an adapter that fits into the brewing chamber to brew single-serve pods. You prefer carafes? Just take out the pod adapter. You want a latte? This machine even does that because it has a stow-away milk steaming wand.
And the best part is that the machine doesn’t have a huge footprint even with all those features. While it will fit in most kitchens, it is a little taller than other machines at 15.5″.
This kind of versatility means it’ll fit every coffee drinker’s habits.
On the downside, this machine has medium durability, and the only knock is that the steam wand is flimsy and finicky. The upside is that Ninja sells replacement parts.
How To Choose The Best Coffee Machine At Costco
Now that we’ve laid out the best choices for coffee makers at Costco, let’s dive into how to make your decision.
Serving Sizes
The biggest factor in deciding on a coffee machine is always serving sizes. How much coffee do you typically need at any given time? Do you brew coffee for just yourself or your entire family? Do you need a single cup at a time or entire carafes?
You should aim to find a coffee machine that fits your needs. If you brew for yourself but sometimes for others, find a machine that brews single-serve style coffees but can also do bigger servings.
Just be warned that a cup of coffee in a machine is only 5 or 6 oz, not 8 or 16.
But if you more often brew entire carafes but sometimes want just a cup or two, find a machine more suited to shole carafes. But pick out a glass carafe brewer that can still brew single cups at a time.
Pods Or Drip Coffee Maker?
Choosing between pod brewers or drip coffee machines comes down to what you generally brew more of. A pod machine is an excellent option if several people use the same machine (1). Or, if you like to brew single cups, pod brewers are still great.
Pod coffeemakers require slightly less effort, and some beans are ground in their country of origin.
But if you just want a lot of coffee at once, you should go with a drip machine. However, many drip machines like these can brew single cups simultaneously. Be honest and ask if you genuinely need one that can do both.
Durability
How long will the machine last? Will it still work five years from now? Before committing to a good coffee maker, these are all questions you should ask yourself.
Coffee brewers will last a long time with proper care and maintenance. However, not all machines are created equal.
Simpler coffee brewers are less likely to need major repairs or have major breakdowns (2). Coffee machines that only do one thing but do it well are likelier to last longer than machines that try to do everything.
A general rule of thumb: the simpler the machine, the longer it will last.
The Machine’s Footprint
The size you choose also plays a big role. How much space do you have to dedicate to a coffee machine? Will you always keep it on the counter or tuck it away in a cabinet? How much height do you have to spare under your cabinets?
Smaller coffee brewers work best for someone who tucks away their coffee maker daily (3). Shorter machines are better for smaller kitchens with overhead cabinets, and bigger machines are better for someone with a bigger kitchen who can dedicate the space.
The Verdict
The Home Grounds team thinks the Hamilton Beach FlexBrew is the best option for almost everyone.
It brews everything from single-serve pods to full, 12-cup carafes. It’s small enough to fit in most kitchens and durable enough to last for long.
It’s simply the best coffee maker at Costco.
FAQs
Yes, expensive coffee makers make better coffee than cheaper ones. That’s because of the brewing system, shower head, and temperature control that is present in more expensive brewers.
The life expectancy of a coffee maker can be upwards of 10 years if it is cleaned and maintained regularly. Most coffee brewer machines will only last a few years without regular maintenance and cleaning.
No, leaving your coffee maker on all the time is not a good idea. Leaving it on always will degrade the wiring, hurt your brewing system, and shorten your coffee machine’s lifespan.
References
- Coffee Maker vs pod coffee: What’s the difference? Gadget Review. (2022, August 27). Retrieved March 24, 2023, from https://www.gadgetreview.com/coffee-maker-vs-pod-coffee/
- Association, S. C. (2019, February 22). Top 10 troubleshooting tips. Coffee Technicians Guild. Retrieved March 24, 2023, from https://coffeetechniciansguild.org/blog/2019/2/22/top-10-troubleshooting-tips/
- Organizenvy, J. |. (2022, October 18). 12 cozy ways to organize your kitchen coffee station • organizenvy. Organizenvy. Retrieved March 24, 2023, from https://organizenvy.com/organize-coffee-station/
