Makita Coffee Maker Review: Cordless and Battery-Powered

If you are a coffee lover committed to making your brew even on the job site using just your work tools to power the process, then the Makita coffee maker is perfect for you.

Makita cordless coffee makers work with Makita cordless tools, which have compatible max cxt lithium-ion batteries. Slide out your drill battery, pop it into your machine, and enjoy your coffee break!

Read on for our Makita coffee maker review.

Summary: The Makita DCM501Z Rechargeable Coffee Maker

• Light and durable with a portable design
  
• Compatible with Makita battery technology
  
• Works with coffee grounds and coffee pods

“I use the coffee maker regularly and at a quarter of the cost, it beats the kettle hands down . . . Makita is my chosen battery platform so that’s no shortage of portable power. [I] can also make tea with it.

– Customer Review, Marc, Makita Coffee Maker Owner

See on Amazon

The Makita Coffee Maker Review

Just because you are at work, that does not mean that you cannot get your caffeine fix and brew yourself fresh coffee for when you need it!

Not only is it crucial to power your work tools, but it is just as important, if not arguably more so, to power the person using them. The Makita cordless coffee maker, as you may suspect from the name, is made by the same people who manufacture Makita power tools. This makes it the perfect solution for workers wishing to brew their coffee wherever their work may take them.

The Makita is a battery-operated coffee maker that comes in a kit with a measuring spoon for your favorite ground coffee and a removable stainless steel dual wall mug and lid. Be cautious when using your own cups as certain sizes will not fit under the machine’s low cup clearance. 

As cool of a concept as the Makita coffee maker is, is it actually worth lugging this thing around to work for the sake of your morning cup? Let’s find out and see how to make a coffee cup using your very own power tools.

Makita Coffee Maker Review

• Ease Of Use
• Coffee Flavor
• Brewing Capability
• Build Quality
• Cleaning And Maintenance
• Value For Money

3.9

• See On Amazon

Ease Of Use – 5/5

The ion cordless coffee maker is simple to use. It comes with a removable water tank with a max capacity of 240ml, which is about the perfect amount for a standard cup of coffee. There is no need for paper filters as this coffee maker uses a permanent drip filter. It also has a fresh coffee basket, or a brew basket, with a shower screen with a reusable mesh brew basket inside. If you want to use single-serve coffee pods instead of ground coffee, then unique compatible coffee pod baskets are available rather than the reusable mesh brew ones. 

For ground coffee, pick up some pre-ground coffee or get fancy and use a Makita drill with some batteries to grind up whole coffee beans without overworking yourself using a manual grinder. 

Put the desired amount of coffee into the mesh basket, and fill the water tank with the desired amount of water. Hot water is unnecessary as the heating elements within the battery-operated machine will do the heating for you rather than by a separate cordless kettle. Slide in the battery needed for your brew and push the start button on the front of the coffee machine. All that now remains is to wait, which is arguably the most challenging part. The coffee maker will automatically turn off after the brew cycle is finished, and it will even shut off to protect the machine from damage if there is not enough water in the water tank (1). 

The machine’s automaticity allows you to rest on your work breaks without worrying about the hassle of having to remember what to turn off and when. It also gives you the freedom to walk away and attend to something else work-related while waiting for your coffee without having to watch it like a hawk.

Coffee Flavor – 2.5/5

Coffee produced by this coffee maker is not as strong as you may expect, both in flavor and caffeine content. And unfortunately, it doesn’t have a setting for a bolder brew. To get the most satisfying flavor from the Makita coffee maker, use freshly ground coffee in the filter basket rather than a coffee pod, and opt for a higher coffee-to-water ratio than normal.

It does a better job extracting medium or dark roast coffees, which come out smooth without any bitterness — though without a lot of character. When I brewed a light roast, it tasted bland and under-extracted.

Brewing Capability – 3/5

Makita coffee machine accommodates two Makita batteries: 12V max cxt lithium-ion Makita battery and 18V LXT® Lithium-Ion Makita battery. 

Makita 12V Battery Powered Coffee Pot

The 12V max cxt lithium battery is much smaller than the standard one used by customers. Since this coffee maker battery size still only brews a small amount of coffee at its optimal performance, most find it worthwhile to focus on the 18v lxt lithium-ion maker battery size.

Makita 18V Coffee Maker

With 18 volts, the Makita 18V coffee maker battery takes about an hour to recharge using 22 watts. It uses 190 watts when brewing 160mls of coffee and lasts about 7 minutes. This requires a great amount of power for a small amount of coffee, about half a cup, but the quantity produced is larger than the Makita 12V version. 

Suppose you are prioritizing the battery life of your Makita tools in a work environment where there are no external power sources to recharge them. In that case, this coffee maker may not be the most energy-efficient way to get the most out of your limited battery life, no matter how much of a priority coffee is to your day.

Build Quality – 4/5

The build of this coffee maker is light, durable, and as high quality as the tools made by Makita. However, we must take into account the weight of the battery (200-210g), the typical amount of water used for a cup of coffee (160g), the coffee grinder for ground coffee, and the machine (1500g). In that case, it adds up to a pretty heavy quantity for a portable coffee maker. This loses half a point.

The Makita is fortunately built for making freshly brewed coffee with surprisingly quick charging times at a high level of performance due to its extended battery life. Despite the efficiency of the Makita battery, the coffee maker deals with a poor battery-to-liquid ratio. It also emits a loud, prolonged high-pitched squealing sound during the brewing process, which can be annoying on the ears yet helpful in a loud work environment. This also loses half a point.

Cleaning And Maintenance – 5/5

Cleaning the Makita coffee machine is as easy as using it. Let the coffee machine first cool, and then take out the battery. Use a soft wet cloth to wipe the exterior of the coffee machine, including the permanent drip filter. Remove the brew basket or the coffee pod basket used from the coffee machine to wash it with soapy water. Rinse all these parts with warm water and allow everything to fully dry, or use a cloth to wipe everything dry. You can also soak the basket overnight in warm soapy water for a more thorough cleaning. It is recommended to rinse and dry your measuring spoon in between each use of ground coffee. 

Repeat this process after every use of the machine to ensure the long-term maintenance of your coffee machine and to preserve the high-quality taste of your ground coffee or coffee pods. This helps to prevent staining the machine with coffee or leaving any ground aftertaste. (2)

Value For Money – 4/5

This coffee maker falls within the average price range compared to other machines actively available on the market. It is nowhere near the most cost-effective option, but it is also far from being the most expensive portable coffee and espresso machine. 

You will save money in the long run from not having to buy paper filters due to the permanent drip filter affixed to the machine. However, you need to consider the cost of the ground coffee, the coffee pods compatible with the machine and the lithium-ion batteries used, and the means to recharge them that are sold separately. As such, we took one point off.

Do Not Buy The Makita Cordless Coffee Maker If… 

• You want a quick, high-quality coffee – As handy as the Makita rechargeable coffee maker is, the reviews are mixed about whether the hassle is actually worth the ensuing brew. Everyone has their personal preferences for the taste, timing, and convenience of their brews. For more details on a good coffee and espresso maker option guaranteed to brew high-quality coffee in just one minute, check out our full review of the Aeropress.

• You are looking to make more coffee – The Makita cordless coffee maker brews just enough for about one cup of coffee at once. If you want a portable coffee maker that can make enough cups of coffee to satisfy two people, or one true coffee lover, then opt for the Bodum Travel press for its 350ml brewing capacity. If you prioritize coffee quantity over coffee quality and do not particularly have any temperature preferences for your brews, then consider getting a cold brew coffee maker that can make large batches (up to a week’s worth!) of coffee in advance.

• You don’t like portable coffee makers – If after all of this you are still not convinced that portable coffee makers are worth the effort to make coffee at work, then try the Flair espresso maker for an easy and enjoyable espresso experience in the comfort of your own home. Alternatively, take a look at durable thermoses and brew any kind of coffee of your choice to take with you that will preserve the heat of the brew on the go. You can still enjoy portable coffee without bringing along the coffee maker, too. For some alternative options, check out our comprehensive guide detailing the best coffee makers for travel to experiment with your future cups of coffee.

• You do not already use Makita cordless tools – the Makita DCM501Z makes sense only if you can power it from the same cordless tools made by Makita. That’s a pretty tall order to fill. If you work on a site with no power source and no compatible tools, it can get expensive quite quickly to pick up the brewer, the batteries, the charger, the coffee grounds, and the coffee pods.

The Verdict

The cordless Makita coffee maker appeases the needs of coffee lovers in the trades who work with Makita tools daily. The Makita 18V coffee maker is the most used battery-powered coffee pot with a battery attached and slid into the 18V setting. 

If you are looking for an easy-to-use machine worth your money, consider this ion cordless coffee maker compatible with both coffee pods and ground coffee. No paper filters are needed to make a hot cup of lithium-ion cordless coffee that you can be proud of at work using battery-powered tools.

SEE ON AMAZON