The best budget coffee makers in 2022, according to experts

What is a coffee maker if not the spring from which all other accomplishments begin? With glitter still on the floor from your New Year’s party, now’s a great time to reevaluate your coffee machine: the source from which your liquid gold is born every morning.

While some great coffee makers cost hundreds of dollars, you don’t need to break the bank to find one that gets the job done. And you shouldn’t do so if you can afford to: In our guide to the best coffee makers, Scott Rao, a coffee consultant and author of “The Coffee Roasters Companion,” told us that you should invest more in a grinder than a brewer, because even the best brewer can’t fix poorly ground coffee beans.

In practice, this means you could be spending around $250 on a reliable coffee grinder. So we set out to find some relatively affordable and solid coffee makers to offset the costs of your future coffee station. Whether you want a coffee maker that brews a single cup or 14 cups of coffee, there’s a reasonably priced coffee maker here for every preference. 2022 is the year of the expensive coffee grinder and the affordable coffee station. Pass it on.

In our guide to the best coffee makers, Jessica Easto, author of “Craft Coffee: A Manual,” told us that the best coffee makers will be able to reach proper brew temperature (generally between 195 degrees and 205 degrees Fahrenheit), sustain that temperature for the length of the brew cycle and ensure the water is in contact with the coffee for the right amount of time. As that can be a heavy load of research for the shopper, Easto suggested consulting coffee makers certified by the Specialty Coffee Association, or the SCA.

Below, we rounded up highly rated coffee makers under $180 that are SCA-certified, based on proper water temperature, brewing time and the machine’s ability to brew within the SCA Golden Cup standard. Quality coffee makers can cost hundreds of dollars, so we narrowed down SCA’s options down to those that are most affordable and in stock.

Ninja CM401 Specialty 10-Cup Coffee Maker

With the Ninja CM401 Specialty 10-Cup Coffee Maker, the brand says you can customize your coffee’s temperature and sizing however you prefer. The carafe holds about 8 cups, too. It includes a built-in, fold-away frother that froths your milk (or milk alternative, as it were). Ninja says the Ninja brewer will shut off after one hour of inactivity.

Brim 8-Cup Pour-Over Coffee Maker

As Easto mentioned, the best coffee makers will be able to reach proper brew temperature, between 195 degrees and 205 degrees Fahrenheit. According to Brim, the 8-Cup Pour-Over Coffee Maker heats coffee between 198 degrees and 205 degrees Fahrenheit and maintains that temperature throughout the brewing process. Like the Ninja, the Brim holds about 8 cups of coffee. Brim says that the coffee maker ensures the proper amount of contact time between water and coffee, too.

Ninja CP301 Hot and Cold…