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Best Automatic Pour Over Coffee Makers in 2022

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Updated March 18, 2022

If you’re shopping for the best automatic pour-over coffee maker, you’re probably looking for a premium coffee drinking experience. You prioritize flavor, but you may not have the time to brew coffee through the traditional manual pour-over method. Thankfully, you can find electric coffee makers that can brew coffee using the pour-over method.

Like any other electric coffee maker, you’ll want to confirm the reservoir capacity and how many cups your machine can brew in a single session. Most importantly, you’ll want a coffee maker that can maintain the proper temperature to bring out the best in your coffee grounds. And since you’re focused on flavor, you’ll most likely want to opt for an appliance that comes with a thermal carafe rather than a warming plate.

Keep reading our best automatic pour-over coffee maker buying guide to learn more. And start your search by checking out our buying guide for the best coffee maker.

Top Automatic Pour Over Coffee Makers

 #1  Bonavita BV1900TS 8-Cup Coffee Maker

Award: TOP PICK

WHY WE LIKE IT: High-quality metal parts on this system provide lasting durability. This machine has a flat-bottomed filter basket and oversized showerhead, providing amazing saturation and uniform extraction.

Pros
  • Premium metal carafe
  • Dishwasher-safe parts
  • One-touch operation
Cons
  • Emptying the carafe is difficult
  • So-so warming function

The Bonavita BV1900TS 8-cup coffee maker features a convenient one-touch brewing process that helps users save time. This system has an auto shut-off function, offering easy control. With a dishwasher-safe carafe lid, filter basket, and showerhead, this coffee system supports easy cleanup. It has a 1500W heater that provides adequate power and precise boiling, maintaining the brewing temperatures in the 195° to 205°F range. However, emptying the carafe on this model is difficult.

This coffee machine has a pre-infusion mode for wetting ground coffee, preventing degassing when working with freshly roasted coffee. It has a flat-bottomed filter basket and large showerhead, offering incredible saturation and remarkably uniform extraction. With a double-wall stainless steel carafe, this coffee making system provides durability and keeps the coffee warm after brewing. The reservoir is transparent and has markings, allowing coffee enthusiasts to precisely measure out water. This coffee machine has a powerful heater, completing brewing in about 6 minutes.

 #2  De’Longhi ICM17270 8-Cup Coffee Maker

Award: HONORABLE MENTION

WHY WE LIKE IT: This coffee machine offers the choice between dripping and pouring, allowing for a wide variety of brewing methods. It has a large pitcher that will suit families and workplaces.

Pros
  • Excellent appearance
  • Supports both drip and pour-over brewing
  • Makes iced coffee
Cons
  • Tall design

Featuring a silver gray appearance, this De’Longhi ICM17270 8-cup coffee maker adds a touch of refinement to any kitchen counter. It boasts a powerful heating element for boiling fast and evenly, making barista-quality coffee fast. The coffee machine has a built-in system for making drip-style coffee. With a pulsating showerhead, this machine allows users to switch between drip-style brewing to pour-over processing. However, this coffee maker is a bit tall and may not fit under some kitchen cabinets.

The coffee machine is SCAA Golden Cup-certified, meeting high standards of coffee extraction. It uses a pour over system that completely extracts the coffee, unlocking great flavors that will please coffee enthusiasts. This system also supports over ice brewing, delivering full-bodied iced coffee. It has a fully automated system that brews without requiring constant human involvement. A high-quality glass carafe provides durability. This coffee machine has a sleek design that adds a touch of sophistication to any kitchen counter.

 #3  Sybo SF-CB-2GA 12-Cup Coffee Maker

Award: BEST KEEP-WARM FUNCTION

WHY WE LIKE IT: Featuring high-quality parts with metal housing, this coffee system is built to last. It has an extra-large pitcher ideal for families, workplaces and small gatherings.

Pros
  • High-quality metal construction
  • Extra large 12-cup glass carafe
  • Integrated warmer pads
Cons
  • Takes up plenty of space

Coffee-loving families will be pleased with the size of the Sybo SF-CB-2GA 12-cup coffee maker. It has a powerful heating system that makes easy work of brewing, bringing a full carafe to readiness in just 10 minutes. Equipped with a warmer pad, this device keeps the coffee hot after brewing, while an additional top warmer pad can keep an extra carafe at serving temperature during brewing. However, this machine takes up a lot of kitchen counter space.

With high-quality 304 food-grade stainless steel parts, this machine is ideal for heavy domestic use and commercial deployment. It is rust-resistant and supports hassle-free cleaning with a moist cloth. The included drip-free carafes with optimized spouts pour out coffee expertly, preventing messes during serving. It has a stunning stainless steel finish to complement kitchen counters and other appliances. This coffee machine is ETL, CE, and ROHS certified for safety and reliability.

 #4  KitchenAid KCM08020B 8-Cup Coffee Maker

Award: BEST APPEARANCE

WHY WE LIKE IT: A unique design with a dome-like brewing system will add a touch of freshness to any kitchen. The device has a completely automatic brewing system with a display to support hassle-free monitoring.

Pros
  • Incredible appearance
  • Fully automatic pour over system
  • Fast heating
Cons
  • Limited customization options

Available in a selection of charming colors, including onyx black, medallion silver, and empire red, this KitchenAid KCM08020B 8-cup coffee maker will add visual interest to any kitchen counter. It is precisely engineered to meet Gold Cup Standards of the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) for expert-quality coffee extraction. With an automatic pour-over system that mimics the manual process, this coffee machine provides consistent brewing to deliver an outstanding flavor. However, it lacks coffee strength controls.

The coffee machine has an advanced control panel with a display, allowing users to monitor the brewing process. It heats up the water to bring it to an average temperature of 198° to 204°F, ensuring consistent extraction. This system boasts a one-touch brewing process that offers convenience and allows users to save time. It supports making a wide variety of coffee quantities, including 2, 4 and 6 cups. Users who want to manually control the pour over process will be pleased with the manual setting.

 #5  Cuisinart PurePrecision CPO-800P1 8-Cup Coffee Machine

Award: BEST COFFEE STRENGTH OPTIONS

WHY WE LIKE IT: It is remarkably customizable, allowing users to toggle between mild, medium, and bold coffee strength. This machine also offers temperature control, featuring hot and extra hot settings.

Pros
  • Exquisite appearance
  • Flavor and temperature controls
  • 24-hour programmable design
Cons
  • Plastic internal parts

This Cuisinart PurePrecision CPO-800P1 8-cup coffee machine meets the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) standards of brewing. It has a handy control panel that allows users to customize settings easily. With flavor strength options for mild, medium, and bold coffee, this machine will suit people with varying tastes. It also supports temperature control, enabling coffee lovers to switch between hot and extra hot settings for convenience. A self-clean cycle offers convenient maintenance. However, it has low-quality internal plastic parts.

An 8-cup glass crate enables people to brew for entire families in one go. This machine has a stunning silver gray color scheme with a sleek finish to raise the aesthetics in the kitchen. Its fully automatic system pre-wets grounds before brewing, optimizing flavor without necessitating manual user involvement. A laser-etched stainless steel filter facilitates excellent extraction and simple clean up. This machine has a sleek metal surface that supports simple cleanup. It has a 24-hour timer for effortless programming.

 #6  Breville BDC455BSS 12-Cup Coffee Maker

Award: BEST FOR FAMILIES

WHY WE LIKE IT: With a large 12-cup carafe, this machine makes coffee for families, workplaces, and small gatherings fast. It has a brushed stainless steel finish and unique design that stands out.

Pros
  • Extremely large 12-cup carafe
  • Stainless steel finish
  • Six preset programs
Cons
  • Takes up space

The Breville BDC455BSS 12-cup coffee maker combines exquisite appearance with advanced functions, delivering large amounts of coffee at speed. This coffee maker has a sleek brushed stainless steel finish to add a touch of uniqueness to the kitchen. Equipped with an optional pour-over adapter with a silicone shower head and plastic case, this machine maximizes extraction, delivering excellent coffee flavors. However, this system takes up a lot of space in the kitchen.

Featuring six preset programs, this machine offers effortless operation. With options ranging from Cold Brew to Gold Cup, this machine offers precise customization. It has a high-quality control panel with dials and a digital display for intuitive operation. This coffee maker supports adjusting the water temperature, making it easy to make a wide variety of coffee flavors. It also supports adjustable bloom time and boasts flexible water delivery speed for fully automated pour-over processing.

Beginner’s Guide to Automatic Pour Over Coffee Makers

What Is an Automatic Pour Over Coffee Maker?

An automatic pour-over coffee maker is simply an electric coffee maker that can brew coffee through the pour-over method. This method is designed to bring out the full flavor of the coffee and traditionally relies on a slower brewing process that involves manually and slowly pouring hot water over coffee grounds through a filter that then drips into a waiting cup.

While effective at creating a better cup of coffee, manual pour-over brewing can be time-consuming. Brewing coffee manually can mean that you need to watch for the correct water temperature and manage flow rates to ensure that you’re not pouring the water too quickly, which can rush the brewing process.

By contrast, an automatic pour-over coffee maker manages this process from start to finish with the touch of a button. This serves as a time-saving measure for people that can’t devote the added minutes required to oversee manual pour-over brewing. With an automatic pour-over coffee maker, the only factor you need to consider is whether you’re using the right coffee beans and that they’re a medium grind for best results. And of course, if you need any other accessories, like the best milk frother.

Automatic Pour Over Coffee Makers vs Other Electric Coffee Makers

Technically speaking, an automatic pour-over coffee maker can be classified as a drip coffee maker — but it has a unique brewing process. Pour-over coffee is brewed using a very specific method, which isn’t usually duplicated with traditional drip coffee machines. While both drip and pour over machines brew coffee by pouring water over ground coffee through a filter, that’s where the similarities end.

Drip coffee machines typically pour a continuous stream of water through the filtered coffee until the water is gone. While this creates a stronger cup of coffee, you can sometimes sacrifice flavor and aroma. In contrast, automatic pour-over coffee makers typically rely on a showerhead to release water and allow the coffee to bloom. This simply means that an initial stream of water is poured over the coffee grounds so that they become moist and release oils.

After enough bloom time has passed, the machine pours more hot water through the coffee grounds. By utilizing a slower brewing process, automatic pour-over coffee makers create a more flavorful cup of coffee. However, beyond the brewing method, automatic pour-over coffee makers often have similar features that you’ll find on standard drip machines, such as programmability, warming plates, thermal carafes, and a water reservoir.

How Automatic Pour Over Coffee Makers Work

As we mentioned earlier, one of the defining features of an automatic pour-over coffee maker is the brewing method. While it does rely on a water reservoir and incorporates a heating feature like traditional drip coffee brewers, pour-over coffee makers leverage a two-step brewing process to create a better-tasting cup of coffee.

Pour-over coffee makers rely on a showerhead that’s specifically designed to saturate the coffee grounds evenly. Given that you need first to saturate and then let the coffee grounds bloom before continuing the brewing process, this component is critical. Once the coffee has bloomed, the coffee maker then releases another stream of water to filter the coffee into the cup.

Why You Should Buy an Automatic Pour Over Coffee Maker

There’s no ignoring the fact that pour-over coffee tastes better with a more robust flavor profile than traditional drip coffee. But there are plenty of reasons why an individual would want to upgrade their pour-over experience from manual to automatic brewing.

Is an Automatic Pour Over Coffee Maker Worth Buying?

  • You’re Short on Time: By default, pour-over coffee brewing times are much longer than drip brewing. However, if you have to do it manually, that adds more time to your daily routine. An automatic pour-over brewer can free up a few more minutes in your day.
  • You’re Picky About Your Coffee: Pour-over coffee is known for having better flavor profiles and being more robust with a bold aroma that you don’t always get from drip coffee. But that doesn’t mean that you want to deal with the process of manual pour-over brewing.
  • You Like the Idea of Programmability: Something is alluring about knowing that excellent coffee is brewing and will be ready and waiting when you’re done getting ready for the day. Thankfully, programmability is a common feature for automatic pour-over coffee makers.

Why an Automatic Pour Over Coffee Maker May Not Be for You

  • You Don’t Drink Coffee: Pour over coffee is usually associated with a specific type of coffee drinker. But if you don’t drink coffee, this niche coffee maker would be an unnecessary purchase.
  • You’re Not Picky About Coffee: Pour-over coffee tends to feature a bolder flavor profile. But if you’re not the type who’s concerned about that, you might feel that a standard drip coffee maker is just fine for your needs.
  • You Prefer Manual Pour Over Methods: If you’re a coffee snob, you may feel that the only way to achieve a good cup of pour-over coffee is by manual brewing methods. If this sounds familiar, you might feel like an automatic pour-over coffee maker is cheating.

How Long Will an Automatic Pour Over Coffee Maker Last?

Similar to any other coffee brewer, an automatic machine will typically last anywhere from five to 10 years before you need to consider replacing it. This is assuming that you pick a quality machine made from durable components. Although, this specific product category is almost treated as a luxury item by default. You’ll find that automatic pour-over coffee makers tend to be significantly more expensive than a standard drip coffee maker.

The five to 10-year lifespan is usually because, over time, as water passes over the heating element, minerals can build up. Even with regular cleaning and maintenance, the heating element will eventually succumb to limescale buildup and begin to fail.

Still, for best results, coffee drinkers are encouraged to regularly clean their carafes after every brewing sessing and engage in routine maintenance to prevent mineral buildup. Mineral buildup is an inevitable situation since water naturally contains minerals. Experts agree that you should descale your machine regularly for the best results.

How to Choose the Best Automatic Pour Over Coffee Maker

You’re ready to make the switch from manual to automatic pour-over brewing. Some key factors are the same regardless of the type of coffee maker you pick — such as reservoir capacity and maximum cups brewed per session. But with an automatic pour-over coffee maker, you’ll also want to consider factors such as the showerhead construction and a thermal carafe to keep coffee hot over a hot plate.

Best Automatic Pour Over Coffee Makers Key Factors to Consider

1. Does the showerhead create an even spray?

Because of the two-step brewing process required for pour-over coffee, the last thing you want is a coffee maker with a poorly designed showerhead. All coffee makers have showerheads, but for pour-over coffee, you want a machine with a showerhead design that releases an even spray of water that fully saturates all of the ground coffee.

Keep in mind that you need the coffee to bloom so that when water again passes through the coffee, all of those oils which help to boost the flavor and aroma are released to make a delicious coffee brew.

2. What is the reservoir capacity?

As with any other coffee maker, you need to know how much water your machine can hold. If you’re in a home full of coffee drinkers, you want to make sure that you’re not constantly refilling the water reservoir every few hours.

3. How many cups can the coffee maker brew?

Keep in mind that, with coffee machines, a cup of coffee is usually considered five or six ounces. Meanwhile, many people drink far more than that in one brewing session. Still, most coffee makers list capacity by the total cups that can be brewed at one time.

And in most cases, you’ll find a correlation between the water reservoir and the cup capacity. If you’re fine drinking one cup a day, then a lower capacity may be more than enough. But if you’re frequently reaching for the coffee pot or are sharing your coffee maker with other avid coffee drinkers, you’ll want to look for a larger capacity automatic pour-over coffee maker.

4. How large is the coffee maker?

Size matters, especially if you have a small kitchen or limited counter space. And automatic pour-over coffee makers can vary widely in size. While you can find small single-cup brewers that won’t overwhelm your kitchen, if you’re trying to purchase a multi-cup brewer, you’ll need to think about where you plan on storing it.

5. How precise is the water temperature control?

In general, there’s a narrow window regarding the optimal temperature for brewing the perfect cup of coffee. But this is especially true for pour-over coffee as you’re trying to get the right settings to ensure that your coffee grounds release their oils.

Coffee tastes best when it’s brewed using water that’s between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit. But you need to look a step further and check that your preferred pour-over machine can maintain that temperature throughout the brewing process.

6. Does it have a thermal carafe?

With coffee makers, you’ll often find that they have an option to keep coffee warm. In most cases, this is either a warming plate or a thermal stainless steel carafe. For pour-over coffee, you should opt for machines that come with thermal carafes instead of glass carafes. Exposure to hot plates can mean that your coffee continues to cook even after brewing has ended. In contrast, a thermal carafe maintains the temperature of the brewed coffee without the presence of additional heat.

7. Can you program your coffee maker?

One of the biggest benefits of an automatic pour-over coffee maker over manual brewing is that you can have your coffee without the physical effort of overseeing the brewing process. Many coffee makers support programmability, so you can set a timer for when to brew coffee.

At a minimum, most coffee makers will support one timer setting for automatic brewing. But for pour-over coffee, you’ll also want to confirm that there’s a bloom setting. This is the critical step that allows for coffee to release oils. And ideally, look for coffee machines with digital settings which are often easier to use — especially for programming brew times.

8. How easily can you clean the machine?

Keeping your machine clean is the key to not only longevity but creating delicious cups of coffee. Ideally, look for machines with parts that are easy to remove so you can quickly perform deep cleaning sessions when necessary. And for the carafe, consider options that are dishwasher safe for ease of use.

9. What type of filter does the coffee machine have?

Like standard drip coffee makers, you can find automatic pour-over coffee makers that use disposable or permanent filters. This will come down to preference, as some people may like the ease of use of a disposable filter while others like the sustainability of the best reusable coffee filters.

Automatic Pour Over Coffee Makers FAQs

What’s the best coffee grind for an automatic pour-over coffee maker?

Baristas and coffee experts agree that a medium grind is the best size whether you’re brewing with a cone or flat-bottom coffee maker. At this size range, the grounds will look like sand granules.

What’s so special about pour-over coffee?

For serious coffee fans, pour-over coffee represents the ultimate coffee drinking experience. When brewed properly at the correct temperature, pour-over coffee tends to be more flavorful than drip because the two-step process allows the coffee to bloom before it’s fully brewed.

Are automatic pour-over coffee makers worth it?

If you love the taste of pour-over coffee but aren’t thrilled about the added time investment, then yes, they are. A good automatic pour-over coffee maker can even come with programmability so that your cup of coffee can be ready and waiting for you when you want it.

What’s the difference between drip coffee and pour-over coffee?

While drip and pour-over rely on a similar brewing process of water passing through coffee grounds to create coffee, they’re not interchangeable. Drip coffee is brewed by a single pass of water filtering through coffee grounds. This usually results in a caffeine-rich brew but can be lacking in flavor and aroma. Pour-over coffee relies on a two-step process where the coffee is allowed to bloom first before water is again filtered through the grounds. As a result, you’ll get more natural coffee oils which help to boost flavor and aroma.