Affordable Choices for Brewing Great Single-cup Coffee at Home

Being able to brew your own coffee at home is a great way to get the pick-me-up that you want with the convenience that you need, but if you do not drink a lot of coffee then you could end up making too much with a traditional coffee maker. Single-cup coffee makers are available, but many people shy away from them because they worry that they simply may not work as well as larger coffee makers or that they cost more than they are worth. There are affordable single-cup solutions to help you make the coffee that you want at home, without sacrificing the quality of your coffee or having to settle for a second-rate coffee maker; you simply have to know where to look and what to look for.

Brookstone’s Stainless Steel Single-Cup Coffee Maker

Combining functionality with style, Brookstone offers a single-cup coffee maker that should not break the bank. For under $40 you get a stylish coffee maker that goes well with almost any décor, packed full of features that can help you to enjoy a perfect cup of coffee with very little effort on your part. The Brookstone stainless steel single-cup coffee maker comes with a travel cup, a permanent mesh filter. This eliminates the need for a disposable filter. It also features a coffee scoop that is the perfect size so that you can fix exactly one cup of coffee. The double-walled stainless steel construction ensures that your coffee stays hot while also making sure that your Brookstone coffee maker is not going to break.

Hamilton Beach JavaOne Pod Brewer

Pod brewing is a popular option for single-cup coffee makers, but many pod-brewing coffee makers are prohibitively expensive. The Java One pod brewer from Hamilton Beach offers the convenience of pod brewing without the cost, as it can be purchased for $30 or less. You should not have to worry about keeping up with filters, since the coffee pods that the JavaOne uses contain all of the coffee grounds within a sealed filter pod so that you can brew your coffee and then throw the pod away. Your coffee brews quickly, and you can clean up your JavaOne coffee maker just as quickly once you are finished. Though you are limited to the coffee blends that are available in Java One pods, everything from Columbian decaf to French Roast and even Earl Gray tea are available in pods.

Keurig Mini Brewing System

Weighing in at the higher end of the “affordable” spectrum, the Keurig Mini Brewing System costs just under $80 (though this price includes 10 of the Keurig K-Cup coffee portions as well.) Using the Keurig Mini Brewing System, you can heat eight ounces of water in around three minutes, letting you brew a single cup of coffee in very little time. The Mini Brewing System uses Keurig’s patented K-Cup portion system, eliminating the need for filters; you simply place one of the K-Cups (which are about the size and shape of a coffee creamer package) into the coffee maker and start your brew cycle. The coffee maker penetrates the K-Cup’s lid and begins brewing the coffee inside of it, and you can simply throw away the used K-Cup once your cup of coffee has finished brewing. Cleanup is easy, and the Mini Brewing System is compact enough that you can take it with you when travelling or store it easily at home.

Black & Decker Cup-at-a-Time Coffee Maker

If you are looking for an economy single-cup coffee maker, the Black & Decker Cup-at-a-Time coffee maker is the way to go. Available for under $20, the Cup-at-a-Time may not have all of the advanced features of some of the other single-cup coffee makers on the market but it can still brew a good cup of coffee. The permanent mesh filter can be used by itself or in conjunction with disposable cone filters, holding enough coffee grounds for making a single cup of coffee. The Cup-at-a-Time coffee maker requires you to supply your own cup, but it accepts any cup with an 8-ounce to 12-ounce capacity. The coffee maker can also be used to brew hot water for tea, hot cocoa, and other items such as instant noodles and single-serve soups.

Many people enjoy brewing coffee, but traditional coffee makers sometimes brew more than you want. This is the main advantage of choosing a one-cup coffee-brewing product. The one-cup system allows you to brew just enough coffee for your morning pick-me-up. There are many products to choose from which all have their own set of features. When choosing a one-cup coffee brewer, you should take into consideration the price and which features you are looking. Although it is expensive, the Keurig Mini Brewing System is feature rich and it can create the perfect cup of coffee that you would expect.

Suzanne Bradley is a freelance writer who writes about style and living, often offering suggestions about certain brands of products to try such as Keurig.