Grinding your own coffee beans is one way to turn your average cup of coffee into something really special. You’ll really bump up the aroma and taste. If you own one of the best grind and brew coffee makers, you can do it without any extra effort.
I tested seven coffee makers with a built-in grinder to see which could produce the best aromatic and flavorful coffee you can from your kitchen counter. I found the Cuisinart DGB-900BC Grind & Brew Thermal Coffeemaker to be my favorite.
I consider myself an avid coffee aficionado. Not only do I try to make fine works of art out of my cappuccino froth, but I’m always looking for the perfect blend of fresh coffee with great flavor.
The Cuisinart DGB-900BC is the best coffee maker I found that is able to grind fresh coffee beans straight before you brew, allowing for the most amazing fresh, and flavorful coffee your tongue has ever experienced.
Besides finding the Cuisinart, I was lucky enough to find some other amazing coffee machines that will suit almost any situation or kitchen. If you are in the market for a grind and brew coffee maker, I’m sure one of the products reviewed in this article will be perfect for your home.
Read on to discover a world of coffee that perhaps you never even thought possible.
Best Overall: Cuisinart DGB-900BC Grind & Brew Thermal Coffeemaker
The top spot, without a doubt, goes to the DGB-900BC. Robust in design and jam-packed full of features, you will be hard-pressed to find a better grind and brew machine at this price point. The DGB-900BC is made with a double-walled stainless steel thermal carafe. The thermal carafe helps to keep your coffee nice and hot for up to 8 hours in one sitting, allowing you to always have hot coffee at hand.
It holds a sizeable amount of beans (half a pound), allowing you to make up to twelve cups of coffee in one go. It features an 8-ounce bean hopper and built-in burr grinder, giving you an even and smooth grind of your beans every time.
If that doesn’t excite you, you should know that it also comes with a strength control and grind selector, allowing you the flexibility of fine-tuning their intensity and volume.
It has a superb set-and-forget feature that will let you program it a full 24 hours ahead of time. Waking up to fresh coffee in the morning is not out of reach anymore. That’s my kind of alarm clock!
With auto-shutoff, you never have to worry about remembering to shut the machine off before leaving the house. If you must have your caffeine fix mid-brew you can still get your cup filled with the handy brew-pause feature. Additionally, if, for some reason, you are not in the mood to grind your own coffee beans or perhaps you have run out of whole beans on a particular day, it also has a grind-off function.
If you’re worried about the quality of the coffee that this machine will produce, you shouldn’t be. The charcoal water filter and permanent gold-tone filter guarantee that only the freshest coffee is produced. You also have the option to swap it out for paper filters, allowing for less sediment.
Pros
- Thermal carafe
- Beautiful stainless steel design
- Good value for money
Cons
- Only comes in one color
- The grinder is a bit loud
Best Value: Gevi 10-Cup Drip Automatic Coffee Maker
The Gevi 10-Cup Drip Automatic Coffee Maker is another grind and brew model that sits near the top of our list. Because of the substantial feature set and aggressive pricing, this is a great value.
The Gevi has three strength settings and eight coffee powder control grade settings. Essentially this helps you choose how you would like to crush your beans. The options are vast, from coarse all the way to super fine. Adjusting these settings is simple with Gevi’s one-touch button system and digital display along with its grind control knob and stainless steel burr grinder, allowing you to brew your coffee precisely how you like it.
Similar to the DGB-900BC, it has a programmable timer mode and automatic start function that you can set. You also never need to worry about checking whether your coffee is made because a quaint little bell will chime upon completion.
Easy to use and can supply up to ten cups of coffee due to its large 1.5-liter water capacity tank, you are able to select how many cups of coffee you would like to make. The standard setting is ten cups which the machine will make if no setting is programmed, but other options include 2, 4, 6, and 8.
Additionally, as with the DGB-900BC, you are able to choose your preference of coffee powder or beans depending on what you have available or your mood.
Pros
- Stunning modern design
- Inexpensive
Cons
- Doesn’t keep your coffee hot for very long
Best For Taller Cups: Breville BDC650BSS Grind Control Coffee Maker
The Breville BDC650BSS Grind Control Coffee Maker sets itself apart from other models with its Steep and Release technology which captures the freshness and essential oils from the coffee beans by grinding them immediately before brewing.
With a programmable auto-start, you are able to set and forget, allowing the grind control to start the brewing process automatically. Additionally, the grind control and calibration mode let you adjust the output, allowing you to customize the coffee bean grind size to suit your taste.
The perfect grind is due to the precision stainless steel burrs that are part of the Breville. As such, the grind control offers the unique flexibility of being able to brew a delicious cup of coffee whether you’re using Brazilian, Sumatran, or Colombian beans.
The LCD display is clear and concise and shows the grind time, grind settings, and the number of cups or coffee shots you have selected.
Additional features include an extra high clearance slot that will give you the flexibility to brew coffee into extra tall cups and travel mugs.
Pros
- You can brew in extra tall cups or coffee mugs
- Coffee stays hot
- Stainless steel
Cons
- Only comes in one color
- Cleaning the filter basket can be challenging
Best Budget Model: Cuisinart DGB-400 Automatic Grind & Brew
You would think that you couldn’t find a good grind and brew coffee machine for such a low price. Enter the Cuisinart DGB-400 Automatic. Although compact in size, it offers must-have larger-than-life features. Such as 24-hour programmability, one to four cup settings, self-cleaning and automatic shutoff, which you can set between zero and four hours.
It includes a permanent gold-tone filter and also a built-in charcoal water filter that will ensure only the cleanest and freshest coffee flavor makes its way to your cup.
Although you do not get a stainless steel carafe, it does sport an ergonomic comfort stainless-steel handle. Additionally, it has a dripless spout and a knuckle guard for added protection.
The operating system is efficient and straightforward, with an LCD display that shows you the time. Simple, yet it gets the job done; the DGB-400 has an almost perfect rating on Amazon with close to 2,000 reviews.
If you are looking for a solid grind and brew that won’t break the bank, the DGB-400 is definitely worth a look.
Pros
- Inexpensive
- Easy to use
- Has lots of features for an entry-level model
Cons
- Uninspired design
- Noisy
- Available in one color only
Best Super Automatic Model: De’Longhi ESAM3300 Magnifica
The De’Longhi ESAM3300 Magnifica is the way to go if you have the money to splurge and want the ultimate burr grinder coffee machine that doubles as an espresso machine.
This top-of-the-line burr grinder offers an incredible thirteen adjustable grinding settings that ensures maximum freshness and coffee just the way you like it. Included in the machine is a second chamber that allows you to use pre-ground coffee if you so wish.
Customizable settings will ensure that your coffee is automatically brewed to perfection with just the right richness, flavor, and density.
Not only is the compact ESAM3300 easy to clean, but it features a self-adjusting mechanism that will brew either one or two cups of espresso.
Coffee and espresso are just the beginning. Delicious lattes, cappuccinos, and more are right at your fingertips, and the flavor is perfection due to the on-demand coffee grinder and milk frother.
It has an easy-to-use control panel that allows you to adjust the menu settings for temperature control, cup size, and coffee strength. Don’t worry about anything else because this machine takes care of the rest.
Pros
- Stainless steel
- Easy to use
- Makes various coffee drinks
Cons
- Expensive
- Only supports small cups
Best For Pause And Serve: KRUPS Grind And Brew Auto-Start Maker
Unlike other coffee machines where you have to wait for the brewing process to complete, the KRUPS coffee machine has a unique ability. Even though it can brew up to 10 cups per cycle, you can pause the machine at any time to pour out a cup of coffee.
The crystal clear LCD display ensures a user-friendly design. Intuitive controls allow for easy programming, including features such as the auto-start and keep warm functions. The keep-warm feature will keep your coffee warm for up to two hours.
The settings are fantastic and sport a 2 to 10-cup grinder capacity for customizing the amount of coffee along with five grind settings. These settings include coarse to fine. Additionally, it includes a brew strength selector that allows for three flavor options (strong, medium, and mild).
Pros
- Can pause and pour at any time
- Beautiful black and steel design
- Auto-start feature
Cons
- No thermal carafe
- Can only hold specific size cups, and the OEM carafe
Best Design: Tchibo Fully Automatic Coffee & Espresso Machine
The Tchibo Fully Automatic Coffee & Espresso Machine might just be for you if you are an avid want-to-be barista. Designed to look minimal, sleek, stylish, modern, and just out of this world, this coffee machine has elegance written all over it.
One could say that Tchibo is the “Starbucks” of Germany with franchises countrywide. They make phenomenal coffee machines and coffee. Needless to say that this coffee machine really reflects Tchibo’s quality and standards.
With a beautifully elegant touchscreen, this machine is simple to use. The burr grinder crushes whole coffee beans allowing you to make delicious tasting coffee or espresso. However, due to the machine’s compact size, you can only brew outstanding coffee one cup at a time—a small price to pay. Good things come in small packages!
Lastly, included with the machine are two packs of 12-ounce coffee that lets you experience the flavor Tchibo has to offer.
Pros
- Makes beautifully flavored coffee
- Can make espresso and lattes
- Beautifully designed
- Boost button to increase coffee intensity
Cons
- Can only make one cup at a time
- Maybe a bit pricey for some
Related: The Best Automatic Espresso Machine For Home
Buying guide
Advantages of a Grind & Brew Coffee Maker
You may not know this, but there are a few benefits to having a grind and brew coffee machine over conventional designs.
The freshly ground coffee beans provide aromatic flavors and aromas that you would not otherwise get from store-bought ground coffee.
You are also able to achieve an outstanding amount of control over brew strength by varying the grind sizes.
Espresso vs. Drip Coffee
The particular difference between espresso and drip coffee is the brewing process. This process (brewing method) will influence the flavor profile of the coffee to a large degree. Espresso tends to be more acidic with a bitter taste because it is more concentrated, while drip coffee tends to be milder.
Automatic vs. Super Automatic
Automatic coffee machines are similar to semi-automatic machines. However, you do not have to worry about hitting a button to stop the water flow. This is all automated.
Super-automatic machines are designed to do it all, being able to grind the coffee, set up the portafilter and tamp, pull the shot, and even steam the milk.
Blade vs. Burr Grinders
As the name would suggest, blade grinders use blades (similar to a blender) to chop up the coffee beans. Burr grinders typically use two abrasive revolving discs of a sort to grind up the coffee beans.
You may think that it does not matter and why there is a fuss revolving around how coffee beans are ground. It will help if you remember that how they are ground will directly impact the flavor of the coffee.
In most cases, a burr grinder is preferred as it produces a tastier, more consistent grind.
Brew Strength
Technically, brew-strength in coffee refers to the ratio of total dissolved solids to water. The higher the dissolved solids, the stronger the coffee. Weak coffee will appear transparent and watery, whereas strong coffee will be more opaque and have more flavor.
Capacity
Capacity typically refers to the amount of water the coffee machine can hold (this will usually be measured in liters or ounces) or the number of cups per brew.
Some machines are designed for brewing a single cup at a time. Others can produce up to 12-15 cups in a single cycle holding 1.5 liters of water.
Ease of Use
If a machine is confusing to operate, you’re more likely to avoid using it or at the least, never fully utilizing all the features. A good design will either be fully automated or be simple to use. You shouldn’t have to be a rocket scientist just to get your coffee in the morning. I can barely remember my name in the morning!
Filter Type
Coffee machines either have permanent filters or use paper filters. Permanent filters are typically plastic, rigid filters that produce coffee with more sediment. Paper filters are disposable and need to be replaced after each brew.
Cleaning and Maintenance
There’s no getting around it, eventually, your machine will need to be cleaned and descaled. Some designs are easier than others. How much disassembly is involved? How many parts need cleaning? Can everything be thrown in the dishwasher or is it handwash only?
Related: Coffee Maker Buying Guide: How To Find Your Perfect Choice.
Conclusion
Without a doubt, the Cuisinart DGB-900BC Grind & Brew Thermal Coffeemaker stood out above the rest. You can’t go wrong with the price and it has every feature a grind and brew machine should have and then some.
With a stylish design, thermal carafe, and the ability to brew 12 cups in one cycle, there is just no other coffee machine that comes close to the Cuisinart.
If you’re a coffee lover looking for a premium coffee maker at a great price, check out the Cuisinart DGB-900BC now.
