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Best filter coffee machines

Pour perfect brews at home with our reviews of the best filter coffee machines from Lakeland, Sage, Delonghi, Smeg, Bosch and more
Joel BatesSenior researcher & writer
Filter coffee machine on side

The best filter coffee machines take the faff out of making your morning brew, but our tests have found major differences in how easy they are to use and how the coffee tastes.

We've tested filter coffee machines that cost less than £30 right up to more than £200 from popular brands, including Smeg, Delonghi, Melitta, Morphy Richards and more. 

As well as ease of use and taste, we test for speed of brewing, how hot the coffee brews and any annoying drips or coffee grinds that slip through the filter. We also compare how much energy they use given that these machines are often left switched on for a good while. 

We've found two filter coffee machines good enough to be named Which? Best Buys, one of which is among the cheapest we've tested.

The best filter coffee machines from our tests

Only logged-in Which? members can view the filter coffee machine test results below. 

Join Which? now to get instant access to our recommendations below.

Filter coffee machineTasteEase of useFilter papers requiredWhere to buy
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Date tested: August 2022. Page last checked: February 2024. We are not able to show every retailer and cheaper prices may be available.

The filter coffee machines we've tested

All the filter coffee machines we've tested are listed alphabetically below. 

Only logged-in Which? members can view the best filter coffee machines from our tests. 

Join Which? now to get instant access to our test results and recommendations.

Bosch TKA8011/TKA8013 Styline

Bosch TKA8011 Styline filter coffee machine

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Size 35.5 x 26 x 25cm

Filter papers required Yes

Minimum and maximum amount of coffee it can make Three large cups (414ml); 10 large cups (1,380ml)

Accessories included None

Need to know 2.61kg, available in white or black, 95cm cable, Descale program, keeps coffee warm for 40 minutes, carafe is dishwasher safe, automatic switch-off

Cookworks CM2058SH Filter Coffee Machine

Cookworks CM2058SH Filter Coffee Machine

Available from Argos (£30)

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Size 30cm x 17.4 x 25.5cm

Filter papers required No

Minimum and maximum amount of coffee it can make Two cups (250ml); 10 cups (1,250ml)

Accessories included None

Need to know 1.4kg, 1m cable, keeps coffee warm for 35 minutes, automatic switch-off

Delonghi Clessidra ICM17210

Delonghi Clessidra ICM17210 filter coffee machine

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Size 33 x 18.8 x 28cm

Filter papers required Yes

Minimum and maximum amount of coffee it can make Two cups (250ml); 10 cups (1,250ml)

Accessories included Coffee scoop, filter paper holder, 4x filter papers

Need to know 2.44kg, 1m cable, Pour-over program, keeps coffee warm for 40 minutes, brews using a pour-over showerhead, automatic switch-off

Lakeland Filter Coffee Machine with Glass Carafe 1.5 Litre

Lakeland Filter Coffee Machine with Glass Carafe 1.5 Litre

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Size 35 x 26 x 22cm

Filter papers required No

Minimum and maximum amount of coffee it can make Two cups (250ml); 12 cups (1,500ml)

Accessories included None

Need to know 2.2kg, 80cm cable, 24-hour digital timer, keeps coffee warm for 40 minutes, automatic switch-off

Logik L14DCB19

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Size 35 x 18.4 x 27.4cm

Filter papers required No

Minimum and maximum amount of coffee it can make Two cups (250ml); 14 cups (1,750ml)

Accessories included None

Need to know 1.8kg, 85cm cable, Stronger Brew program, 24-hour digital timer, keeps coffee warm for 30 minutes, automatic switch-off


Want a full-whack barista coffee machine? See Best coffee machines for 2024.


Melitta Look IV Therm Timer Filter Coffee Machine

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Size 35.7 x 23 x 22cm

Filter papers required Yes

Minimum and maximum amount of coffee it can make Two large cups (250ml); 10 large cups (1,250ml)

Accessories included 5x Melitta Gourmet paper filters, 1x Melitta Perfect Clean descaling solution

Need to know 2.44kg, available in white or black, 88cm cable, insulated jug, coffee intensity control, Descale program, 24-hour digital timer, Jug lid, filter basket and swivel filter are dishwasher safe, customisable water hardness settings, automatic switch-off

Morphy Richards Equip Filter Coffee Machine 162501

Morphy Richards Equip Filter Coffee Machine 162501

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Size 32 x 22 x 21cm

Filter papers required No

Minimum and maximum amount of coffee it can make Three cups (360ml); 10 cups (1,200ml)

Accessories included Coffee scoop

Need to know 1.7kg, 85cm cable, keeps coffee warm for 30 minutes, brews using a pour-over showerhead, automatic switch-off

Russell Hobbs Buckingham Digital Filter Coffee Machine 20680

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Size 32.5 x 23 x 20.5cm

Filter papers required No

Minimum and maximum amount of coffee it can make Two large cups (260ml); 10 large cups (1,300ml)

Accessories included Coffee scoop

Need to know 1.95kg, 61cm cable, brews using a pour-over showerhead, Descale program, 24-hour digital timer, keeps coffee warm for 40 minutes, filter basket is dishwasher safe, automatic switch-off

Sage The Precision Brewer SDC450

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Size 36 x 16.8 x 39.5cm

Filter papers required No, but recommended if making less than eight cups

Minimum and maximum amount of coffee it can make One cup (150ml); 12 cups (1,800ml)

Accessories included Coffee scoop, water hardness test strip, 10x flat bottom basket filter papers

Need to know 4.8kg, 1m cable, insulated jug, Fast program, Gold program, My Brew (custom) program, Cold Brew program, Single Cup program, Descale program, 24-hour digital timer, brews using flat bottom and cone filters, customisable water hardness and sound settings, automatic switch-off

Smeg DCF02

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Size 36.1 x 24.5 x 25.6cm

Filter papers required No

Minimum and maximum amount of coffee it can make Two cups (280ml); ten cups (1,400ml)

Accessories included Coffee scoop

Need to know 3.5kg, available in black, slate grey, cream, white, pastel blue, red, pastel green, stainless steel, 1m cable, Delicate Aroma program, Intense Aroma program, 24-hour digital timer, keeps coffee warm for 40 minutes, customisable water hardness and sound settings, reusable filter and filter basket are dishwasher safe, automatic switch-off


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How we test filter coffee machines

We select popular filter coffee machines from leading UK retailers to be put through our tough tests. We buy every product we test.

We regularly revisit the filter coffee machines on sale to see if there are any more popular models that need testing and when we find them we do.


Find out more about how Which? is not influenced by product manufacturers or retailers and how your support helps us to stay editorially independent.


Taste and aroma

We assemble a panel of mixed ages and genders for a blind tasting of coffee brewed from each machine.

  • Each panellist considers how the coffee tastes and smells, and every brew is made using the same coffee grounds to water ratio.
  • While some of the machines we test do have recommendations for the coffee grounds to water ratio, most recommend you experiment until you find a ratio that brews your coffee the way you like it.

Ease of use, speed and cleaning

  • We assess how straightforward it is to get the machine ready for brewing and if there are any confusing controls.
  • We record how speedily each machine brews the minimum amount of coffee it can make.
  • After the coffee is brewed, we clean the machine following the instructions and consider how easy that is.

Temperature, filtration and drips

Once brewed, we measure the temperature of the coffee in the jug to see if it's in the ideal coffee serving temperature range of 60°C to 88°C. We also check the temperature again after the keep warm program has finished.

We pour the coffee through an extra filter to see if any bitter coffee grounds slip through the machine's filter into the brew, and note if the machine drips when removing the jug to pour the coffee.

Energy efficiency

We use the RS PRO energy meter, £28, from RS Components, to record and calculate how much power each filter coffee machine uses to brew two cups of coffee a day for a year. We also check how much energy they use on standby, and how much they use to keep the coffee warm after it's finished brewing.

If you're interested in measuring your filter coffee machine or other appliances around your home, you can buy similar meters starting from around £18 from popular retailers such as Amazon and Screwfix.

  • On average we've found the filter coffee machines we've tested will cost around £7.23 a year to run if brewing the minimum amount twice a day every day, based on the April 2024 energy per KwH cost of 24.5p.
  • The cheapest-to-run machine we've tested would cost around £2.69 a year to run, whereas the most expensive would cost around £11.41. If using the keep warm program every time, it could cost up to around £20 a year for the priciest-to-run filter coffee machines instead.

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Filter coffee machine types explained

Standard filter coffee machines

Standard filter coffee machines

Classic drip-brew filter coffee machines have been around since the 1970s - they heat water as it flows through a tube from a water tank, and then let it drip down through ground coffee held within a filter basket. The coffee then drops down into a jug at the bottom of the machine.

Some machines require cone-shaped filter coffee papers, whereas others have reusable filters made of metal or fabric.

Most filter coffee machines work in this way. If you like to stick to the tried-and-true, you'll find plenty of affordable options - standard filter coffee machines can cost as little as £20, although some models cost more than 10 times as much.

Pour-over filter coffee machines

Pour-over filter coffee machines

This type of filter coffee machine makes coffee in a different way to standard drip-brew models. The 'pour-over' technique originated in Japan as a manual technique which involves pre-wetting the coffee, then slowly pouring water over the grounds.

The aim is to product a richer, more complex brew. A number of premium coffee makers now have pour-over technology in their machines. These work by heating all the water at once and then using a controlled pouring system to recreate the 'pour-over' method.

Grind and brew filter coffee machines

Grind and brew filter coffee machines

As the name suggests, grind and brew filter coffee machines grind coffee beans with the aim of delivering the freshest coffee possible.

When the coffee machine is switched on, it grinds the coffee beans (either in a separate compartment or directly in the filter itself) and then immediately brews the coffee.

Most grind and brew machines can also use coffee that has been pre-ground, for those times when you're out of beans or in a hurry.

We haven't tested any grind and brew filter coffee machines as they're not particularly popular or widespread. This could be because, as they're two machines in one (filter coffee machine + coffee grinder), they're more expensive. You're unlikely to find one for less than £100. 


Discover which coffee grinders give the smoothest grind for your coffee machine. See our reviews of the best coffee grinders.


Filtered coffee: how to make it

It can vary slightly from machine to machine but here are the basic steps for how to make filter coffee in a filter coffee machine:

  1. Fill up the water tank to a fill line that matches the amount of coffee you want to make.
  2. Place a filter paper (or a reusable mesh filter if your coffee machine comes with one) inside the filter basket compartment.
  3. Put scoops of ground coffee into your filter. One scoop per cup is usually enough, but you can alter it depending on how strong you like your coffee, and how efficiently your machine extracts coffee from your grounds.
  4. Place your empty coffee jug underneath the point where the coffee drips from, choose your program, and hit go.

Filter coffee machine features to consider

Manufacturers will try to turn your head by promoting all sorts of extra features. Some of them may be nice to have, but if you're not sure you'll use them then stick with a simple model - it's likely to cost you less.

  • Automatic switch-off - This means the filter coffee machine will switch itself off after a set period of time. Machines with insulated jugs usually switch off after a maximum of five minutes, and machines with non-insulated (ie glass) jugs usually switch off after 40 minutes, once the keep warm cycle finishes. All the filter coffee machines we tested have this feature.
  • Glass jugs - Glass jugs are most common, but some filter coffee machines come with an insulated jug to help keep your coffee warm for longer without using an energy-hungry hotplate. A couple of the machines we tested have insulated jugs rather than glass ones.
  • Programmable timer -This handy feature allows you to set a time for the machine to switch on and start brewing - particularly desirable if you love the idea of waking up to a pot of freshly brewed coffee.
  • Removable water tank - Most filter coffee machines have a fixed water tank - you fill them by using the coffee jug to measure and pour in the water you need. However, fixed tanks may limit where you can place your filter coffee machine in your kitchen and they can be tricky to clean. Removable water tanks aren't common, but they can sometimes be found among the more expensive machines. None of the ones we tested have detachable water tanks, though.
  • Showerhead - Both standard and pour-over models may use a showerhead. As the name suggests, this means that a fine spray of water is sprinkled over the coffee grounds rather than a single stream. The idea is that this will wet the coffee more evenly to ensure a consistent brew. Some worked better than others in our tests though, so a showerhead is no guarantee of better coffee.

Take your coffee on the go with the best reusable coffee cups and travel mugs or Best vacuum flasks