Best One Cup Coffee Makers
What is a One Cup Coffee Maker?
A one cup coffee maker is any sort of brewer that makes a single serve of coffee at a time. It could be a pod machine, filter coffee maker, espresso machine or stovetop percolator. While they all make a single cup of coffee, the style of coffee is very different. It’s really down to the type of coffee you enjoy and how convenient it is for you.
Why is it better to make one cup of coffee at a time?
Coffee tastes better when it’s fresh – freshly roasted, freshly ground and freshly brewed. I know it’s tempting to brew a batch of coffee in the morning, but leaving it longer than the recommended brew time will lead to overextraction and bitter tasting coffee.
There’s a reason you don’t see coffee shops doing this…
Our Favourite One Cup Coffee Makers
When we launched Barista & Co 10 years ago, we had one mission in mind – to get a better cup of coffee in your hands. The thing is, that’s much easier said than done. The coffee you enjoy will be different from the coffee I enjoy. So we had to rethink…
We asked 1,000 people what type of coffee they enjoy (and got almost 1,000 different answers). But there was one factor that kept coming up. Strength.
The majority of people would answer something like ‘oooh not too strong’ or on the other side they’d emphasise the fact that they wanted a really strong cup of coffee to wake them up. Then we’d ask them how they made their coffee – pod machines, cafetieres, coffee shops, bean-to-cup machines. Actually, it turns out 51% of the people that we spoke to weren’t using the right coffee maker to make the style of coffee they enjoyed.
Today, Barista & Co have designed and developed a range of innovative coffee makers that sit across a strength scale to help you choose the one for you. Our one cup coffee makers are rated strength 1, 2 or 3 so if you like a really strong coffee you can choose a coffee maker from the Strength 3 scale, or, if you prefer something more milk choose a coffee maker from the Strength 1 scale.
Our mission remains the same – to get a better tasting cup of coffee in your hands. But now we know that coffee is personal. And your one cup coffee maker should be too.
Strength 1: Brew It Stick
The very first design from Barista & Co, invented by James and Louise in their London kitchen after a few glasses of wine. Their idea was simple – develop a coffee maker that works like a tea steeper. Today, the original coffee infuser is one of our best-selling one cup coffee makers.
You’ll Love the Brew It Stick if: The Brew It Stick is our mildest coffee maker, designed to be as easy to use as a tea steeper. It was created for people that love the taste of fresh coffee, but are used to the convenience of instant coffee.
Learn MoreBrew It Stick Technical Information ⬇️
Recommended Grind Size: Filter ground coffee
Brew Time: 4 minutes
Body: Medium
How to Use ⬇️
1. Remove the filter basket from handle and add 15g of filter ground coffee. You want your Brew It Stick’s filter basket to be around 2/3rds full.
2. Screw the filter basket back onto the handle and fill a mug with hot water.
3. Place your Brew It Stick coffee maker in the mug of water. Stir and twist for a stronger cup of coffee.
4. Leave to brew for up to 6 minutes, and then remove the Brew It Stick from your mug. Place it in the included drip pot for an easy clean up and enjoy your one cup of coffee.
Strength 2: One Brew
We created the One Brew because we knew there had to be a better alternative to cafetiere’s. Don’t get me know, we love the coffee you can make with a cafetiere – very traditional and velvety. But we will never understand why so many people use something that is such a headache to clean…
The One Brew combines immersion and gravity brewing to create a medium strength single serve of coffee. By integrating the metal filter into the lid, we’ve removed the need for the plunge and made it easier to clean.
You’ll Love the One Brew if:You currently use a cafetiere to brew your coffee at home or at your desk and are fed up of the faff. The One Brew creates a medium strength coffee, similar to what you’d expect from a coffee press.
Learn MoreOne Brew Technical Information ⬇️
Recommended Grind Size: Filter ground coffee (medium – coarse)
Brew Time: 6 minutes
Pour Time: 25 seconds
Body: Heavy
How to Use ⬇️
1. The One Brew consists of a borosilicate glass beaker, silicone base and integrated filter lid. Start by removing the lid from the beaker.
2. Add 15g of medium coarse ground coffee to the beaker and fill to the line with hot water then give it a stir.
3. Place your filter lid back onto the beaker and leave to brew for 6 minutes.
4. After 6 minutes, you should notice the ground coffee has settled at the bottom of the beaker. Pour your coffee slowly into your favourite mug, aiming to keep the bed of coffee at the bottom of your One Brew. We suggest the slow pour for 25 seconds.
Strength 3: Strong Brew
The Strong Brew uses patented technology to extract as much caffeine out of your coffee as possible. By combining pressurised and immersion brewing and utilising a controlled pressure twist, this coffee maker creates a single cup of coffee with up to 257mg of caffeine.
You’ll Love the Strong Brew if: You usually order an americano at a coffee shop. The Strong Brew makes an americano-style coffee in 2 minutes. It’s compact design makes it a great alternative to having an espresso set up in your kitchen.
Learn MoreStrong Brew Technical Information ⬇️
Recommended Grind Size: Filter ground coffee (medium)
Brew Time: 2 minutes
Body: Light
How to Use ⬇️
1. Start by separating the lower handle from the helix chamber and upper handle. Place your paper disc filter into the lower handle and reattach the helix chamber.
2. Sit this on top of your mug and add 17g of ground coffee to the chamber.
3. Pour hot water into the chamber, leave a 1cm gap from the top. Give your coffee a stir. Top up with more hot water if required, then use the alignment markings to insert your upper handle.
4. Leave to brew for 2 minutes.
5. With your Strong Brew still resting on top of your mug, slowly twist the handles together to force the water through the ground coffee and into your mug. Now just add milk or enjoy your mug of strong coffee black.
Of course, there are loads of ways to make a single cup of coffee at a time without using a Brew It Stick, One Brew or Strong Brew. It’s all about your personal preference and the type of coffee you enjoy drinking.
I’ve always preferred a filter coffee as I think you get a fuller flavour. I also find it far less faff than messing around with a machine, and it takes up much less room in my kitchen.
There are some definite advantages to brewing with a filter coffee maker, especially if you’re looking for a coffee maker for camping or one specifically for the office. I’ve included my top picks below:
Best One Cup Coffee Maker for Camping:
Strong Brew
Compact
The Strong Brew is no bigger than your average water bottle and won’t take up too much space in your rucksack.
Hidden Storage
There’s a hidden storage chamber in the upper handle where you can store extra paper filters or more ground coffee.
Performance Enhancing
The coffee you’ll make with the Strong Brew contains up to 257mg of caffeine, which improves mental and physical performance.
Learn More
Best One Cup Coffee Maker for the Office:
One Brew
Easy to Use
Add a scoop of coffee and your hot water to the beaker, give it a stir and insert your filter lid. Then all that’s left to do is leave it to brew on your desk.
Easy to Clean
One of my gripes with cafetieres is how fussy they are to clean. The One Brew doesn’t have a plunger, making it easier to dispose of the coffee grounds than any other one cup coffee maker.
Spare Parts Available
Accidents happen, especially when your colleagues are involved. When it comes to the One Brew, you won’t need to worry. We offer spare glass beakers and filter lids so you’ll be back to brewing fresh coffee in no time.
Learn MoreAnd that’s a wrap – my go to list of one cup coffee makers so you can brew til your hearts content. Remember, it’s always best to brew fresh so try making one cup of coffee at a time and let me know if you notice the difference.
Once you’ve mastered brewing fresh, you really should be considering grinding fresh as well. Supermarket coffee can sit on the shelf for up to 2 years before you take it home. The thing with coffee is it starts oxidising as soon as it’s ground, leading to a sour tasting coffee that’s lacking in aroma. Fresh is always best.
When you’re ready to upgrade, our electric coffee grinder is ideal for all of the one cup coffee makers featured in this article. It has 50 grind settings from espresso through to coarse, and a bellow lid for less mess. First things first though, let’s get you brewing the type of coffee you enjoy.
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