Breakfast

24 Gadgets That Will Make Your Morning Coffee Taste Better

March 18, 2017

Even the most avid of coffee geeks get stuck in a rut. My old glass-walled French press and a grinder I picked up at the hardware store make coffee that is good enough, sure, but at this point I use them out of habit. A few years ago, I tried a real cold brewer from our Shop for the first time and had a revelation: I'd been in a coffee rut.

No more! In the spirit of better-tasting coffee that's enjoyable to prepare (whether you're a long, lazy ritual kind of maker or a hands-off type of morning person), we've spruced up our beloved roundup of the best coffee gadgets out there. (Plus four little helpers that are just too darn cute to leave out.) Most are stocked in our shop, but we've added in favorites we don't carry, to round it out.


Pour-Over Toppers & Stands

1. Glass Handled Chemex Brewer with 100 Filters: With a streamlined design and 100 included filters, this Chemex is one of our favorite ways to make coffee. (If you want a lesson on using one precisely, here's a handy guide.)

2. Multi-Cup Porcelain Coffee Pour Over: If you love pour overs but typically need more than a single cup (or are pouring-over for a crowd), these 4- and 6-cup versions will hold enough grounds to pour over a pot's worth of coffee.

Join The Conversation

Top Comment:
“It makes a great cup of coffee, keeps it hot and it's ready when I get up in the morning. I hold some serious affection for this piece of hardware and it's already at least 5 years old and going strong.”
— Sherry S.
Comment

3. Brass & Walnut Pour Over Coffee Stand: Adjustable to the height of any mug and equipped with a Japanese-made glass dripper, this industrial-inspired pour over stand won our hearts for its hand-crafted good looks—and the fact that it makes an epic cup of coffee.

4. Minimalist Coffee Pour Over Stand: For anyone who wishes their countertop could stay as clear and uncluttered as possible, this trim little steel pour-over stand is as modern as they come.


Classic (and Better-than-Classic!) Makers

Cuisinart DCC-1200 12-Cup Maker

5. Double-Walled French Press: With two walls of stainless steel, these brushed finish French presses keep your coffee hot for longer (we use them for serving brew at events) and are available in any size to suit your caffeine needs: 8-, 23-, 36-, or 44-ounces.

6. Cuisinart DCC-1200 12-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker: If your day depends on being able to wake up, push a button, and have a cup of coffee appear for you, our Art Director Alexis swears by this classic electric drip machine. "I've had it forever and it's still kicking!" she says.

7. Glass French Press: With a winking brass handle and a sturdy, heat-proof glass design, this full-sized press is good for any brew: coffee, tea, or even cocktails.

8. Bialetti Moka Pot: A time-tested way to make ace espresso on your stovetop, no fancy hulking machinery required, this classic percolator draws water through the grounds slowly and gurgles happily to let you know it's ready. Here's how to use one.


specialty coffee makers

9. Coffee Cold Brewer: With an adjustable drip rate, this glassy cold brewer can produce 20 ounces of supercharged cold coffee (that's less bitter and acidic than a traditional cup) in as little as 4 hours. Fill it with grounds and water and stick it in the fridge before bed, or make a big batch to last you a couple weeks.

10. KONE Brewing System: Cast in ceramic by a Portland design studio, this all-in-one brewing system was designed around the reusable KONE filter (made from stainless steel mesh that allows more oils to steep, creating a fuller bodied coffee without that burned taste). Top the pot with an included lid when your brew is ready.

Aeropress

11. Aeropress: Famously nifty for dispensing a quick, excellent cup of coffee in seconds, the multi-part Aeropress is also surprisingly easy to clean: Just rinse the rubber seal after using (by pressing it, you're wiping the chamber clean).

12. KONE Coffee Filter with Heat Lid for Chemex: A less wasteful way to use a Chemex? With this stainless steel mesh filter slipped right inside its opening. Equipped with a rubber stopper, it also does the double duty of keeping your brewed coffee warm.


smarter grinders (+ a frother!)

13. Baratza Virtuoso Coffee Grinder: We use this electric grinder in the office. It has 40 settings between fine and coarse, grinds the beans quickly and pleasingly at the touch of a big button.

14. Hario Skerton Portable Coffee Grinder: For coffee drinkers who like hand-ground beans, this model from Hario (which means "The King of Glass" in Japanese) features ceramic conical burrs that make for an incredibly consistent grind, and its compact design is perfect for taking on the go.

15. Natural Beechwood Coffee Grinder: The grinder inside this old-school device is made from high-grade steel—meaning it will never corrode or dull!—and the design of it seals in that intoxicating coffee smell. Pop open the little drawer to retrieve the grounds and inhale deeply. (How's that for a new morning routine?)

16. Milk Frother: In just 80 (quiet) seconds, your milk will go from cold to warm and frothy—with no risk of burning or scorching at all thanks to a nonstick interior. We also love that it holds enough for two drinks (coffee date, anyone?).


on the go assistance

17. Insulated Travel Thermoses: A little bit retro and a lot helpful, these streamlined thermoses (available in large and small size) have a cap that doubles as a cup. They'll keep your hot drinks hot for up to 8 hours, and your cold drinks cool for 16.

18. Stumptown Voyager Travel Coffee Kit: The all-in-one travel package: a Snow Peak coffee drip designed for easy storage, a mini Porlex Manual Burr Grinder, a cute and lightweight enamel mug, Hair Bender blend beans, and a Carpenter's Pencil to keep brewing notes.

Cafflano Klassic

19. Cafflano Klassico: What looks like a cute little to-go cup has a ceramic burr hand grinder, dropper, and permanent filter in the top—and the top even acts like a miniature kettle for adding hot water!

20. Enamel Turkish Coffee Pot: It would be much more traditional to make Turkish coffee (like this!) over the stove, but if you're going to be near a campfire or in a rental house, this little enamel cutie would back up so easily.


Cute and Clever Helpers

This article originally ran last year, but we swapped in some new favorites to bring it up to date.

What's your favorite way to make coffee? Tell us in the comments!

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Amanda Sims

Written by: Amanda Sims

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17 Comments

Sherry S. February 21, 2022
When Alexis' Cuisnart gives up the ship I know what she should upgrade to. I had that same model for a very very long time but when it bit the dust, I upgraded to the Cuisinart DGB 900 BC 12-cup Grind & Brew. It has a programmable timer, a thermal carafe, and a burr grinder that you can adjust the grind to your liking. The hopper holds a half pound of beans. While you have to clean the grinder with a brush fairly regularly. It makes a great cup of coffee, keeps it hot and it's ready when I get up in the morning. I hold some serious affection for this piece of hardware and it's already at least 5 years old and going strong.
 
lynnk January 16, 2020
Whoa, there are so many “wrong” links on this page. I guess it makes for interesting browsing!!
 
joni October 2, 2017
Really nice list of gadgets there!
by the way, if you guys are interested also in bbq and smoking products, you can check this site:
www.firegurus.com
 
Daniel B. July 18, 2017
Have some satisfaction that you really made something great by buying double wall pour over coffee maker. The double wall design not only ensures that your coffee would remain hot for longer but also make certain that it is cool to hold the outer layer. https://www.boliodesigns.com/
 
Jane G. April 6, 2017
If you are just beginning your search for the perfect coffee maker, the easiest way to find the best one for you, is to sit down and consider your actual needs and what you are looking to get out of your coffee maker. Check out http://janeskitchenmiracles.com/best-coffee-makers-reviewed/ this migt help.
 
LouLou March 29, 2017
I bought myself an Aeropress - worst contraption ever!!! Since then I've moved on to the Moka Pot.....and probably will stay there forever!
 
BerryBaby March 21, 2017
I have a battery operated milk frother that I bought at World Market years ago for $10.00. Works great. I also have a French press that makes delicious coffee.
 
Amanda S. November 7, 2016
To everyone who commented on this post last year, we've refreshed it (based on your recs) to include more standouts we've seen at other retailers, besides just those in our shop. Especially because yes, the Aeropress was sorely missing! And a few others.
 
Justin A. November 7, 2016
Great to see Cafflano Klassic (#19) in your refreshed one although its typo of Cafflano Klassic (no 'o' at the end). We have new coffee gear, Cafflano Kompact, advanced press coffee brewer. https://www.thefowndry.com/products/cafflano-kompact
Thanks!!!
 
Karin B. December 12, 2015
This new pour over method that everyone is discovering is really great, I have been using it for 60 years, we called it "Melitta Filter Kaffee". It helps to use really good and finely ground coffee (and enough of it) such as Lavazza Cream i gusto
 
eirroc December 7, 2015
Have you ever TRIED that Hario hand grinder? Seriously. It grinds well but... it takes so long & so much effort that you need to have coffee in your system BEFORE grinding your coffee, which put this gadget on my "never" list. At work, I use a #2 and #4 Melitta pour over that i got at an estate sale, 50¢ for both, with the hot water that comes out of the Keurig that's tapped into the water supply. Can't beat it.

Aeropress IS great although I don't have one because I'd be too lazy to clean it.
 
Greenstuff March 18, 2017
I much prefer the small effort of using my Hario hand grinder to being jarred awake by the screech of an electric grinder. Quietly grinding coffee beans while we watch the sunrise is a ritual at our house.
 
Irene S. December 7, 2015
Where's the Aeropress? It's the cheapest/best/most portable coffee method ever.
 
prettyschmitty December 6, 2015
Shocked the Aeropress isn't on this list
 
swagv December 6, 2015
This is just a veiled advertisement to sell stuff.
The majority of the variables in what makes a good versus not-so-good morning coffee come down to the person making it. Invest in learning how to do it properly, or at least to your liking, and save the junk sold here before it makes the landfills.
 
eirroc December 7, 2015
Amen.
 
Justin A. December 6, 2015
Please add Cafflano Klassic in your list. www.cafflano.com