I think we can all agree that if the age of nifty, streamlined, compact devices has taught us anything it’s that bigger doesn’t always equal better. Today we expect our appliances to be small yet meet our expectations without struggle. Does such a product exist? Introducing: the best 4 cup coffee makers.
A drip coffee maker is normally small, compact and jampacked with the essential features needed to produce a delicious cup of hot coffee. If you drink lots of coffee, or often make coffee for groups of people, why not opt to make 4 cups in one go?
If you’ve been looking to purchase the 4 cup coffee maker, look no further than this article. Not only will we be laying out 7 brilliant options for you to choose from, but we’ll also be sharing the pros and cons of these appliances.
We’ll also be sharing a few helpful tips and tricks to keep in mind when buying a 4-cup coffee maker.
The 7 Best 4 Cup Coffee Makers
There are many different types, makes and models of 4 cup coffee makers available today. Due to its massive popularity, every brand seems to offer a 4 cup coffee maker as one of their products.
Because of this, it can be difficult to sift through the countless options in the hopes of finding the 4 cup coffee makers to meet your coffee needs. So, we’ve decided to do the legwork for you!
We’ve put together this list of 7 of the 4 cup coffee makers to save you the time and effort of doing it yourself. In each section you will find a quick review of the product’s features, specifications as well as the pros and cons of each 4 cup coffee maker.
1. Mr. Coffee Programmable Coffee Maker, Black (DRX5-RB)
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Mr. Coffee’s 4-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker is perfect for those people who love waking up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee. Use the delay brewing feature to program your coffee maker to have your coffee waiting for you in the mornings.
Don’t have time to wait for the brew cycle to finish? Just use the Pause ‘n Serve functionality to indulge in a sneaky cup. The Mr. Coffee 4-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker also includes automatic shutoff after 1 hour.
- Automatic shutoff
- Pause ‘n Serve functionality
- Quiet when operating
- 1-year limited warranty
- The lid to the filter compartment doesn’t always close securely
2. Cuisinart DCC-450BK Coffeemaker with Stainless-Steel Carafe, Black
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This 4-Cup Coffeemaker is brought to you by Cuisinart and is a high-quality coffee maker that is built to last. Its 3-year limited warranty speaks for itself. It’s convenient ‘on’ indicator ensures you are never taken by surprise and the knuckle guard found on the stainless-steel carafe protects you from accidentally burning yourself.
Grab a cup while the rest of your coffee is brewing thanks to the Cuisinart’s Brew-pause feature. With a 4cup brewing time of approximately 10 minutes and auto shutoff after 30, this machine saves you time and energy in every way
- Automatic shutoff after 30 minutes
- Brew-pause functionality
- Dripless pour spout and knuckle guard
- 3-year limited warranty
- Reports of filter clogging
3. Mr. Coffee Switch Coffee Maker with Gold Tone Filter
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Another great product from Mr. Coffee, what makes this 4-Cup Switch Coffee Maker stand out is that it includes a permanent gold tone filter. Say goodbye to the expense and waste of paper filters as gold tone mesh is known to enhance the flavor of coffee by retaining the coffee beans oils and optimizing infusion time.
Removing the filter basket is quick and easy, while operating the coffee maker itself is even easier thanks to its simple on/off switch.
- Grab-A-Cup Auto Pause functionality
- Permanent gold tone filter included
- 1-year limited warranty
- Lid is not well designed
4. Elite Cuisine EHC-2022 Maxi-Matic with Pause and Serve, Black
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The Elite Cuisine 4-Cup Coffeemaker is compact and well-designed, perfect for use in homes or offices where space is a concern. Enjoy a sneaky cup of coffee while your machine is still brewing by taking advantage of the Pause ‘N Serve system.
The water reservoir of Elite Cuisine’s 4-Cup Coffeemaker is semi-transparent so it’s easy to keep an eye on the water level and never be caught by surprise when you’re running on empty. The built-in removable filter is easy to clean and you’ll never have to worry about buying disposable filters again.
- Pause ‘n Serve system
- Dishwasher safe
- 1-year limited warranty
- No automatic shutoff
- Reports of leakage
5. Mr. Coffee Simple Brew Coffee Maker | Drip Coffee Maker, Black
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If a delicious stress-free, mess-free cup of coffee is what you’re after the Mr. Coffee 4-Cup Coffee Maker might be the perfect option for you as it is for many coffee lovers.
Its Grab-A-Cup Auto Pause functionality allows you to grab a cup mid-brew and only continues brewing once the carafe is securely back in place. The removable basket filter lifts out for easy filling and cleaning. The dual water window and stain-resistant warming plate elevate this product.
- Grab-A-Cup Auto Pause functionality
- Dual water window
- Stain-resistant warming plate
- 1-year limited warranty
- No automatic shutoff
6. Mr. Coffee Switch Coffee Maker, White - TF4-RB
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Mr. Coffee’s white 4-Cup Switch Coffee Maker is a firm favorite amongst users all over the world. A simple on/off indicator lets you know when the machine is on or off and that’s about as complicated as using this coffee maker gets! You can use the included mesh filter or opt for paper filters—the choice is yours.
A dual water window ensures overflow doesn’t happen and the removable filter basket makes for a quick and easy clean up. The Grab-A-Cub Auto Pause functionality stops the cycle so you can grab a cup before the brew is complete.
- Grab-A-Cup Auto Pause functionality
- Stain-resistant warming plate
- 1-year limited warranty
- Isn’t very durable
- No automatic shutoff
7. Capresso 303.01 Espresso and Cappuccino Machine
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The 303.01 Espresso and Cappuccino Maker by Capresso is a great option for people who love their lattes, cappuccinos and espressos equally. Pouring water into the boiler is easy thanks to the carafe that is included with every purchase.
The steam selector allows you ultimate control over the brewing & steaming process while easy to understand markings make for a simple user experience all round.
- Built-in safety boiler cap valve to stop hot steam from escaping
- Adjustable steam frother
- 1-year warranty
- The plastic cover ring frequently pops off
- No frothing cup included
Top 5 Advantages of a 4 Cup Coffee Maker
Now that we’ve introduced some of the best 4 cup coffee makers available, lets take a look at the advantages of this machine in general.
1. Convenience
When your family is a coffee loving clan or you have a group of friends over, you should be spending time with them and not laboring over making multiple cups of coffee. A 4 cup coffee maker does the hard work for you.
2. Cost
4 Cup coffee makers are typically inexpensive, especially when compared to larger coffee makers like 10-cup or 12-cup machines.
3. Energy Consumption
These days, energy consumption is a concern for most people. By using a 4 cup coffee maker to make multiple cups at a time you will be saving on the energy costs incurred when making individual cups.
4. Size
One of the best things about a 4 cup coffee maker is that they aren’t that much bigger than a single-serve coffee maker. 4 cup coffee makers tend to be compact and won’t take up too much counter space. On top of this, if you plan on using your4 cup coffee maker exclusively for special occasions or when larger groups of guests come over you won’t need to worry about storage space.
5. Easy to clean
By making 4 cups of coffee in one go you won’t have to spend as much time or effort cleaning your carafe as you would if you were making pot after pot.
Top 5 Disadvantages of a 4 Cup Coffee Maker
It’s only fair that since we’ve covered the advantages of a 4 cup coffee maker we should highlight its disadvantages too.
1. Risk of Spillage
4 cup coffee makers often feature smaller spouts, so the task of pouring coffee may end in a task of cleaning up the coffee you spilled when pouring. If you are clumsier than most, or don’t have particularly good aim, simply pour your coffee over your kitchen sink in case spillage occurs.
2. Correct Quantities
Unfortunately, many 4 cup coffee makers are advertised as being 4 cup makers when in reality they don’t actually make 4 cups at a time. For a lot of models, the realistic quantity is around 2 cups. It’s always important to confirm how many cups a machine actually makes by reading user reviews.
3. Durability
The relatively low cost of a 4 cup coffee maker is mainly due to the materials being predominantly plastic. This often leads to durability and longevity issues, especially in the cheaper coffee makers.
4. Inflexible
As great as making 4 cups at a time is, sometimes you only need one cup. While some 4 cup coffee makers include a single-serve option, not all of them do and thus these machines could be seen as somewhat inflexible.
5. Shorter Warranties
Because 4 cup coffee makers tend to experience heavy usage regularly, they often have a shorter warranty than other coffee maker types. Most 4 cup coffee makers come with a limited 1-year warranty which is relatively short when compared to other coffee maker types and kitchen appliances.
Tips & Tricks: Buying Guide
Even with fantastic options laid out for you to pick from, deciding which 4 cup coffee maker to choose still can be a challenge.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when you’re shopping around for a 4 cup coffee maker.
Automatic Shutoff
Automatic shutoff is an important feature that many people consider a must have for their 4 cup coffee machine. This feature is especially important for people who’re on the go, who may not always have time to check that the machine is off.
Size Matters
When you’re looking to buy a 4cup coffee maker, size really does matter. Nobody wants a big, bulky monster of a machine taking up large amounts of precious counter space. Make sure to scope out the coffee maker’s dimensions to confirm that it will fit nicely in your home or office.
The Carafe
The carafe is easily the most important component of a 4 cup coffee maker. Carafes are either made of glass, plastic or stainless steel. Each material has its own pros and cons. For example, stainless steel carafes are durable and will last a long time, however, they aren’t transparent so your unable to monitor what is happening inside the carafe.
Glass carafes allow you to keep an eye on the brewing process but can break easily. And plastic carafes are usually transparent but aren’t known for their longevity, plus more people are trying to cut down the amount of plastic products they support.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many reasons why a 4cup coffee maker might be the right option for your unique coffee needs. As with all things, simply weigh up the pros and cons to determine whether this type of coffee maker will meet those needs.
Now that you know exactly what to look for in a 4 cup coffee maker, and have seven brilliant options to choose from, your coffee-loving life is about to get a whole lot better.
