Melitta Optima Timer
Our score: 7.6/10 out of 1033.5 cm tall · 2-yr warranty · Glass jug type
Filter coffee machines
A filter machine brews a jug at a time, which suits households that drink several mugs a day. The choices are the jug (glass on a hotplate, or an insulated thermal jug that keeps coffee hot off the heat), whether it can start on a timer, and whether it grinds the beans itself. Check the paper filter size it takes and how tall it stands.
Before you buy
- Glass or thermal jug. A glass jug sits on a hotplate, which must switch off within 40 minutes of brewing; a thermal jug keeps coffee hot after the machine powers down.
- Check the paper size. Cone machines take size 1×4 or the smaller 102 papers; Sage's Luxe Brewer takes flat-bottom basket papers. Buy the right ones before the first brew.
- Mind the height of grinder models. A built-in grinder adds height: the Melitta AromaFresh Pro X stands about 46 cm, so measure under your cupboards first.
Filter, bean-to-cup or pods? Which coffee machine should you buy? compares all four types, including what an Americano gives you that filter coffee doesn’t.
Top picks
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Best overall
Moccamaster KBG Select
A full jug in about six minutes, and a five-year warranty
- 36 cm tall
- 5-yr warranty
- 1.25 L jug capacity
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Best value
Melitta LOOK V Therm Timer
Thermal jug, timer and descaling programme in a compact body
- 36.7 cm tall
- 2-yr warranty
- Thermal jug type
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Best grind and brew
Melitta AromaFresh Pro X
Grinds fresh beans and brews; two timers and five strengths
- 46.3 cm tall
- 3-yr warranty
- Glass jug type
More machines
2 machines, sorted by our score
Sage the Luxe Brewer Thermal
Our score: 7.6/10 out of 1040.8 cm tall · 2-yr warranty · 1.8 L jug capacity
Filter coffee machines questions
What size filter papers does it take?
Most cone machines take size 1×4 papers (Moccamaster calls them No. 4); the Melitta Optima Timer takes the smaller 102 size, and Sage's Luxe Brewer takes flat-bottom papers for an 8 to 12 cup basket. Each product page lists the size.
How long does the hotplate keep coffee warm?
Under the GB ecodesign rules, a machine with a glass jug must drop to low power within 40 minutes of brewing, and one with an insulated jug within 5 minutes. A thermal jug keeps the coffee hot after that.
Can I set it to brew at a set time?
Only models with a timer. The Sage Luxe Brewer and the Melitta Look V Therm Timer, AromaFresh Pro X and Optima Timer have one; the Moccamaster KBG Select does not.
How often should I descale a filter machine?
When the descale light comes on, or on the maker's schedule: Moccamaster says every 100 brews or at least every three months. Melitta machines let you set your water hardness so the light comes on at the right time.
Can I buy a replacement jug?
For the Moccamaster, yes: a spare 1.25-litre glass jug is sold, and the jug is one of the loose parts its 5-year warranty does not cover. Melitta prints a code for each jug in its technical data, but we found no spare jugs in its UK shop, so ask Melitta or your retailer before you rely on one.
Filter coffee guides
- Which coffee machine should you buy? Where a filter machine beats the other types, and our pick.
- How to descale a coffee machine in a hard-water area, with the Moccamaster and Melitta routines.
- Compact coffee machines that fit under kitchen cupboards, including the shortest filter machine we track.
Other types of machine: bean-to-cup machines, espresso machines and pod machines.