In offices across the country, coffee is the glue that holds team members together. Nearly two-thirds of American adults consume the caffeinated beverage every day, and one-quarter openly acknowledge they're addicted to it. Coffee fuels meetings, presentations, and the daily grind.
What does this mean for American businesses? For starters, any company that wants to sustain team productivity should invest in the best coffee maker for your office breakroom.
It's important to consider several factors when selecting a coffee machine for the office. These include ease of use, coffee quality, environmental impact, cleaning and maintenance requirements, cost, the coffee maker's longevity, where the coffee maker will be located, your team's coffee drinking habits and preferences, and—perhaps most importantly—company size.
So how do you select the best coffee machine for your needs? First, filter by your company's size and choose from our list of the greatest coffee makers for small, medium, and enterprise companies.
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The Best Coffee Makers for Small Businesses
Small companies with fewer than 20 employees have the biggest range of choices thanks to their low-volume demand. Here are a few great options to get you started:
- Brentwood Single Serve Coffee Maker
Team members can brew up a single cup of the coffee of their choice thanks to this coffee maker's dual capabilities, which allow you to brew from either a K-cup® or regular ground coffee. BPA-free materials help team members rest assured they aren't imbibing anything other than caffeine. - Conair® Cuisinart® Coffee Maker with Hot Water System
This programmable coffee maker can brew up to 10 cups at a time and features a 1- to 4-cup setting for days when only a few people want a second cup. Its versatility is further enhanced by its Brew Pause feature, which provides hot water on demand for team members who prefer tea or hot cocoa to coffee. It also features 24-hour programmability, a drip-free pour spout, a charcoal filter to remove impurities, and is self-cleaning. - Cuisinart® Thermal Coffee Maker
Sleek and reliable, this coffee maker offers great convenience thanks to its 1- to 4-cup setting, 24-hour programmability, Brew Pause function, and self-cleaning feature. Multiple filters help ensure a fresh, flavorful brew every time. - Hamilton Beach® The Scoop Single-Cup Coffee Maker
Brew a cup of Joe in less than 90 seconds with this single-cup coffee maker; its reusable, single-serve scoop filter allows users to select regular or bold brews and perfectly portion their coffee. And thanks to an automatic shut-off that kicks in after brewing, users can head back to their desks the second their cups are ready. - Andis® Coffee Maker With Glass Carafe
Take all the guesswork out of coffee brewing with simple instructions printed right on top of this coffee maker, as well as an automatic one-hour shutoff, pause-and-serve functionality, and an easy-pour glass carafe. Whipping up four cups of Joe has never been easier.
The Best Coffee Makers for Medium-Sized Businesses
Companies with more than 20 and fewer than 100 team members often have the most difficulty identifying the best office coffee maker because they may need to accommodate small or large servings of coffee on any given day. The solution? A coffee maker that works quickly and can keep coffee warm for considerable periods of time. Here are a few great options:
- Better Chef® Coffee Maker
Brew up to 12 cups of coffee in minutes with this easy-to-use coffee maker. Thanks to its “grab a cup” feature, the person in charge of initiating the brewing process can enjoy a cup of coffee while the maker finishes its brew process. The built-in water level indicator and removable filter basket make measuring and cleaning a cinch. - Bunn® Pour-Over Coffee Brewer
This machine can brew up to 12 cups of coffee at a time (or 100 cups per hour) and, thanks to its dual warmers, keeps coffee warm for 24 hours. The unit features safe pouring (courtesy of its SplashGard funnel), simple maintenance, and easy cleaning. - Delonghi Programmable Combination Espresso and Drip Coffee Maker
Save precious counter space and satisfy a diversity of palates with this 10-cup, three-in-one drip coffee, espresso, and cappuccino and latte machine. The coffee maker's 24-hour programmability allows for convenient brewing, while the “flavor savor” brewing system ensures a robust drinking experience. - Hamilton Beach® BrewStation Summit Ultra Coffee Maker
This single machine can brew coffee to suit a variety of tastes and serving sizes, including bold, regular, iced, small-batch, and 12-cup brewing options. Because the coffee is brewed inside the coffee maker, there's no need for a carafe; instead, the coffee stays hot inside the maker without burning. With a programmable timer, you can expect freshly brewed coffee every morning.
The Best Coffee Makers for Enterprise Companies
Large companies with more than 100 team members will need to invest in a large-capacity coffee maker (or risk insurrection from employees suffering through caffeine withdrawal). Here are three stellar options:
- Better Chef® 10- to 50- Cup Coffee Maker
This large-scale coffee maker brews up to 50 cups of coffee, tea, cocoa, or hot water at a time, which makes it ideal for large offices. It features stainless steel construction to keep coffee fresher for longer, a non-drip spigot and secure-lock cover to help prevent drips and spills, and easy cleanup. - Hamilton Beach® 42-Cup Coffee Urn
It takes a mere 60 seconds for this giant machine to brew a cup of Joe, and you won't have to guess when it's ready thanks to a ready-to-serve indicator light. But perhaps the most compelling feature is its 42-cup brewing capacity, which makes it easy to serve a large team. Water level marks make the coffee maker easy to fill, while the two-way dispenser allows for both single cup and continuous filling. - Newco® ACE-LP Low Profile 3-Station Brewer
If your office includes lovers of decaf or non-coffee beverages such as tea or hot cocoa, this coffee maker allows you to keep everyone satisfied thanks to three separate stations, which can brew multiple beverages at once. The unit also comes with a variety of helpful features such as a water-level detection system, an adjustable brew safety light, durable stainless steel construction, a pulse brewing option, and accurate flow control.
Conclusion
Taking the time to select the best coffee maker for your office isn't just good for your caffeine-addicted team members. It's also good for business. Ensuring a steady supply of coffee in the office keeps productivity soaring and spirits high.
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Laura Newcomer
Laura Newcomer is a writer, editor, and educator with multiple years of experience working in the environmental and personal wellness space. Formerly Senior Editor at the health site Greatist, Laura now lives and works in Pennsylvania. Her writing has been published on Washington Post, TIME Healthland, Greatist, DailyBurn, Lifehacker, and Business Insider, among others. She has taught environmental education to students of all ages in both Pennsylvania and Maine, and prioritizes living an environmentally sustainable lifestyle. She's a big proponent of creating self-sustaining communities and accessible healthy food systems that care for both people and the earth. An avid outdoorswoman, she can often be found hiking, kayaking, backpacking, and tending to her garden.