You don't need an espresso machine to get delicious fresh coffee at home — here's what I'd use instead and why

the breville luxe brewer (sage luxe brewer in the UK) thermal carafe version with a silver metal carafe and filter basket and removable plastic water tank showing the range of filter baskets and paper filters with a dial to control brew
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
Best coffee makers

the breville luxe brewer (sage luxe brewer in the UK) thermal carafe version with a silver metal carafe and filter basket and removable plastic water tank showing the range of filter baskets and paper filters with a dial to control brew

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

If you want fresh coffee at home without the headache of learning how to use an espresso machine, perhaps one of the best coffee makers would be up your street. We've got recommendations for everything from single-serve drip brewers to fully automatic coffee machines.

I recently got my hands on one of the newest and most exciting drip coffee makers: the Breville Luxe Brewer.

It's a drip coffee maker, not a coffee percolator, French press, moka pot, or pour-over coffee maker— they are all different —and works by submerging coffee grounds with nearly-boiling water and then 'dripping' from the filter into a serving jug or carafe.

So the Breville Luxe Brewer words by submersion rather than agitation, and in my opinion, makes delectable coffee 10 times faster than you'd expect. I was able to make 12 cups of hot fresh coffee in 3 minutes.

Now, I know espresso and drip coffee have inherently different flavors. Coffee brigade, please don't come for me. However, I also know that learning how to use an espresso machine is actually quite tricky.

Sometimes you don't want to fiddle with pressure and tamping and dosing; sometimes you just want hot caffeine bean juice and you want it now. So if you want homemade coffee but you don't like espresso machines, here's why the Breville Luxe Brewer just might be the machine for you.

Breville Luxe Brewer
Breville Luxe Brewer: $349 at Amazon

The new Breville Luxe Brewer is a fantastic drip machine. It makes delicious coffee in just 3 minutes — faster than any other drip machine I've used before — and looks just as good as you'd expect from Breville. And the best part? It's so easy to use: literally put in your coffee, add your water, and press 'Brew.' The machine takes care of the rest.

One-touch super-fast coffee

The Breville Luxe Brewer is so fast. Like, blink-and-you-miss-it fast. Well, assuming you blink for 3 minutes and 15 seconds.

The Luxe Brewer does what no other drip coffee machine has ever done before (not one I've seen anyway): it brews 12 cups of black coffee in 3 minutes and 15 seconds. No, that's not a typo. I know, I was shook too. In the office we were so surprised that we thought we were doing it wrong.

But there's not really anything you can do wrong. The Luxe Brewer is as easy as this: pour ground coffee into the filter basket, fill the water tank with your desired amount, and press 'Brew'. Yes, that's literally it.

the breville luxe brewer (sage luxe brewer in the UK) thermal carafe version with a silver metal carafe and filter basket and removable plastic water tank showing the range of filter baskets and paper filters with a dial to control brew

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Whereas the best espresso machines require: coffee ground to the perfect size for pressure and speed, tamping, dosing, a coffee scale, and more. It can be a bit of a headache for some people, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Personally, I prefer the flavor of espresso over drip coffee, but if you want speed and convenience over flavor, then a drip machine might be more your vibe.

Even so, the Luxe Brewer makes delicious coffee. I've tested a few drip brewers by now — the Moccamaster and Aarke Coffee Maker are perhaps the most famous of the bunch — and none really brewed delectable coffee like the Luxe Brewer.

It's worth noting that the Luxe Brewer is SCA-accredited (Specialty Coffee Association), which basically means the machine meets a certain number of fundamental design and functionality requirements. This doesn't guarantee perfect coffee every time, but it means it's a little easier thanks to the built-in PID controller (temperature control).

An experimenter's dream

Are you familiar with the concept of a 1950s American diner? Well, of course you are. In my mind, I associate drip coffee with a big-haired, wide-eyed waitress wearing a little white apron and announcing in a syrupy-sweet, "Refills are on the house, y'all." No? Just me?

Anyway, I was fully expecting to live out my 1950s dreams with the Luxe Brewer. I anticipated coffee so black and so intense I'd wince with every sip. But I was wrong.

The Luxe Brewer is so easy to experiment with. You aren't restricted to specific doses or grind sizes. You can use one of the best coffee grinders and best coffee scales to ensure you get the optimal ratio of coffee:water (I went for 1:18, which some would say is too weak, but for me it's perfect).

the breville luxe brewer (sage luxe brewer in the UK) thermal carafe version with a silver metal carafe and filter basket and removable plastic water tank showing the range of filter baskets and paper filters with a dial to control brew

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

If you like intense brews, I'd recommend dropping the ratio to as low as 1:15. Of course, you can grind your beans finer as well to get an even more intense flavor. Personally, this style of brewing wouldn't mesh with my light-roasted beans very well, so I will stick to my 1:18 ratio of medium-coarse ground coffee.

But that's what makes the Luxe Brewer such a great stress-free brewer. You don't need to dose a certain amount or be able to reach a certain level of pressure like an espresso machine.

If you're patient enough to wait for the water to drip through, you could theoretically make an ultra-strong blackest-of-black coffee with finely ground beans and a small amount of water. It would taste vile, but you can do it, and that's what makes this machine so fun.

Want cold brew? No problem

Cold brew isn't that rare of a brewing mode these days — many of the best coffee makers, like the older Breville Precision Brewer, have a cold brew mode. The Luxe Brewer has a cold brew setting too, which is a nice touch.

But do I think it's necessary?

Hmm, not massively. You can make cold brew in a French press (I use the Espro P7 to make cold brew) without needing to sacrifice using your drip brewer for however long it takes the cold brew to steep.

the breville luxe brewer (sage luxe brewer in the UK) thermal carafe version with a silver metal carafe and filter basket and removable plastic water tank showing the range of filter baskets and paper filters with a dial to control brew

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Ordinarily, I steep cold brew for a minimum of 12 hours, and usually 16 hours, which means I'd be unable to use my Luxe Brewer for hot coffee for that amount of time.

Even though I love the Luxe Brewer's hot coffee setting, I don't think I'll be reaching for the cold brew mode any time soon. All that being said, though, the cold brew mode is nice to have and could be a good option if you live in a really hot area and would never drink hot coffee during summer anyway.

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Erin Bashford
Staff Writer, Reviews

Erin Bashford is a staff writer at Tom’s Guide, covering reviews. She has a Masters in Broadcast and Digital Journalism from the University of East Anglia. As an ex-barista and avid home cook, she's got a soft spot for coffee and home tech; as a proud music nerd, she's always on the hunt for the best headphones, speakers, and earbuds. In her spare time you can find her reading, practising yoga, writing, or stressing over today’s NYT Games.

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