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When it comes to coffee, offices have a variety of challenges. One of the first questions that should be addressed to overcome those challenges are: Which coffee maker should your office invest in?

There’s no one right or wrong answer to that question. While some offices may have an abundance of tea drinkers who knock back box after box of herbal, green, and black varietals, most offices boast a sizeable contingent of coffee fiends who consume it faster than it can be brewed.

For those offices soaking up coffee, this one’s for you! Here are some of our best picks for office coffee machines for 2019. Some of these are modern takes tried and true brewing favorites, while others aren’t quite your mother’s office coffee machine. Let’s take a look at some office coffee machine options, breaking out our picks by office size to find a machine that works for you and your crew.

Coffee Makers for Small Offices

Those with a small office are blessed with choices for the best office coffee machines—an overwhelming number of them, in fact. Here are just a few:

Exotic, Yet Practical: The French Press

If you have a tight-knit office — ranging from five to 10 people — consider the small-yet-mighty French press. Though it’s common to imagine the single-serve French press pots served up at restaurants and coffee shops, there are actually a number of large-batch pots.

For a small, five-person office, you will probably fine with a 34-ounce press. However, a 51-ounce—among the largest of the French press sizes—is the safest bet and a worthwhile investment. One of the most consistent brands for this type of maker is Bodum.

When shopping for a French press coffee machine for your office, keep in mind that although some brands look prettier than others, most will get the same job done. Even the filter portion of the maker is technically more for ease-of-use and aesthetics than actual function.

The Multi-Tasker: The Two-in-One Coffee Machine

Multi-tasking is a sign of our times. And multi-purpose coffee makers are no different. Some coffee brands are now combining grinders and drip coffee makers like laptops with tablets. These two-in-one coffee machines are usually small- to medium-size coffee pots that make just a couple of cups, but are ergonomic and come with all the usual frills of today’s drip coffee makers, like coffee strength settings.

Newer models of two-in-one coffee machines even upgraded from blade grinders to burr grinders — the latter being the preference between the two for quality. Consider this a well-rounded selection among small office coffee machines, for offices that don’t drink a ton of coffee, but has occasional one-on-one meetings with visitors—making a two-cup coffee maker a welcome addition.

A “Clever” Office Coffee Machine

Think of the Clever as the utility knife of manual pour coffee machines. This little brother of the hourglass-shaped Chemex or Hario pour-over pots (which could also be recommended for greater output if you enjoy brewing and have extra picky coffee drinkers) is one of many single-serve office coffee machines.

The Clever rests atop a single cup, has an exceptional drainage design compared to many other pour-over devices, and — the best part — is easy to clean. Its paper filters are even decidedly smaller and lighter. It might be worth keeping two of these in the office for desk-side brewing.

Coffee Makers for Larger Offices

There’s never been a better time to shop around for large office coffee machines. Some require a bit of a learning curve to use, some are at the pricier end of the pool, and others recall that trusty Mr. Coffee pot from years prior.

Easy to Use Office All-Star: Single Serve Coffee Pod Machines

There are good reasons single serve coffee pod devices have caught on: they’re convenient, versatile, and maybe among the fastest-improving coffee makers. Models offer larger cup-size options than ever. Some versions even have larger carafes for bigger coffee batches—and adjustable heights for the drip.

The appeal of a single serve coffee machine is precisely what you’d imagine: every person in the office can decide for themselves what coffee they want to drink in a low-commitment way. Many pod coffee offerings, subscription or otherwise, offer variety packs. In addition to making brewing a snap, cleaning and maintenance on a single serve machine is a snap, too. Simply run a cleaning solution (or a water-and-vinegar mixture) through it on a regular basis and you have fresh, delicious coffee with no muss or fuss. 

Something More Traditional: Commercial Coffee Makers

When you think of an in-office coffee brewer, this option may instantly spring to mind. Commercial coffee machines can come in varieties that offer as many as three burners with plumbed-in water, eliminating half the hassle. Renting the equipment also tends to come alongside a hot pot for keeping the coffee warm without resting on the burner and making your coffee more bitter. Among the more premium commercial office coffee machines are smaller-scale options that drip right into a carafe rather than the usual glass pot and know when to shut off. Some more impressive models will stop brewing when you remove the carafe, meaning the impatient coffee drinker who is late for a meeting can grab a cup mid-brew and simply put it back, resuming the drip.

Trendy, Yet Tasty: Cold Brew Coffee Makers

Once you get the process down for making cold brew—the ratio, brew time, and every other finicky detail—this is a surprisingly effective way to keep office workers caffeinated inexpensively and in large quantities.

This is because cold brew has the same chocolatey, velvet-mouthfeel quality to it no matter what coffee you use, thanks to the extraction process involved with cold-brewing. It’s a cost-effective way to keep coffee in the fridge at all hours of the workday. (And for a solid length of time, as cold brew can keep for several days.)

You’ll need a cloth filter or net for big batches of cold brew coffee, as well as a dedicated container for this express purpose or a repurposed container. You’ll also need to carve out some valuable refrigerator real estate. Try assigning cold-brew-making duties to different employees from week to week if this is a challenge your coffee-craving office finds to be worth the time and effort.

No matter what office coffee brewer you choose, Victor Allen’s Coffee can supply all the coffee needs through its flexible subscription service. In addition to satisfying pre-ground and whole bean coffee, you’ll also find that we offer a variety of pod-based options, featuring variety packs that will perk up any coffee-eager office worker.

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