If you’ve ever had a coffee maker run dry while brewing, you’ll understand the advantage of plumbing it directly to your water line. A direct water line coffee maker can be an excellent option for the home or office, simplifying your life by eliminating the need to refill a water reservoir.
This review roundup will discuss six top plumbed coffee makers in detail – plus consider an after-market direct plumbing kit as an alternative. We’ll walk you through how we tested every machine and what we learned so you know what to look for when shopping for a plumbed coffee maker.
The 6 Best Coffee Makers With Water Line Connections
There’s a plumbed coffee machine just waiting for connection to your water line, whether you need something for the home or office, something top-of-the-line or value-priced. We’ve rounded up the best six to go over their essential features.
If none of these plumbed coffee makers seems like your cup of tea, consider purchasing a universal water line plumbing kit instead. These can connect with a wide range of coffee machines from several brands, greatly expanding your possibilities.
Most commercial-grade espresso machines are designed for a direct water line connection, but this review round-up focuses only on coffee makers, not plumbed espresso machines.
The Keurig K3500 is our pick for this year’s best plumbed coffee maker. This NSF-certified commercial brewer is the perfect addition to a busy office breakroom or hotel breakfast bar. It was designed to serve many people in rapid succession, with several smart innovations making that possible.
We were impressed with the easy-to-use touchscreen display that walks you through the coffee brewing process in one of several languages. The five options for cup sizes (from 4 to 12 ounces) are pretty standard for Keurig, but we were pleasantly surprised to find that you can also adjust brewing temperature and strength.
The K3500 has two internal water tanks, ensuring hot water is always ready for back-to-back use. We tried testing how many coffees it could make before needing to recover but gave up after the first 12; evidently, it can brew indefinitely. And it’s very quick for coffee lovers who are always in a hurry – less than two minutes for a 10-ounce brew in our tests.
This machine has clean lines, a sleek design, and a full-color touchscreen display. We think its modern and tasteful look is well suited to a formal place of business.
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The K3500 is designed to be plumbed to a water line for automatic water refill, but note that you must buy the plumbing kit separately. The Keurig Kq8 Filter Kit by PureWater is also compatible with the Keurig B150, K150, B155, K155, K2500, B3000se, and K4000.
Most plumbed-in coffee machines are designed for commercial applications, making them too large and clunky for the average home user. The Brew Express BEC-110 is a rare exception to this rule. This versatile option is perfectly sized for a home kitchen but still carries a commercial certification for use in a small business.
In our brew water temperature tests, the BEC-110 consistently fell within the ideal range of 195 to 205 F recommended by the Specialty Coffee Association. Plus, it uses showerhead-style water distribution to ensure the grounds are evenly saturated. That combination means optimal extraction every time. After brewing, the thermal carafe keeps the coffee hot without ruining its flavor by overheating it on a warming plate.
We measured the brew time at less than 8 minutes for a full 10-cup carafe, including the initial heat-up time. We also tracked the water temperature in the carafe after brewing, and it took about three hours to drop below 130 F.
While aesthetics aren’t a deciding factor, we like the look of this plumbed coffee maker. The stainless steel panels give it a classy appeal that works for the home and office and keep the machine’s front safe from damage. We’d love to see a bit less plastic in the build at this price, though. Similarly, you need to buy an extra adaptor if you want to brew single servings, which seems like a bit of a cash grab on top of an already expensive machine.
The Waring Cafe Deco Airpot Coffee Maker is our favorite plumbed batch brewer this year. We love it for its speed and efficiency. This drip coffee maker can brew up to 4 gallons of coffee per hour, and with a 1660-watt heating element, you won’t be waiting long for that first pot! We timed it at just 13 minutes to turn on, heat up, and fill a 2.2-liter airpot with steaming hot coffee.
This NSF-certified commercial coffee machine is basic but effective, and its all-stainless-steel body is built to last. It doesn’t have any customizable features, and it doesn’t use coffee pods. You just add ground coffee to the basket and brew.
We noticed that this plumbed coffee maker doesn’t use a bloom phase, sometimes resulting in a messy spray when the water hits the grounds. We found that giving the ground coffee a quick spray with water before putting the basket in the machine was an easy solution to this problem. But we’d be happier if Waring fixed it in future models.
Though it doesn’t have any fancy programmable functions, it does include a dedicated hot water spout for making tea, hot chocolate, soup, or even instant oatmeal. It would be a great addition to an office, hotel, coffee shop, or airport lounge.
This brewer is designed to brew into an airpot, but none is included with purchase – a bit of a surprise for something costing hundreds of dollars. Waring sells the airpots separately, in 2.2 L and 2.5 L sizes. But you also have the flexibility to shop around and consider other brands or styles of coffee pot.
The K2500 is part of Keurig’s commercial lineup of machines, and our pick as the best single-serve coffee maker. This versatile model replaces the K150. Like its predecessor, it is popular for home use and small to medium-sized businesses thanks to its small size and reasonable price tag.
The K2500 offers many of the same features we enjoyed in the K3500 at a more approachable price. That includes the easy-to-use full-color touchscreen interface, 5 different cup sizes, and brew strength control.
We were a little disappointed not to get brew temperature control with this model because Keurigs are notoriously on the cool side. We found the water temperature hovered around 185 to 195 in our tests, a little below ideal.
Like most Keurigs, this machine uses K Cups to brew a single cup of coffee at a time. While we don’t love the environmental implications of K Cups, it’s hard to argue with their convenience in an office. With hundreds to choose from, including tea and hot cocoa as well as coffee, everyone can enjoy their favorite flavors. We’ve taken to splurging on compostable K Cup pods, and some staff members bring their own refillable K Cup to use freshly ground coffee.
This plumbed coffee maker has everything you need to attach directly to the water line straight out of the box. If you don’t want to plumb in the K2500, you’ll need to purchase a separate kit that includes a sizeable 110 oz water reservoir.
The BUNN My Cafe MCO is another NSF-certified product geared toward the commercial market. A few novel features distinguish it from the Keurig K3500, which is similar in size and price.
Like the Keurig, it’s a single-serve brewer that uses K Cups to ensure every user gets their desired drink. We actually preferred the Bunn’s touchscreen interface. The brewing directions are more intuitive, and it allows custom brew settings for coffee, tea, hot cocoa, and dispensing hot water.
Rather than designated drink sizes, this machine lets you choose any size between 4 and 16 ounces, adjusted in quarter-ounce increments. While the flexibility is a nice idea, we mostly found ourselves brewing standard 8, 10, and 12-ounce cups. Brewing more than 12 ounces with a K Cup always yields a weak brew.
Bunn employs a unique water jet extraction process and industry-recognized ideal brewing temperatures to improve coffee quality (1). We didn’t think the coffee was any more flavorful than the Keurig options when brewed with the same K Cup. But taste testers definitely noted that the MCO’s coffee was hotter – something to keep in mind if you like your brew piping hot.
After brewing, the coffee machine automatically ejects the used coffee pod into a waste storage bin and is ready for another brewing cycle. Bunn claims this machine can make 60 cups of coffee per hour, but we found a cup every two minutes was more realistic.
By the way, here’s where we reviewed the best BUNN coffee makers.
In a market populated almost exclusively with machines running hundreds of dollars, this small coffee maker from JAVAPod shines at less than a fifth the cost of the rest. And it actually has some features we prefer to the fancier models! Let’s talk about those first.
Our favorite selling point is that this machine can brew with K Cups or ground coffee. For convenience, simply insert a K-Cup and start your brew. But if you’re concerned about environmental impact or want to use freshly ground coffee (and who wouldn’t?), there’s a refillable K-Cup included. Or you can brew regular coffee using the brand’s cup-shaped paper filters, 50 of which are included in the box.
We also appreciate that this home coffee machine has a 45-ounce water reservoir if you don’t want to go the direct-plumb route. This gives it more flexibility without having to purchase any additional kits, an aspect of the Keurig models that we found endlessly frustrating. All these extras add considerable value to an already bargain-priced machine.
So where is it lacking? In terms of drink customization, there isn’t any. Once you have your capsule or ground coffee set up, you simply choose your drink size between 6, 8, and 10 ounces. We’d love to see a 12-ounce option but have found that brewing 6 ounces twice is a viable workaround. Brew time clocks in at under 40 seconds, and the machine will shut off automatically after an energy-efficient 60 seconds.
Bonus Option: UmJava Coffee Maker Water Line Kit
The Umjava is a universal water line kit that can connect nearly any coffee machine to your refrigerator’s water line through the coffee maker’s existing water reservoir, including Keurig and Nespresso brewers. This is by far the cheapest and easiest way to plumb your coffee maker.
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The Umjava kit is incredibly simple to install, requiring just 15 minutes and a few common tools. Once installed, the refilling valve is cleverly mounted under a cabinet, where it’s accessible and out of sight.
How We Tested These Plumbed Coffee Makers
We tested these coffee makers in largely the same way we test all coffee makers. The main difference was that, because they have specific installation requirements, we didn’t send any to our team of home testers; all were trialed in-house, with every team member taking part. However, that means that information regarding longevity and durability was gathered from reliable reviews and forums rather than hands-on experience.
We started by performing a series of measurements, noting heat-up time, brew time, and brew temperature. Blind taste tests were then conducted using the brewer’s primary advertised brewing method (K-Cups, ground coffee, or both). The same coffee was used in all cases, and if there was a “strong” coffee option, it was tasted as well to see if it made an appreciable difference.
Finally, everyone was given the chance to interact with each machine. We all made notes on what we liked and didn’t like about each brewer. That includes things like the display, settings, and whether it was loud or made a mess. Those features were valued against the price when deciding which products to recommend.
How To Choose The Best Coffee Maker With Water Line
There are surprisingly few choices for plumbed coffee makers compared to standard coffee makers, which makes it harder to find the perfect combination of features. In some cases, an after-market plumbing kit might be the best option.
Ask yourself a few questions to ensure you find the right type of plumbed coffee maker. Is it for home or office? How many people will be using it, and what style of coffee do they prefer? What is your budget for purchase, installation, and maintenance?
Plumbed Coffee Maker Or Plumbing Kit?
As we said, the selection of plumbed coffee makers on the market is quite small. This is particularly true for coffee makers for home rather than commercial use. The primary reason for this is that a coffee maker connected directly to a water line is more expensive and offers less flexibility than a typical free-standing coffee machine, making the target market quite small.
Many consumers will opt to retrofit an existing coffee maker with an after-market plumbing kit rather than pay for a pricey plumbed machine. If you want to go this route, there are many drip coffee brewers we highly recommend, with the cream of the crop being the SCAA-certified brewers. Or you can check out the best coffee maker with a grinder.
Why Choose A Plumbed Coffee Maker?
However, if you fall within the target market, plumbed coffee makers come with several key advantages. The most obvious is that you don’t have to worry about the water level in the tank, particularly in large homes or offices with many coffee drinkers. This is even more valuable if you use the coffee machine for hot water for tea or hot chocolate or soups. Besides the convenience, you don’t need to worry about damaging your coffee machine if the water tank runs dry.
A small household can also benefit from a plumbed coffee machine. First, eliminating the water reservoir can make your coffee machine much more compact. Second, it means your brewing water doesn’t spend days sitting in the water reservoir, where it can grow stale or, worse, provide a breeding ground for bacteria (2).
Surely, no one wants to get sick from their coffee. Nor do we want the image of germs in our head when we drink coffee.
Possible pitfalls
There are some disadvantages to this brewer style as well, which you should factor in when deciding between a plumbed coffee machine and a plumbing kit. Your coffee machine will need to be situated relatively close to your waterline. And once you install it, you cannot move it around. The installation itself will require some tools and plumbing knowledge, so you may want to factor in the increased cost of hiring an expert.
Maintenance is another consideration, particularly when it comes to expenses. They are far more challenging to descale, so consider a water softener if you live in a region with hard water. And you’ll definitely want to use filtered water to avoid any cleaning issues – and improve your coffee’s flavor (3).
The additional plumbing makes these brewers more prone to leaks, particularly if you opt for DIY installation. And while a plumbed coffee machine should operate as well as an alternative, if anything goes wrong, it’s more likely to be a severe issue that requires a professional to fix.
Is a plumbing kit a better option?
Buying a coffee maker designed to connect to a waterline is the best way to ensure it will perform as advertised. Yet with so few choices on the market, it’s possible you won’t be able to find one of these purpose-built machines to suit your lifestyle. In that case, an after-market plumbing kit is a great alternative.
Significant brands of single-serve coffee machines, Keurig and Nespresso, offer plumbing kits that enable many of their machines to connect to your waterline. Similarly, Umjava provides a universal kit that works with most top brands. Using a separate kit to plumb your existing coffee maker into your water supply will save you the cost of a brand-new machine and allow you to maintain more flexibility if you change your mind.
How Much Coffee Do You Want?
If you still have your heart set on a plumbed coffee maker, this is the next question to ask yourself. Coffee makers with a water line connections typically make coffee in one of two ways, either brewing a single cup of coffee or a carafe. What you choose should be decided by what types of coffee (and how much of it) you like to drink.
Single-serve
A single-serve type of coffee maker allows each user to brew coffee to their taste. Plus, it eliminates a lot of the mess associated with traditional coffee grounds brewing. In a large office setting with a diverse population of coffee drinkers, opting for a single-serve coffee machine that brews K Cups or other coffee pods makes sense.
If you decide on a single-serve coffee machine, consider its options for drink sizes. Some offer a better range than others, particularly when it comes to larger sizes like travel mugs. If you choose a K Cup brewer, you can also read our review of best K cup coffees.
Of course, the negative aspects of single-serve coffee pods are well known. They are bad for the environment and usually brew weak cups of coffee, especially for larger cup sizes. To alleviate these problems, consider buying recyclable or compostable K Cups from premium brands known for good flavor. Or invest in reusable K Cups that can be filled with freshly ground coffee.
Carafe
Alternatively, you can purchase a plumbed coffee machine that brews a full carafe of coffee. This is undoubtedly a better option from an environmental standpoint, and it will probably save you money over purchasing K Cups (4). Though brewing with ground coffee is not quite as convenient as using K Cups, it opens up a much wider selection of coffees and saves time if everyone wants to drink the same thing.
If you opt for a carafe-style brewer, consider looking for one with a thermal carafe. These are more durable and energy-efficient than glass alternatives, and keep your coffee hot for hours (5).
The Verdict
Whether you work in a busy office with lots of coffee drinkers or just want to guarantee fresh water for each brew, there are plenty of great reasons to opt for a coffee machine with a water line.
Our top recommendation for 2023 is the Keurig K3500. This sleekly-designed plumbed coffee maker has enough capacity for a large office or commercial space. The full-color touchscreen display makes it easy to use and provides enough customization options to satisfy all the coffee drinkers.
