According to the Golden Cup Standard established by the Specialty Coffee Association of America, brewing at precisely 200 F degrees will give you the best cup of Joe (1). And some of the SCAA-certified brewers are even among the best coffee makers for home use, so they’re onto something. But are there any coffee makers that brew at 200°F?
Yes, coffee makers that brew at this temperature do exist.
Coincidentally, the optimal brewing temperature is between 195° F to 205° F degrees.
And these are the 3 ABSOLUTE best coffee brewers that brew hot coffee at or very close to the 200°F-degree benchmark:
Now, keep in mind that all the coffee makers listed above have been tested and later certified for maintaining an ideal water temperature during the brewing process.
This ensures optimal extraction of the coffee grounds, which provides you with a better-tasting cup of coffee in the end.
What is the Best Temperature For Brewing Coffee?
The most optimal brewing temperature for coffee is 195°-205° F (91°-96° C) degrees, according to data courtesy of the National Coffee Association, USA (2).
To put things into perspective, water reaches the boiling point at exactly 212° F (100° C).
Therefore, as you can see the perfect brewing temperature is a tad below the boiling point of water.
And there’s a good reason for that – brewing coffee with boiling water will literally scorch the coffee beans!
What Happens When You Brew Coffee with an Insufficient Water Temperature?
If the water temperature that you’re brewing your coffee with is below 195 degrees F, this will result in under-extracted coffee grounds.
Clearly, this is far from optimal since the water won’t be able to properly pull the taste and flavor out of the beans/grounds.
Eventually, you’ll end up with a cup of Joe that’s watery and with a weak taste and a sour flavor – blah!
On the other hand, temperatures that are too hot i.e. over 205 degrees F (such as using boiling water), will simply burn the beans or coffee grounds.
While under-extraction will definitely not be an issue, your coffee will simply receive way too much heat than needed during the brewing process.
Obviously, burnt coffee beans will result in a pretty awful flavor, blended with a specific bitter taste.
However, both under-extracted and burnt ground coffee is not what you want for the best cup.
Top 5 Best Coffee Makers that Brew at 200 Degrees [SCAA-Certified Models Only]
Now let’s take a closer look at the 5 absolute best coffee brewers that brew coffee at 200 F degrees.
Also, note that we took into account factors such as the average rating, price, capacity etc.
However, the most important aspect that determined the winner on this list is logical – the ability to brew hot coffee within the optimal temperature!
1. Technivorm Moccamaster 79114 KBT
Brewing temperature – 196º to 205º F
Capacity – 10 cups
The Technivorm Moccamaster 79114 KBT is the absolute winner here as it comes with a superb rating, incredible built quality and the capability of brewing hot and flavorful coffee.
Also, this handmade coffee brewer is the top-rated one among all 15 coffee makers that are currently certified by the SCAA (3).
With that being said, this is a classic drip coffee maker with a manually adjustable coffee flow speed.
Also, this coffee maker doesn’t contain any dangerous chemicals since Technivorm claims that they didn’t use any harmful plastics during the manufacturing process.
Essentially, Technivorm Moccamaster has used only BPA-free plastics during the manufacturing process of this coffee machine, while steering clear of other potentially toxic chemicals as well.
This is great news for all of you who want to minimize the chance of any chemicals finding their way into your coffee.
Also, this handmade coffee brewer boasts a quick and quiet brewing process for added convenience and comfort.
In fact, it can fill the massive, 40 oz. carafe in around 4-6 minutes.
Honestly, that’s quite spectacular, taking into account that this means you’ll be getting 10 cups of coffee in 5 minutes on average!
2. BUNN HB Heat N Brew Programmable Coffee Maker
Brewing temperature – 195º to 205º F
Capacity – 10 cups
BUNN’s 10-cup programmable brewer comes with brilliant temperature control, while also being easy to use and clean.
First and foremost, what we like the most about this coffee brewer is the awesome drip-free glass carafe that has a proprietary design for mess-free pouring.
And as its name suggests, you can also use the programmable brew start function to ensure that you have a cup of Joe ready and hot when you wake up.
Additionally, this brewer sports a neat commercial-style spray head that’s meant to improve both flavor and coffee extraction.
This BUNN machine is also able to deliver 10 cups of java in roughly 10 mins (obviously without using the delayed-start function).
And since it relies on a glass carafe, there’s also an auto-warmer plate that switches on as soon as you start brewing and it switches off after 2 hours.
3. Cuisinart CPO-800 Coffee Brewer
Brewing temperature – 195º to 205º F
Capacity – 8 cups
Cuisinart is undoubtedly one of the most prolific coffee maker brands in the US thanks to their extensive portfolio of quality products.
And their SCAA-certified CPO-800 model continues the company’s tradition in this market with several key features.
One of these features is the awesome precision brewing function for improved flavor extraction.
The fact that it has a fully-electric operation means that you get yummy coffee without doing all the hard work manually.
There’s also a unique filter made of laser-etched stainless steel that’s permanent, meaning you don’t have to replace it all the time (although you’ll still have to clean it).
You also have access to plenty of customization features including temperature and flavor-strength control.
The temp control function lets you choose between Hot and Extra Hot (up to 205º F), while the flavor control one lets you select how bold your coffee will be.
You can choose between 3 flavor strength options:
- Mild (mellower)
- Medium
- Bold (more robust)
4. Breville BDC450 Precision Brewer Coffee Maker
Brewing temperature – 176° to 208° F
Capacity – 12 cups
If you’re looking for a large-capacity SCAA-certified brewer, then look no further than Breville’s BDC450 model!
This coffee brewer is able to deliver up to 12 cups (60 oz) of hot coffee.
Now, there’s plenty of customization options to choose from, most notably the 6 preset brewing modes that you can choose between:
- Fast
- Gold
- Strong
- Over Ice
- My Brew
- Iced
- Cold Brew
It’s worth noting that in the Gold mode, the Breville coffee maker adjusts the brewing temperature and brew time to meet SCAA’s Golden Cup recommendations.
At the same time, you can also further adjust your brew by playing around with brewing temperature, bloom time and flow rate.
This coffee machine also utilizes a special thermocoil heating system.
Apparently, this system does a better job of delivering purer water in comparison to brewers that rely on aluminum.
Lastly, the Breville precision brewer comes with 2 filter baskets, depending on your brewing needs – one cone filter basket and a flat bottom one.
5. Behmor 5393 Brazen Coffee Maker
Brewing temperature – 190° to 210° F
Capacity – 8 cups
Behmor’s Brazen coffee brewer manages to make our top 5 list mainly thanks to its perfect temperature control that meets SCAA’s rigorous requirements.
Now, this coffee maker offers superb coffee extraction with the help of the rather large shower head.
This is meant to improve the saturation of the ground coffee by creating turbulence by pulsing the water flow.
Apart from that, you can also select the pre-soak time as per your preferences (from 15 secs all the way up to 4 mins) as this enables the coffee grounds to bloom prior to extraction.
You’re also getting a double-wall thermal carafe made of stainless steel (instead of a glass one).
This explains the absence of a warming plate since thermal carafes keep liquids hot well enough.
And there’s also a programmable brew start time in case you want to have your coffee prepared for you when you wake up.
Honorable Mentions
Up next we’ve compiled a list of several great coffee makers that brew hot coffee, but that didn’t quite make it into our top 5.
Nonetheless, you can check them out as they’re more than decent enough since they can still deliver hot and tasty coffee.
6. Touch Plus Single Serve Coffee Brewer w/ Jumbo Cup & Carafe
Touch is the manufacturer behind the Touch Plus Single Serve Coffee Brewer that manages to keep a brewing temperature of around 200 F degrees (ranging from 195F to 205F).
Still, Touch Plus’ brewers aren’t among the top single-serve coffee makers, nor are they certified by SCAA.
Regardless, this Touch Plus brewer maintains an optimal brewing temperature even if you’re making coffee with cold water!
However, if you also value convenience, then you’d be delighted to learn that the Touch Plus coffee machine comes with something called Rapid Brew.
Apparently, this is a patent-pending proprietary technology that the manufacturer came up with.
In essence, the Rapid Brew feature heats up your coffee in approximately 20 to 30 seconds, which is quite spectacular.
The Touch Plus coffee maker brews coffee within the 195-205 F degree range, ensuring that you’re benefiting from optimal brewing temperature.
And apart from the obvious time-saving advantage of this technology, it’s very energy efficient as well.
In fact, it doesn’t heat all the water in the water reservoir. Instead, it only heats whatever amount of water is needed (e.g. 8 oz).
This means that it prepares your coffee faster, giving you the hottest cup of coffee without consuming too much energy.
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7. OXO 8710100 Coffee Maker, 9-Cup
The OXO 8710100 9-Cup Coffee Maker is yet another non-certified brewer that still deserves a mention here.
Firstly, this 9-cup machine is way cheaper than the top-rated coffee makers that have a SCAA certificate.
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Secondly, it has a superb rating that’s just slightly less-great than Technivorm Moccamaster’s rating.
And when you take into account aspects such as the neat LED screen and affordable price, it becomes crystal clear why this OXO unit is such a hit among buyers.
What Temperature do Coffee Makers Brew at?
Most brand new coffee makers on the market are pre-set to brew coffee within the optimal temperature range (195°-205° F ).
Unfortunately, while that may be true for the largest portion of coffee machines out there, coffee makers are still prone to losing their potency over time.
Eventually, when a coffee machine has been exposed to extended and excessive use, it’s only normal for it to lose some of its performance.
Now, this loss of performance will most likely result in a coffee machine brewing at an insufficient water temperature (e.g. below 195° F degrees).
And we already mentioned what the problem is when it comes to using a cooler temperature – weak taste, sour flavor etc.
Also, if you start noticing that your machine is making cold coffee, then it’s time to clean the brewing components.
Anyway, if that doesn’t work, it might have to be repaired or even replaced.
To preserve your coffee maker’s ability to brew coffee at the optimal temperature range, don’t forget to frequently clean it – especially the brewing components!
Apparently, the best way to extend the life of your coffee maker and improve its performance is by cleaning it on a regular basis.
This includes cleaning the internal components, especially the pipes and all the components that are involved in the brewing process.
Running brew cycles with a 50/50 vinegar and water mixture has proven to be a highly effective way of cleaning the ‘intestines’ of your coffee machine.
But if you want to have the best cup of coffee every single time, then you should probably consider following SCAA’s Golden Cup Standard!
This standard represents the best practices for brewing coffee that is implemented by the Specialty Coffee Association of America.
In a nutshell, if you want a state of the art coffee taste and flavor, the SCAA claims that the water temperature has to be around 200 F degrees.
What Brand of Coffee Maker Makes the Hottest Coffee?
The Dutch brand Technivorm offers the coffee makers that make the hottest coffee currently.
They achieve that by maintaining the most optimal temperature during the brewing process.
In fact, a whopping 12 of their Moccamaster series coffee brewers have been certified by SCAA and Technivorm is the brand with the highest number of certified coffee makers.
Check Technivorm's Top-Rated Brewer on Amazon
Technivorm’s high-quality brewers all boast an optimal brewing temp reaching up to 205º F for the hottest cup of Joe.
Other than that, this company hails from the Netherlands (a small European country) and they’re dedicated to manufacturing handmade brewers made with the highest-quality parts available.
Or in other words, Technivorm’s philosophy is apparently to provide energy-efficient, durable and reliable products.
All of this makes their coffee makers quite premium in a sense.
What is SCAA Certified?
An SCAA certification stands for a coffee machine that has met the rigorous requirements of the Specialty Coffee Association of America.
And when a particular model does meet their requirements, it then becomes a certified home coffee brewer.
As for the SCAA, it’s a non-profit organization and their end goal is to find out how to make the ideal cup of coffee.
Now, their certificate was exclusively created by coffee experts, meaning that only truly exceptional products are certified.
And here’s the criteria that the SCAA uses when it comes to deciding whether a coffee maker is worthy of being certified or not:
- Brewing time
- Water temperature
- Whether or not it can brew coffee according to the SCA Golden Cup standard
Before they conduct their rigorous testing though, each manufacturer that wants to apply for this certificate has to submit a model for testing.
Then the SCAA reviews the submission and if all is good, the submission form and testing fees are approved.
Finally, the coffee machine brand schedules a testing window and sends one of their machines to an SCAA testing site.
Are the SCA and SCAA the Same?
Yes, the SCA and SCAA are the exact same non-profit organization.
The only difference between the two is that SCA is the European branch, while SCAA operates in North America!
Seriously though, their testing protocols and requirements are truly meticulous.
In fact, the number of coffee makers that are currently certified by the SCAA is over 15!
Out of all coffee machines in existence, only a handful have found their way into SCAA’s list of elite home coffee brewers.
And after a coffee maker enters their list, the certificate lasts exactly 3 years after which it expires if not renewed.
Alternatively, this certification will get canceled out if the model changes i.e. a new model arrives or the one that got certified has been discontinued.
But What’s the SCA Golden Cup Standard All About?
This is SCAA’s gold standard for the perfect cup of coffee.
As you might imagine, they evaluate certain criteria related to preparing coffee such as temperature, coffee-water ratios etc.
In fact, here’s what the Golden Cup standard focuses on:
- Water quality
- Coffee to water ratio and time of coffee to water contact
- Grind size distribution
- Filter media
- Turbulence (the mixing action of water)
- Temperature
It wouldn’t be far-fetched to say that these guys are probably a bit too technical when it comes to brewing coffee.
But their pursuit of the best cup of coffee possible means that no detail should be overlooked.
And while making a cup of coffee is child’s play these days, brewing a truly state-of-the-art coffee that has a heavenly flavor and taste is something entirely different!
Conclusion
Thanks to the Specialty Coffee Association, there are now coffee makers that have been certified to brew coffee within the optimal temperature range.
And as we already pointed out, this range is from 195 F to 205 F degrees.
Thus, all of the in-home use coffee brewers mentioned earlier in this article brew coffee at approximately 200 F degrees.
And I’ve also written a piece about the safety aspect of coffee makers if you’re interested in this.
What’s your favorite coffee maker that brews at 200 degrees though?
Feel free to let me know by leaving your answer in the comments below!
Did somebody say coffee? Two shots of espresso for me, thanks. Oh, nevermind – I’m Simon, nice to e-meet you, dear CoffeeLifior! I like to write, drink coffee and I believe in Jesus. Highly-caffeinated drinks are my thing, but you can occasionally see me sip on decaf (my wife never finishes her coffee). Speaking of which, I’m off to grab another cup of caffeinated goodness now, laters!
Last update on 2023-09-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
