Consumer Reports' Lowest-Rated Drip Coffee Maker Earned Its 'Don't Buy' Tag

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Drip machines gained prominence in American homes when they unseated a once popular old-school brewer known as the percolator in the 1970s. As the name suggests, these appliances drip hot water over coffee grounds in a basket. The newer brewers had many advantages for home cooks, including a better-tasting cup of joe. But the different options aren't created equal. After testing several dozen commonly available models, Consumer Reports offered a warning about one of them: Don't buy the Better Chef Programmable 12-Cup (IM-127R) coffee maker.

This unassuming brewer looks nearly identical to many of the other brands' models on the market. But it performed exceedingly poorly when Consumer Reports tested the product. The Better Chef failed multiple times to produce coffee properly, and the inadequate liquid it did make also overflowed. Evaluating taste was moot, as this machine couldn't even brew a pot of coffee the right way.

Given how some customers feel about this model, the publication's conclusions aren't surprising. "It dripped coffee everywhere as soon as you remove the coffee pot," wrote a reviewer on Wayfair who added, "it did not keep the coffee hot and the last few days started to leak coffee from the back somewhere all over my counter top." Multiple people who bought the product at Walmart didn't fare better. "Around the base of the [reservoir] leaks water," wrote one. "Water keeps leaking from the top. Soaks my counter," said another.

As of this writing, the Better Chef coffee maker retails for about $40 at Walmart, while it costs around $27 on Amazon. That puts it on the lower end of the price spectrum for at-home drip coffee makers. In fact, it was among the least-expensive that Consumer Reports tested. It's widely available, being sold also at The Home Depot, Wayfair, and Best Buy, among other retailers. Still, there are other widely available, similarly-priced drip coffee makers that rank much higher on Consumer Reports' findings.

For example, the Black & Decker 12-Cup Programmable (DCM100B) coffee maker performed significantly better in the organization's testing and generally sells for around $30 to $50 at retailers like Amazon and Walmart. Even Walmart's private label, Mainstays, produces a higher-ranked (but non-programmable) 12-cup coffee maker at a far lower price of around $17. You can also get a better-ratted option from Amazon Basics, whose device costs around $35.

However, for the serious at-home coffee enthusiast, splurging on a better product might be a good choice. Consumer Reports' favorite drip coffee maker in 2026 was the Bunn HB Heat N Brew. A 10-cup programmable machine, it sells for $175 on Amazon. Some customers say the higher price is worth it, citing the ease of use, fast brewing speed, and good-tasting coffee. Or, as one reviewer on Amazon put it, "Best home brewed coffee ever!"