Not Keurig, Not Ninja: Walmart Shoppers Can't Get Enough Of This Coffee Maker Brand

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One of the more popular coffee makers at Walmart comes from a brand you might not have heard of before: Nostalgia. Its highest-rated coffee maker, the Nostalgia Classic Retro 10-Cup One Button Coffee Brewing Machine, currently sits at an average rating of 4.6 stars out of 5 on the Walmart website, with an impressive 81% of reviews giving it full marks.

According to reviews, shoppers love its vintage aesthetic, fitting right in with other gadgets you would've found in 1960s kitchens. Users also appreciate its simplicity of use — all you have to do is press a single button to make your coffee. At a time when overly smart appliances are starting to feel like this year's disappearing kitchen fads, a no-frills coffee maker is like a breath of fresh air.

Customers also really love the Nostalgia coffee maker's affordability, since it goes for around $60 online. For comparison, Keurig's cheapest model at Walmart, the K-Express Essentials K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker, will set you back around $59.45 at regular price. It's a single-serve coffee maker, however, so if you want something with a carafe, you'll have to go for the Keurig K-Duo Essentials Hot & Iced Single Serve K-Cup Pod & Carafe Coffee Maker, which costs around $139. Ninja's most affordable coffee maker, the 12-Cup Coffee Brewer, costs around $80. If the retro aesthetic is what you're after, Haden's 12-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker is a good match but also costs significantly more at around $88 at full price.

Nostalgia might not be a familiar brand since it's only been around since 2001, putting it nearly a decade after Keurig and more than 50 years after fellow retro-inspired appliance manufacturer, Smeg. The company also considers itself a novelty brand, so it doesn't have quite the same experience performance-focused appliance makers have. This means its products likely aren't on the same level of quality as brands that specialize in coffee.

The handful of negative reviews on Walmart's site suggested as much. One reviewer said the coffee maker's body felt like cheap plastic, and their machine leaked during use. Another user shared it was impossible to get a replacement nozzle that broke on their machine after just a few uses. While these experiences make up a tiny fraction of customer reviews, they're a reminder this is a coffee maker from a novelty brand that doesn't specialize in coffee.

It might also be helpful to know about the disadvantages to using drip coffee makers like Nostalgia's, especially if you've never owned one before. You have less control over the coffee's flavor, for example, and you might not be accustomed to the lighter flavors drip coffee has compared to a French press brew. The Nostalgia coffee maker also comes with a glass carafe, so you might want to brush up on the pros and cons between glass and thermal ones and see if it's a match for your coffee habits.