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Dual Coffee Maker
About dual coffee makers, the benefits of getting one, and some of the best options.
Published December 7, 2021
Jennie Backteman
Coffee experts@The Coffee Lab
Most of the coffee makers that you can get today will pretty much only do one thing. While some people do use their coffee makers for doing things like brewing tea and even making instant soup, once you’ve used a coffee maker for brewing coffee, the flavor is likely to linger. Plus, it’s always better to use a coffee maker for the purpose that they were intended for. But if you are looking for a new coffee maker and want one that is more versatile, a dual coffee maker is your best choice when it comes to expanding your brewing options. Along with this, a dual coffee maker can be the ideal choice for smaller kitchens where you might not always have the room needed for multiple appliances.
What are Dual Coffee Makers?
Also known as two-in-one coffee machines or two-way coffee makers, a dual coffee brewer is designed to simultaneously make two different types of beverage. Technically, an espresso maker that includes both a hot water spout and a steam wand could be thought of as a dual brewer; however, the term is usually used to refer to coffee machines that include two different individual coffee brewers.
A dual coffee maker will use the same internal mechanisms as other machines that offer the same style of brewing coffee. The best dual coffee makers are usually two independent coffee machines that come in the same housing, but with separate water reservoirs and heating elements for both, which allows the two sides to operate at the same time as one another. However, some cheaper dual coffee makers will have both sides sharing the same components, which can still be handy but limits you to only using one or the other at any one time.
Most of the time, the most common type of dual coffee brewer that you will find is able to make drip coffee along with K-cups or other coffee pod types. Some models come with a single brewing area that you can switch depending on the brewing method that you want to use, while others come with a dedicated component for brewing tea as well as coffee.
Dual coffee maker is a term that is used to describe a lot of different machines, so when it comes to finding the right dual coffee maker for you, you are likely to come across a lot of variety.
Why Invest in a Dual Coffee Maker?
One of the main reasons why people decide to buy a dual coffee maker is that it allows them to expand the types of coffee drinks that they can make at home. They are especially useful for large families, shared houses, or offices where people all have different preferences and tastes when it comes to the type of coffee that they like. But even if you live alone or everybody likes the same type of coffee in your house, there are plenty of benefits to having a dual coffee maker, since you get the best of both worlds. If you’re in a hurry and you have a brewer that also offers k-cup brewing, for example, you can easily switch to this to get your morning cup of coffee in minutes with little hassle or mess or use the drip coffee side when you’ve got more time.
Some people decide to get a drip brewer because they live with somebody who likes a different type of beverage. For example, if you like coffee but your spouse is more of a tea-drinker, a dual coffee maker with tea brewing capabilities will keep both of you satisfied. You can also use a dual brewer to make both caffeinated and decaf coffee without having to switch out the beans and clean the hopper every time.
Benefits of Getting a Dual Coffee Maker
Some of the biggest advantages of choosing a dual coffee maker for your next home coffee machine include:
Convenience: Many dual coffee makers offer single-cup or pod brewing as one of the options, which is foolproof, fast, and mess-free – just some of the reasons why they’ve become so popular. Along with this, many dual coffee makers also come with a wide range of convenient features such as built-in grinders, auto shut-off, or programming capabilities.
Make More Coffee Drinks: While you can find a varied range of dual coffee makers that offer different things, the one thing that they have in common is that there are different types of coffee brewing methods in just the one machine, which gives you the chance to change up your routine and try new coffee drinks.
Organize Your Kitchen: If you like drinking different types of coffee but only have a small kitchen, a different brewer for each type is going to quickly start taking up counter space and causing clutter. Instead, a dual coffee brewer allows you to use your counter space more efficiently and keep your kitchen well-organized without missing out on your favorite coffee drinks.
Now that you have a better understanding of what dual coffee makers do, why people buy them and some of the main benefits of getting one, check out some of these 2 in 1 coffee maker options that are worth considering.
Cuisinart SS-20 Coffeemaker
This coffee maker and single serve brewer offers both drip and single-serve coffee. You can conveniently brew full pots of coffee using the drip side, and there is an insulated carafe included to keep your coffee hotter for longer. On the single-serve side of the machine, there is a fast-brewing, single cup system that you can use with either ground coffee in the included filter cup, or pre-packaged K-cups. You can easily choose your coffee strength from three different cup sizes. The machine is fully programmable and offers an alert when your coffee is ready along with self-cleaning functions.
Kitchen Selectives Drip Coffee Maker
If you need two full carafes to brew at the same time, this coffee maker is a good choice with two independent drip coffee brewers that can operate either on their own or at the same time, making up to twenty-four cups of coffee in less than ten minutes – the best dual coffee maker choice for offices or anywhere that you need to brew a lot of coffee as quickly as possible.
De’Longhi La Specialista Espresso Machine
This espresso machine is designed to make it as easy as possible for anybody to make their favorite coffee shop drinks. It has a built-in grinder and smart tamping that will make sure all the prep for brewing the shot is done, with no barista training needed. The steam wand is easy to use with an advanced latte system for perfectly textured milk and froth. On the other side, it also includes a separate hot water spout that you can use for tea or other beverages without any coffee flavor being accidentally added.
Ninja Hot and Cold Brewed System
If you want a smart dual brewer for your home, the Ninja Hot and Cold Brewed System is a single cup and pot coffee maker that is certainly worth considering. It comes with an Auto-iQ system that will sense whether you are using the coffee or tea basket, before automatically adjusting the brewing parameters for whatever drink you are making. This brewer can make either coffee or tea, and has settings to make iced coffee or condensed shots for cappuccinos or lattes. It comes with a fold-away milk frother that is easy to operate and can be used to either make steamed milk or hot and cold milk foam.
Keurig K-Duo Coffee Maker
This dual coffee maker from Keurig is a great dual coffee maker k cup if you’re looking for a dual brewer that is compact and easy to fit into a small kitchen. The two brewing sides share a reservoir which reduces the overall size of the coffee machine. You can use it to make eight different brew sizes from a 6oz cup to twelve cups of coffee, and you can use it to brew either regular ground coffee or K-cups. It offers the option to program your brew to start up to a whole day in advance, making it one of the best coffee makers to choose if you want to automate your morning routine.
Hamilton Beach FlexBrew Coffee Maker
This single serve and carafe coffee maker is both versatile and sophisticated. On the single-serve side, you can choose to use either K-cups or ground coffee thanks to the reusable brew basket that comes included. It comes with an adjustable cup rest that can also be used as a storage area for your coffee pods. You will also find robust and convenient features on the drip coffee side of this coffee machine. It comes with a handy pause and pour function that you can use to easily serve coffee in the middle of a brewing cycle without any mess or hassle. You can program it to start brewing up to 24 hours in advance.
Whether you are tired of the same type of coffee all the time or have different people with varying tastes to keep satisfied, a dual coffee brewer could be the solution that you need.
About the author
Jennie Backteman
I´m a ultramarathon runner, landscape designer and a coffee lover.
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