I found the perfect no-fuss, affordable coffee maker — and it makes incredible hot, iced, and cold brew drinks

In a world full of automatic espresso machines and Wi-Fi coffee makers, there’s still something to be said for a regular drip coffee maker like the Braun MultiServe Plus. This new model from Braun makes classic drip coffee according to the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) Golden Cup standards, which ensures optimal brewing performance for a great cup of coffee every time.

The Braun has a few extra settings, including options for brewing over ice and making cold brew, and you also have the option to make a single serving or a full carafe — no pods needed. However, we wanted to know if the coffee was any good, so I tested the machine in my kitchen for three weeks, using it daily to make multiple cups of coffee. Here’s how this new gadget stacked up against the other best coffee makers that we’ve tested.

Braun MultiServe Plus: Price and availability

The Braun MultiServe Plus Coffee Maker is a newer model from the brand, and you can buy it directly from the brand’s website for $149. It’s also available through popular retailers like Amazon and Target, but the price is slightly higher, often around $180.

Braun MultiServe Plus: Design

While many coffee makers are narrow in the front yet fairly deep, the Braun MultiServe Plus has a horizontal orientation. The front of the coffee maker is quite wide — 15 inches to be exact — and while it does take up more space on the counter, I liked that this design made its 50-ounce water reservoir easily accessible.

The water tank has a handle under the lid that makes it easy to lift off the base, and you can fill it right up to the top — the machine will only use the water it needs, saving you from having to refill it after every brew.

The Braun coffee maker has some stainless steel accents, but most of the machine is black plastic. There’s a dial on the front that lets you adjust the serving size, choosing from seven options between 5 ounces and a full 10-cup carafe.

Under its digital clock, there are large buttons for its brew settings — gold, bold, cold brew, and over ice — as well as ones to adjust the time, control the warming plate, and descale the machine.

This coffee machine comes with a glass carafe, and the brand claims that its tall, narrow shape helps to trap moisture and prevent coffee from becoming bitter. The carafe pours smoothly, which is always a bonus, but the problem is that its opening is too small to fit your hand inside.

This makes it challenging to clean — you’ll need some sort of bottle brush to do so thoroughly. However, I do like that there’s an integrated flip-down platform that can hold your mug when brewing a single serving. By raising the mug closer to the dispenser, it helps eliminate splatter.

The Braun MultiServe Plus also comes with a reusable gold tone filter, double-sided coffee scoop, and a charcoal filter for its water reservoir.

Braun MultiServe Plus: Performance

To see how the Braun MultiServe Plus performs in comparison to other popular coffee makers, I tested it in my kitchen for around a month. I used it to make a carafe of hot coffee every morning, as well as the occasional mid-afternoon cup of joe.

Hot coffee

My husband and I share a pot of hot coffee every morning, so we used the Braun to brew a multi-serving carafe each day.

The process of brewing the coffee is straightforward — just fill the water reservoir, load in the coffee grounds, and hit brew. You can either use cone-shaped paper filters or the gold tone filter that comes with the machine. We tried it both ways, and the results were consistent regardless of the filter used.

We virtually always use the “Gold” setting on the machine, which brews according to the SCA guidelines, and the coffee always comes out great. It was rich and flavorful without any bitterness, and immediately after brewing, it measured at 175 degrees Fahrenheit — nice and hot!

Plus, it’s convenient that you can adjust the length of time that the warming plate stays on, and 30 minutes after brewing, the leftover coffee in the pot was still at a toasty 178 degrees.

After making dozens of carafes of hot coffee in this machine, my only real complaint is that there are only two carafe brew sizes — a half carafe (roughly 5 cups) or a full carafe (10 cups). We found that a half carafe was just enough for two medium-sized mugs of coffee, while a full carafe left us with lots of extra.

To this end, I wish there were more multi-serving brew options, as many other drip coffee machines give you more integral control over how many cups you’re brewing.

Over ice

The MultiServe Plus is also able to brew coffee directly over ice. You can choose from the same serving sizes, and the instructions say to fill your cup or the carafe halfway with ice before brewing. There’s a designated “Over Ice” button on the control panel, but besides that, the brewing process is the same as making hot coffee.

I tried out this setting by making a single serving of iced coffee, which I brewed directly into a tall glass cup. It took the machine a little extra time to start brewing — around a minute — and in total, it took just two minutes for the machine to brew 8 ounces. The coffee comes out at a slightly cooler temperature, and it melted about half of the ice in my cup.

However, I was impressed to find that the coffee didn’t taste watered down at all (a common issue I’ve run into with “brew over ice” settings in the past). Instead, it tasted just like the iced coffee that I get at my local coffee shop, and it’s definitely a setting that I’ll be using often in the warm weather.

Cold brew

Finally, the Braun MultiServe Plus has a cold brew setting, which the brand says takes less than 13 minutes. I’m personally not a cold brew fan, but I did try out the setting just to see how well it worked.

There are a few differences in the brewing process when you’re making cold brew in this machine. For one, you can’t use the gold tone filter — instead, you have to use a paper filter. The recommended amount of coffee grinds is also different, and while you can still choose from several brew sizes, the maximum yield is 5 cups or half a carafe.

I opted to make 20 ounces of cold brew, and the brewing process took around 15 minutes. (It’s worth noting that it took longer than the brand claims.) The coffee trickles out slowly on this setting, and it seems to brew in phases, dispensing a small amount then pausing to let the grounds soak. Despite choosing the 20 ounce setting, I ended up with around 16 ounces of cold brew, but the manual does say that this can happen, as the grounds end up absorbing some of the water.

After brewing, the instructions say to put the coffee in the fridge for 15 minutes to cool, then dilute it with 30% ice cubes. I followed the directions to make myself a cup, but I didn’t like it as much as the regular hot and iced brews. I found the flavor to be bitter, and my husband agreed that the taste wasn’t as smooth as you’d expect.

How does the Braun MultiServe Plus compare?

If you want to be able to brew both full carafes and single cups of coffee, there are a variety of other coffee makers you might want to consider. If you don’t mind coffee pods, the Keurig K-Duo Hot & Iced is the best Keurig we’ve tested — it’s able to brew both hot and iced drinks, and it has four single-serving brew sizes, as well as four carafe brew sizes.

If you don’t want the hassle of buying coffee pods, another option is the GE Profile Smart Grind & Brew Coffee Maker. A SCA-certified model with a built-in burr grinder, the GE Profile is able to brew anywhere from a single 6-ounce cup to a full 12-cup pot, and it gives you much more integral control over your brew settings. Using its associated app, you’re able to adjust bloom time, water temperature, and more.

However, this AI-powered model is quite a bit more expensive than the Braun MultiServe Plus, retailing for around $300.

Should you buy the Braun MultiServe Plus?

Overall, the Braun MultiServe Plus Coffee Maker is a great option for your kitchen if you want a simple machine that makes good coffee.

I was impressed with its performance making both hot and iced coffee, and the machine can easily brew both full carafes and individual servings, dispensing coffee right into your cup. Plus, features like its flip-down mug holder and adjustable warming plate make it easy and convenient to use.

My only real complaint is that the carafe is tricky to clean, as the opening is too small to fit your hand inside. However, it’s nothing that a good bottle brush can’t solve.

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