Last Updated on October 13, 2023 by Timothy Byron Smith
If you like starting your day with a cup of coffee and hard water is making your coffee taste bad, then this article has some of the most practiced solutions. Making coffee with hard water can really be challenging, and it can also put your espresso machine at risk.
Hard water includes minerals and leaves a residue that can accumulate on your coffee maker’s heating element and cause it to malfunction or stop working completely.
In this article, we have reviewed the 5 best coffee makers for hard water in 2023 that can effectively deal with the hard water issue and won’t harm the machine if maintained properly.
Our Top Picks for 2023
- Cleaning Function
- Gold Tone Filter
- Stainless Steel Built
- Coffee Strength Controller
- 12-Cup Thermal Carafe
- Self-cleaning Cycle
- Easy-Touch Programming
- 12 Cup Coffee Carafe
- Need Cleaning Notifications
- 3 Brew Strength Options
- One Touch Cleaning System
- Reusable Permanent Filter
- Easy-to-use Controls
- Adjustable Warming Plates
- Mid-Brew Pause
Read More: Best Espresso Machines for 2023
5 Best Coffee Makers for Hard Water – Buyer’s Guide
Maybe the water where you live is hard, or maybe you just prefer to take some time off between two cleaning sessions. Either way, you have to use bottled water or get the best hard water coffee maker to brew a decent cup of coffee.
Whatever the cause, to resolve the hard water issue you’ll need a coffee maker with a pre-programmed cleaning mode, a self-cleaning filter system, and a descaling notification light.
1. Cuisinart DCC-3400P1 12-Cup Coffee Maker
We present you with a fully automatic coffee brewer that is best in its functions. It includes a heated carafe. It also offers a 4-cup setting and a 24-hour programmable feature.
Its body is made of stainless steel, which gives it an appealing appearance on the kitchen counter. Additionally, it offers a brew pause feature that enables you to drink a cup of coffee before the brewing cycle get complete.
The water tank has an easy-to-view window and the thermal insulated carafe has a massive capacity of 12-Cup. This Cuisinart coffee maker also comes with a built-in clean function that is best to tackle hard water issues.
Pros:
Control panel is simple to use.
Comes with a thermal carafe
Fully automatic and Programmable system
Cons:
A bit expensive
Cuisinart DCC-3400P1
2. Hamilton Beach 46310 12-Cup Coffee Maker
It is one of the best options when it comes to dealing with hard water to make a perfect cup of coffee. When it’s time to perform the self-cleaning procedure, the coffee maker will send cleanup notifications.
The easy-to-read LCD shows the clock, brew time, and programming options. It has large, rubberized buttons that offer you complete control over the brewing settings. They have a 2-hour auto-shut-off mechanism fitted to reduce energy usage and guarantee safety.
The transparent glass water window shows the exact amount of water added to preparing coffee. To change the brewing strength to suit your tastes or mood, just use the Select-a-Brew strength option from the programmable settings.
Pros:
User-friendly control panel
Compact and lightweight design
Self cleaning system
Cons:
Rubber buttons
Hamilton Beach 46310 Coffee Maker
3. Ninja CE251 12-Cup Coffee Maker
The Ninja CE251 Programmable Brewer is a fantastic choice if you’re looking for the finest affordable coffee maker for hard water.
It comes with a 24-hour programmable timer. A warming plate is another feature of the Ninja CE251 that is adjustable and keeps coffee fresh for at least four hours. Small batches of coffee can be brewed in the 12-cup glass carafe, which is ideal for offices or small canteens.
The 60-oz. detachable water reservoir is dishwasher safe. It has an intuitive control panel that is well-labeled and easy to operate. Having a single-touch cleaning mechanism that makes cleaning and descaling machine simple.
Pros:
24-hour programmable delay timer
Affordable 12-cup coffee maker
60 oz. removable water tank
Cons:
Plastic body
Ninja CE251 12-Cup Coffee Maker
4. Hamilton Beach FlexBrew 12-Cup Coffee Maker
This Hamilton Beach FlexBrew Coffee Maker is best known for its flexibility. Having a 3-way brew setting makes coffee with a single-serve pod, ground coffee, or 12 cups of drip coffee. It has two independent water reservoirs that are simple to fill and clean.
Being one of the most versatile machines on this list, it includes personalized brew settings, a fully functional espresso maker, and 12 Cup Carafe.
All detachable components are dishwasher safe, as well as the carafe is simple to clean, so maintaining this coffee maker also becomes a snap. It occupies a small amount of counter space and has a sleek, sophisticated look.
Pros:
Compatible with K-cup pods
Simple to fill water reservoir
Auto pause and serve mechanism
Cons:
Hard plastic built
Hamilton Beach FlexBrew
5. CHULUX Single Serve Coffee Maker
This affordable coffee maker carries a sleek design that can easily fit the smallest of kitchens. The small size is ideal for a business trip or a countertop with little space. The compact coffee maker is portable and convenient for use in hotels, RVs, dorm rooms, offices, and studio apartments.
With this machine, you can create a hot cup of coffee in seconds using either coffee grounds or coffee pods. Being a simple device to install and operate, it has a single-on/off functionality.
This coffee maker comes with a single-button cleaning mechanism to handle limestone accumulation. This assures that your coffee will taste fresh, so hard water won’t be a problem.
Pros:
Flexible brewing with coffee grounds and capsules
Very affordable
Sleek compact size
Cons:
No translucent water tank window
CHULUX Single Serve Coffee Maker
How to Choose the Best Coffee Maker for Hard Water
The different coffee makers for hard water that are currently available come with their advantages and disadvantages. Choosing the best coffee maker for hard water is not that difficult if you know what features to look for.
Here is a guide outlining what to look for in a hard water coffee maker before making the purchase.
Self-cleaning feature
Check to see whether it has a self-cleaning feature. Self-cleaning coffee machines are more suited for use with hard water. This is because there will always be some residue in the water, regardless of how many times you filter it before putting it in the machine. As a result, your coffee machine will need to be cleaned more regularly than the ones that use soft water.
Water Filter
One should pick a coffee maker that includes a good water filter. This will substantially aid in lowering the deposits of limescale otherwise the coffee maker will quickly malfunction due to the significant particle buildup. Make sure you add an additional water purifier if your coffee machine doesn’t come with one.
Easy to Use
While picking the coffee maker for hard water one must go for that which is user-friendly. A 24-hour programmable timer can be cheery on the cake that makes the coffee brewing easy and on time for you.
FAQs
How can hard water be made soft for a coffee maker?
In-tank water softening pouches are among the most widely used methods of water softening for espresso machines. One of the oldest companies, OSCAR, produces inexpensive sodium ion exchange pouches. As a result, sodium replaces the calcium and magnesium that were previously in the water making it soft.
Does hard water cause bitter coffee?
The bicarbonates in hard water make coffee bitter so the obvious answer is yes. But it can be rectified by using the best coffee maker for hard water, filtering water before use, or using sodium ion pouches to soften hard water.
How frequently should you descale a coffee maker?
Depending on the situation like the severity of hard water and the type of coffee maker, you might need to descale every two to four weeks or after every two months. A coffee maker with a self-cleaning mechanism and built-in filters is the top choice to avoid the frequent hassle of cleaning.
Conclusion
Hard water can harm any coffee machine. You may lessen the harm by using a decent water filter and maintaining a regular cleaning schedule for your coffee maker.
Although routine cleaning might minimize the harm, your coffee maker is still prone to malfunction. As a result, you must regularly descale it to remove the limescale buildup.
In the final verdict, going for a coffee maker that has a self-cleaning mechanism, is easy to descale, and brews a genuine cup of coffee is the best coffee maker for hard water. Before making the purchase, make sure to take your preferences into consideration. Take capacity, cost, and warranty into account as well.