The short answer
Yes, if you will use its controls: bloom time, temperature and flow rate, plus Over Ice and Cold Brew modes and an optional pour-over adapter. No, if you would only ever press Gold - an OXO 9-Cup or a Moccamaster brews to the same SCA standard with less machine.
What it does well
- Brew variables. My Brew sets bloom time, temperature and flow rate.
- The SCA standard. The Gold setting meets the SCA's home-brewer requirements.
- More than hot drip. Over Ice and Cold Brew modes - and the cold brew mode in particular is genuinely useful rather than a marketing mode.
- A pour-over stand. An optional adapter turns it into an automated V60 or Kalita Wave brewer.
Where it falls short
- Complexity. The flexibility is wasted if you only ever press Gold.
- Size. Large and heavy - 9 x 14 x 16 inches and 10.63 lb.
- The adapter. It is a separate purchase on most listings.
Quick picks
The answer first. Tap any row to jump to the full reasoning for that pick.
1. The brewer in question
Breville Precision Brewer
Upper-mid tier · A programmable drip brewer that exposes bloom time, temperature and flow rate.
A programmable drip brewer that exposes bloom time, temperature and flow rate.
It brews up to 60 oz, and its Gold setting meets the SCA's home-brewer requirements.
My Brew mode sets bloom time, brew temperature and flow rate - the only common drip machine that hands you the brew variables directly.
Its modes also include Fast, Strong, Over Ice and Cold Brew, and an optional adapter turns it into an automated stand for a V60 or Kalita Wave.
It measures 9 x 14 x 16 inches and weighs 10.63 lb, and the adapter kit is a separate purchase on most listings.
Specification
- Capacity
- 60 oz
- Certification
- Gold Cup setting meets SCA home-brewer requirements
- Custom control
- My Brew: bloom time, brew temperature, flow rate
- Modes
- Gold, Fast, Strong, Over Ice, Cold Brew, My Brew
- Pour-over
- Optional adapter for a V60 or Kalita Wave
- Size
- 9 in D x 14 in W x 16 in H, 10.63 lb
What it does well
- The only common drip machine that hands you the brew variables directly
- The pour-over adapter turns it into an automated dripper stand
- Cold-brew mode is genuinely useful rather than a marketing mode
Where it gives ground
- The flexibility is wasted if you only ever press Gold
- Large and heavy
- The adapter kit is a separate purchase on most listings
Skip it if
Skip it if you would only ever press Gold. The OXO or Bonavita below brew to the same standard with less machine.
2. Simpler, with a timer
OXO Brew 9-Cup Coffee Maker
Mid tier · An SCA-certified drip brewer with a bloom cycle and a rain-style showerhead.
SCA certified, with a 45-second bloom and a thermal carafe.
The OXO is an SCA Certified Home Brewer that holds 197.6 to 204.8 F through the cycle, with a 45-second bloom and a rainmaker showerhead.
It is programmable with an auto-on timer, brews two to nine cups, and pause-and-pour lets you take a cup mid-brew.
Its double-wall thermal carafe keeps coffee hot without a hot plate.
It is tall - measure your cabinet clearance first.
Specification
- Certification
- SCA Certified Home Brewer
- Brew temperature
- 197.6-204.8 F, held through the cycle
- Bloom
- 45-second pre-infusion
- Showerhead
- Rainmaker, even saturation
- Carafe
- Double-wall thermal
What it does well
- A real bloom cycle, which is rare in an automatic drip machine
- Thermal carafe means no hotplate cooking the coffee
- Single-cup and full-carafe modes on one machine
Where it gives ground
- Tall - measure your cabinet clearance first
- The interface is fussier than the Moccamaster single switch
- More plastic in the build than the price suggests
Skip it if
Skip it if you want to set flow rate and bloom time yourself.
3. Simplest, built to last
Technivorm Moccamaster KBGV Select
Upper-mid tier · A hand-assembled drip brewer certified by the SCA, with a copper heating element.
SCA certified, hand-assembled and repairable.
The KBGV Select is an SCA Certified Home Brewer, brewing at 196 to 205 F and making 1.25 L - 10 cups - in 4 to 6 minutes.
It is hand-assembled in the Netherlands from metal and glass, and every part is replaceable.
Its half-carafe setting adjusts saturation time rather than just volume.
It has no timer, no programming and no app.
Specification
- Certification
- SCA Certified Home Brewer
- Brew temperature
- 196-205 F
- Capacity
- 1.25 L / 40 oz / 10 cups
- Brew time
- 4-6 minutes for a full carafe
- Build
- Hand-assembled in the Netherlands, metal and glass
What it does well
- Reaches and holds real brewing temperature, which most drip machines do not
- Every part is replaceable - these get repaired, not landfilled
- Half-carafe setting adjusts saturation time rather than just volume
Where it gives ground
- No timer, no programming, no app
- Tall enough to be awkward under a low cabinet
- Costs more than several espresso machines
Skip it if
Skip it if you want coffee ready when you wake. It has no timer.
4. One button
Bonavita Connoisseur 8-Cup
Mid tier · A one-button SCA-certified brewer with a flat-bottom basket and an optional bloom.
SCA Golden Cup brewing with a single button.
The Connoisseur is SCA certified to the Golden Cup standard: a 1500 W heater brings water to 195 to 205 F, and a hanging flat-bottom basket brews over about six minutes.
Its 1.3 L stainless thermal carafe keeps coffee hot for about two hours.
It has an optional pre-infusion mode for fresher beans, and otherwise one button.
There is no timer or programming at all.
Specification
- Certification
- SCA Certified, Golden Cup standard
- Heater
- 1500 W, 195-205 F
- Basket
- Hanging flat-bottom
- Carafe
- 1.3 L stainless thermal
- Brew time
- About 6 minutes
What it does well
- One button - the whole interface is one button
- Optional pre-infusion mode for fresher beans
- Flat-bottom basket is more forgiving than a cone
Where it gives ground
- No timer or programming at all
- The lid and basket are more fiddly to clean than they look
- Plainest-looking machine in its class
Skip it if
Skip it if you want iced or cold brew modes. The Precision Brewer has both.