Cheap filter coffee machines commonly cost about £20-£20, and anything under £30 counts as cheap in this category. At £20 you get basic machines such as the Moulinex Principio FG262810, with 1,000 W, a 1.25 L tank and 10 cups. Spending the full £20 adds bigger tanks or extra features: the Aigostar Benno takes 1.5 L for 12 cups.
Below £30 you still get auto shut-off and a warming plate, but rarely anything beyond them. Above that line, machines start to add thermal carafes, aroma settings and sturdier bodies. For a daily glass-jug brewer, the cheap band already covers the core job.
The chart below shows the price distribution of cheap filter coffee machines.
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Are cheap filter coffee machines worth buying?
Cheap filter coffee machines are worth buying if you want a full jug of plain filter coffee and no extras. A machine at £20-£20 heats water, drips it over the grounds and keeps the jug warm, just like pricier models. The taste depends far more on fresh coffee, the right dose and clean water than on the price of the brewer.
They suit offices, holiday homes, students and anyone who finishes the pot within half an hour. The Cecotec Coffee 66 Time brews 12 cups from 1.3 L at 950 W, and the Bosch CompactClass TKA3A034 brings a well-known brand for about £20.
They are not worth it if you sip coffee slowly over the morning or buy specialty beans. In that case a thermal carafe or a brewer that holds the right temperature pays off every day.