10 best Melitta filter coffee machines in 2026 (27+ compared)

Melitta filter coffee machines are made by the Melitta Group, a family-owned German company based in Minden. Melitta Bentz founded it after inventing the paper coffee filter with blotting paper and a pierced brass pot, and her descendants still own the business. That origin explains the brand's focus. The machines are built around the cone-shaped 1x4 filter papers that Melitta also sells.

The coffee machines belong to the group's household division, which also sells ground coffee, descalers and water filters. Its range runs from the £20 Aromaboy to the £170 AromaFresh, with fully automatic espresso machines on top. Toppits food bags and Swirl vacuum cleaner bags come from the same group. Melitta is a broad household business, not only a coffee specialist.

The main Melitta filter coffee machine series are as follows:

• Look: The Look series is the core range at £30-£110, from the Look IV DeLuxe 1011-06 to the Look V Timer 1025-18. Look V models add an aroma selector, a descaling programme and, on Timer versions, a programmable start.
• AromaFresh: AromaFresh machines grind beans with a conical steel burr before brewing and cost £110-£170. The AromaFresh Therm 1021-12 pairs the grinder with a thermal jug.
• Aroma Elegance: The Aroma Elegance Deluxe 1012-03 and Aroma Elegance Therm DeLuxe 1012-06 cost £120-£140 and run at 1,800–1,850 W. They heat faster than the rest of the range and have steel-trimmed housings.
• Enjoy and Easy: Enjoy models cost £20-£50 and Easy models £30-£30, with simple controls and glass or thermal jugs. The Easy Timer 1010-04 adds a timer at the low end of the range.
• Single 5: The Single 5 M720-1/2 and Single 5 Therm SST M728 brew one mug at a time for £30-£90. The Therm SST version comes with an insulated steel travel mug.
• Pour-over models: The EPOS and EPOUR copy hand pour-over brewing with controlled water flow, and the EPOS adds a built-in grinder. They target coffee enthusiasts rather than everyday family use.
• Aromaboy: The Aromaboy 1015-01 brews two cups for £20 in a tiny footprint. It suits a desk, a small flat or a holiday home.

Melitta filter coffee machines focus on brewing control, while Russell Hobbs machines focus on speed and styling. A typical Melitta Look model runs at about 1,080 W. The Russell Hobbs 23370-56 has a similar 1.25 l tank but 1,600 W for £60, so it reaches brewing temperature sooner and finishes a pot faster.

Melitta offers more brewing technology. Look V models have an aroma selector for stronger coffee and a descaling programme, and the AromaFresh line grinds beans with a conical steel burr. Russell Hobbs keeps to simpler controls, glass jugs and brushed-steel or coloured finishes. Melitta's range is wider too, stretching from £20 basics to £170 grind-and-brew machines.

Pick Melitta if you care about strength settings, want a thermal jug on a mid-range model or plan to grind fresh beans. Russell Hobbs suits you better when you want a fast, good-looking glass-jug machine for a full pot and drink it within half an hour.

Melitta filter coffee machines commonly cost about £30-£130, while a typical model sits around £50. Basic glass-jug machines at £20-£50 brew a decent pot and keep it on a warming plate. From about 60 to £110 the Look series adds an aroma selector, a descaling programme and versions with a timer or a thermal jug.

Above £110 you pay mainly for fresh grinding or faster heating. AromaFresh models at £110-£170 grind whole beans with a burr grinder before every brew. The Aroma Elegance models at £120-£140 add 1,800–1,850 W heating for quicker brewing and a more solid, steel-trimmed body.

The chart below shows the price distribution of Melitta filter coffee machines.

When choosing a Melitta filter coffee machine, you should consider the following factors:

• Jug type: A glass jug on a warming plate suits coffee you finish within half an hour, as with the Look V Timer 1025-08. The Look V Timer 1025-18 swaps it for a thermal jug that keeps coffee hot for hours without stewing.
• Strength control: The aroma selector on the Look V Perfection 1028-05 slows the flow for a stronger brew. Basic Enjoy models brew at one fixed strength.
• Fresh grinding: Whole-bean drinkers get the most from the AromaFresh Therm 1021-13, which grinds right before brewing. Pre-ground coffee users save money with a Look model instead.
• Timer: The Easy Timer 1010-04 and Optima Timer 100801 start brewing at a set time. Coffee is ready when you get up, with no grinder or app involved.
• Household size: The Single 5 M720-1/2 suits single drinkers with one mug per brew, and the Aromaboy 1015-01 makes two cups. Families brewing 8–10 cups at a time need a full-size Look or AromaFresh model.
• Brewing speed: The Aroma Elegance Deluxe 1012-03 runs at 1,850 W and heats water faster than the roughly 1,000 W Look models. That matters when you brew a full pot every morning in a hurry.