When adding a retro coffee maker to your retro-themed kitchen, you want a coffee maker with a vintage-chic look whose functionality is comparable to modern coffee makers. A retro coffee maker is also a perfect gift for a friend who loves his Java.
We have curated a list of the best 8 retro coffee makers based on design, performance, and reliability that includes espresso machines, siphon coffee makers, drip coffee makers, and the French press.
The 8 Best Retro Coffee Makers at a Glance
- Belgium Luxury Royal Family Balance Syphon Coffee Maker
- Nostalgia RCOF12AQ New & Improved Retro 12-Cup Coffee Maker
- Klarstein Espressionata Gusto – Espresso Machine
- Smeg 50’s Retro Style Drip Coffee Maker
- Mr. Coffee 4-Cup Coffee Maker
- Mr. Coffee Cafe Barista Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Maker
- Holstein Housewares 5-Cup Coffee Maker
- Veken French Press Coffee Maker
1. Diguo Belgian/Belgium Luxury Royal Family Balance Syphon Coffee Maker
Summary of Features
- Available in three retro colors; rose gold, classic golden, and silver
- Appealing artistic appearance
- The maximum capacity is 500ml
- Includes a reusable cloth filter, measuring cup, and a coffee scoop
- Polished metallic parts such as the handle, fulcrum, and lids
- A wooden base
This 19th-century-style siphon coffee maker exudes luxury and class with its shiny and polished finish. This is the coffee maker that you want your friends to find in your house.
Its elegant scale design that mimics the scales of justice wins it for me. The two sides of the coffee maker rise or drop as the water shifts from one side to the other while brewing.
The parts of this coffee maker are:
- a glass brewing flask
- a metallic vacuum pitcher
- a spirit burner lamp with
- a hinged cap
- a metallic siphon tube
- a counter weight
- metallic fulcrum and handle
- metallic lids
- wooden base
The Belgium luxury siphon coffee maker is easy to use and despite using an open flame, there is a minimum risk of burning yourself.
The spirit burner lamp has a hinged cap that drops to close the lamp when the vacuum pitcher rises. This happens when all the hot water in the vacuum pitcher is siphoned to the brewing flask.
You can make a maximum of 500ml (about two eight-ounce cups) of coffee per brew cycle.
This coffee maker is not just a great piece of craftsmanship, it brews amazing filtered coffee using fabric filters so you have no worries about the undesirable cafestol and kahweol.
The glass components; the brewing flask and the burner’s bottle, and the metallic siphon tube are available for purchase as replaceable parts.
There is not a more appealing retro-style coffee maker out there than the Belgium luxury siphon coffee maker.
See the Belgium luxury siphon coffee maker in action in the video below.
2. Nostalgia RCOF12AQ New & Improved Retro 12-Cup Coffee Maker
Summary of Features
- 12-cup capacity glass carafe
- Auto-off feature
- Heating plate
- Display screen
- Pause and pour capability
- Programmable up to 24 hours ahead
- Includes a mesh filter but is compatible with paper filters
Nostalgia RCOF12AQ retro-style coffee maker has all the features of a modern coffee maker including a display screen, auto-off, pause and pour, and auto-on programmability.
I like its compact size 7.75 x 10.25 x 14.25 inches so it does not take up a lot of space. It can brew up to 12 cups in a single brew so you can make coffee for a couple of people at a go.
If you want the Nostalgia RCOF12AQ to start itself in the morning or any other time within 24 hours, simply engage the auto-on feature to the desired time and don’t unplug the brewer. Add some water and ground coffee to the coffee maker and your coffee will be ready at the set time.
The only drawback to the Nostalgia RCOF12AQ is that it comes with a glass carafe but well, it’s retro-style so…
The heating plate is preset to stay on for two hours after the last brew. However, I would not want to leave my coffee heating for that long. I would rather brew a fresh cup instead or just leave the coffee on a table or in the fridge.
For a unique, retro-themed kitchen, Nostalgia also has a retro toaster and a retro microwave oven with similar colors to complement this coffee maker.
3. Espressionata Gusto – Espresso Machine
Summary of Features
- Stylish retro look with a large temperature display
- Available in black and red
- Easy to operate
- Removable water tank with a capacity of about 38 fl oz
- A wide drip tray
- 20-bar pump system
Espressionata Gusto – Espresso Machine has an amazing design and I particularly like the rounded edges that are a lot safer and more appealing than sharp edges. I also like the huge temperature display that occupies a sizable portion of the control area which accentuates the retro-look.
This retro espresso maker is available in black and red colors.
The Espressionata Gusto – Espresso Machine makes great espressos and the steam pressure is perfect for a velvety froth. The capacity of the water tank is about 38.4 fl oz.
The drip tray is wide enough to hold water and wide mugs. It is also dishwasher safe.
What I don’t like about the Klarstein Espressionata Gusto espresso machine is that the cup clearance is small so you can not fit a travel mug in there. The machine is only about 7.9 lbs so be sure to hold its top when locking the portafilter.
However, these drawbacks are easy to get over as they are to be expected for espresso makers at this pricing point.
4. Smeg 50’s Retro-style Aesthetic Drip Filter Coffee Machine
Summary of Features
- Stylish design inspired by the 1950s
- Available in red, stainless steel, pastel green, and cream colors
- Anti-slip feet
- A 10-cup glass carafe and a heating plate that stays on for up to 60 minutes
- Strong brew option
- Programmable auto-start
- Descaling light
- Pause and pour feature
- Comes with a reusable filter
Smeg 50’s retro coffee maker fuses style and vintage in its design which throws you back to the 1950s. It is available in different colors.
Some of its features include auto-off, programmable auto-start, and anti-drip system so that you can serve the coffee mid-brew.
Smeg 50’s retro-style coffee maker has a strong brew feature for a bold Java. The descaling light puts it above its retro competitors and you can also adjust the level of your water hardness.
It has a 10-cup glass carafe but you can brew 1-4 cups of coffee or a full carafe. The heating plate is preset to stay on for up to one hour after brewing.
This coffee maker has an LED display screen for easier programming.
5. Mr. Coffee 4-Cup Coffee Maker – DR4-RB
Summary of Features
- 4-cup glass carafe
- Heating plate
- No reusable filter
- No auto-off
- Great for one person
- White in color
Mr. Coffee 4-cup coffee maker is an affordable retro drip coffee maker that has a simple no-frills design. It is easy to use as it has only one button (OFF/ON) so the coffee maker automatically brews coffee when you press the ON button.
This is an ideal coffee maker for a college dorm room or for use by 1-2 people who like a simple brewing system. The glass carafe has a maximum capacity of four cups.
It has a heating plate that stays on unless you manually press the OFF button.
Like modern coffee makers, you can pour the coffee mid-brew as the anti-drip feature will automatically kick in and pause brewing.
It is a very light coffee maker at about 1.6 pounds. Its dimensions are 14.6 x 11.8 x 10.2 inches.
Some of the drawbacks include the fact that a reusable coffee filter is not included with the coffee maker plus there are no auto-off and programmable auto-on features that are standard for coffee makers.
However, for the price of less than $100, those features would be too much to ask.
6. Mr. Coffee Cafe Barista Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Maker, Red
Summary of Features
- Automatic milk frother
- One-touch control panel
- 15-bar pressure pump
- Easy to clean with a programmed cleaning cycle
- Removable water and milk reservoirs
- Includes a portafilter, single and double espresso baskets, and a tamper
- Red and black in color
Mr. Coffee Cafe Barista BVMC-ECMP1106 is a sturdy espresso coffee maker that weighs about 10.37 pounds. It has a flat base which makes it almost immovable when inserting a portafilter in the machine.
This espresso machine is beginner-friendly as it features a hands-free milk frother that also automatically adds the foamed milk to the cup.
If you love your espresso but you are nervous about manually frothing your milk, this espresso maker is perfect for you. It will even mix the milk and coffee for you.
The cup clearance is adequate to comfortably fit up to a 16oz cup. If your cup is too tall, you may want to make the coffee in a 16oz measuring cup as it’s wider and shorter than regular cups and then transfer the coffee to your cup. When using a short cup, use the height adjuster that is under the milk tank stand.
Mr. Coffee Cafe Barista BVMC-ECMP1106 is easy to use as it has preprogrammed buttons. Both the milk and water reservoirs are made of clear plastic and are removable.
It brews a rich espresso that is perfect on its own or when added to foamed milk for a latte or cappuccino.
Mr. Coffee Cafe Barista espresso maker is easy to clean and has an automated cleaning system for the milk frother that you can activate using the clean button.
The milk reservoir and the plastic drip trays can be washed in the top rack of a dishwasher. The water tank and the metallic component of the drip tray, however, should never go in the dishwasher.
See Mr. Coffee Cafe Barista in action here in this video.
7. Holstein Housewares HH-0914701I 5-Cup Coffee Maker
Summary of Features
- A 5-cup glass carafe
- A heating plate
- Pause and pour function
- Available in mint, teal, and red colors as well as improved versions with the same colors
- Measuring spoon and reusable filter included
Holstein Housewares HH-0914701I is an affordable all-plastic coffee maker except for the heating plate. It is available in two versions: the cheaper (under $100) original version and the new version which is below $200.
The colors are also priced differently but within the same range. They all come with a measuring spoon and a reusable coffee filter.
The coffee maker brews a maximum of 5 cups per brew cycle and comes with a 5-cup glass carafe and a heater. It has an anti-drip function.
Brewing is quite easy as this brewer has only one (OFF/ON) button so it starts brewing when you power it on and you have to manually shut it off after brewing.
Blue is my favorite color so I like the blue Holstein Housewares HH-0914701I retro coffee maker.
The main cons are the absence of auto-off and auto-start capability.
8. Veken French Press Coffee Maker
Summary of Features
- A thick borosilicate glass carafe
- Stainless steel plunger and screws
- Metallic stand
- Ergonomic handle
- Four filters for a cleaner coffee
- The coffee maker can also froth milk
- Includes a coffee scoop, cleaning brush, a hand frother, four mesh filters, and a wooden spoon
Veken French press coffee maker features a metallic stand and a glass carafe and is available in different sizes (12,21 and 34oz). It uses four stainless steel mesh filters at the same time to keep the grounds out of your coffee.
The borosilicate glass carafe is easy to clean, heat resistant, and durable. The carafe can withstand thermal shock. It has measurements on one side of its wall that is handy when measuring the amount of water or milk when frothing by plunging
Final Thoughts about Retro-style Coffee Machines
Sometimes you are on holiday and you see a vintage coffee maker that is appealing you want to bring it home. Some coffee snobs go for “coffee pilgrimage” in Italy and bring coffee makers from there. See how to bring a retro coffee maker on your flight.
You may want to read our thorough post about white coffee makers if you are looking for a coffee maker that will complement your white kitchen and other kitchen appliances that are white.
