Getting a coffee maker with water line is a pretty good idea. Refilling a coffee maker may not be hard labor, but it sure can get annoying at times. Offices, commercial establishments, and even households can feel the need to get a water line for the coffee maker.
Several coffee makers fit this requirement. Most of them have a slant towards the commercial operations side of things. However, there isn’t anything wrong with getting them for home use.
5 Coolest Direct Water Line Coffee Makers
- Brew Express BEC-110BS 10-Cup Countertop Coffee System
- BUNN My Cafe MCO
- Wilbur Curtis G3 Airpot Brewer
- BUNN CWTF15-APS, Commercial Airpot Coffee Brewer
- Keurig K150P Commercial Brewing System
Editor’s Choice: Brew Express BEC-110BS 10-Cup Countertop Coffee System
Brew Express BEC110BS gets points for being a versatile plumbed coffee maker. It’s priced just right to be relevant for home use but doesn’t quite forget its high-volume origins.
This self-filling coffee maker could very well be your regular drip coffee machine. If your drip coffee machine was more convenient, smarter, and capable of brewing super fast.
Reviewing The Best Of Coffee Makers With Water Line
1. Brew Express BEC-110BS 10-Cup Countertop Coffee System — Best Overall
Hop on to the Brew Express train if you’re looking for a direct water line coffee maker for use at home or small business. It can crank out coffee cups pretty quickly and is priced close to regular drip coffee makers.
Plus, it’s got good looks and a size compact enough to be placed on a kitchen countertop. Give it a water supply and the machine will handle the refilling woes itself. Theoretically, you could simply keep it running and get a continuous supply of great coffee.
There are minimal recovery time issues, but it’s still a good idea to stop after a carafe. Even if that’s just to get a fresh batch of coffee grounds into the coffee maker. The coffee maker comes with a 10-cup thermal carafe. However, there is no need to brew a full carafe every time.
When you want a cup of coffee, hit the “Cup Selector” button and choose from a single cup, half carafe, and full carafe. As it starts pouring, a built-in sensor checks if the carafe is present. Once the desired amount of coffee has been poured, the sensor will kick in again and cut off the flow. The coffee maker also offers hot water on demand.
Brew Express BEC-110BS is certified for home and commercial use. It can last thousands of cycles, which makes it a pretty good investment. Although there are several consumer complaints of the machine giving up after some time.
Pushing the “Light” button lights it up in cool accents, which is… uh, cool, I guess. Programming options are available and you can set this coffee maker to automatically brew coffee at a time of your choosing.
To be honest, the long list of features and the low price is what makes me a bit apprehensive about this coffee maker.
Pros
- Excellent value for money
- Minimal recovery time
- Offers hot water on demand
- Programmable options
Cons
- Somewhat questionable longevity
- Construction quality and materials could have been better
2. BUNN My Cafe MCO — Best Single-Serve Coffee Maker For Office Or Commercial Use
Any office setting or cafe can benefit from the BUNN My Cafe MCO. This very impressive high-tech machine is designed to work with K cups and other compatible systems. It comes with a big price tag. But it’s also one of those machines where you can understand and appreciate its price.
In true Bunn fashion (and not that far from Keurig systems) this machine delivers coffee at a pretty impressive speed. You work with a touchscreen interface to select the right brew settings. There’s room enough to hold 25 choicest K cups inside the machine, and it ejects the used pods automatically.
The brew size can range from 4 oz to 16 oz, with increments of 2 oz at each step. If you want to be particularly precise, changes to brew size can be made in increments of 0.25 oz. A flip tray is available to adjust to varying cup sizes. A separate hot water dispenser is available to cater to any specific requirements.
BUNN My Cafe MCO is USB-programmable to make changes in settings easier. The same method can be used to update firmware if/when necessary.
Pros
- Very convenient single-serve coffee maker
- Fast speed for delivering drinks
- Several customizations available
- Works with K cups
Cons
- Expensive
- Works exclusively with K cups and cannot be used for other pods
3. Wilbur Curtis G3 Airpot Brewer — Best Commercial Brewer
Wilbur Curtis G3 Airpot Brewer is made for commercial settings like hotels and restaurants. Given the expected pace, this commercial coffee maker with water line is remarkably fast in delivering great tasting coffee. It stays on the side of simplicity rather than inundating the machine with features that won’t ever be used.
However, that doesn’t mean that this is a stripped-down featureless machine. Its features are focused on delivering great coffee and doing that as fast as possible. It is possible to fine-tune the available brewing modes for extracting flavor from gourmet coffee. The machine offers pre-infusion and pulse-brew modes to get the best out of the coffee.
Another interesting feature is the “cold water brew lock-out” feature. This ensures the water temperature for brewing is always at the optimum level. Should the temperature go lower than the preset, the machine stops and waits until the temperature returns to acceptable levels. That way, you always get piping hot cups of coffee with extraction at the right temperature.
As a machine geared for commercial use, this one is built to be robust and last a long time. You could brew one pot of coffee right after the other without any trouble. Worth noting that the machine works best with Airpots, which have to be purchased separately.
A small LED display covered in high-tech polymer keeps users informed of the brewing mode and operating conditions of the coffee maker. A hot water dispenser switch is also placed with the controls.
Pros
- Excellent commercial brewer
- Fast-brewing coffee maker with features to improve extraction and flavor
- Well-built machine that can last a long time
Cons
- The coffee maker is rather lacking in its looks and style
4. BUNN CWTF15-APS, Commercial Airpot Coffee Brewer — Fast And Convenient
This BUNN coffee maker with water line can be counted on to brew ridiculously large amounts of coffee with ease. BUNN CWTF15-APS can go as high as brewing 7.5 gallons of coffee per hour.
The practical speed will be lower, given that coffee grounds and filters have to be replaced. However, that doesn’t change the fact that this machine is stunningly fast.
Its excellent construction quality matches wonderfully with the speed to create a coffee maker that lasts a long time. This robust machine from BUNN is durable and dependable whether you use it in a home or a commercial setting.
It matches up fairly well with water supply and basically ensures that you can have a fountain of coffee running near-constantly. It could do better in the looks department. But then again, like with the Wilbur Curtis G3, this machine is built to be a workhorse. And it looks decent enough for that role.
The coffee maker brews directly into an airpot, which will have to be purchased separately. Its control panel includes a prominent switch that works as a hot water dispenser.
Pros
- Fast-brewing
- High-quality machine that is robust and dependable
- Includes a hot water dispenser
- Can work without a water line as well
Cons
- Its looks could be better (is that even a negative for a workhorse machine?)
- Hot water on demand is unavailable if the machine is used without a direct water line
5. Keurig K150P Commercial Brewing System — Best Plumbed Single-Serve System
Its great price and overall value make the Keurig K150P Commercial Brewing System a very enticing single-serve machine. The coffee maker has a great price point and is pretty much ready to roar on to the scene. An interesting (and disappointing) fact is that Keurig calls it “pre-assembled” to use with the water line. That is not entirely true.
You’ll still have to get a lot of work done before this machine gets anywhere near a water line. This includes getting a water line supply and filter for use with your machine. I’m not entirely sure what Keurig meant by “pre-assembled” for direct water line plumbing since this machine doesn’t seem to fit that part.
Anyways, once this Keurig coffee maker with water line is set up, it works as the classic Keurig that we’ve all come to like and appreciate. The beverage delivery is pretty quick and you’ll find your cup filling within seconds.
A touch screen allows users to fine tune their beverage options and choose the preferred beverage size. Available options range from 4 oz to 12 oz, with 2 oz increments at each step.
Pros
- Convenient
- Excellent single-serve machine
- Fast serving
Cons
- Needs installation and additional accessories even though it is “pre-assembled”
Considerations For Your Plumbed Coffee Maker
Your Budget Is More Than The Machine’s Cost
Coffee makers with water line tend to be on the expensive side of things. But your expense isn’t just paying for the coffee maker. Unless you’re skilled yourself, you’ll likely need a plumber to assist in setting up the machine. You might also need to buy accessories like a water filter and a water softener.
Accessories and their costs depend on the coffee maker and the water supply in your area. So do your research well and be on the safe side of things.
On the plus side, many of these machines are built with commercial use in mind. As such, they are fairly robust, resilient, and likely to last a long time. However, maintenance or repairs are likely to be more expensive than conventional coffee makers.
How Do I Clean My Coffee Maker?
Cleaning is a necessary aspect of owning a coffee maker. While adding filters and similar things will push off the cleaning, they won’t negate its requirement. Cleaning your plumbed coffee maker is not as simple as cleaning a regular coffee maker.
So consider the cleaning requirements before you buy a machine. In case the machine is likely to need professional maintenance and cleaning, be sure to factor that in your budget and costs.
Aesthetics Are Not A Choice For Another Day
Aesthetics for plumbed commercial machines can matter as much as they do for conventional drip coffee machines. Whether you choose them for the home or office, you’ll want the machine to fit in with the overall decor and vibe. Some machines are just better than others at their looks and aesthetics.
Top Picks For Your Plumbed Coffee Maker
A coffee maker with water line is an expensive machine. It is best to take various aspects into consideration before you purchase one of these. Take your time in selecting the machine, and look beyond just the cost of the machine in calculating your budget.
My top recommendation here is the Brew Express BEC-110BS 10-Cup Countertop Coffee System. BUNN CWTF15-APS is a close second. If single-serve Keurig goodness is on your mind, look at the Keurig K150P.