7 Coffee Makers with a Removable Water Reservoir [Updated]

Removable Water Reservoir Coffee MakerBrewing coffee can sometimes be messy, especially when you fill water to the reservoir. More often than not, if you are careless, there is a huge risk of spilling water on your counter-top or even the floor. Maybe you have to be careful not to get coffee grind in your reservoir; Too messy!

It’s a good thing that there is a wide variety of coffee makers available to us today including these removable reservoir coffee makers. Our favorite is the Zojirushi EC-YSC100 Fresh Brew Plus because it uses a thermal carafe and has a side mount water tank.

The Fresh Brew is a great machine but for those looking to spend a little less Hamilton Beach makes a great low priced alternative that also gets great customer reviews.

A coffee maker with a removable reservoir makes brewing coffee mess-free. So, instead of pouring water, which typically involves pulling the coffee maker towards you to avoid spilling, a coffee maker equipped with a removable reservoir is really worth the purchase.

Alternatively, you should consider setting up a coffee maker with a water line for even more convenience.

Here are our Favorite Removable Tank Coffee Makers

These coffee makers all have water tanks that can be removed. Some are single serve coffee makers, others are standard drip machines, still others are coffee dispensers. They all receive the best reviews and are priced very
low. These are the best coffee makers we have reviewed.

KitchenAid KCM1402OB 14 -Cup Glass Carafe Coffee Maker

KitchenAid KCM1402OB 14 -Cup Glass Carafe Coffee MakerKitchenAid KCM1402OB 14 -Cup Glass Carafe Coffee MakerThis Kitchenaid Coffee Pot is a completely regular looking coffee maker. It only has one thing about it that sets it apart from every other basic coffee maker on the planet…

well, two things.

It’s huge making up to 14-cups at a time and it also has a big water tank that can be removed for easy filling under a faucet.

There’s no doubt in my mind that the ease of filling the reservoir with water is one of the most underrated features of any coffee pot. Click to check this coffee maker out.

click here to check pricing

Capresso 498.05 MT900 Rapid Brew Herbcicle Plus, Stainless Steel

Capresso 498.05 MT900 Rapid Brew Herbcicle Plus, Stainless SteelCapresso 498.05 MT900 Rapid Brew Herbcicle Plus, Stainless SteelHere’s a a really easy to use and attractive thermal carafe coffee maker with a removable water tank from Capresso that we like.

This machine costs a pinch more than the KitchenAid featured above but it brews directly into an insulated carafe which is much better for the coffee than a glass carafe which sits on a hot plate.

One extra perk of this coffee maker is the bonus gold tone permanent coffee filter it comes with so you don’t have to use paper filters if you don’t want to!

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Hamilton Beach BrewStation 12 Cup Coffeemaker w/Removable Reservoir (47900)

Hamilton Beach BrewStation 12 Cup Coffeemaker w/Removable Reservoir (47900)Hamilton Beach BrewStation 12 Cup Coffeemaker w/Removable Reservoir (47900)The Hamilton Beach originally invented the “coffee maker without a carafe” and one of these products is the BrewStation 12 Cup Coffeemaker with Removable Reservoir-47900. The reservoir not only makes brewing 12 cups of coffee possible, but it is easily removed from the unit for easy and spill free water filling.

You want to more why this coffee maker is one of the top of the line? Well, you cannot just brew hot coffee, but it can also brew iced coffee with just a press of a button.

This coffee maker expands the convenience even further with all of its innovative features. A really must have.

click here to check pricing

Cuisinart SS-700 Single Serve Brewing System, Silver

Cuisinart SS-700 Single Serve Brewing System, SilverCuisinart SS-700 Single Serve Brewing System, SilverThe SS-700 Single Serve Brewing System is yet another top of the line coffee maker from Cuisinart. One of the greatest features of this coffee maker is the 80 ounce water reservoir that eliminates the need of frequent refills.

In addition, its innovative design allows a full programmable brewing of either cold or hot beverages.

In conjunction with the makers of K-cups, the drip tray is removable to accommodate cups, mugs and k-cups.

This product is built to North American Standards so you are guaranteed of its durability and quality.

click here to check pricing

Here’s a Few More Options Each With a Water Reservoir That Comes Off

KitchenAid KCM1202OB 12-Cup Glass Carafe Coffee MakerKitchenAid KCM1202OB 12-Cup Glass Carafe Coffee MakerHamilton Beach 46205 12-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker - Easy to FillHamilton Beach 46205 12-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker – Easy to Fill

Benefits of a Removable Water Tank on Your Coffee Maker

coffee maker with removable water tankOne of the little discussed benefits of a removable tank coffee maker is that it’s much easier to keep everything clean and sanitary.

All coffee makers can be descaled easily with a bit of vinegar. See this post for a tutorial on how to clean a coffee maker with vinegar, but when the tank can’t be removed it can be almost impossible to clean out.

Don’t have any vinegar? Don’t worry, here’s the alternative guide to cleaning your coffee maker without vinegar.

I have a coffee maker with a tank that isn’t removable and it’s right next to the grind basket. If I accidentally drop any grind into the tank that stuff isn’t ever coming out short of using a pressure hose… but even then you can’t get your entire coffee maker wet, so that’s another problem.

When the water tank can be removed you can see when it’s dirty and clean it regularly, usually right in your dishwasher so keep that in mind while you shop.

We Like Side Mount Reservoirs Best

If you are stuck on which one to pick then make sure follow our recommendations to buy a coffee maker with the water tank on the side. This may seem a little narrow in scope but believe me, if you are always having to grab the tank from the back then you will always have to slide the coffee maker across the counter to access the back.

This gets old.

Some of the coffee machines mentioned above have rear mounted water tanks and they are fine but we do prefer the ones mounted on the sides like the Fresh Brew Plus but your mileage may vary.

Do All Keurig’s Have a Removable Tank?

If you are looking for a Keurig coffee machine with removable tank then you can choose almost any one. Only a few of those units have reservoirs that aren’t removable.

Look for a Coffee Maker With Thermal Carafe

Lastly, we should mention that across this entire site we tend to advise our customers to buy coffee makers that brew into thermal insulated carafes over those that use standard glass carafes on hot plates.

Most of the detachable water tanks mentioned on this page are all coffee makers that use glass carafes. If you want to get the best option then give a long hard look at the Capresso Rapid Brew or the fancier Ninja Coffee Bar Auto-iQ w/thermal carafe which we didn’t review on this page due to price. For those ok spending more though the Ninja is a great option for more reasons than we can cover in this article.

Brian Mounts

Head blogger, editor, and owner of "Top Off My Coffee", a website that has been educating readers about coffee brewing techniques and equipment since 2012.

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