Are There Non-Plastic Coffee Makers? Options and Which One I’d Buy

The use of plastics in food and drink preparation has become a hotly debated topic in recent years. Some concerning research has emerged suggesting that certain types of plastics contain chemicals that can leach into foods and liquids when heated. This is especially problematic for coffee makers, where hot water is repeatedly cycled through plastic tubing and reservoirs during the brewing process. More and more people are searching for non-plastic coffee makers as a solution.

While most major coffee maker manufacturers claim their plastics are “food grade” and BPA-free, some studies have detected trace amounts of bisphenols, phthalates, and other questionable chemicals leaching after prolonged contact with hot water. So, that non-plastic coffee maker becomes more and more desirable.

I personally don’t think it’s too much of an issue, but that’s debatable. And I actually prefer manual brewing and use non-plastic coffee makers in my own home most mornings. In this guide, I’ll explain the potential benefits of minimizing plastics in your coffee equipment and share my top recommendations for high-quality plastic-free coffee makers.

Is Plastic in Coffee Makers Bad For You?

First, let me say that the safety of plastics in coffee makers and other food prep containers is debatable. While I’m a coffee expert, I’m not a scientist, so, feel free to do your own research.

With that being said, not all plastics are created equal. The types most commonly used in food contact applications are polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). These are considered “food safe” by the FDA and are unlikely to leach chemicals when used properly. However, lower grade plastics or those not meant for repeated food/drink contact could potentially break down over time.

Second, the hotter the liquid, the more risk of chemical migration. Coffee brewing temperatures are typically around 200 degrees (F) — hot enough to cause leaching (potentially) from cheap or low-quality plastics. Repeated exposure to heat, as you’d see in a plastic coffee maker, exacerbates this.

Finally, plastic age and wear plays a role. Old, scratched plastic has more surface area for chemical leaching. Brittle, degraded plastic is more likely to crack and expose fresh surface area to your coffee.

So while well-made food grade plastics are considered safe for short-term food contact, scientists disagree on the risks of long-term, repeated use at high temperatures. Some studies have detected trace levels of BPA and other concerning chemicals leaching from polycarbonate plastics after prolonged heating.

Personally, I don’t think having some plastic components in a coffee maker is necessarily toxic. But minimizing plastic contact when possible can’t hurt. The debates over long-term low-dose chemical exposure continue, and we just don’t know the effects of accumulating micro-doses of plastic chemicals over decades of daily coffee consumption.

If you prefer to err on the side of caution, that means choosing coffee makers with no plastic parts are minimal plastic in the construction.

Are There Coffee Makers Without Plastic Components?

In my search for plastic-free coffee makers, I’ve learned that going 100% plastic-free is nearly impossible with electric machines. However, there are some excellent options that minimize plastic use.

Sadly, every electric drip coffee maker I found has at least some plastic parts exposed to hot water. Whether it’s the water reservoir, internal tubing, filter basket, or carafe lid — plastic still touches your hot coffee somewhere along the line.

After extensive research, I’ve concluded the only coffee makers that are completely plastic-free are manual pour over style brewers.

However, even some manual coffee gear contains plastic. Many pour over cones and French press plungers have plastic parts. You have to read descriptions carefully to avoid them.

Below I’ve compiled a list of the best non-plastic coffee makers across manual, electric, and espresso categories. My top picks contain zero plastic in areas that contact hot water during brewing.

The Best Non-Plastic Coffee Makers

Below are, in my opinion, the best non-plastic coffee makers you can buy. I’m rating these based on user friendliness, appearance, price, ease of cleaning, and a few other factors, like ongoing expenses.

1. Meuller French Press Coffee Maker, 34 oz

2. Chemex Pour Over Glass Coffee Maker, 50 oz

3. Hario V60 Ceramic Coffee Dripper Pour Over Cone

4. Ovalware RJ3 Airtight Cold Brew Iced Coffee Maker

5. Breville Bambino Plus Espresso Machine

1. Meuller French Press Coffee Maker, 34 oz

Mueller’s stainless steel French press is my go-to plastic-free coffee maker. It brews a full pot of bold, rich coffee with total ease.

The simple design is completely plastic-free. Hot water steeps with the grounds enclosed in durable stainless steel, then presses through a tight dual-layer mesh filter, which is also made of food-grade stainless steel..

I’ve used Mueller presses for years without any breakage or deterioration. They make coffee brewing quick and fuss-free, and the learning curve, if you’re coming from an automated coffee drip machine, is minimal. Just add coarse ground coffee and hot water, steep for 4 minutes, then press.

The 34 oz capacity makes about 4 mugs of coffee. It’s easy to clean — I throw mine in the dishwasher — and the stainless steel construction means no fragile glass to worry about shattering.

You can use pre-ground coffee in a pinch, but for best flavor, I recommend pairing it with a manual burr grinder. French press needs a coarser grind than drip machines.

For under $30, Mueller’s press is an affordable, indestructible, plastic-free coffee maker. It earns my top recommendation for most people, especially because of how easy it is to learn how to use.

Plastic Components: NONE

Primary Material: Stainless Steel

Ease of Use: 8/10

Learning Curve (lower is harder): 8/10

Upfront Cost: Around $30 – Check current price on Amazon

Extra Equipment Needed: Burr grinder (technically optional, but it helps)

Ongoing Cost: NONE

2. Chemex Pour Over Glass Coffee Maker - 50 oz

Chemex’s iconic glass and wood pour over brewer lets you manually control every aspect of the brew for a pristine cup.

It has a thick Borosilicate glass carafe enclosed in polished wood for insulation, and it has a small leather band to hold the wood pieces on, which makes it look gorgeous. The cone-shaped top takes proprietary bonded paper filters that remove oil and sediment as coffee filters into the decanter. You can opt to use a cloth filter for Chemex, as well, but there are some downsides to that option.

Making coffee with the Chemex has a ritualistic, zen-like quality. It takes practice to master, so there’s a bit of a learning curve, but the result is heavenly.

There’s no plastic contact during brewing. In fact, there’s no plastic at all. The wood collar and leather tie keep your hands shielded from the hot glass, but other than that, the Chemex is entirely glass.

For best results, pair the Chemex with a gooseneck kettle and burr grinder. You’ll need Chemex’s bonded filters to prevent tears. They’re more expensive than normal paper filters but worth it.

The Chemex sounds intimidating but it’s very satisfying once mastered. It yields up to 10 cups of the cleanest, brightest coffee you’ll ever taste.

Plastic Components: NONE

Primary Material: Borosilicate glass

Ease of Use: 7/10

Learning Curve (lower is harder): 6/10

Upfront Cost: Around $50 – Check current price on Amazon

Extra Equipment Needed: Gooseneck kettle and burr grinder (technically optional, but they help)

Ongoing Cost: Paper filters

3. Hario V60 Ceramic Coffee Dripper

Hario’s V60 dripper offers incredible control over your pour over similar to the Chemex, but this is better for people who want to make single cups. Like the Chemex, it also avoids plastic contact completely. The ceramic version has no plastic components at all.

The V60’s ridged ceramic cone is specially designed to control flow rate and water distribution. This enhances extraction and clarity in the cup.

Like the Chemex, proper pouring technique is crucial for good results, so there’s a learning curve here. You’ll also need a gooseneck kettle to pour precise spirals onto the coffee bed. A burr grinder helps optimize grind size, too. As such, you’ll need to invest in some additional equipment for the best results.

Hario’s paper filters are best since they fit the V60 perfectly. You must buy them separately and replenish them over time, so this option does come with an ongoing cost.

While a little particular to master, the V60 gives coffee aficionados complete control over every variable. Learning its intricacies is rewarding for pour over purists.

I should mention that the V60 comes in a metal and plastic option as well. The plastic is technically best in terms of heat transfer because it doesn’t suck heat out of your water, and that heat exchange can affect extraction rates. If you’re looking to avoid plastic, though, the ceramic one is your best bet. The metal one looks nice, but it pulls way too much heat out, in my opinion, even if you pre-heat it.

Plastic Components: NONE

Primary Material: Ceramic

Ease of Use: 7/10

Learning Curve (lower is harder): 6/10

Upfront Cost: Around $25 – Check current price on Amazon

Extra Equipment Needed: Gooseneck kettle and burr grinder (technically optional, but they help)

Ongoing Cost: Paper filters

4. Ovalware Airtight Cold Brew Iced Coffee Maker - 64 oz

Cold brew coffee is naturally sweeter and smoother than hot brewed coffee. And this Ovalware cold brewer offers a plastic-free way to make cold brew.

The brewer is made of extra-thick, lab-grade Borosilicate glass. It has a stainless steel filter basket that separates grounds from the finished coffee concentrate. One downside I’ve found is that grounds can still seep through the filter if your grind isn’t coarse enough. I usually have to filter the coffee afterward, which can be annoying, but it leads to a better cup.

To brew, fill the basket with coarse grounds and pour water into the carafe to cover the coffee in the filter. Seal and leave at room temp 12 to 24 hours. Then remove the filter basket and your concentrated cold brew is ready.

The shape of the glass looks cool, but it’s kind of impractical. The large bottom means you have to fill up a lot of water to reach the infuser that hangs down, and you can’t really get the ratio right. I tend to just mix the grounds and water in the carafe and then just filter using a pour over cone or Chemex. This makes the cold brew maker less user friendly than it should be, but it’s the best one I’ve found that doesn’t contain plastic.

While not the most user friendly, Ovalware’s cold brew maker lacks plastic components. Producing sweet cold brew concentrate makes the extra steps worthwhile during summer.

Plastic Components: NONE

Primary Material: Glass

Ease of Use: 6/10

Learning Curve (lower is harder): 9/10

Upfront Cost: Around $35 – Check current price on Amazon

Extra Equipment Needed: None (I do recommend a means of filtering, though)

Ongoing Cost: NONE

5. Breville Bambino Plus Espresso Machine

Okay, I’m bending the rules a bit on this one. But hear me out…

The Breville Bambino Plus is an excellent home espresso machine under $500. In fact, I think it’s the best espresso machine at this price point. It makes cafe-quality espresso completely automatically. No complex programming or learning curve needed.

Now, it does have silicone tubing leading to the brew head. However, the brew head itself and portafilter are stainless steel and aluminum to stand up to the pressure under which espresso brews. That means those tubes don’t heat up at all, which helps reduce the risk of leached chemicals.

The automatic microfoam milk steamer lets you top your shots with silky cappuccino foam at the touch of a button. No manual frothing skills required…although, knowing what you’re doing does help get better texture.

I should also mention that the portafilter does contain a plastic insert, but you can remove this so that NO plastic touches your hot water or brewed coffee. You can also invest in a separate all-metal portafilter that fits the Bambino Plus.

Yes, it has some silicone tubing and requires a little modification to be truly non-plastic. But zero plastic actually touches your espresso during extraction or steaming once you make that change. At this price point, that’s nearly impossible to beat for hassle-free espresso drinks.

Also, this is an electric machine, so you just hit a button, and you get your coffee. It couldn’t be easier. If you want simple, cafe-style espresso at home, the Bambino Plus delivers in spades.

Plastic Components: Portafilter insert (can be removed)

Primary Material: Stainless Steel

Ease of Use: 10/10

Learning Curve (lower is harder): 9/10

Upfront Cost: Around $500 – Check current price on Amazon

Extra Equipment Needed: Replacement portafilter insert to make it truly non-plastic

Ongoing Cost: NONE

Wrapping Up: Which Non-Plastic Coffee Maker Is Best?

The ideal non-plastic coffee maker depends on your needs and dedication to the brewing process. Unfortunately, most electric coffee makers I’ve seen include some plastic components, especially when it comes to the filter basket and the carafe lid.

To avoid plastic entirely, I recommend the Mueller French Press. It’s affordable, easy to use, and brews great coffee with zero plastic components. The simple functionality and minimal learning curve makes it accessible for beginners while still satisfying coffee aficionados. Stainless steel construction means it’s built to last a lifetime. And you’ll only need a means of boiling water to use it: no filters or other ongoing expenses.

For espresso lovers — or those looking for more convenience — the Breville Bambino Plus is a fantastic semi-automatic machine. No plastic contacts the coffee during brewing, provided you remove the plastic insert from the portafilter. Convenience features like rapid heating and auto milk frothing make cafe-quality drinks easy for beginners.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are single-use coffee pods like Keurig bad for you?

Single-serve coffee pods are notoriously difficult to recycle due to their mixed material construction, and the plastic pods themselves can leach chemicals when heated during brewing. While occasional use may be fine, choosing a reusable metal pod or alternate brew method is better for both your health and the environment long-term.

Can I put hot coffee in a plastic travel mug?

You can put hot coffee in plastic travel mugs, but it might not be the healthiest option. Studies show chemicals from the plastic lining can migrate within minutes of exposure to hot liquids, especially over extended use. Use stainless steel or ceramic mugs when possible. If you do use plastic, let the coffee cool slightly first to limit chemical seepage. Never put boiling hot liquids in plastic.

Is plastic tubing in espresso machines safe?

Internal tubes in espresso machines are a high wear item. Plastic tubing in cheaper machines tends to degrade faster from repeated heating cycles and pressure. Replace tubes every 2 years and choose silicone over PVC plastic whenever possible. Silicone has higher heat resistance, reducing the potential chemical leaching into hot water.

Should I be concerned if my plastic coffee maker is stained?

Stains, clouding, or scratching of plastic coffee parts can indicate degradation from heat and chemical exposure over time. This leads to increased surface area for chemical leaching. Replace stained components and examine your maker for brittle or cracked plastic needing replacement. If you’re concerned, you can always invest in a non-plastic coffee maker, like a stainless steel French press.