Why Are Coffee Makers So Expensive? (10 Reasons)

 

Coffee seemingly makes the world turn.

Some people likely wouldn’t be as productive as they could be if they didn’t have access to coffee.

While you can always pick up your favorite brew at a local coffeehouse, sometimes you want to relax at home and brew your own.

You can’t make good, fresh coffee without a coffee maker.

The problem with coffee makers is that they can be quite expensive.

 

Why Are Coffee Makers So Expensive? (10 Reasons)

 

The average price of coffee makers is between $60 and $150 with some costing $200 or more.

Coffee makers are expensive because of the materials they are made of, the different features they offer, and the brand name.

Let’s look at these factors in more detail.

 

1. Materials Used In The Coffee Maker

 

One of the factors that can make a coffee maker expensive is the materials it is made out of.

The two most common types of materials used to make coffee makers are stainless steel and plastic.

Plastic coffee makers tend to be on the cheaper side.

Stainless steel coffee makers tend to be more expensive.

That’s because plastic is cheaper to produce than stainless steel.

Plastic prices also tend to stay around the same price.

There isn’t much fluctuation.

Stainless steel pricing, on the other hand, does fluctuate a bit.

Depending on the economy, stainless steel might be more or less expensive to source.

Since stainless steel requires some steps to produce, it also comes at a higher price due to these production costs.

This means that coffee makers made of stainless steel are more expensive to manufacture.

Since companies that made these types of coffee machines have higher production costs, they’re going to sell their coffee makers at higher prices.

In addition, stainless steel has a nicer finish than plastic.

Some people are willing to pay more money for that timeless finish.

Coffee makers are expensive because some are made of expensive materials like stainless steel.

 

2. Programmable Settings

 

Another aspect that makes some coffee makers expensive is their number of programmable settings.

A standard coffee maker may have one or two programmable settings.

More expensive coffee machines have an abundance.

They might have one setting for each type of coffee.

The benefit of having programmable settings is that the coffee maker automatically knows how long to brew certain coffee types.

You don’t have to mess around with the settings to try and discover what each of them does.

That also means you don’t have to waste your coffee while experimenting to find the best settings.

Programmed settings can save you time as well.

You simply press the button, and your coffee starts brewing.

This makes coffee makers expensive for a few reasons.

The first is that it requires more engineering.

The company has to test each setting to ensure it makes the best coffee based on that type.

That adds more labor costs to the overall cost of production.

It also makes the coffee maker more convenient.

Some people are willing to pay more money for convenience.

Coffee makers are expensive when they have lots of programmed settings.

 

3. Coffee Makers With Built-In Grinders

 

Some coffee makers come with added appliances.

One example is a coffee maker that comes with a built-in grinder.

A grinder is an essential tool in any coffee drinker’s home.

While you can always buy instant coffee or ground-up coffee, it doesn’t always taste great.

At the very least, it doesn’t always taste fresh.

As such, you might prefer to grind your own coffee beans and brew them.

Typically, a coffee grinder is purchased separately from a coffee maker.

However, because coffee grinders are specific to making coffee, some coffee makers come with a built-in grinder.

These types of coffee makers tend to be more expensive for a few reasons.

The first is that the company must produce both a coffee maker and a grinder.

That adds more cost to their production efforts.

The grinder also needs testing to ensure it works to their standards.

That’s more labor costs added to the mix.

Finally, some people are willing to pay more for the added convenience of having the grinder built into their coffee maker.

Coffee makers are expensive because the cost of producing a built-in grinder needs to be offset by higher pricing.

 

4. Temperature Control Technology

 

Another unique feature that expensive coffee makers have is the ability to control the temperature of the brew.

They have technology that lets you see the temperature of the brew, then adjust it accordingly.

Anyone who has tasted burnt coffee knows the importance of temperature control.

Some coffee machine manufacturers put a lot of emphasis on precision brewing.

They’ll test their coffee makers to ensure their brews reach the correct temperature based on the programmed settings.

Then they’ll include a monitor that lets you see the temperature of the brew and adjust it.

The end result is a pot of coffee that’s the perfect temperature for you.

All these details make the coffee maker more expensive, however.

This technology requires more production costs, more engineering costs, and even more research and development costs.

Due to these higher manufacturing costs, the company has to sell its coffee makers at higher prices.

The ability to have such great control over the temperature of the coffee maker is also beneficial to many coffee lovers.

They may be willing to pay more for a coffee maker that allows them to have precise control over the temperature.

That only reinforces the expensive price.

Coffee makers are expensive when they include temperature control technology since it’s more expensive to manufacture.

 

5. Energy-Efficiency

 

As climate change starts to become more prevalent in the world, some people are looking to reduce their carbon emissions.

One way that they can achieve that is to use energy-efficient appliances.

When it comes to coffee makers, you can easily find some models that promote energy efficiency.

They’re able to produce a great cup of coffee while using less energy.

One method some coffee makers might use is to automatically turn off any electrical system—like a built-in screen—when it’s not in use.

Others focus on the materials used to make the coffee maker.

Some materials might be better suited for faster brewing than others.

If the machine can brew the coffee faster, then it doesn’t need to brew as long.

That also saves energy.

There’s no shortage of different paths a company can take to make their product energy efficient.

However, it also means they usually need to take on more costs to do so.

Those costs might be due to using more expensive materials to produce their coffee makers.

The costs might go toward their research and development teams so they can research new ways to be energy efficient.

Whatever it is, it’s going to cost more money.

Since it costs more money, manufacturers are going to have to put a higher price on these machines.

Coffee makers are expensive when they’re focused on energy efficiency due to higher manufacturing costs.

 

6. Durability

 

An important feature for a coffee maker to have is excellent durability.

Coffee makers undergo a lot of pressure and deal with high temperatures.

If the parts aren’t high-quality, then they’re going to degrade quickly under those conditions.

There’s a chance that your cheap coffee maker is going to break down before a more expensive coffee maker would.

That’s because expensive coffee makers tend to be made of more expensive parts and materials.

Manufacturers focus on producing a high-quality coffee maker.

Since the materials are more expensive, they generally last longer.

They’re able to withstand the pressure and hot temperatures better.

This makes coffee makers expensive for a few reasons.

The first is that it means the company is using costly materials and parts to make their coffee makers.

That requires them to put a higher price tag on their products.

It also means that people aren’t buying expensive coffee makers as often.

Since they last longer, the company has to make as much money as it can on the initial sale.

They can’t count on rapid repeat sales.

As such, they put a high price on the product to cover their costs and earn a profit.

Coffee makers are expensive because of the cost of making them durable.

 

7. High-Quality Brewing

 

The quality of the brew is what sets some coffee makers apart from each other.

People who brew at home tend to want to try and recapture the sort of brew that they receive at coffee shops.

They want the same level of flavor or energy rush that they’d typically receive from Starbucks or a local coffeehouse.

Coffee maker companies know that, too.

As such, they spend a lot of time perfecting the quality of their coffee makers so they produce high-quality coffee.

Some companies do a better job than others.

Cheap coffee makers, for example, can make decent brews, but they might not do it well enough to replace regular trips to a coffee shop.

More expensive coffee makers tend to make excellent brews.

There’s less of a chance of having burnt coffee, for example, because the company spends more time researching and developing its products.

Other companies know that the quality of their brews will speak for themselves.

They put a high price on their coffee makers because they know that people who want an excellent brew of coffee are going to be willing to pay that price.

Coffee makers are expensive when they produce high-quality brews.

 

8. Brand Name

 

The brand name of a coffee maker can also influence its price.

Some brands have a reputation for making incredible coffee makers.

The reputation might be for coffee makers that last forever.

It might be for coffee makers that have excellent temperature control.

It may even simply be because the coffee it makes is delicious.

Whatever the reputation, brands work hard to make a good impression among their customer base.

They spend a lot of money on marketing, manufacturing, and packaging.

Because some people tend to be more willing to trust a more expensive, well-known brand than a cheap, generic brand, it reinforces the brand tax.

Coffee makers are expensive when they come from well-known brands.

 

9. High Research And Development Costs

 

The home appliance industry is competitive.

There are tons of different brands all trying to sell the same product to you.

Some products might have different features than others, but they’re all essentially the same thing.

To make their coffee maker stand out from the crowd, some companies invest a lot of money into their research and development teams.

This allows the team to come up with new features or ideas that can help the brand carve its own niche in the market.

However, because the company is spending a good amount of money on its R&D team, it needs to make up for that money elsewhere.

The end result is higher prices for its coffee makers.

Coffee makers are expensive because some companies invest heavily in their R&D teams to offer new features.

 

10. Additional Features

 

New features are also a reason why coffee makers are expensive.

For example, some coffee makers might come with a milk-frothing station or a cream station.

These stations handle certain steps in the coffee-brewing process.

Since they’re essentially another appliance added to the coffee maker, you’re basically paying for two-in-one or even three-in-one.

The cost of producing such appliances is high.

To offset the costs, the company charges a more expensive price.

Coffee makers are expensive when they have additional features that add to the cost of production.