Girl math: The Mr. Coffee 5-cup mini brew coffee maker pays for itself if you ditch five shop-bought brews this Cyber Week

The Mr. Coffee 5-Cup Mini Brew Coffee Maker might not offer the same bells and whistles as some of today’s more advanced machines, but it still holds a special place in my heart. 

This teeny appliance might look quaint and adorable, but it still takes its job seriously, delivering your daily dose of caffeine without any fuss. I absolutely have to have a cup of hot coffee to start my day (otherwise, my brain is effectively mush).

Thankfully, this small coffee maker was up to the task. It brews just the right amount of coffee for two people — perfect for me and my partner — and the best part is that it takes up minimal room on my overly crowded kitchen counter. If you want the deets on what it’s like to use this inexpensive coffee maker, here’s everything I learned while testing it for two weeks. 

Mr. Coffee 5-Cup Mini Brew Coffee Maker review

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Mr Coffee 5-cup Mini Brew Coffee Maker | Was $40 Now $24.88 (save $15.12) at Walmart

Save 38% off this filter coffee machine, all thanks to Walmart and their Cyber Week home deals. This programmable device has a newly-designed ergonomic carafe, grab-a-cup auto-pause, and, a 2-hour auto shut-off period to conserve energy. It's perfect for making two 12-ounce cups.

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Testing the Mr. Coffee Mini Brew Coffee Maker

Camryn Rabideau

I’m Camryn Rabideau, a freelance contributing editor, and product tester for Real Homes, and I’ve tested close to a dozen coffee makers in my career, including everything from basic models like this one to high-tech gadgets with built-in grinders and espresso makers. On a daily basis, I use a Wolf Gourmet drip coffee maker (available on Amazon) to provide my daily dose of caffeine, and I try to limit myself to just one or two cups of coffee in the morning — otherwise, I have trouble falling asleep come bedtime! 

What I thought of the Mr. Coffee Mini Brew Coffee Maker

If you have limited space in your kitchen, the Mr. Coffee Mini Brew Coffee Maker is as compact as they come. It’s super lightweight — we’re talking just three pounds — and can easily be tucked into a corner. I can see it being a handy appliance for a small apartment or even a dorm room! 

Aside from its small form, this coffee maker is also incredibly easy to use. It has just one button — an on/off switch — and there are no complicated settings that you have to muck around with. While it’s undeniably basic, I was still impressed with the taste of the coffee. It was flavorful without being bitter, and it tasted just as good as the coffee that my regular drip filter coffee maker makes. 

Mr. Coffee 5-cup mini brew coffee maker specifications

• Dimensions (in.): H10 x W6.4 x L8.8
• Weight (lbs): 3.15 pounds
• Capacity (fl oz): 25 fluid ounces
• Wattage: 3.3 watts
• Cord length (in): 24 inches
• Colors: White or black
• Warranty: 1 year

Unboxing and setting up the Mr. Coffee 5-cup mini brew coffee maker

The Mr. Coffee Mini Brew Coffee Maker arrived in a small box, so right away, I knew it was going to be a compact appliance. Still, I was a bit surprised at just how small the machine is — it’s maybe a quarter of the size of my usual drip coffee machine, which is admittedly a bit of a behemoth. The Mr. Coffee unit is also extremely lightweight, and I could easily carry it around with one hand. 

The machine comes with a cute glass carafe, and the rest of the appliance is made from black plastic. Overall, it’s a very basic, no-frills design, but that suits my needs just fine — I was more concerned about whether it would make good coffee. (Spoiler alert: It did!)

Using the Mr. Coffee 5-cup mini brew coffee maker

It’s very easy to use this coffee maker. I started by filling up the water tank, which is located at the back of the unit. 

Because the tank doesn’t come off the appliance, I had to carry water from the sink using a measuring cup, which was a little inconvenient. However, the good news is that I only needed about 25 ounces (a little over three cups) of water, so it didn’t take too many trips.

There’s a little window on the side of the machine that lets you see how much water you’ve put into the tank, so you know when to stop filling. 

From there, I loaded up the basket with coffee. The brew basket (which comes out for easy cleaning) is designed to be used with 4-6 cup basket-style filters (not included but available on Amazon), but I only had cone filters handy. Luckily, I was able to squish the bottom of the filter to fit into the coffee maker’s basket, and I then filled it with five scoops of my favorite ground coffee from Starbucks (available on Amazon).

Once that was done, all that was left to do was flip the power button! The little toggle-style button turns green to let you know it’s on, and the machine gets to work brewing coffee. It took around 5-6 minutes for the unit to brew a full carafe, and it did get quite noisy toward the end — the bubbling noise was so loud that my dogs were startled the first time and ran around the house barking. Oops!

The full carafe of coffee (roughly 25 ounces) was just the right amount for me and my partner in the morning. We were both able to have our usual 10-ounce cups, and I like how easy it is to pour out of the machine’s glass carafe. I take my coffee with half-and-half and sugar, and it tasted great — just like the coffee from my usual drip machine, which is notably more expensive than the Mr. Coffee model. The coffee maker does have a heating plate under the carafe to keep your coffee warm, but we never needed to use it, as we typically drank the whole pot. 

We continued to use the Mr. Coffee Mini Brew Coffee Maker each morning over the course of two weeks, and overall, its performance was consistent and the coffee was great! 

Cleaning the Mr. Coffee 5-cup mini brew coffee maker

Because this coffee maker is so basic, it’s a breeze to clean. After making a pot of coffee, all you have to do is throw away the filter and used grounds and wash out the carafe. Alternatively, use the spent coffee to clean your kitchen, or if you're lucky enough to have an outdoor space, use coffee grounds in your garden projects. 

That’s really all that’s required for daily maintenance — easy! The carafe and brew basket are also dishwasher-safe if you want a deeper clean, but I found it was easier to just wash them quickly by hand with a little dish soap and warm water. Whole Foods unscented detergent is under $3 on Amazon if you're worried about fragranced washing-up liquid tainting the taste of your coffee.

In terms of other maintenance, the brand recommends cleaning your coffee maker once a month, as it doesn’t have any type of filter to prevent mineral deposits from building up. To do this, it’s just a matter of running white vinegar (available on Amazon) through the machine and letting it sit for 30 minutes. We've got a whole guide on how to clean a coffee maker with vinegar if you're a little unsure how to do this. After that, you can run clean water through the machine a few times to get rid of any lingering residue. 

The brand has also provided this helpful video on YouTube if you prefer to watch video tutorials.  

Is the Mr. Coffee 5-cup mini brew coffee maker right for you?

If you’re looking for a small coffee maker, the Mr. Coffee 5-Cup Mini Brew is a basic, budget-friendly option. It’s super affordable at just $25, and its compact size is ideal for small apartments, dorm rooms, or even an RV or camper. At full capacity, it makes just enough coffee for two people, and despite being an inexpensive appliance, the coffee still tastes great. 

However, this machine is truly bare bones. It has a max capacity of 25 ounces and just a single operation button, so if you’re looking for something with bells and whistles, it might not be the best option for you.

We've put together three options for you to explore, based on taste, size, and, features. 

Where to buy the Mr. Coffee 5-cup mini brew coffee maker

Our built-in widget does the hard work for you to list out where you can purchase the Mr. Coffee 5-Cup mini brew coffee maker. However, if you'd prefer to click some good old-fashioned links, you can buy this coffee-making machine from Ace Hardware, Amazon, Meijer,  Target, Walmart, and, Wayfair.

How we test coffee makers

In line with Real Homes' coffee maker testing brief, I tested the machine for a couple of weeks, focusing on the following criteria, and asking myself these questions:

Packaging: How well are the machine and accessories protected in transit? Do the parts come wrapped in unnecessary amounts of plastic?

Weight: How easy is it to carry from my front door to the kitchen?

Setup: How easy is it to assemble the machine (if applicable) and make a coffee? How long does this process take? Does it require instructions?

Brew quality and grind: Here, I make each drink and assess the strength, extraction, and time it takes to make each drink.

Noise levels: Is this machine quiet enough to make coffee in the morning, without disturbing co-habitants (including pets), and neighbors?

Size: Can the machine be used in a small kitchen? How tall is the machine and is there adequate counter clearance for it to sit underneath cupboards?

Features: Are the programmable settings helpful?

Cleaning: How easy is it to maintain this machine? Are coffee stains wipeable? Can the drip tray and waste bin be removed? Which parts are hand-washable or dishwasher-safe? How easy is it to descale this coffee maker?