How long should a coffee maker last? The average lifespan of a coffee maker varies from brand to brand. It primarily depends on the materials from which it is built, but maintenance can play a big role here, too! So, how long does a coffee maker last? Let’s find out!
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How long should a coffee maker last? What is the average lifespan of a coffee machine? How can I increase the lifespan (to save some money)?
Owly Choice reader Grayson
Grayson wonders how long a typical coffee maker should last. And, admittedly, the question about the average lifespan of a coffee maker is on point.
In our experience, we see two types of readers asking this question:
- Readers who purchased a coffee maker which broke soon after a purchase. These readers typically try to find out if a coffee maker is faulty or flawed.
- Readers who are about to purchase a coffee maker and want to be sure that the investment will last them for a little while.
An automatic coffee maker should last about 5 years, if that coffee maker is properly maintained and regularly cleaned. Furthermore, many people report that their coffee makers last much longer than that, with some reaching a venerable age of 10. Obviously, the wear and tear does occur over time, and it may cause heating element to burn out in automatic coffee machines.
On the other hand, manual coffee makers may last for a lifetime, if properly maintained and cleaned. There are no electronic parts to speak of. Therefore, unless a manual coffee maker, such as a french press, percolator or pour over are broken, they should be good for a long time.
For the curious: average lifespan of coffee makers
Average lifespan of automatic coffee makers
Automatic coffee makers, such as drip coffee machines or single serve coffee brewers, should last for anywhere between 5 and 10 years. The machine can last this long thanks to regular cleaning regime, which includes descaling and cleaning.
There are several reasons why automatic coffee makers can break and stop working, even before a 5 year mark. Here are the most common reasons:
- Coffee residue clogs up and irreversibly damages pipes and tubes in coffee makers. Mineral and calcareous buildup will cause the machine to stop working when descaling is not done, or is not done properly. Therefore, it is extremely important to perform clean a coffee maker according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
- Electric system or the heating element will burn out. Those systems cannot be designed to last forever, as the materials wear out. Once the materials are worn out, the machine will simply stop heating water or circulating water to brew.
- New upgraded models make coffee makers look old and obsolete. Some people prefer having new upgraded coffee makers.
Lifespan of a coffee maker by brand
We have noticed that coffee makers are not made equal. Some brands tend to do a better job with their coffee maker’s lifespan than the others. Here’s what we have found:
- A Keurig coffee maker should last about 3-5 years. Note that some Keurig machines work only with certain types of capsules or k-cups. Therefore, if the manufacturer stops producing those capsules, the machine will become useless more quickly.
- A Cuisinart coffee maker should last about 2-5 years. Importantly, Keurig offers a 3-year warranty to customers, if they purchase new coffee makers.
- Ninja coffee makers are actually reported to have short lifespans of about 1-2 years. The most common issues that our readers report are leaks from the reservoirs and incorrect cleaning cycles.
- Mr. Coffee coffee maker should work fine for about 2-3 years (about 1000 cups). It can last longer up to 4-5 years, if it is cleaned and descaled regularly.
- Hamilton Beach and Black & Decker coffee makers should last 5 years or more (if cleaned and maintained properly).
How to increase a lifespan of an automatic coffee maker?
If you are looking to increase a lifespan of your coffee maker, make sure to focus on proper cleaning and maintenance. If you use a machine every day, make sure to descale it once a month (or every 3 weeks). Further, make sure to wipe the machine down after each use.
Regular cleaning and maintenance can increase the longevity of a coffee machine from 5 years to 10 years!
Average lifespan of manual coffee makers
Manual coffee makers can last for a lifetime. They can break in the meantime due to our clumsiness. However, there are no essential parts that use up during the use.
Most manual coffee makers, such as French presses, percolators or pour overs, are made of glass, ceramic, plastic or metal. Therefore, they can last forever.
The only thing that you will need to change is the filter. In the case of French presses, the metal mesh filter located at the end of the plunger needs to be changed after around 6 months of daily use. The filters can be bought online, and are really inexpensive.
Owly’s conclusion
When you buy a coffee maker, you want to ensure that it lasts a long time. It saves money and hassle of buying a new machine.
While automatic coffee makers will eventually break, manual coffee makers can typically last a lifetime. Whether you choose an automatic coffee machine, or a manual brewer, you can increase the lifespan of a coffee maker by cleaning and maintaining it on a regular basis.
Interestingly, the price does not always determine the life expectancy of a coffee machine. The less expensive brands such as Hamilton Beach or Black & Decker manufacture stellar products with high durability and life expectancy.
Ultimately, you need to decide what works for you.
What do you think?
How long has your coffee machine lasted? Which brands of coffee makers do you have a good experience with? Which coffee maker would you recommend for a long life expectancy?
Let us know in the comments!
Our old De Longi Magnifica Bean to Cup is 12 years old and still going strong.
I’ve owned two Mr. Coffees. Each had to be replaced after 5 years due to leaking badly. Bought a clearance Cuisinart from Sears for about $25.00 7-8 years ago. Still going strong. Cuisinart makes good products. I also bought a Bella and Proctor-Silex at the same time. I guess they’ll be used when the Cuisinart is a goner. I love this site!
Hello There. I found your blog using msn. This is a really well written article. I’ll be sure to bookmark it and return to read more of your useful info. Thanks for the post. I will definitely comeback.
Just got a Mr. Coffee one which we found when we were cleaning out a relatives house . It is a30+ years old and looks fine after cleaning.
Is it safe to use?
We’ve had 2 one the last lasted 5 month the other 9 , they’d are very expensive and definitely junk we never recommend .
What brand?
On single serve coffee machine I found out the hard way my Keurig only last 2 years. Every one I bought. I cleaned them pretty much three or more times month. I ended buying a tassimo from Europe it lasted 6 years. I went back to tassimo I stepped up to a tassimo sunny I love that you can make lattes coffee tea hot chocolate and green tea. The coffee is good and hot if you drink it fairly soon. You will need a electrical converter because it is 1400 watts and 220 volts I bought a converter step up 220 and 1600 watts. It works perfect. I don’t leave it plugged in all day . It last longer that way and it won’t drain or pull to much power if you unplug the adapter from your outlet in the wall. You do have to order coffee t disk from Amazon they send a package of disk whatever you like to drink a latteeor cappuccino ,or plain coffee t disk. I buy Jacobs they make light or strong roast .
My Ninja died after two years. Very disappointed. Will not buy another. Have an old Oster, still works after probably 7 yrs.
My wife is the only coffee drinker in our home. She’s bought Keurig K-Supreme (lasted 16 months), “no names” (lasted 3 years), more basic Keuigs (lasted about 1.5 – 2 years). She diligently cleans them, including descaling when the unit calls for it. The $200 Keuig K-Supreme died last night during the middle of descaling. A quick Google search showed that there was a known defect with the heating element and recommended taking the machine apart to reset a switch. We tried, but had no luck with that and bought a basic Hamilton Beach to replace it today. We definitely bought the $15 extended warranty. Our experience has been that the Keurig machines are unreliable. Crossing our fingers that we can someday find one that would last.
Hi, Steve,
Really sorry to hear about your experience with the Keurig coffee machine. We would strongly suggest you should reach out to Keurig customer support to let them know. It should be covered under their warranty. At the very minimum, we hope you can get a replacement coffee maker from Keurig.
We also hear some complaints from the consumers about the Keurig machines. We hope that Keurig will resolve the issue.
Let us know how we can help.
Team Owly
My Krups Café Presso lasted from 1992 until early 2021. It was in an amazing faithful machine that made good coffee up until the very end. A piece of plastic broke on the basket so I traded it in for a newer model.
My Krups Café Presso lasted from 1992 until early 2021. It was in an amazing faithful machine that made good coffee up until the very end. A piece of plastic broke on the basket so I traded it in for a newer model.
I have a GE programmable coffee maker from Aug 2001 I packed itt away for a couple months cause it needed to be cleaned found Manuel on line cleaned it today works like new again
My Ninja model C251 69 died this morning after 2 years. No power. Tried 3 different electrical outlets and attempted a reset all to no avail. Lifespan is apparently right on schedule according to the post. This makes my husband and me very sad because we really liked everything about it, especially the coffee it brewed. Now I have to research other manufacturers machines because I won’t be purchasing another Ninja brand coffee maker for our household…or anyone else’s.
Hi, Anna Lee,
We are very sad to hear that your Ninja C251 died! It’s a wonderful coffee machine (and we love its flexibility). It’s unfortunate that it stopped working.
What are some machines that you are looking for? Can we help in your search?
Now might be the best time to shop for a new coffee machine!
-Team Owly
This is my 3 rd Keurig I love them but upgraded to one with regular coffee pot on side the other one is in our summer home so only use it when we are here today it decided not to work runs makes noise but will not make coffee had to use an old drip pot Love the pods going to buy a new one will decide what make when I get to store
We’ve had our Bunn coffee maker for about 6 years. We’ve never done ‘maintenance’ on it and it runs perfectly. I really love it. It will make an entire 10 cup pot of coffee in 3 minutes ❤️❤️
We have an old Cuisinart with the knobs and it is 15 years old or there a bouts..alas it is dying. I will look for another with the knobs as I’ve read that the touch panel type die sooner.
Hi my question is i did not use my keurig coffee maker for 5 years it was in storage is it safe to clean and use again thank you
I got a Kerrigan single cup coffee maker for Christmas last year….. it is now leaking and I can’t use it. Can it be replaced or get some kind of replacement for it?
Hi, Bernice,
Thank you for visiting us! We would recommend reaching out to Keurig customer service. You can reach them here:
https://www.keurig.com/content/support/email-us-page
Phone: (866) 901-2739
Hours: 7am – 10pm EST,
Monday – Sunday
My De’Longhi digital bean to cup is now 11 years old and it’s still serving me loyally. Who needs a husband when you can simply poke a button and you have a freshly ground and freshly brewed crema espresso within a couple of minutes? No overnight chin stubble, no grumpy early morning bad attitude. I’m still in love.
My De’Longhi digital bean to cup is now 11 years old and it’s still serving me loyally. Who needs a husband when you can simply poke a button and you have a freshly ground and freshly brewed cream espresso within a couple of minutes? No overnight chin stubble, no grumpy early morning bad attitude. I’m still in love.
I have had two Keurig machines. They don’t last. They eventually stop pumping. I’ve tried all the suggestions to get them going. No success. The latest one lasted 20 months. I like them, but coffee by the cup is getting expensive.
I bought Delonghi Autentca 4 yrs ago. 6 mth ago had problems with the milk pump (milk wasn’t coming out) took it to the authorised repairer and now it is having the same problem. I’m very annoyed that things are built to last few years. It wasn’t cheap so why should I bother to spend over $2000 for something that won’t last. I would rather get a cheaper brand and in few years replace it. It was descale every time that the machine requested and cleaned on a weekly basis. So????
Buying a Nespresso Machine can really make a difference in your mornings. Having an espresso is a great way to start your day, but making a cup using home espresso brewers can be difficult, and you don’t really enjoy the same quality as what you can get from a coffee shop.
OMG love the cover
I bought a napresso vertuo plus. I liked the coffee but The Nespresso disk are expensive they are recycled. But in the long run who wants to pay a fortune for disk coffee and it can’t be used with Peet’s coffee pods or anything like that.
I’ve had my Keurig K10 for over five years and it’s always made VERY good coffee, that is, until I descaled it recently. Ever since then my coffee has been flat and tasteless. (I use a reusable filter and buy my own coffee.) I think the descaling process RUINED my machine! I’m considering getting a new Keurig, and I will NEVER do a descaling on THAT one! I’ve learned my lesson!
My Delonghi Magnifica S Automatic coffee machine is now 5 years old and still works perfectly.
About 2 years ago It started giving a ! on the display panel, turning it off the on again, worked
must of reset itself but this continued to happen every few days.
In short I found that more regular cleaning and descaling fixed the problem.
My Cuisinart is 15 years young and after a scare I descaled it. Back to making a great cup of coffee again… I have looked at newer models .. they are smaller and much lighter… the newer ones seem cheaply made compared to what I have. I hope she lasts another 15 years!
Hi, Marianne,
We are so happy to hear your Cuisinart coffee maker has lasted you for the last 15 years! We do notice that older models are much sturdier and long lasting than the newer ones.
We also hope your machine will last you for another 15+ years!
-Owl
Look out Marianne. My 18 year old Cuisinart coffee maker seems to be slowly dying in the last couple weeks. The switches and brewing sometimes work, sometimes don’t. Sometimes it turns off after brewing half a pot. Then we let it sit for a while; sometimes we can brew more. Other times, the switches do nothing. I don’t really want to buy another one… So sad! (We did try descaling, but that didn’t help.)
I bought a Barista Athena from Starbucks in 2002, because I needed an espresso maker. It was on sale. It was a great buy and made excellent espresso. It just finally gave up a couple months ago in 2021. Now, that is one heck of a coffee maker!
I will never purchase another Keurig product. In one year I purchased one, in 6 weeks they sent a replacement machine, that one failed in 7 weeks, sent another one… that one failed, they sent another one. and in one month that one died. now customer service has always been top notch. now you call and they take the info and you wait for a call back from them. i waited a week (without a coffee maker). I refused the same machine and got an upgrade. hope it last longer than the other ones. if this one fails i will request a refund. I may have to go back to a mr. coffee original brewer. skip the k cups.
Bought the multi-stream for a gift for Christmas. Sister said it worked for a week and just died…stopped working completely. So disappointed and upset with the product especially after paying what I did.
OMG…my coffee maker died…switching to tea
Hi, Barbara,
Welcome to Owly Choice! It’s great to have you with us!
Oh no! So sorry to hear about the end of your coffee maker. Do you mind sharing how long your coffee maker lasted?
Tea is a great alternative! We love tea! What tea do you like best?
-Owl
Yikes! I didn’t know they expired. My Grind n Brew is 10 yrs old and my older one is in the garage.
Hi, John,
So awesome to hear that your grind n brew coffee maker has lasted you 10 years! The coffee makers do not expire per se. However, they may become broken or worn to the extent that they no longer brew good coffee.
If your coffee maker still brews great coffee, you should be good to continue using it!
-Owly Team
My Cuisinart coffee maker has lasted over 14 years and is not broken and with very little maintenance. I am going to buying another one just out of concern that the one I have might have rust that I cannot see. I hope Cuisinart is making them just sturdy and durable
My Cuisinart coffee maker broke after 10 years. It has served well, and I bought a replacement soon after. I am hoping my current machine will be as durable!