I tested this minimalist drip coffee maker and it turned my mornings into a serene Scandinavian retreat

If you didn't know already, 'zen' appliances are in for 2025. That's silent, beautiful, and effortless appliances that make your life easier and healthier.

The Aarke Drip Coffee Maker might just be the queen of that category. Crafted from shiny stainless steel and glass, this is a high-end addition to any kitchen, blending swish design with clever Swedish engineering. But with its hefty price tag, is it truly worth the investment?

Well, I would say yes – and not just because it's utterly beautiful. This is one of the best drip coffee machines I have tested; it is SCA-approved for brewing to the Golden Cup standard. It's well-engineered to maintain the ideal brewing temperature (that's 197–205°F) and ensure a delicate yet rich aroma, no matter the number of cups you are brewing. It feels durable and reliable, there's a smart hot plate that keeps your coffee warm and a beautiful glass carafe to boot. I had to give bonus points for the elegant, BPA-free materials, which will propel the Aarke into my best non-toxic coffee maker guide.

You can even pair it with the Aarke Coffee Grinder, designed to sync up with the brewer and grind just the right amount of beans for your perfect cup. Just magic. After putting this coffee system through its paces, here are all the pros and cons I uncovered in my rigorous tests.

Specifications

First Impressions

You might know Aarke for its premium, stainless steel carbonators and non-toxic kettles. Its coffee maker is no different. From the moment I unboxed the Aarke Drip Coffee Maker, I was struck by its elegant craftsmanship. Made from premium stainless steel and die-cast aluminum, it exudes a modern, minimalist aesthetic that wouldn’t be out of place in a design museum or high-end café.

On the left, there's a professional-grade boiler with a water sensor to adjust the brewing temperature based on the number of cups being made – ranging from two to ten– so you'll receive optimal flavor extraction. Aarke promises a full carafe in under six minutes. On the right, there's a glass carafe to complete the BPA-free setup and a hot plate to keep the coffee warm. Every curve, button, and design feels thoughtful and luxurious.

What's it like to use?

The luxurious experience screeched to a halt, as I realized there weren't any included filters. Given the price, I expected all necessary components to be in the box for you to get started. I had to run out to grab some from my local supermarket. Once I returned with the filters (a little flustered and annoyed), the setup was thankfully straightforward – and inner peace resumed.

The single red button is the only control on sparse design, but the instructions booklet clearly explains how to use it. A short press starts the brewing process, holding it for three seconds activates the bloom function, and a seven-second press turns the hot plate on or off. While this design keeps the machine looking sleek, it's not super intuitive if you haven't read the booklet. If you have a bad memory, I'd recommend keeping the instructions handy for the first few weeks.

One major plus point was that once I had placed the filter, filled the tank, and pressed start, the brewing process was faultless and nearly silent. This would be perfect for early morning coffee without disturbing the household, or rattling your nervous system.

Taste test

The wide shower head evenly saturated the coffee grounds for a balanced extraction, and when it came to taste, the results were excellent. The coffee was delicate and aromatic, highlighting the nuances of the beans I had chosen.

I tried making small and large batches, and the Aarke delivered consistently great flavor. I also tried the optional bloom function, which is said to enhance the flavor by removing CO2 from the grounds, before the full brewing process begins. I found this to be true. For me, the Aarke scores full marks in the taste department.

Clean-up, storage & maintenance

Cleaning the Aarke Drip Coffee Maker is simple. The filter is easy to remove, so you can rinse the cone. The glass carafe is actually dishwasher-safe, but it's very easy to hand-wash and dry as well. For long-term maintenance, the machine includes an automatic descaling indicator and program, a thoughtful addition that will surely enhance its longevity.

One potential drawback is the sheer size of this machine – it’s a statement piece that will need to remain on the countertop year-round. It might even be too big for your coffee nook or pantry cupboard. If your kitchen space is limited, this should definitely be a consideration.

What do the customer reviews say?

Many customers praise the Aarke Drip Coffee Maker for its stunning design, quiet operation, and smooth coffee. On Williams Sonoma, one review said: 'It's so beautiful and produces very smooth coffee. The sounds it makes are therapeutic, bubbling water through the shower head and coffee dripping into the carafe. It runs quietly so you can make this while the whole house is still asleep.'

There are, however, a few complaints. That same reviewer noted that the water sensor doesn’t always measure accurately, and another had issues with the machine shutting off unexpectedly after a few months. I didn't encounter either of those issues in my tests, but I understand the frustration of a faulty machine.

How does it compare?

The Aarke Drip Coffee Maker meets the Specialty Coffee Association's Golden Cup Standard, so it's very highly esteemed. This essentially means that it meets the association's standards for water quality, coffee-to-water ratio, grind/particle size distribution with a temperature between 195 and 205 degrees, and a brewing time of fewer than 8 minutes. Just 30 coffee makers have made the SCA's list, and there are three key competitors we have tested and loved. The Moccamaster Technivorm, the Café Speciality Drip Coffee Maker and the OXO 8-Cup Drip Coffee Maker.

The Café Speciality Drip Coffee Maker is smaller and slightly cheaper at $299, with tons of special settings and features. You can customize your coffee to your specific taste and control the coffee maker from your smartphone. We've written all about it in our Café Speciality Drip Coffee Maker review.

The Moccamaster Technivorm has a more retro design and we were impressed by its rich, velvety coffee. Again, it's just very slightly cheaper at $359, but it might not be an aesthetic match for your home. We've written about all the pros and cons in our Moccamaster Technivorm review. The margins are tight, so it might just come down to aesthetics for you.

If you're looking for delicious drip coffee on more of budget, the OXO 9-Cup Drip Coffee Maker is actually our favorite coffee maker of 2025 so far. It's certainly not cheap at around $200, but the flavors were spot on, smooth, well-extracted, and bold. If you want to save some money and enjoy consistency, this is the one for you. You can find out more in our full OXO 8-cup coffee maker review.

Should you buy it?

The Aarke Drip Coffee Maker is undeniably a luxury item. It’s beautifully designed, brews excellent coffee, operates quietly, and is plastic-free to boot. However, the large frame, slightly unintuitive controls, and premium price tag may not make it the best fit for everyone.

If you value minimalist aesthetics and top-tier brewing, this could be a worthwhile investment. But if you prioritize affordability, customization, and convenience, there are other great options on the market.

How we test

At Homes & Gardens, we have a rigorous testing process for all of our coffee makers. This enables us to score coffee makers both individually and against other models on the market.

We start with our research. As Homes & Gardens' kitchen appliance expert, I’m always on the lookout for the best coffee makers on the market. Once I’ve found one that I think you, our readers, will like, I order it to my home kitchen. I like to test at home, as it means I can use the appliance in my regular routine. This helps me uncover advantages (or most likely, pain points) I would never discover with a one-hour session in the test kitchen.

Once I have the coffee maker in my hands, I’ll get testing. This begins with unboxing, which might sound small, but it's an important tell of a brand's attention to detail. We'll let you know whether we get any extra accessories and what our first impressions are of the coffee maker. Here's where we'll talk about the size, style, build quality, and anything else that jumps out at us aesthetically.

Next, we'll get brewing. We make notes on how easy the coffee maker is to set up and start using. Then, we'll time how long the coffee maker takes to brew different quantities of coffee. We'll start at one cup (if the machine can do that) and work up to its maximum capacity. After each brew, we assess the flavor of each cup, the range of the machine, how long it keeps coffee warm for, the ease of cleaning, and the all-important price. Where applicable, we experiment with special features, such as integrated grinders and milk frothers.

Once we are happy that we've tested everything that we can, we'll take a step back and think about how the coffee maker compares to other models. We'll read through online reviews to get a sense of what customers are saying and then, bringing all that information together, our team will let you know who we think it suits and whether it's good value for money. As you can see, we leave no stone unturned.

If you’re interested and want to find out more, you can read all about the process in our how we test coffee makers page.