Waking up is hard. We’ve all faced the horrors of the alarm going off while our bodies just achieved their most restful position yet. Sometimes we can pull through the pain and get up and start our day, other mornings we toss the alarm clock and continue the fight.
That is why I love coffee so much. No matter how the morning starts, I know once I’m out of bed the first stop is the coffee maker. And once I have my first cup, the rest will be okay.
In the world of marketing and consumerism, we can look at the basic human function of sleep and tiredness as a means to get money out of people who just can’t seem to wake up on their own, by selling them products they don’t need.
I’ve been hearing a lot about coffee maker alarm clocks these days, and I’ll be honest, it sounds like a gimmick to me. I am all about dual-functions with my coffee, but within reason. Spending over $400 on a coffee maker alarm clock does not seem within reason for me.
The Barisieur Coffee Alarm Clock is one I’ve been hearing about a lot. It is elegant and beautifully done, which I would expect for the price they want for a machine that brews coffee and wakes you up. The design is so sleek and fancy it almost looks like a chemist’s lab set up at bedside.
The alarm clock sits beside your bed in a nice presentation with a stainless steel base. There is a vessel for boiling water, and it will begin at the time the clock is set to. The machine comes equipped with a milk vessel as well. There is also a drawer to keep tea and other items in.
The alarm side works just as you’d expect for a full-function alarm clock, complete with snooze settings.
A few things make me nervous about them. First of all, I don’t want to have a bunch of glassware in my bedroom, and I certainly don’t want to set a coffee maker alarm clock somewhere it will go off and wake my roommates.
As much as I’ve daydreamed about waking up to freshly brewed coffee every morning, a coffee maker alarm clock like the ones on the market today simply won’t cut it. I am not going to spend nearly $500 to have a full coffee setup in my room, just because it also has an alarm.
For someone with the money to spend and a genuine enjoyment of over-the-top items, sure, a coffee maker alarm clock would be a nice investment. To each his own, right?
I’ll stick with my morning alarm clock in combination with coffee makers that offer perfectly good alternative timer settings. I’ve listed my favorites below.
Hamilton Beach Flexbrew
This coffee maker is an excellent choice for someone who wants to make a quality pot of coffee in the morning, programmed by a timer.
This machine offers a lot of dual functionality already, as it can do single-serve and full pot coffee. For the single serve side, you don’t even need to have a Keurig or other single-serve coffee pod. You can just load the coffee in to the grounds bin.
You could easily fill a single serve or full pot to brew in the morning with this machine. If you have guests over, you could set up a full pot and program the machine to turn on ten minutes before you all plan to wake up.
If you’ll just need a cup in the morning, you can easily program it to be ready when you wake up.
Cuisinart PerfecTemp
This coffee maker allows for a full 24-hour selection of programming, and you can select between bold or regular brew.
It also has a self-cleaning function, which would be very useful for someone who brews a lot of coffee. You should clean your machine every few months to get the best flavor.
You can also program the auto shut off. Once you’ve programmed your desired functions into this machine, you can be pretty hands off with it save for filling the grounds bin and water.
Braun Brewsense
Like the Cuisinart, the Braun Brewsense has a 24 hour timer which means you can set your coffee to brew at the most convenient time for you.
It also has an auto shut off function, and the LCD clock display is large and easy to read. You can set your coffee to start brewing at a certain time of day, and also set it to turn off so you never have to worry about wasting energy in the house.
It also offers a pause function, so you can stop the pot from dripping, get your cup, and put it back and allow it to continue. This is really convenient for someone who is impatient, and likes to get in on the coffee as soon as possible.
Smeg 1950’s Retro Style Coffee Maker
If we’re gonna get funky with our coffee makers, trying to add alarms and other functions, we might as well go for one that looks cool. The Smeg coffee maker is fun and quirky, and allows you to set the timer for 24 hours in advance.
It comes with a permanent filter, which is already a great plus for the environment. Apart from programming it to start at a desired time, you can also mess around with the aroma intensity function, adjust the water hardness, and monitor the descaler alarm light.
Compared to the previous coffee makers with timers, this one has a much different look. It is not as sleek and elegant as the stainless steel counterparts, but instead focuses on a fun, retro look.
You can get it in pastel blue, red or black.
Capresso 5 Cup Mini Drip Coffee Maker
This machine does not make a full pot, but can still brew up to five cups of coffee at a time.
The automatic timer setting is easy to program, and easy to read on the LCD display. The machine is small and sleek, with a very sophisticated look for its size.
This one uses a permanent filter as well, which is much more sustainable than paper filters.
It can quickly brew five cups of coffee, and has a drip-free spout and easy-to-use handle. The Capresso 5 Cup Mini comes in black and silver.
Are Coffee Makers with Timers Better Than Coffee Maker Alarm Clocks?
This depends on many personal preferences that depend on the person. When it comes down to it, a coffee maker alarm clock is meant to wake you up with an alarm while simultaneously brewing coffee to make waking up easier.
Of course this sounds like a dream, and if it weren’t so over-the-top, I might consider it. I am not willing to spend a lot of money on a product that combines the functions of two products I already have.
This day and age, most of us wake up to the alarm clock on our phone. The need to program another thing to wake me up almost sounds more inconvenient than not waking up to fresh coffee.
The thing is, you can still wake up to fresh coffee with or without a coffee maker alarm clock. If you really want to get the same feeling as one of the gimmicky alarm clocks, you could bring a programmable coffee maker into your bedroom so the first thing you hear and smell when you wake up is the brewing coffee.
There are plenty of programmable alternatives that would work for many instead of a coffee maker alarm clock.
Conclusion
It’s pretty cool that there are so many options for making our daily lives more convenient. Many companies have already made coffee more convenient, with things like single-serve coffee makers that brew straight from pods or two-way machines.
A coffee maker alarm clock is a lovely idea, and could make a lot of lives more convenient if they are willing to fork over the money. When it comes down to it though, it is just a luxury, and does not do anything to make better coffee.
The combination of two of the most important morning items, coffee and alarm clocks, was a genius move for the person who came up with this machine. I wouldn’t expect too many people to run out and buy these when there are more affordable, practical options, like coffee makers with timers.
Of the coffee makers with timers I listed, the Smeg is my favorite. I like the retro look of it, and appreciate how many notable features it offers.
If I really wanted to get into the mindset of waking up to the smell of fresh brewed coffee, I could easily make it work with any of these coffee makers with timers. I would just set them to start brewing a few minutes before my alarm goes off.
The look of the Smeg would fit in well with my office space, located right outside my bedroom. I could put the machine there, and use its morning brew to convince me to get out of bed quicker.
Overall, the idea of a coffee maker alarm clock is nice but unnecessary. You can get the same effect by using a programmable coffee maker and your own alarm clock, for a much cheaper price.
If you’re looking to make your mornings easier, consider getting a programmable coffee maker that can have your coffee prepared for you before waking up each morning. This will be considerably less expensive than a coffee maker alarm clock, and will still make your morning more pleasant.
Coffee Maker Alarm Clocks for the Bedroom
Waking up in the morning can be a drag. More often than not, without an alarm clock to wake you up, you will probable be late for work or school. Moreover, without a cup of coffee to jump start your day you will probably have a lousy one.
What if I tell you that you can have an alarm clock and a coffee maker in one? Wouldn’t it make your mornings perfect?!?
Here are some of the coffee makers with alarm clocks sold in the market today. Nothing like multi-tasking housewares!
Barisieur Coffee Maker Alarm Clock
The Barisieur Coffee Maker Alarm Clock is a unique must have in the morning. It is an innovative coffee maker and alarm clock in one designed by Josh Renouf. It is a gentle way to wake up in the morning than being startled by a loud sounding alarm clock.
The delicate movements of stainless steel bearings make a pleasant sound as the water boils through heat induction. The coffee is perfectly brewed and the awesome aroma will wake up all your senses. You can’t help but get up and start your morning with a lovely cup of coffee just right beside your bed.
Swan Teasmade Coffee Machine With Alarm Clock
Whether you love drinking tea before retiring to bed or waking up with a cup of coffee in the morning, Swan Teasmade Coffee Machine With Alarm Clock will make your life simply amazing.
Not only can you set the alarm with just a push of a button, but you can also press the tea auto button if you want your tea now or maybe later. The auto dim ceramic teapot can contain 600ml of tea or coffee, so you can share a cup with your special someone.
But wait, those are not just what this machine has to offer. It also has a unique reading light feature that will provide enough brightness to read while you are in bed.
Are Coffee Maker Alarm Clocks Worth It? Really..
Now that we’ve looked at a couple alarm clock coffee makers I’ll devulge my actual opinion – these things are really gimmicky. I don’t think I’d ever want one.
Why?
Where do you get the water in your bedroom?
When I think of making coffee I think of a few things.
- I need coffee beans or grind, neither of which is kept in the bedroom.
- I think of water for both filling the coffee maker reservoir and for cleaning the coffee maker later. Of course water is another thing not kept inthe bedroom.
- I also think of topping off my coffee while I eat breakfast. If the coffee is in the bedroom does that mean I have to eat breakfast there too?
I think buying an alarm clock with a built in coffee maker for someone as a novelty gift might be worth it given the right circumstances but please consider buying something different for yourself. At the very least just go for a small Keurig for the master bath, you know, where the water is.