Upgrade Your Morning Brew With Our Favorite Coffee Gear, Including the Milk Frother That Aced Our Tests

A good cup of coffee can make or break your day, which is why it’s so important to ensure you’re using the best tools to brew it. Trust us: We’ve tested nearly every piece of coffee gear under the sun, including 29 espresso machines and 17 gooseneck kettles. If there’s anything we know, it’s what you need to make the perfect brew. You don’t have to break the budget either; we’ve tested plenty of affordable coffee gear that’s impressed us over the years. Our top picks under $50 include the best espresso scale and an editor-favorite Yeti Rambler tumbler.

The Best Coffee Gear Under $50 at a Glance

• The Best Budget Coffee Grinder: Krups Precision Burr Coffee Grinder
• A Great Milk Frother: Instant Pot Milk Frother 4-in-1 Electric Milk Steamer
• A Portable Coffee Maker: AeroPress Original Coffee Press
• A Clever AeroPress Attachment: Fellow Prismo Attachment for AeroPress Coffee Maker
• Our Favorite Budget French Press: Coffee Gator 34-Ounce French Press Coffee Maker
• The Best Espresso Scale: OXO Brew Precision Coffee Scale with Timer
• The Best Spring-Loaded Tamper: LuxHaus 53-Millimeter Espresso Tamper
• A Great Moka Pot: Bialetti Moka Espress Stovetop Espresso Maker
• The Best Single-Serve Coffee Maker: Kalita Wave Series Wave Dripper 155
• An Editor-Loved Coffee Tumbler: Yeti Rambler 20-Ounce Travel Mug

Krups Precision Burr Coffee Grinder

If you’re still using a spice grinder to grind your coffee, this is your sign to please—please—upgrade to a burr grinder. Don’t want to spend too much on one? The Krups is under $50 and gives you more control over the grind size, so it’s already a step up from using a blade grinder that simply chops your coffee instead of grinding it.

Instant Pot Milk Frother 4-in-1 Electric Milk Steamer

This milk frother heats up quickly and produces excellent foam at an approachable price. Its simple interface has four functions: cold foam, light warm foam, thick warm foam, and warming without foaming. We liked that it heats up quickly and can differentiate between latte and cappuccino foam.

AeroPress Original Coffee Press

Whether you’re camping or avoiding hotel coffee, the AeroPress is the way to go for portable, strong coffee. It brews quickly and packs up to about the size of a soda can. You also can’t beat the $34 price tag.

Fellow Prismo Attachment for AeroPress Coffee Maker

If you want to get as close to espresso as possible with the AeroPress, we recommend grabbing this attachment from Fellow. It has a pressurized rubber valve and a micromesh metal filter to enable an even stronger brew.

Coffee Gator 34-Ounce French Press Coffee Maker

This insulated French press coffee maker is a steal at $35. It produces a solid cup of coffee and demonstrates excellent temperature retention during our tests. It also comes with a mini coffee canister.

OXO Brew Precision Coffee Scale with Timer

We’ve always loved the OXO food scale, and the brand’s coffee scale is no exception. It has a large display with clear digits and delivers fast, accurate readings. We also liked its built-in timer and the 3,000-gram capacity, making it suitable for other measuring tasks in the kitchen.

Normcore V4 Coffee Tamper

This coffee tamper is spring-loaded to deliver a precise tamp every time. You can also adjust the springs to choose the amount of pressure you need. We liked its sturdy build and tapered handle that’s comfortable to hold.

Bialetti Moka Espress Stovetop Espresso Maker

You can’t get a more classic coffee experience than this moka pot. It makes consistently strong, flavorful brews, and all its pieces fit together without trouble. Its heavy-gauge aluminum construction conducts heat well for strong steam pressure and well-extracted coffee.

Kalita Wave Series Wave Dripper 155

If you like a slow, thoughtful coffee routine, grab our favorite single-serve coffee maker. The Kalita is loved by beginners and experts alike for its consistent brews and ease of use. We also liked that the comfortable handle doesn’t get hot when brewing.

Yeti Rambler 20-Ounce Travel Mug

After you’ve carefully brewed your coffee, the vessel is just as important to consider. After testing 15 coffee tumblers, the Yeti Rambler mug emerged as an editor-favorite. It’s leakproof, smooth to sip from, and keeps coffee hot for hours.

Why We’re the Experts

• An Uong is a writer for Serious Eats.
• An has been testing kitchen gear for Serious Eats for over two years.
• She has coffee every day and has more coffee tools than she does storage space for them.