Over the last two or so years, I’ve been slowly swapping out the plastic in my kitchen for better alternatives to avoid as many microplastics as possible. I use glass Pyrex for storage, bamboo utensils for cooking, a wooden cutting board for all of my slicing and dicing, glass dishes and reusable, stainless steel water bottles. But there was still one thing I knew for a fact contained plastic: my coffee maker.
Although I haven’t removed every single piece of plastic from my kitchen, I was extra cognizant of my coffee maker because every time it’s used, boiling water goes over the plastic and into the coffee. No, I don’t put my morning beverages under a microscope, but I feel like there’s a good chance that microplastics are leached during this process. And it seemed unavoidable, because every single drip coffee maker I’ve used has had plastic either in the basket where the coffee grounds are placed or on the carafe lid.
So when I learned that Caraway was entering the appliance scene with a drip coffee machine that has absolutely no plastic in the brew path, I had a sneaking feeling that it would end up being my favorite coffee machine ever. Two weeks into having it in my kitchen, I can say I was right.
Trying out Caraway’s new coffee maker
I was already familiar with Caraway through the brand’s ceramic-coated cookware, so I wasn’t surprised to find an exceptionally sharp-looking appliance when I opened the box. Aesthetically pleasing kitchenware is what the brand is known for after all. The design, the color, the quality of the build — all of it made a great first impression. Even the removable cord is thoughtfully designed, but I had to make sure it functioned as well as it looked.
The brew basket is stainless steel, and it comes with a reusable stainless steel coffee filter, too. The glass coffee carafe holds up to 10 cups, and although there’s silicone around the lid, the part that comes into contact with your hot coffee is stainless steel. All of those pieces are dishwasher safe.
The coffee only comes into contact with stainless steel.Corin Cesaric-Epple/CNET
There is only one knob on the coffee maker, which helps it keep its sleek look. It controls the brew, clean and start/stop options. After the coffee is finished brewing, it stays warm in the carafe for up to an hour and a half.
You can twist the knob for brew or clean and push it for start or stop.Corin Cesaric-Epple/CNET
No plastic, no rogue grounds
After using it multiple times, it has consistently made great coffee with no grounds in it, so the reusable coffee filter was a success, too.
Although it’s simple in design, there are nice details throughout, such as a matte finish, a tall, glass carafe and the blue light that illuminates when you pour water into the reservoir.
If you like to schedule your coffee ahead of time, though, you won’t be able to do so with this appliance. There are no extra buttons for scheduling or digital screens, which is partly why this appliance looks so chic.
After the coffee is finished brewing, the stainless steel filter can be rinsed out and reused next time.Corin Cesaric-Epple/CNET
I’m loving this coffee machine for many reasons, but the biggest one is that it solves a problem I’ve been focused on for a while. As we continue to learn more about microplastics and their potential impact on our health, I’m becoming more cautious about how often my food and drinks come into contact with plastic.
Before this launch, if I wanted to avoid plastic when making coffee, a pour-over was the main option I saw. Caraway’s new coffee maker not only keeps plastic out of the brew path but also offers the convenience of a drip coffee maker — and looks great doing so.
The Caraway Coffee Maker is now available for $495 in cream, stone, midnight and clay colors.
Corin Cesaric-Epple
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