13 Plastic-Free Coffee Makers For A Healthy, Home Brew

Why Choose Plastic-Free Coffee Makers?

Plastic doesn’t really deserve an invitation to our coffee breaks—yet it’s been RSVPing.

In fact, plastic coffee = toxic coffee.

Many components in a coffee maker are often made with plastic.

This means that each cup likely exposes us to hormone disruptors like BPA and phthalates, which each have their own coffee pot full of potential problems.

The Big Bad BPA

The big problem here is that BPA is known to leach out 55 times faster in hot liquids than it does under normal conditions. 

The plastic-hardening chemical has been linked to a range of health concerns, like heart disease, high blood pressure, asthma, diabetes, reproductive disorders, obesity, cancer, and impaired brain development. 

Even some “BPA-free” coffee makers should be met with skepticism, because it’s relatively easy to swap out BPA for its toxic chemical cousins, Bisphenol S and Bisphenol F (BPS and BPF). 

So are there any coffee makers that are BPA free?

Yes, but unfortunately, many plastic BPA alternatives are structurally similar. So, from a manufacturing standpoint, they make a worthy alternative. 

Unfortunately, they’re hormonally active in similar ways, too. 

When it comes to estrogenic, antiestrogenic, androgenic, and antiandrogenic hormonal activities, BPS and BPF have been found to be just as potent as BPA as endocrine disruptors. 

Phthalate Leaching 

Similarly, long-term exposure to phthalate plasticizers adversely influences not just the endocrine system, but also healthy functioning of multiple organs. 

The water reservoir, basket, and pipes are often made with hard plastic or PVC, which may leach a variety of phthalates (DMB, DIBM, DEHP).

Phthalates are the world’s most commonly used plasticizers, after all.

Worse, phthalates are more likely than BPA to be leached out by the hot water in a coffee maker. 

Chronic exposure to phthalates has been known to adversely impact the endocrine system and healthy organ functioning. 

Long-term impacts may include impaired growth and development and compromised reproductive system functioning. 

Not only are these plastic based toxins bad from a health perspective, but they can impart that gross plastic-y taste in coffee, too. 

Environmental Impact Of Plastic Coffee Machines

BPA in the environment has been known to negatively impact ecosystem health.

Especially since we annually release more than a million pounds of it, in the US alone. 

Like many other chemicals, major sinks for BPA include rivers and lakes. Which is why we have a better understanding of BPA impacts on aquatic vertebrates than land-based ones. 

Studies have shown that BPA can lead to reproductive and developmental harm and diminished immune function in aquatic non-mammalian vertebrates. 

Phthalates are close behind, as they’re produced in very high volumes and are a pervasive toxin in the environment. 

They, too, can lead to reproductive toxicity in animals, just as they do in humans. 

Not to mention the fact that these plastic-based components are almost always impossible to recycle, and will remain in landfills for hundreds or thousands of years after their last brew session.

Makes you think twice about having that second (or third) cup of coffee, doesn’t it?

How We Found The Best No-Plastic Coffee Makers

To use our favorite coffee analogy again, finding sustainable technology in the world of low impact coffee machines is like finding a green bean in a heap of Arabican roasted beans, pre your 7am caffeine fix.

Making modern coffee machines—like a drip coffee maker or espresso machine, with all their various filters, lids, reservoir tanks, pumps, waterlines, heating elements, pressure gauges, buttons, and switches—often require plastic. 

For this reason, many of us have started looking for the best non-toxic coffee maker where hot water and finished coffee don’t come into contact with plastic, or at least only very rarely.

Alternatively, many brands are also now opting for plastic components that are deemed BPA- and/or phthalate free. 

So, you’ll see that we’ve filled this list with both zero plastic coffee makers and those with minimal BPA-free plastic components (ideally those that never touch the actual brew itself).

While we obviously prefer coffee makers without plastic of any kind, ultimately your caffeine fix is your choice.

Materials:

The best eco-friendly coffee makers are made with stainless steel, biodegradable wood, or glass. 

Stainless steel coffee makers are durable, easy to maintain, resistant to heat, and won’t impart colors or flavors.

Similarly, glass offers many of the same benefits—but we all know how easy it is to break! 

Unfortunately, even with glass carafes in a drip coffee machine, the plastic lid and basket may present a risk of BPA/phthalate leaching—so look for those that are explicitly free of these toxins. 

Or use filter baskets, interior plumbing components, carafes, and water reservoirs (read; anything that touches water or hot coffee) that are plastic-free.

Because even if a brand claims to make BPA-free coffee makers, it may contain a BPA alternative, like BPF and BPS, which are also known hormone disruptors.

Recyclable aluminum may make for a sustainable coffee maker, but some fear the fact that aluminum is a neurotoxin. While no conclusive evidence exists to suggest it leaches into beverages, it’s something to consider if you’re seeking the healthiest coffee maker available.

• Certifications: Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)

Supply chain & labor practices:

Unfortunately, many of these brands are still leaving coffee grounds in our cups. Read: they’re not transparently filtering out some of the unethical aspects of many consumer good supply chains.

It would be great to know more about where and how materials are sourced, and how workers are supported. 

• Certifications: Certified B Corporation (B Corp), Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS), Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), International Organization for Standardization (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 13485, and ISO 45001)

Energy efficiency: 

Manual is the go-to here because unfortunately even the most sustainable coffee machine just isn’t as sustainable as, say, a no plastic French press.

If you can make a cup of coffee or espresso without requiring energy, that’s adv(enti)ageous for our planet. 

If energy is required, functions like double-walled insulation or clear-to-read cup measurements can help you minimize the amount of power that’s needed to heat up water and keep it warm. 

Recyclability & repairability: 

From an end-of-life perspective, small non plastic coffee machines with fewer components are better. 

It’s far easier to recycle an all-stainless steel coffee maker (no plastic at all) than an automatic drip coffee maker made with glass, stainless steel, and a batch of other materials. 

That morning cup tastes even better when a brand offers repair and replacement part options or lengthy warranties.