The Caraway is a good-looking, quiet, easy-to-clean drip machine with a brew path made of glass and stainless steel instead of plastic.[1][4] If that's your top priority, it's one of the few machines that delivers it. If you just want great coffee for the money, it's a tough sell: a Moccamaster costs $136 less, and a former barista found the Caraway's coffee muddier than a pour-over.[7][3] Also: the current batch doesn't ship until mid-December.[1]
Sold by Caraway and Crate & Barrel. Not on Amazon right now.
What It Actually Is
Caraway spent five years and more than 200 iterations on this machine, according to the brand, and it launched in fall 2026 at $495.[5][6] The whole point is what Caraway calls its Clean Brew System: no plastic touches your water or coffee anywhere between the tank and your mug.[1]
| Part | Made of |
|---|---|
| Water reservoir | Glass |
| Water path | Stainless steel |
| Shower head | Stainless steel |
| Brew basket and filter | Stainless steel, reusable |
| Carafe | Glass |
The brewing specs are good ones. It holds water between 195 and 205°F and finishes in 4 to 8 minutes, which is the range the Specialty Coffee Association recommends for pulling the good flavors out of the grounds without the bitter ones.[1] It runs a bloom first, wetting the grounds so trapped carbon dioxide can escape before the main brew, which helps the water extract evenly.[1] There's no screen and no timer, just one dial that switches between brewing and a built-in cleaning cycle.[1][6] Caraway also says it's made without PFAS, PTFE, PFOA, lead, BPA, BPS or cadmium.[2]
The One Thing To Know Before You Buy
"Plastic-free" isn't a regulated label, so it's worth knowing exactly what you're paying for. When Tom's Guide reviewed the Simply Good Coffee brewer, which is also sold as plastic-free, it found the water lines were medical-grade silicone.[8] Caraway's spec lists glass and stainless steel for every part of the brew path.[1]
That's the real differentiator here, and it's the only reason the price makes sense. Strip it away and you're looking at a nice-looking drip machine for $495.
What Testers Found
What They Liked
- Organic Authority's reviewer, a French press loyalist, found the coffee clean, with a clarity that reminded her of pour-over.[2]
- Forbes Vetted's tester called it exceptionally quiet, timed a full 10-cup pot at about 8.5 minutes, and said it looks like a high-end appliance.[4]
- The Kitchn found the glass carafe easy to clean thanks to its wide opening.[3]
What They Didn't
- The Kitchn's tester, a former barista, found it made a solid cup but muddier than a Hario V60 pour-over, with smaller batches tasting better than full pots.[3]
- The carafe handle is thin and slick, which makes pouring a little uncomfortable.[3]
- Condensation drips when you pull out the brew basket, and the basket needs washing after every use.[2]
- No timer, and only a two-year warranty.[2][4]
Our Read
Notice what nobody's complaining about: it works, it's quiet, it's easy to clean, and it's pretty. The complaints are about value and coffee quality at this price. A former barista calling it solid but muddier than pour-over is a fair summary of a good drip machine, not a $495 one.
So this comes down to one question: is a plastic-free brew path worth paying extra for, to you? If yes, there's not much competition. If no, you're overpaying for good looks.
The $495 Question
Here's the comparison that matters most to a coffee-first buyer.
| Caraway 10-Cup | Moccamaster KBGV Select | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $495 | $359 on Amazon |
| Capacity | 10 cups | 10 cups (40 oz) |
| Brew path | Glass and stainless steel | Not sold as plastic-free |
| Keep warm | 90 minutes | Up to 100 minutes |
| Where to buy | Caraway, Crate & Barrel | Amazon and lots of retailers |
That's $136 for the plastic-free path and the Caraway look.[1][7][8] Whether that's a lot or a little depends entirely on how much the plastic question keeps you up at night.
What To Buy Instead
Who It's For
Buy It If
- Keeping plastic out of your coffee is a priority, and you've been waiting for a drip machine that does it.
- Your kitchen's already full of Caraway, and you want the coffee maker to match.
- You like simple. One dial, no screen, no app.
- You're happy with good drip coffee and don't need pour-over clarity.
Skip It If
- You want the best coffee for the money. A Moccamaster costs $136 less.
- You're a pour-over person. A barista found the Caraway muddier than a V60.
- You want to wake up to coffee. There's no timer.
- You need it before Christmas. The current batch isn't estimated to ship until December 15.
What You Should Actually Pay
$495, from Caraway or Crate & Barrel.[1][6] It's brand-new and selling out in batches, so a discount isn't likely anytime soon. If you want one, the thing to plan around isn't the price, it's the ship date.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
- 10-Cup Coffee MakerCarawayPrice, the Clean Brew System parts, brew temperature and time, the bloom cycle, the 90-minute warming plate, the single dial, the two-year warranty and the current batch's December 15 ship estimate.
- Caraway Coffee Maker Review: The Plastic-Free Drip Brewer That Won Over a French Press LoyalistOrganic AuthorityCoffee clarity, the materials it's made without, the condensation drip, washing the basket after each use, no timer and the warranty comparison.
- I'm a Former Barista: Here's How Caraway's New Coffee Maker Compares to My Pour-OverThe KitchnThe former barista's V60 comparison, batch size results, the carafe handle, easy carafe cleaning and paper filter compatibility.
- Caraway Coffee Maker Launch: Our First Impressions After TestingForbes VettedQuiet operation, the 8.5-minute full pot, the look, the steel filter cleanup and the Moccamaster comparison.
- Caraway Takes Its Clean, Design-Forward Ethos Beyond CookwareGear PatrolThe five-year development and 200+ iterations, and the four colors.
- No plastic, just coffee: how Caraway's first-ever coffee maker breaks the moldTom's GuideAvailability at Caraway and Crate & Barrel, the cleaning cycle and dishwasher-safe parts.
- Moccamaster KBGV Select 10-Cup Coffee MakerAmazonThe Moccamaster's price and capacity.
- Simply Good Coffee Plastic-Free Brewer reviewTom's GuideThe silicone water lines in another plastic-free brewer, and the Moccamaster's keep-warm time.


