Mr. Coffee review: the 12-Cup Programmable (2247213) is the cheapest pick worth owning

Twelve listings with "Mr. Coffee" in the title came back in our data, from a five-cup switch model to a combo with a pod side. This one won the under-$40 slot because its listing answers the questions budget shoppers actually have: how big a cup is, when the plate shuts off, and what goes in the dishwasher.

It isn't a great coffee maker. It's a good cheap one, which is a different and useful thing.

There's no independent test of this exact model that we could verify. It isn't on the SCA list, which isn't surprising at this price, and none of the 2026 editorial reviews we checked included it.

Tasting Table did name the Mr. Coffee 12-Cup Switch its budget pick in 2023. That's a different, simpler model with no clock, so the result doesn't carry over; the Switch is listed below as an alternative for people who don't want a timer.

So this pick rests on the listing: specific numbers, Amazon as the seller, and features that match what budget buyers ask for. The card shows a "Listing specs" badge for that reason.

The Mr. Coffee specs that matter: 12 cups at about 5 fl oz each, 60 fl oz in total; an 8.89 by 11.69 in footprint, 13.54 in tall; 900 watts; about 4.2 lb. The carafe and brew basket are top-rack dishwasher safe.

At 13.54 in, it fits under most upper cabinets. The water fills from the top, so leave a few inches to open the lid, or slide it forward when you fill.

A cheap machine works best when the pot is gone quickly:

• A couple, one 12 oz mug each before work. 24 oz is two-fifths of the pot. About $267 a year in beans at this site's defaults. Against pods, the savings cover the machine within about half a year.
• A student apartment. Four roommates, one 8 oz cup each: 32 oz. The timer means the first person up doesn't have to be the one who makes coffee.
• A vacation rental. Clear markings and a simple panel mean guests can use it without instructions.

The warming plate shuts off after two hours. That's a safety feature and a taste limit at once: coffee older than that is better reheated or poured out anyway.

Of the ten picks, Mr. Coffee cleaning is the least work. The carafe and brew basket go on the dishwasher's top rack every few days, with a rinse in between.

How to descale the Mr. Coffee: pour a coffee maker descaler (or the mix the manual gives) through one full brew cycle, then run two tanks of plain water. Mr. Coffee doesn't publish a brew temperature, and scale only makes a heater run cooler, so don't skip it on a cheap machine.

Wipe the showerhead area monthly. A larger showerhead only helps if its holes aren't blocked.

On Oct. 27, 2026, this model was sold by Amazon itself and sat at the low end of the Mr. Coffee range we logged.

Watch the model number when shopping for Mr. Coffee deals. The same name covers machines that differ by a timer, a carafe or a dishwasher-safe basket. A neighboring listing, the 2176667, has a brew-later timer and a water window but no Strong Brew mode in its bullets. Another came back marked as used. The Mr. Coffee price that looks best is often for a different machine.

Compare it line by line on Ninja CE251 vs Mr. Coffee. BLACK+DECKER's 12-cup programmable was the other finalist; our notes on it are on the best budget coffee maker page.

Students. First apartments. Vacation rentals. Anyone whose last machine died this morning.

The Mr. Coffee also makes sense as a backup or a second machine, say in a garage workshop or at a cabin, where a $35 programmable pot that holds 60 oz is plenty and a $350 machine would sit unused for months at a time collecting dust and slowly losing its warranty.

It's not for coffee hobbyists. Without a published temperature or any independent test, you're buying convenience and price.

The listing states 60 fl oz for 12 cups:

Every row except the office fits in one pot. Remember the plate shuts off at two hours.