Makita DCM501Z Li-Ion Cordless Coffee Maker, Batteries and Charger Not Included, Blue, 10.8 V to 18 V

Product Information

While the Makita DCM501Z promises a hot cup of coffee, we noticed that finished brews were around 176 F° or 80 C°. While this is still quite impressive for a battery-operated coffee machine, it’s somewhat disappointing if you were expecting something piping hot. It gets even worse if you drink your coffee with milk, as this further lowers the temperature of an already somewhat tepid cup of coffee. It’s also worth pointing out that this coffee machine works with pods and ground coffee, so bring along your best grinder so that you can enjoy the freshest possible cup of Joe. Who doesn’t like a sprinkle of chocolate powder on their cappuccino? These cappuccino choco pods are a real treat, and they’ll save you so much money compared to buying from the local coffee shop. It’s a perfect size – it fits snugly underneath the spout, thus preventing getting splashed when coffee is being poured. The choice of material also makes it durable and great at heat retention, keeping your coffee hot for a long time. At the side of the device where you insert the battery is a slider. The coffee machine is compatible with two types of Makita lithium-ion batteries. The CXT batteries need inserting to the left, while the LXT batteries fit on the right. When it comes to design, the good folks at AICOK wanted to machine that could make espresso on the go without sacrificing quality or taste. The result is a good-looking coffee machine that is slim, lightweight, and very portable. It’s almost exclusively aimed at people driving long distances or going camping, as the machine is designed to fit comfortably in car cup holders and recharge with both a wall outlet and 12-volt car charger (you’ll need to use the adapter to recharge it, however). There was also a deliberate decision to allow the machine to work with only Nespresso and L’OC capsules. Whether or not this was because of some partnership with Nespresso, or simply because it was convenient is tough to say.

One important fact to keep in mind is that the AICOK Portable Espresso Machine exclusively uses coffee pods, specifically Nespresso capsules, not Keurig k-cups – great if you already use Nespresso capsules but not so great if you’re not a fan of them. Dedicated cup of 240ml capacity designed to fit in machine without leaving a gap to protect against splash and dirt entryThe Makita Coffee Maker is a battery-powered coffee maker that is quite compact and lightweight. It’s one of the few battery-powered coffee makers on the market that will heat your water for you and make a steaming hot cup of coffee anywhere you want. On this new, updated model, Makita has, for some reason, decided to do away with a mains power supply option, and so you’re now limited to battery use only.

A lot of the battery-operated coffee makers on the market don’t actually heat the water themselves (to the chagrin of most consumers), the battery power is only used to brew the coffee. The Makita DCM501Z covers all the bases – fill it with water and it will heat it up and then brew up to 15 ounces of coffee in a few minutes. The Makita DCM501 is a sturdy and portable coffee maker that produces piping hot coffee in a matter of minutes. Compatible with either ground coffee (using its reusable filter) or 60mm coffee pods. Produces three cups of coffee with an 18-volt 6.0Ah battery. The machine’s automaticity allows you to rest on your work breaks without worrying about the hassle of having to remember what to turn off and when. It also gives you the freedom to walk away and attend to something else work-related while waiting for your coffee without having to watch it like a hawk. Brewing Capability – 3/5 The designers advise using 10g of coffee per serving. This fills the little mesh container about halfway. You might be inclined to fill it all the way to the top, but in our experience, this is a bad idea as you then have way too much coffee for the amount of water used for each brew. Since this coffee maker was crowd-funded, there are no past or future models to compare it to. But those looking to get a bit more hands-on and technical with their pour-over coffee can always graduate to the classic Chemex.

Because of this, you can rest assured that Makita’s cordless coffee maker offers every bit as much quality as its power tools. But how good is the brewing experience, and is the coffee it produces up to scratch? Let’s find out.