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Today, I want to talk about choosing the best coffee maker for Airbnb vacation rentals.  It’s not a glamorous topic but something that I do get asked quite often, and as usual, I have a lot of opinions here!

And, to be 100% honest, my approach here is similar to other areas, where my main goal is to keep it simple and remember that one of the unfortunate truths about Airbnb hosting is that no good deed goes unpunished.

Short on time? I use these two coffee makers in all of my Airbnb rentals:

• Keurig Mini Single Serve
• Standard Coffee Maker

If you have been around a while, you know that I have a lot of Airbnb hosting blog posts sharing my first-hand experience for everything from the Best Bedding for Airbnbs to How To Pick The Right Airbnb Smart TVs and everything in between! So, you are in the right place!

New to Airbnb hosting? Grab my FREE Room by Room Airbnb Setup Checklist!

Choosing the Best Coffee Maker for Airbnb Vacation Rentals

The coffee maker at your Airbnb is one item that most guests interact with daily while staying with you, so you want to choose a good one!

Does that mean a fancy one?  Probably not. 

Will it need to be expensive?  Probably not. 

Does it need to be easy to operate?  You bet. 

Should it be easy to keep clean? Absolutely.

Will you need to provide a wide selection of coffee?  I say no.

So, let’s get into it! First, I want to quickly discuss your actual Airbnb listing and your target guest, because that makes a difference here.  Next, I’ll share my line of thinking when choosing the best coffee machine for an Airbnb.

Then, I will share exactly what Airbnb coffee maker I use in my top-rated Airbnb rentals, how it’s set up, and one very important tip.  Feel free to leave comments on this blog post with any questions, and as always, thanks for reading!

Things To Consider When Choosing an Airbnb Coffee Maker

When it comes to Airbnb hosting and knowing what’s best for your Airbnb, there is no one-size-fits-all.

So, when deciding what type of coffee setup you want in your short-term rental property, ask yourself these quick questions first

What Type of Airbnb do You Have?

Ask yourself what type of Airbnb rental you have.  Describe it in 3 words! 

Is it cozy, luxurious, remote, efficient, or something else? 

What type of guest stays with you? 

Are you located in a remote destination where most of your stay is spent on-site?  Or are you in a walkable community with nearby restaurants, bars, and coffee shops?

These things matter because you want everything inside your Airbnb rental to feel like it belongs there.  This includes your coffee maker.  If you are catering to a very high-end crowd, you may not want to take my recommendations, but you probably will want to at least read through my thought process here to make the best decision for yourself!

As a top-rated Airbnb host and a full-time traveler creator who spends over 100 nights away from home each year, I can tell you that most rentals will be absolutely fine with one or two basic coffee makers, and  I will share those below. 

But only you know your space and your guests’ needs.  A French press may be perfect for your rustic cabin in Northern California with limited services nearby.

That said, most Airbnbs are in locations where people have access to a small grocery store and/or grocery delivery.  If you are in a place that does not, you will need to provide everything for your guests.  Do not expect them to go buy more coffee pods or toilet paper.  Know your market and know your guests!

Are There Coffee Shops Nearby?

When I asked whether your rental is in a remote or urban area.  This is actually important.  If you have a large, luxurious lodge-like rental nestled in the woods,  you may not want to take my advice here.  Go big if that’s what the guests will expect and advertise that amenity! But make sure it’s always top-notch to avoid disappointment!

But, if you are in a walkable area, like our condos on 30A near Rosemary Beach, Florida, you’ll find that many guests enjoy going out for coffee in the morning.  Amavida coffee in Rosemary Beach is so fantastic that nothing I put in my condo could compete. So, I am not going to.  Most guests will have their first cup in our place and then head out for a nice walk, coffee in hand.

Is There One Best Coffee Maker for Airbnb Properties?

So, on that note, there will never be one single best option.  As I have mentioned in previous posts, regardless of how hard you try, you will not be able to please 100% of people 100% of the time. 

While one guest may have wanted something fancier, another may not be impressed with your $2,000 Jura coffee machine because it’s confusing to use.

So, before you start searching for a “Nespresso for Airbnb” for your beach rental, hear me out!  More features are not necessarily a good thing!

What is the best espresso machine for Airbnb?  I have no idea because it’s not something that I want to provide for my short-term rental guests visiting the beaches in Florida.

What Should You Consider When Shopping for an Airbnb Coffee Maker?

In my opinion, the most important things to ask before buying a coffee maker are: Is it easy to use, easy to clean, and necessary?

Keep it simple, stupid, when choosing an Airbnb coffee maker

Have you heard the phrase Keep it Simple, Stupid?   

This is almost my motto when it comes to Airbnb hosting.  Keep it simple, stupid. The KISS principle, used frequently by the US Military, states that most systems work best when kept simple rather than complicated.  Complexity should be avoided whenever possible, and simplicity will guarantee you the most acceptance and positive interaction by users.

Your coffee maker would be incredibly easy to use.   Most adults can use a regular 12-cup drip coffee maker and/or a Keurig pod coffee maker with ease, which is why hotels use them.  I say “most” because I’ve had 2 issues due to user error over the years. 

So, just remember that nobody wants to read an instruction manual when on vacation.  If you can’t explain how to operate your Airbnb coffee maker in one sentence, then it’s too complicated!

Make Sure Your Airbnb Coffee Maker Is Easy to Clean and Replace

Both of these factors are key because this is often one of the Airbnb kitchen essentials that your guests will interact with the most. So, they see a lot of wear and tear.

You want something that is easy to keep clean and wipe down.  I actually don’t even like Keurigs with clear water reservoirs because, as a guest, arriving to standing water in there would kind of gross me out. And, it has happened more times than I can count when traveling all over the world!

You will also want to make sure that your coffee maker is easy to replace.   I would expect the glass carafes to break more often than you might think.  I actually take the same approach here as I do with my Airbnb sheets and our mattresses, which guests rave about. 

The truth is that most items in an Airbnb get stained or broken before the end of their natural life, so I would rather buy something inexpensive that I can easily replace than invest in a more expensive, higher-end product.

And, make sure to read my list of Airbnb essentials that I always buy backups of!

What Do I Think Is the Best Coffee Maker for Airbnb Rentals?

As you know, my 4 condos on 30A are all smaller, ranging from 340 to 750 sq feet.  Counter space comes at a premium in my studio condos as well. 

In all of my units, I have a Keurig Mini single-serve coffee maker on the counter and a regular old-fashioned Mr. Coffee coffee maker in a cabinet.   This combo has worked very well for me, and I have never received feedback from guests saying it was insufficient.

Note that it is very important to list these exact amenities in your Airbnb House Manual so guests know what to expect!

Keurig Mini Coffee Maker

I think that the Keurig K-Mini is the best overall coffee machine for Airbnb rentals.  The mini, not the K-Slim or the K-Supreme, which look similar, because I don’t like the water reservoirs on those.  The standing water bothers me, and having different people take them out to fill is a risk for something to break. 

So, this is about as basic as it gets and parallels what guests would experience at a hotel.  The user fills a coffee cup with water, pours it into the back, inserts a K-cup, closes it, presses the button, and voila!  It is easy to use without having to provide ANY instructions.

There is a reason hotels use single-use models like this!

Disclosure: Twice, out of almost 4000 stays, I have encountered user error and had a guest not wait for the water to warm up.   It’s a single-serve coffee maker, but they poured a second cup of water in before the first was made, and then reached out to me when it overflowed.  So, if that happens to you, ask them to dump the entire thing upside down over the sink and start over. It always takes a little bit of time to warm up, especially on the first cup of the day.

I have also had one break before when the lid was forced shut too hard. Luckily, I had a replacement in my cleaner’s closet.  And they were nice enough to come and set it out for me!

I use the black Keurig Mini because my condo countertops are black, but the Keurig K-Mini also comes in a variety of cute colors!  We usually buy on Amazon, but you may want to check the Keurig website as well because sometimes they have great sales on them, too!

Mr. Coffee 12-Cup Drip Coffee Maker

Inside each condo, we have a regular Mr. Coffee 12-cup drip coffee maker tucked into a cabinet.  I like to keep the counter space as free as possible.  I know that some people (Matt and I) like to drink a pot or two of coffee in the morning. 

Providing this second regular-brew coffee maker is an inexpensive way to both please guests and have a backup in case the Keurig breaks.  You may even find that some guests prefer to buy local ground coffee and brew it themselves for the rest of their stay.

That said, it does not have an auto-shut-off or a reusable coffee filter. So, if I was buying one again, I might look for a similar drip coffee maker with those features.

Browse 12-cup drip coffee makers here!

Dual Keurig Coffee Makers

I also really like the Keurig machines that are dual single-cup and drip coffee makers. I think these would be a great option as well. However, because I always like to look at the “what-if” scenarios when it comes to Airbnb hosting, if any component breaks, you have to replace the whole thing.

So, it’s up to you whether you think one combo machine is better than two separate machines, which likely have a lower combined cost.

Should You Provide Coffee for Your Airbnb Guests?

So, this is the million-dollar question!

For a new host, your first inclination may be to search for coffee station for Airbnb ideas and even want to put together an adorable Airbnb coffee bar for your guests, complete with local coffee and maybe even some hot chocolate.

Not so fast! Because this can easily become a “no good deed goes unpunished” situation.

Airbnb Hosting Reality Check

First, ask yourself: can you keep this coffee station clean and dust-free? 

And can you keep this coffee station stocked and looking nice 100% of the time?   

I will tell you that even the best cleaning teams don’t take care of your place as well as you do.  And, the last thing you want is sticky bottles and half-empty syrups.  I have stayed in vacation rentals with neglected setups, so this is an honest pain point for many hosts.

Every single time I visit our Seacrest Beach condos, I have to spend time putting things back where they go.   Unless you are personally making sure this coffee spread looks great at every check-in, I would not count on someone else doing it.  For me, it’s not worth the risk of having it look sloppy.

Here is what we do! 

We provide 2 K-cups as a starter, 4 creamers, 6 sweeteners, and a single-use pack of ground coffee.   We make that very clear in our Airbnb house manual, which we ask guests to read in advance, so they know what to expect. 

Note that we provide two because we sleep two adults (plus up to two kids). If you sleep six adults, you should provide six k-cups, and so forth.

When I first started, I would provide all kinds of K-Cups in a cute display, but then I realized some people would take them all home when they left. It’s a weird phenomenon, but what disappears most often from our places (used to be) are coffee pods and the rolls of trash bags.

But if you want to provide unlimited K-Cups and your cleaners can restock them every turn, go for it!

That said, I do always try to provide more coffee via my borrow baskets.  In my 7 Airbnb Must Haves post, I talk about my borrow baskets in the kitchen and bathrooms.  Whenever I am there, I restock coffee pods, creamers, and sweeteners.  And funny enough, those don’t disappear.  Guests also leave their extras down there for future guests, and I don’t think anyone has even lacked coffee. 

I would rather my guests be pleasantly surprised to find some in there than be disappointed when they expected more. Does that make sense?

What Is the Best Coffee for Airbnb Rentals?

For pod coffee, my cleaners use the Amazon Brand – 100 Ct. Solimo Variety Pack Light and Medium Roast Coffee Pods (Kona, Breakfast, Donut).   I also buy these and restock my baskets with them.  At 25 cents each, they are affordable, don’t look cheap, and taste good.   

For the regular 12-cup coffee maker, my cleaners use the Maxwell House Single Serve Packets or the Folgers single-use packets.  I also always try to have coffee filters in the borrow basket or cabinet for guests to use when making their own drip coffee.

My cleaners also provide creamer pods and sweetener packets.   I do think that it is important to ask your cleaners if they provide these or want you to.  We simply don’t have storage space in our cleaner’s closet for a bunch of extras, so they provide them.

Also, make sure you have nice coffee cups.  Don’t skimp here.  This is an opportunity to either use your brand or your location wisely.  We provide Rosemary Beach coffee cups in one of our units and get a lot of compliments on them.

Or if you do want basic coffee cups, check out my Airbnb Dishes and Silverware Guide!

TIP: Always Have Backup Coffee Makers

Things get broken, and guests usually don’t tell you.   It’s typically the next set of guests who notice, and you need to jump into damage control mode quickly. 

So, make sure to have a backup of each coffee maker, either stored at your unit or with your cleaners.  If you aren’t able to do this, my advice is to use Target’s same-day delivery and have one sent to your guest right away if needed.

RELATED POST: Top Things New Airbnb Hosts Forget

Also, if you want to learn how to be a great Airbnb guest or hear about my personal experience with bad hosts, read my Don’t Ghost Your Host blog post!  We have had so many wonderful guests stay at our condos on 30A in NW Florida, but there have been some doozies, and I am going to leave you again with my favorite advice for future Airbnb hosts.  No one and nothing is perfect! 

You can not please 100% of the people 100% of the time.   But you can please everyone else to the best of your ability — and that’s what makes an Airbnb superhost!

More Airbnb Hosting Tips

Here at Our Little Lifestyle, I have dozens of firsthand Airbnb hosting blog posts that share exactly what works for me as one of the top-rated Airbnb hosts on the platform!

In addition to my popular Airbnb Buying Guides, I have firsthand insight on topics like:

• choosing a cancellation policy
• early check-in requests
• how to use guest feedback
• my friendly welcome message
• pricing for maximum profits

Some of my most unique perspectives include How I Manage My Rentals When Traveling Myself, Using the Airbnb App to Streamline Communication, and Tips for Protecting Your Peace, Property, and Profits!

Rent Our 30A Seacrest Beach Airbnbs

We would love to host you in any of our condos on 30a in the Florida Panhandle, which we book exclusively on Airbnb.  We love being hosts and providing concierge-style service for our guests!   

You can click here to view all 4 of our Seacrest Beach vacation rentals (located a block from Rosemary Beach, Florida) and check both rates and availability.   

Wondering when to visit?  I have a blog post all about the best time to visit 30A and Florida in general! 

Learn More About Becoming an Airbnb Host

Would you like to become an Airbnb host?  If you are considering purchasing a short-term vacation rental and becoming an Airbnb host yourself, I have a whole section here on my blog about our journey so far.  I always welcome any conversations and love to share my experience.  I have a lot of great advice to share, so feel free to leave me a comment or reach out to me on either of our Instagram accounts below!

And make sure to join my new 5-star Airbnb Hosting group on Facebook!

Interested in becoming an Airbnb host?  Click here to find out what you can earn!

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