What you need to know about coffee makers before you decide which coffee maker to buy

Choice Coffee Makers are here to help you make your mind up and find your perfect coffee maker.  We will quickly run through the different types of coffee makers and a few other things you can consider before making your choice.

Types of coffee makers

There are four main types of coffee maker.  These are Drip coffee makers, Espresso machines, vacuum coffee makers and percolators.  We will now have a look at each of these in a bit more detail.

Automatic Drip Coffee Makers

Drip coffee makers are for those of you who like a simple cup of coffee without the cappuccinos and lattes.  They are easy to use and prices range from as little as $15 to well over $250 for the luxury machines with extra features.  You can buy single cup machines

They work by dripping water through a filter containing ground coffee. Paper and plastic filters are cheaper, but may affect the taste of the coffee.  Metal filters will obviously last longer, but the coffee beans will need to be slightly more ground up than for paper or plastic filters.

A basic automatic drip coffee maker will include a water reservoir, filter basket and warming plate.  As you spend that little bit extra, your coffee maker may become equipped with clocks, timers, permanent filters and an automatic shut-off.

A drip coffee maker is ideal if you enjoy a simple cup of coffee.  If, however, you like your cappuccinos and lattes, then an espresso maker is likely to be your best option.

Espresso Machines

An espresso is a small amount of specially brewed coffee that is made using high pressures of steam and water to push through the coffee beans.  Your options with espresso machines are:

  1. Semi Automatic machines do most of the work for you, but you will have control over when to switch off the pump and decide when your brew is complete.
  2. Automatic machines will produce the espresso shot at the flip of a switch, making the process very simple.
  3. Super-Automatic machines: All you need to do is fill the bean hopper and add water to the resevoir.  The machine does the rest. Most models will contain an automatic milk frothing device.

 

Coffee Maker Brands

These are the main coffee brands

Hamilton Beach

DeLonghi

Cuisinart

Krups

Mr. Coffee

Tassimo

Coffee makers are so easy to use

Simply take your favorite coffee beans and insert them in a paper filter. Place the filter into the funnel of the coffee maker. You then add cold water into another chamber and flip the switch. Pure coffee brew will then trickle down the glass pot at the bottom. It really is that simple.