From Percolators to Espresso Machines: Finding the Right Coffee Maker
You would be hard pressed to find a home today that doesn’t have a coffee maker. They are in practically every kitchen in America. Some are nothing more than stove top percolators and some are full-fledged coffee/espresso/cappuccino makers able to churn out a latte or a cup of coffee.
The coffee maker you decide on for your kitchen should be one that matches your coffee preferences. If all that you are concerned with is making a good cup of coffee, a simple coffee maker will suffice. However, if you are regularly making a morning trek to the local coffee shop for an espresso, you might want to consider purchasing one for your kitchen.
There are many types of coffee makers to choose from, knowing what each one is will greatly help in making your purchase.
Drip Coffee Maker
The drip coffee maker is the one you see in most kitchens. The coffee is brewed by heating and siphoning water from a reservoir. This water is then deposited slowly into a filter basket filled with grounds. The remaining coffee then drips through the filter into a decanter which sits on a heating element.
Today’s drip coffee makers can be found with a wide variety of options. The decanter is typically 8-12 cups in size and can be glass, ceramic, or even stainless steel. Your coffee maker can have a clock, an automatic timer to start brewing before you wake up, and can even have a built in grinder for the freshest ever. Most also have an auto-off option which turns the heating element off after a certain amount of time.
You can’t get more traditional in your approach to brewing coffee than by using a drip coffee maker. Introduced for home use in the 1970s, these machines work by letting water pass through coffee grounds held in a paper filter or plastic filter. The clear, light-bodied coffee then collects in a brew pot.
Single Cup Coffee Maker
These machines are among some of the newest on the market. Some are available that use regular ground coffee in a smaller filter basket yet only brew one cup at a time, while others use specialized coffee pods to brew individual cups of coffee as needed.
These coffee makers are great for people who don’t drink a lot of coffee or families that have only one coffee drinker. Another added benefit is that each person can brew his or her favorite coffee or flavor.
If you decide to use the pod type brewers, you will likely have to pay a premium price for the pods, making this coffee maker more expensive than other models.
Percolator
The stove top percolator may look like an antique to many people. For those who have used percolators they know that the coffee has a very different taste from drip coffee makers. This type coffee maker is very slow and often alters the natural taste of coffee.
Espresso Machine
The espresso machine is the ultimate in coffee makers. However, unless you purchase a combination espresso-coffee machine you will only be making espresso. Espresso machines are wonderful for making coffee based drinks and are very quick. If you like espresso occasionally and you are a coffee drinker too; you might want to consider a combination coffee-espresso machine.
Your coffee maker is what you want it to be, based on your investment. If you are a ritualistic coffee drinker who has to have that morning cup of java to get going, you may want to spend a little more money and get a machine that is going to last and that does what you want it to do. If however you only have a coffee maker so that your guests can have coffee or you only occasionally have coffee yourself, there is no need for you to make a large investment.
-Sharon V. Chapman
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