Most of the American population drinks several cups of coffee every
day. Wouldn’t it be great if every cup of coffee that you drank was made exactly
the way you like it? You just can't go wrong when you're equipped
with good quality ground coffee and the right coffee maker.
Coffee tastes differently depending on the way it is brewed. The most common methods
of brewing coffee include: drip, press, vacuum, stovetop, and espresso. However,
each technique requires a different kind of coffee maker. Some people prefer traditional,
full-bodied coffee, while others crave one of the many speciality coffees such as Cappuccino, Latte, Macchiato, Con Panne, Mocha and
Americano. Your coffee maker must be equipped with an espresso pump to
make many of these specialty coffees in your own home.
Heating Pads
Most electric coffee makers come with a heating element that keeps the coffee warm, but do remember that coffee left on a heating pad for too long loses flavor. Most machines will offer an automatic shutoff feature if the element is on for too long, and some will allow you to control this time. Certain models will allow you to control the temperature of the element.
Coffee Carafes
Glass carafes are a preferred option as they help you to see when your coffee is ready at a glance. Glass needs to be handled carefully.
Stainless steel carafes are highly durable.
Some manufacturers also offer
thermal carafes which keep your coffee hot for a much
longer period. They ensure that your coffee doesn’t
end up losing flavor because of overheating.
Extra Carafes
Some models come with two carafes that allow you to brew two pots of coffee at the
same time. This is a very handy feature that lets you accommodate differing tastes
like regular and decaf, and is convenient for entertaining.
Carafe Prewarmers
This feature warms a carafe before use, but a quick swish or run-under of hot tap water will work just as well.
Cup Capacity
A very important feature to consider is the size of the coffee pot. The standard sizes that are available
are single cup, two, five, eight, ten, and twelve-cup capacity.
Built-In Grinders
Those who are very particular about the flavor and strength of their coffee
might want to opt for a model with a
built-in grinder. This feature will let you grind
fresh coffee beans every time you brew a cup of coffee. These are loud, and do require frequent cleaning, so you may do better to opt for a stand-alone
coffee grinder instead.
Programmable Coffee Makers
If you like to have a cup of coffee ready and waiting
when you wake up, there are
programmable coffee makers. You can rise to the smell of
freshly brewed coffee. The majority of full-sized models will have this feature.
Builders Square offers great deals on coffee makers from these and other top manufacturers: