Coffee Makers Buying Guide

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.

Drip Coffee Makers Drip coffee is the most common coffee-making method due to the simplicity and efficiency of drip coffee makers. A drip coffee maker may be either a pour-over type or an automatic one. The automatic drip coffee maker has been around since the early 1970s. An automatic coffee maker just needs to be filled with the required amount of ground coffee and water and, in a matter of minutes, a full pot of coffee is ready. A drip coffee maker ensures that water is distributed evenly over the grounds resulting in an intensely-flavored brew. Drip filter coffee makers do not require complicated maintenance. Carafes can be washed in a dishwasher after the used coffee grounds are rinsed off.

Automatic coffee makers attach to a water line to accommodate automatic filling. Several automatic models also have a pour-over option that enables users to manually add water if a water line hookup is not available.

Vacuum-Style Coffee Makers Vacuum-style coffee makers use two stacked containers for making coffee. The top container is where the brewing process takes place, while the lower container is filled with water that is heated using a heat source. A siphon links the top container to the bottom and pulls the hot water into the upper container. The coffee is ready once the water passes through the ground coffee and back into the lower container. An advantage of the vacuum-style coffee maker is easy cleaning, since there are no hard-to-reach corners.

Pod Coffee Makers Pod coffee makers force hot water through a small container of ground coffee. This method is ideal for brewing a cup of coffee quickly, though this method works only for single servings. Brewing one cup of coffee at a time can be an advantage, though, when people in the same household enjoy different types of coffee. Pod coffee makers can be filled with multiple cups of water, but can be used for brewing just one cup at a time. They are by far the easiest to keep clean since the used coffee pod is disposed of just like a used tea bag, so there are no coffee grounds left in the appliance.

Percolating Coffee Makers Using a percolator is an old-fashioned method of brewing coffee, quite similar to that of a vacuum-style coffee maker. Percolators may be made of metal and can also be heated directly on stovetops. Small baskets made of metal mesh hold ground coffee and are lowered into the percolator. Electric percolators come equipped with a built-in heating system that can be programmed with a timer.

French Press Coffee Makers The french press method uses just one container. The ground coffee and water are put together in one container and allowed to stand, after which a press is manually lowered on top of the grounds. The press filters the ground coffee from the brew and leaves rich, fragrant coffee - though this method is suitable for brewing a few cups at a time. French presses only require removing the used coffee grounds and then cleaning in hot, soapy water.

Cone Coffee Makers Simple, convenient, and effective, cone coffee makers are perfect when you want to brew a small number of cups. These handled plastic cones sit on top of your coffee mug and hold a single coffee filter, just like a machine. You won't be serving an army, but the cone method allows you to easily brew to your taste, and refine it as you do it more often. Clean-up is a snap - just toss the filter and give the cone a quick wash. Melitta is a leading maker of cone-style brewers.

Espresso Machines Most espresso machines use high heat and steam, piston, or air, pump-driven pressure to force water through fine coffee grounds. They come in variety of sizes, from small-capacity stovetop models, to automatic home units, to high-tech commercial machines. Many automatic models will include a built-in coffee grinder, or a steam wand for steaming milk and making froth for specialty coffee drinks like cappuccinos and lattes.

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.

Bunn-O-Matic
Keurig
DeLonghi
Krups
Cuisinart
Proctor Silex
KitchenAid
Mr. Coffee
Toastmaster
Oster