There is nothing quite as tantalising as the smell of freshly brewed coffee. Modern coffee machines offer homeowners an easy way of enjoying the best of café society from the comfort of their own home.
Whether you enjoy your coffee in the traditional style, or you opt for a modern 'cuppa' – there is a coffee machine on the market that will cater to your every need and bring the great aroma and taste of coffee into your most inner sanctum – your home. In the pursuit of great coffee, many consumers will find it difficult to choose the right coffee maker that will cater to their personal taste and budget. There are so many coffee makers on the market that it is often confusing to know which one to choose. However, by making a few decisions at the beginning, you can narrow the search for your perfect coffee machine down.
The first thing you need to decide is whether you would like a pour-over or an automatic coffee machine. With pour-over machines, water is poured into the machine from the top, making a hot water reservoir that will make the coffee burn. Automatic machines on the other hand, are connected directly to a waterline that allows for automatic filling of the hot water reservoir.
Defining the type of brew
Your second consideration should be deciding on what kind of brewer you would like your machine to have. There are many different brewing techniques, the most popular being:
Drip/Regular coffee maker: This type of machine distributes water evenly over the ground beans, making coffee with an intense flavour. They brew coffee directly into pots and often feature warmers that keep the coffee hot.
Pod coffee makers: These machines brew coffee by using high pressure to push hot water through a pod of ground coffee beans. Each pod is enough for a single serving of coffee.
Percolator coffee makers: This kind of coffee maker brews coffee the traditional way. Few models of this category are programmable or cordless, but are generally fairly straight forward models, with very few added features.
Stovetop coffee makers: This is how coffee has been made for centuries, and remains a popular choice due to their style, elegant shape and simple functionality. It is the ideal solution for single homeowners who require one or two cups of coffee at a time.
French Press coffee makers: These coffee makers soak the coffee and water together in a single container, after which the ground coffee is press filtered. It is most suitable for individual or double servings of coffee.
Various bells and whistles
Once you have decided on the brewing technique, the next step is to consider the various added features each coffee maker offers. There are many, but the most important ones to look for include:
Glass carafes: These are a must-have. Due to their transparency, owners can effortlessly judge whether the coffee is ready or running low. They are also aesthetically very pleasing, and elegant enough to use for serving.
Heating units: These keep the coffee warm, making it accessible at all times.
Thermal carafes: A very functional feature, thermal carafes have the ability to keep coffee warm without the risk of burning it. Another advantage is that they are easily portable.
Dual brewing stations: These are also known as a double-pot system, and as its name implies, offers the functionality of brewing two pots of coffee simultaneously. This is an ideal solution for those homeowners who do a lot of entertaining.
The size of the pot: It is important to determine whether you want to brew large, medium or small batches of coffee at one time.
Built-in grinders: These offer an effortless means of brewing rich and flavoursome coffee from freshly ground coffee beans, which makes a real impact on the flavour and aroma of the coffee.
Programmable features: Many coffee machines are programmable, which means that you can set the coffee machine to come on at a certain time, and wake up to the aromatic smell and delicious taste of a freshly brewed cup of coffee.
Other high-tech features: There are many, but the most notable include customised coffee flavour adjustability and automatic cleaning capabilities.
Remember, your coffee machine will become an intrinsic part of your kitchen, and as such, it ought to blend in with the style and colour-scheme of this room. Many modern coffee machines are designed as built-in features in your kitchen cabinetry – making for seamless design and sumptuous functionality.
Pictures courtesy of:
- Creative Housewares
For more information click here to visit the Creative Housewares website.
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