Drinking coffee has been gaining popularity at an increasing rate for many years. Every high street now has a dozen or more coffee shops to choose from. As punters become used to drinking good quality coffee from countless cafes, people are increasingly shying away from drinking instant coffee.
Many of us now want to have café style coffee at home, and there is an abundance of equipment on the market that can help us with just that. Before rushing out to buy the latest coffee maker, you should think about how you like your coffee, how other members of your family like theirs, and try to figure out how much you need to make on a daily basis. This article will aim to help your decision-making process by providing some insights into the different coffee makers available and a few of the questions you need to ask yourself before making a purchase.
Your Coffee Preferences
Before deciding which coffee maker you will buy, you must first determine how you and your family like your coffee. Modern coffee makers are tailored to suit every preference, and you may feel it is better to buy a maker that has multiple functions or investigate purchasing a few different coffee makers to cover every person’s choice. There are a number of varying coffee makers to choose that are specifically designed to produce cappuccino, espresso, and straightforward coffee. You may also want to have one with a built-in grinder or a machine that only makes single cups each time.
Different Types of Coffee Makers
As mentioned earlier, there is a vast range of coffee machines available, so you are bound to find one that fits your individual needs. Once you have decided how you like your coffee, you can start looking at the different coffee makers on the market:
Drip Coffee Maker: An electric machine that heats the water and then drips it into the filter basket or paper to give great-tasting coffee. These have been a standard in most kitchens for decades (especially in America), although the downside for a connoisseur is that the coffee can get overcooked if left on the hot plate for any length of time.
Thermal Coffee Maker: Working in a similar way to the drip coffee maker, these machines can cost a lot more, but they won’t overcook your coffee as they have no hot plate and use thermos coffee pots to keep the brew piping hot.
Espresso Machines: The gold standard in cafes all around the world. Using these can be labor-intensive, and they also tend to cost more than standard makers, however, the results speak for themselves. It might take a little bit to master the technique, but the coffee that is produced by a good machine can’t be matched for flavor and intensity.
Percolators: Having a percolator coffee pot was common before drip makers began to get popular. These make the same style of coffee, but there are many more parts to clean, which can become a chore if used every day.
Traditional French Press: A simple-to-use device, this method of making coffee requires little effort on your part. Boiled water and appropriately ground (coarser) beans are put into the glass container and stirred. Inside, there is a filter that gets pushed (or pressed, as the name implies) after a few minutes of infusion, leaving the filtered coffee on top, ready for consumption! This is a great alternative for those not wanting to fiddle around too much with electric equipment.
Quantity of Coffee Consumed in Your Home
For families with many coffee drinkers, you will want to get a machine that can create enough for everyone. A large drip coffee maker or good-sized French press will work perfectly. Many single people are now opting for pod coffee makers (Nespresso being a notable example) as you buy your pods, pop them in the machine and hit the button. Pod coffee machines can be great, but there is an environmental cost involved due to the waste that these can create. A more environmentally friendly option for lone coffee drinkers is to opt for a small French press, as this creates quality coffee, is easy to clean, and doesn’t produce any waste apart from your used coffee beans.
Grind Your Beans
Although you can buy pre-ground coffee from supermarkets and shops, this is not always the best option. Pre-ground beans will lose their flavor and taste quicker, which can lead to a poor coffee experience. Look into buying a coffee grinder so you can grind your own beans, giving you added flexibility on the size of the grind and the type of coffee you might want to make. By making the ground beans finer or coarser, you will change the flavor giving you more control over how you prepare your coffee. Most food mixers have a setting for grinding the coffee, but these may not have the settings to grind it as you want every time.
Once you understand your family’s coffee needs, it should be reasonably easy to choose which coffee maker you should buy. They come in a wide range of prices, and spending more does not necessarily mean buying the most suitable. Always check what ongoing expenses each piece of equipment has, such as buying filters or pods as this can be where you start spending more than you initially wanted. Try to buy your next coffee machine from a specialist as they will be able to give you the advice you need to make sure the machine lasts you a long time and gives you a consistent, quality coffee experience, every time.
