Coffee Maker Buying Guide

September 9, 2008

Today you get a variety of coffee makers in the market. They come in various sizes, shapes and properties. Some of them are perfected for making filter coffee as some others cater exquisite espresso or cappuccino. Therefore, it is important that you decide on your requirements to settle for an ideal coffee machine.

A wide range to choose from

The watchword here is which. The kind of coffee of your liking, the output quantity required and the frequency of your usage are relevant here. The base models here are the Cafetieres, Filter Coffee Makers and Percolators.

Cafetieres look like glass containers that sports a wire filter attached plunger. This machine is good for home use, where you need an exact quantity of coffee. Say a few cups. The Cafetieres look great on your dining table too.

A Filter Coffee Machine is a user-friendly machine that can realise different cup volumes. Here, you need not boil the water for it not only accommodates thermos pots but also hot plates to keep the brew warm. Some of these machines employ a pod system that makes coffee without messing up unlike the permanent filters used in some other types of Filter Coffee Machines. These machines need medium ground coffee to give best results.

Percolators make coffee by receiving ground coffee into a holder situated at the top and water at the bottom. The steam then forces through the filter to settle the brewed coffee in the bottom of the machine. Since these machines includes a glass dome at the top for you to watch the coffee strength by the liquid’s duskiness, they can be rated as the ideal machines to vary the filter coffee strength. Percolators, much like the Cafetieres demand coarsely ground coffee.

The next group consists of Espresso and Cappuccino Makers. These steam driven machines makes very strong coffee.

The Espresso Machines produce concentrated coffee that forms the rich base for Cappuccino or Latte provided you feed them with extra-fine ground coffee. You have two basic types here to choose from – Pump Machines and Pressure Machines. In the former version, water is boiled in a chamber to build pressure and steam. The boiling water is then forced to the coffee by the built up pressure as the steam comes handy in frothing. However, an increased water temperature and decreased bar-pressure, proves the spoilsport here, in producing the best espresso coffee. The pump version engages a Thermoblock system to obtain the optimal temperature for espresso coffee. The water also passes through the coffee holder at the apt bar pressure. These advantages amounting to precision, makes this machine more expensive than the former.

The most advanced machine here is however, the Nespresso Coffee Maker known for its pod system that blends, roasts, grounds and finally seals coffee in capsules. This is not only a user-friendly machine but also comes without the messy filter holders.

Finally, you have the Espresso/Cappuccino Combination Machine, which is much similar to the espresso machine but for the presence of an added spout to froth milk by using the generated steam.

Technical Points

Filter Holder: Refers to any of the brass or aluminium holders where coffee granules are stored in warmth.

Bar Pressure: This makes sure that steam meets the coffee granules at perfect speed. Anything from 15 – 19 is considered optimum.