Coffee Makers
Ah! The smell of coffee brightens up the mood. What better way to start the day with a full cup of wholesome, aromatic coffee brewed from some of the best coffee makers out there. With so many different models to choose from, how do you decide which one?
Coffee Maker Buying Guide
1) Type of Coffee Makers - Drip, Pod, Percolator or French Press?
a) Drip coffee makers are the most popular type available on the market today due to the fact that they are easy to use and highly efficient way of making a great cup of freshly brewed coffee. There are 2 types commonly found right now - pourover and automatic.
Automatic drip coffee makers are designed in such a way that water can be evenly distributed over the freshly ground coffee beans to produce an aromatic intense coffee. They just need to be filled with the correct amount of ground coffee & water and voila, you’ve got yourself a full pot of coffee. Do take note that automatic drip coffee makers needs to be connected to a water source to ensure constant supply of water.
b) Pod coffee makers are made in such a way that hot water is forced through a pod of ground coffee at extremely high pressure to produce a single cup of coffee in a matter of minutes. If you want multiple cups though, then you’ll have to wait, which could be highly inconvenient. The good news however is that they are easy to clean since the used coffee pods can be disposed of rather easily (no ground coffee sticking to appliance).
c) Using a percolator is an old-fashioned way of making coffee. Percolators have a small metal mesh basket to hold ground coffee that can be lowered into the water inside. They can be heated directly over stoves while the better percolators have timer-assisted programmable heater to ensure even heating.
d) In a French press coffee maker, water and ground coffee are first mixed together in a single container for a period of time. Using a manual press, it filters the ground from the brew to make a single cup (or at most 2) of freshly brewed coffee.
2) Glass or Thermal Carafe?
a) Glass carafes are very commonly used in conjunction with automatic drip coffee makers due to the fact that they make it easy for you to see if the coffee you’re brewing is ready to be served or if they need further brewing if the level is low as opposed to stainless steel carafes. With hotplate and/or adjustable heater, they can be heated up rather easily to keep coffee warm but take note that constant heating will indeed spoil the taste.
b) Thermal carafes on the other hand consist of heating pads that keeps the coffee warm for long periods of time so as to retain the flavor and aroma. They are also portable since there is no burner to heat it up.
** For best taste, drink freshly brewed coffee within 20 minutes after brewing.
3) Size
This depends on how many cups of coffee you intend to consume at any one time. If one cup is enough, then you should seriously consider a single-serve drip or pod coffee makers so as to save money. If you’re a coffee addict, then you should be looking for coffee makers capable of making 10 - 12 cups at least.
4) Automatic Drip Brewers
There are 2 types of filters to choose from - basket type or cone shaped. There is not much difference between the two other than the fact that the basket type filters provides a much longer contact time between the water and coffee grounds. As long as the water hits the coffee grounds at precisely the right temperature, you got yourself a great cup.
Another interesting point to take note is that these type of brewers contain hotplate that will "cook" the coffee after a certain period of time hence you will not get "fresh" taste afterwards.
5) Single Cup Brewers
Although single cup brewers offer convenience at the push of a button like having gourmet coffee without the grinding, there are however some drawbacks. 2 distinct disadvantages are:
Limited coffee choices in K-Cup of pod format
Price per cup is expensive
Coffee Maker Reviews & Ratings
We the best coffee maker reviews from Consumer Reports and Cooks Illustrated. Coffee experts there reviewed some of the best coffee maker models from top-notch and established makers such as Black & Decker, Braun, Cuisinart, Hamilton Beach, Krups and Melitta. Coffee maker ratings based on carafe, brewing and convenience will ultimately determine the best coffee makers in their respective class.
Best Coffee Maker (Drip Type)
Coffee Maker Reviews #1: Brewing its way to ultimate satisfaction with splendid coffee maker reviews from coffee lovers is the best rated Cuisinart DCC-1200 12 Cup Brew Central Coffee Maker. In brushed-stainless steel, this Cuisinart coffee maker makes 12 cups of great aromatic coffee due to Cuisinart’s superb technology in brewing. Comes with programmable timer to brew coffee at precisely the desired time. Includes charcoal water filter and permanent Gold Tone filter to enhance the coffee taste even further. An interesting feature to take note of is that the brewer can also be set to produce 1-4 cups each time to provide maximum flavor. Another great feature is the adjustable hotplate temperature control - lets you control how hot you want your coffee to be.
Coffee Maker Reviews #2: Making the grade with impressive coffee maker reviews from coffee fanatics is the best rated Braun KF600 Impressions 10-Cup Thermal Coffee Maker. Combining style with elegance, this best coffee maker from Braun features vacuum-insulated, double-walled thermal carafe that effectively seals the coffee flavors for hours at a stretch. For easier serving, it comes with unique carafe pour-&-lock system. Equipped with Brita water filter and permanent Gold Tone filter to bring out the coffee taste even further. What it lacks when compared to Cuisinart DCC-1200 is the programmable timer, hotplate temperature control and batch-setting options but at great prices, it more than makes it up. Makes up to 10 cups.
Best Value Coffee Maker
Coffee Maker Reviews #3: Simply wonderful with satisfying coffee maker reviews from coffee lovers is the best value Black & Decker DCM2500B SmartBrew Coffeemaker. Wake up and smell the aroma of freshly brewed coffee with this Black & Decker coffee maker. This smart, programmable coffee maker is easy to use, complete with instructions to make only the best coffee. Features cleverly designed glass carafe with dripless spout to avoid spillage. With Sneak-A-Cup interrupt feature, now you can enjoy a sip without waiting for complete brewing from this top rated coffee maker.
Best Coffee Maker (Single Cup)
Coffee Maker Reviews #4: Utterly convenient with great coffee maker reviews from coffee lovers is the best rated Philips Senseo HD7810/65 Single Serve Gourmet Coffee Maker. Makes a 4-oz cup of gourmet coffee in 30 secs. Simple, easy to use with many varieties of great tasting, finest quality coffee available such as mild, medium and dark roast as well as decaffeinated, no wonder consumers are spoilt for choice.
Best Coffee Maker (To-Go)
Coffee Maker Reviews #5: We’ve got to hand it to this best rated Black & Decker DCM18S Brew ‘n Go Personal Coffeemaker. If you’re always on the go, you should definitely consider this Black & Decker coffee maker. Makes up to 15 ounces of freshly brewed coffee straight into a travel mug, which is also designed as a vehicle cup holder.
Resources: Coffeemaker (Wikipedia)