The Best Coffee Maker: Drip, Espresso, French Press, or Other?

There are a myriad of different types of coffee makers on the market today. They come in different styles, colors and brands. Choosing the right one for your perfect cup of coffee can be confusing and time consuming! Since I recently bought myself a coffee maker, I thought I'd write about what I learned in my research and shopping that helped me make my decision. I'll take you through the steps I took before I chose my own coffee maker.

Choosing How to Brew

The most common way to make coffee, at least in the United States, is the drip coffee maker. It's fast, simple and convenient. Just pour in the amount of water you want, drop in a filter, measure your coffee, close the lid and push the button. In just a few minutes you have a steaming pot of coffee waiting for you, sitting on a hotplate to keep it warm.

Sounds great, right? Sure, but have you ever poured yourself a cup of coffee from a drip coffee maker that's been sitting on the hotplate for 20 minutes or more? It's practically undrinkable. Before I knew much about coffee I used to have to add cream and sugar to those last couple of cups to make it palatable. Since then, I've learned that the hotplate scorches the coffee; if you want a drip coffee maker you should get one that drips the coffee into a glass-insulated carafe to keep it warm. The coffee doesn't scorch and you can even take the carafe to your office or sitting room.

Drip Coffee Makers

A drip coffee maker needs regular cleaning, especially if you live in an area with hard water. Occasionally your pot will be ruined when the filter collapses on itself and allows coffee grounds to fall into the pot. However, drip coffee makers come with some very convenient features, among them a timer system that can have a fresh pot of coffee waiting for you when you get up in the morning. There are even drip coffee makers with built-in coffee bean grinders.

If you decide to buy a drip coffee maker be sure to get one with a carafe instead of a glass pot and get the best quality machine that you can afford.

Percolators

You might also want to think about a percolator. These come in two types-one that you heat on your stove and the electric model. This coffee maker has been around since the 19th century and works by using heat to force water up a pipe and onto a mesh basket of coffee grounds. You can use a filter if you like but there are some people who swear it makes the coffee taste different.

You have to be careful with a percolator, however. The cheaper electric models allow the water temperature to fluctuate, scorching the coffee. A stovetop percolator can easily get hot enough to boil the coffee if you don't constantly watch it. Electric percolators are good for when you have a lot of people gathered that will empty the pot.

The French Press

This little coffee maker is among the most economical and also makes a truly delicious cup of coffee. It consists of a glass jar, a mesh filter and a plunger. It's a simple operation; just put enough coffee in the jar for one cup and pour hot water over it. Stir it and then let it steep for a couple of minutes to get all the flavor from the grounds. Then replace the lid with the filter and plunger and slowly push the plunger down. It will force the grounds to the bottom, leaving a flavorful, aromatic cup of coffee that will make your day!

A French press can be priced as low as $10-15 and is a great choice for someone who wants just one cup of coffee at a time. They are easy to clean; just rinse it out and leave it to dry. If you do choose this method of brewing coffee, spend a little more and get one with good quality glass that won't break easily.

Moka Pots

These little pots are made of steel or aluminum and have two main parts, the bottom pot that holds the water and the top brewing receptacle where the coffee is made. It forces water through the coffee grounds with pressure, a bit like an espresso machine. In fact, it is often called a stovetop espresso maker.

Although a Moka Pot makes a very good cup of coffee it's fairly labor intensive when it comes to cleaning. There are several parts that need to be washed and dried. However, the quality and flavor of the coffee is unbelievable when you get the right beans and the right grind size. A little experimenting and you'll soon get the hang of it.

Espresso Machines

Espresso machines used to be out of reach for most people but technological improvements and modern manufacturing processes have greatly reduced the selling price while making the machines better. You can find espresso machines from about a hundred dollars to a couple of thousand dollars.

Espresso machines are great for a single serving or for making great coffee drinks like a mocha latte. The main feature you want to compare is bars of pressure, as that will determine how good the espresso turns out.

Still Undecided?

I personally prefer the French press. I used to have a drip coffee maker and still do but I haven't used it since I got the press. The taste and quality of the coffee is just not comparable. I don't mind spending a couple of extra minutes using my French press when I get coffee that tastes that good!

To learn how to make real coffee, which coffee beans to buy, what kind of coffee machines you should be looking at? Take a look at the different types of coffee makers available on the market.

Visit PurelyCoffeeBeans to find out the latest tips and information on making 'great coffee every day'!

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From Percolators to Espresso Machines - Finding the Right Coffee Maker

You would probably be hard pressed to find a home today that doesn't own a coffee maker. They are in practically every kitchen. Some are nothing more than stove top percolators and some are full-fledged coffee/espresso/cappuccino makers able to churn out a latte or a cup of coffee.

The coffee maker you decide on for your kitchen should be one that matches your coffee preferences. If all you are concerned with is a good cup of coffee, a simple coffee maker will suffice. However, if you are regularly making a morning trek to the local coffee shop for an espresso, you might want to consider purchasing one for your kitchen.

There are many types of coffee makers to choose from, knowing what each one is will help greatly in making your purchase.

Drip Coffee Maker

The drip coffee maker is the one you see in most kitchens. The coffee is brewed by heating and siphoning water from a reservoir. This water is then deposited slowly into a filter basket filled with coffee grounds. The resulting coffee then drips through the filter into a decanter which sits on a heating element.

Today's drip coffee makers can be found with a wide variety of options. The decanter is typically 8-12 cups in size and can be glass, ceramic, or even stainless steel. Your coffee maker can have a clock, an automatic timer to start brewing before you wake up, and can even have a built in grinder for the freshest ever. Most also have an auto-off option which turns the heating element off after a certain amount of time.

You can't get more traditional in your approach to coffee brewing than by using a drip coffee maker. Introduced for home use in the 1970s, these machines work by letting water pass through coffee grounds held in a paper filter or plastic filter. The clear, light-bodied coffee then collects in a brew pot.

Single Cup Coffee Maker

These machines are among some of the newest on the market. Some are available that use regular ground coffee in a smaller filter basket yet only brew one cup at a time, while others use specialized coffee pods to brew individual cups as needed.

These coffee makers are great for people who don't drink a lot of coffee or families that have only one coffee drinker. Another added benefit is that each person can brew their favorite coffee or flavor.

If you use the pod type brewers you will pay a premium price for the pods, making this type more expensive than other models.

Percolator

The stove top percolator may look like an antique to many people. For those who have used percolators they know that the coffee has a very different taste from drip coffee machines. This type coffee maker is very slow and alters the natural taste of coffee.

Espresso Machine

The espresso machine is the ultimate in coffee makers. However, unless you purchase a combination espresso-coffee maker you will only be making espresso. Espresso machines are wonderful for making coffee based drinks and are very quick. If you like espresso occasionally and you are a coffee drinker too; you might want to consider a combination coffee-espresso machine.

Your coffee maker is what you want it to be, based on your desired investment. If you are a ritualistic coffee drinker who has to have that morning cup of java to get going, spend a little more money and get a machine that is going to last and that does what you want it to do. If however you only have a coffee maker so that your guests can have coffee or you only occasionally have coffee yourself, there is no need for you to make a large investment.

Sharon V Chapman writes on the joys of coffee and provides consumer information on coffee makers for A1 Coffee Makers - your online guide to coffee makers and espresso machines.

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What Is an Espresso Coffee Bean Roaster?

For most people in the game of roasting espresso coffee the answer is:- someone who takes green coffee beans and turns them brown. And because the underlying assumption is that roasting espresso coffee is simple, anyone can become a roaster. The explosion of the espresso coffee roasting market all over the globe in the last several years has proven that that is indeed the case.

With no real barriers to becoming a boutique roaster or commercial coffee roaster (apart from financial restrictions) there has been a plethora of new espresso coffee brands entering the global coffee market. Obviously the number of roasters per capita is lowest in underdeveloped or emerging markets, and higher in highly developed or saturated coffee markets. Nonetheless, each market has experienced a rapid growth in the number of espresso coffee roasters and espresso coffee distributors.

Whilst a great many individuals have relatively recently joined the 'club' of roasters, the strangest element to this industry is that, paradoxically, every roaster claims to be a consummate 'expert'. Mathematically, statistically and practically this is impossible for any industry. And speaking from experience, there is more to coffee roasting than meets the eye.

So I should start by stating what exceptional roasting is not:

Roasting is not just about exceptional green bean choices.

Nearly every coffee roaster waxes lyrical about '....travelling the world, sourcing the best beans...' etc. etc. Most simply buy off a green coffee bean brokers' stock list, so there is hardly any travel involved in that! Great choices in beans are important, but it is more important to differentiate their quality based on intended use. For example, the Single Origin bug which is so pushed in the Australian and New Zealand espresso market was a movement which originated in the United States to provide better quality to a filter coffee market.

Ninety nine percent of the worlds coffee supply infrastructure -from growers, to international tasters, to green bean brokers etc - is trained and geared up for filter coffee markets. As I travel to various origin countries rating coffees with other expert tasters via the traditional cupping method (another system of classification beneficial to filter coffee style) I have come to realize that there is a huge gulf between what is appropriate for filter coffee and what is appropriate for espresso coffee blends. My observation is that the majority of roasters follow a line and tempo set by the dominant coffee markets such as the USA, Japan and North Europe and they follow this enthusiasm without question. So when coffee roasters in the USA speak of single origin, which is ideally delivered and tasted as a filter style coffee, others who roast solely for espresso markets adopt the idea. This is not a criticism except to say that very few single origin coffees in the world are any good as an all-rounded espresso.

This is but one example of the lack of precision or scientific knowledge.

So what else?

Roasting is not just about developing the green coffee bean; it is about not destroying its integrity.

This one is probable the most difficult statement for most roasters to conceptualize.

There are a great many chemical compounds in any coffee bean of any quality mark. The aim of the roaster is not to butcher them or miss-time the roast (either under or over) leaving those chemical compounds 'un-triggered' - leading to diminished flavor and aroma development. In order to minimise the 'damage' done to the integrity of the coffee beans during the roasting process there needs to be a great deal of calibration equipment available. Suffice to say that not one coffee roasting machine fresh off the production line is any good without extra modifications to achieve a minimum 'damage' impression on the coffee beans.

When I ask roasters to tell me their convective/conductive heat ratios, their radiant temperature grid, their spreads, their endothermic reversal point, they just stand there and stare. This is not just gobbly-gook to satisfy my ego. Quite the contrary. Without knowing these concepts, any roaster is simply 'flying' blind and does not understand the 'science' behind green bean roasting. Whilst passion is good, scientific knowledge and how to apply it is king. And to have that scientific knowledge requires years of trial and error, waking up every day with the determination to 'kill yesterday's sacred cow' and start afresh mapping out a new approach. Mapping out requires hard data collection which is then calibrated to several espresso tastings of the same coffee - each with a different development of the 12 key chemical compounds we know are linked to flavor and aroma development. To measure these differences a roaster also requires capital investment in an array of heavy hitting calibration and measuring equipment which could make the idea of purchasing a roasting machine 3 to 4 times more expensive. Most 'roasters' and new entrants do not have the knowledge, the gumption or the capital to implement the requisite setup.

Lacking scientific knowledge or the scientific/calibration equipment to execute that knowledge simply means that more damage than good is done to the coffee in the roast. The most simple way to understand this is when simple commodity coffee can be roasted in such a way as to defy the depth of flavor, development of character, and longevity most roasters attach to it.

Roasting is about understanding the end consumer and delivering what they like, not telling them what they should like!

Sour/Acidic espresso coffee is touted by a great many roasters as a favorable characteristic of espresso coffee blends. It is not. Certainly not in markets which then add milk to most espressos. Milk is acidic too, and combined with the acidic espresso create a very astringent, thin bodied and lacking coffee experience. Unfortunately, it is so common out there that the end consumer does not know any better. That is, of course, once they taste an alternative.

As an example, I once was told by a broker that a particular country (a whole nation) of consumers preferred their coffees acidic. Admittedly, that was all one could find being supplied by roasters in that country. I then suggested that we get several focus groups together and let them try acidic coffees (the main boutique brands in the market) and a sample coffee blend I had created for the occasion - which was neither acidic nor bitter. In fact, it was sweet and rich in flavor and body. The end result was that the consumer chooses what they like, and in this case they preferred non-acidic tasting coffees. You know what you know until someone shows you something different!

Roasting coffee does not make you a retail expert.

Roasters are relied upon quite heavily by retailers, cafes, coffee shops, coffee distributors and franchise chains for ensuring the success of these end businesses. The only problem is that the overwhelming majority of coffee roasters are not retailers, never have been, nor would not know the first thing about successfully generating sales in a retail environment. Endless rounds of coffee training and excessive package deals will not help a retail business which is structurally unsound and in need of a complete overhaul in order to succeed.

There is a pervasive myth in the marketplace that coffee roasters or coffee distributors can help retailers, cafes, coffeeshops etc resolve all their financial woes simply by concentrating on espresso training. Whilst it is true that coffee training can lift sales, without remedying the root of the problem a roaster (and his/her trainers) is soon bereft of ideas. Growing the sales of a retail business is best left to professionals who specialize in applying a broader strategy utilizing a diverse array of 'weapons' designed to grow sales. Unfortunately, coffee training is but a very small part of the overall success equation, and any small business, cafe or coffee shop which believes their roaster holds the keys to their future security is grossly misled.

George Sabados is the worlds leading motivational speaker to major coffee retail and franchise chains around the world. He can inspire and, most importantly, instruct coffee focused businesses in how to generate explosive sales growth and profitability in the shortest time possible - his 3 levels of mastery guarantee massive change in 12 weeks! First and foremost, George is a retailer and knows how to focus a business on being a stand out to customers, resulting in instant local market leadership.

Rather than simply a "voice" without experience, George has been a leading figure in the global espresso movement from successful international barista, successful retailer, international roaster, international cupper, writer, public speaker and most importantly, coffee entrepreneur. He is without peer in experience and outside the box thinking within the international coffee industry.

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Automatic Espresso Coffee Makers - Spoil Yourself

Automated espresso coffee makers really should not be thought to be an entry level coffee brewer. Even considering the toppling prices thanks to improvements in coffee brewing technology, these are still the thoroughbreds of coffee brewers tending to amount to more than a basic drip or pod type coffee machine. Pricing is usually figured out by the type of automated espresso coffee machine you are considering namely, semi, fully or super automatic. The distinction between each type relies on the automation process itself.

Semi-Automatic Espresso Coffee Machines

Semi-automatic espresso machines are extremely fashionable. The electrical pump makes for constantly good quality coffee. Users put coffee and water into the machine. Pulling the electric pump turns the coffee machine on and off.

Semi-Automatic espresso makers automatically tamp down the coffee grounds, prepare the coffee, fill up the coffee mug and expel the used grounds. Usually this type of a coffee machine can be purchased for well below a thousand dollars.

Fully Automatic Espresso Coffee Machines

Fully automated espresso brewers perform like the semi-automatic machines but operate via the easy touch of the push button. The coffee making process follows the same pattern as that of the sem-automatic brewer, plus it will also grind your coffee and load the brewing chamber automatically. Prices for fully automatic espresso coffee makers range from several hundred dollars to close to a thousand dollars.

Super Automatic Espresso Coffee Makers

Super automatic espresso coffee machines are the posh version of coffee brewers. As well as the fully automated process described above, the super coffee machine comes with a built-in coffee grinder and other special options. These brewers are fast, simple to make use of and easy to maintain. The majority permit an individual to brew any variety of specialty coffees like espresso, cappuccino and lattes.

Users of fully automatic espresso brewers don't have to deal with crushing coffee beans or hot filters and washing sieves. Super machines include either a steam wand or an automatic system to froth milk. Rivalry between super automated espresso coffee brewer companies is fierce. Each one is looking to produce the best cherished, most adaptable brewer.

Certain machines now feature automatic cleaning and descaling. An additional special highlight is the presence of water filters that decrease mineral content and eliminate the taste of chlorine. Adjustable coffee cup spouts and the ability to manually control water volume in a mug of coffee are also additional options available on select machines. Prices for super automatic espresso coffee makers are to some extent more than the other two styles but you can still purchase one for well under a thousand dollars if you look around.

Added options differ among brands and designs of automatic espresso coffee makers. Obtainable options may include some or most of the following based upon the price you are prepared to pay.

Adjustable dosing.

In coffee, dose refers to the quantity of grams of coffee used in brewing a shot. Certain espresso coffee brewers permit users to regulate both number of grams and quantity of water used.

Bean Grinder

Bean grinders are included on some units to automatically mill the required quantity of coffee.

Brass Boiler:

Brass reservoirs offer superior strength and help maintain heat. Machines with brass reservoirs reheat more rapidly and have less change in water temperature.

Bypass Doser

A bypass doser allows users to make use of a new blend of coffee than what's already inside the machine grinder. Emptying the grinder isn't required.

Cup Warmer

Some models feature a cup warmer. Using a pre-warmed cup maintains the warmth of the coffee for a longer interval of time.

Milk frothing/foaming wand

Cappuccino and latte drinkers require machines having a milk frothing/foaming wand. These are not offered on all brewers. A few of the more expensive coffee maker models feature milk boilers.

Pre-moistening before brewing

Coffee is pre-moistened. This will provide for top-quality taste.

Detachable Brew Group

The brew group refers to where the brewing occurs. If these components can be detached, they are easier to clean. Makers lacking detachable components frequently have automatic cleaners.

Water Filter

Particular very expensive espresso coffee brewers contain water filters built-in to get rid of chlorine, minerals and contaminants that affect flavor. If filters are present, they do have to be changed regularly.

At this time you could possibly be thinking how on earth would somebody go about looking for the best price and deals on automatic espresso coffee makers given all the differing types and options to be had. Luckily the Internet gives you quick and very helpful way to discover what's currently available at what price. With a bit of time and investigation it's also possible to weed out the trash from the best espresso makers. Merely go surfing and visit some coffee maker review internet sites.

Please keep in mind that all coffee brewer review internet sites typically are not created equal, so you have to take what you study with caution. For myself I'd seek out coffee review internet sites where the reviewers include independent test data together with buyer opinion to provide unbiased and honest details about the espresso coffee makers being reviewed and rated.

Feeling confused about what brand or type of coffee maker to buy? Before you buy some junk, visit the new best coffee makers available website to see top 3 coffee machine ratings for espresso coffee makers, pod, and drip coffee makers based on independent testing results and consumer feedback surveys. Save your money! Join the hundreds we have already helped find the best coffee brewer and visit us now.

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