Jun 07 2008
Types Of Coffee Makers
Going shopping for a coffee maker is a bit like shopping for a car. You can’t just walk into a dealership and say, “I’ll take one car, please.” There’s just too many types of varieties you need to choose from. Do you need a big car? Small car? Four wheel drive? Hybrid or regular gasoline? Think about what you need in a coffee maker before you go buy one.
Percolators
This is one of the least expensive types of coffee makers you can buy for personal use. It can use medium to finely ground coffee and needs some time in order to brew (about 20 minutes for six cups). The flavor is predictably good, even with heavy use. Some people claim that this is the longest lasting of the types of coffee makers.
One of the complaints about percolators is that sometimes the coffee grounds slip through into your cup. A wide variety of sizes and shapes is produced and are easily available in places such as department stores, pharmacies and office supply shops.
Automatic Drip
This is another of the most available and least expensive coffee makers that you can buy. This is what a lot of people think of when they hear the words “coffee maker”. It works a little faster than a percolator and also holds up well over repeated use. It can use nearly any texture of ground coffee except entire beans. One of the complaints about automatic drip coffee makers is that they can’t get your coffee as hot as a percolator’s. This also comes in wide varieties of sizes and shapes.
French Plunger
Known by many other names like cafetire, a French plunger works best for only one or two cups of coarsely ground coffee at a time. It is best to use more coarsely ground coffee as the really fine stuff tends to get into your coffee, giving your drink a cloudy and muddy appearance. Some coffee connoisseurs claim a French plunger gives a stronger brew.
If you don’t like coffee, French plungers work well for tea bags and making your own herbal tea from fresh herbs and fruit. One of the drawbacks to French plungers is that they can be harder to find than either automatic drip coffee makers or percolators. You may have to go to specialty cooking supply stores to get one.
Espresso Machine
This is the (literally) hot newcomer to the group, only having been made for home use for about twenty years. Although you can get a decent cup, expect the bottom to be full of grounds. Many people prefer to still get their espresso from coffee shops and cafes.