Sep 21st 2007 10:14 am A Guide to Buying Coffee Makers
Although you may only think of coffee makers as modern gadgets for swish penthouse apartments you’d be wrong. They’ve been around almost as long as coffee itself and originally came in the form of a Turkish Ibrik. This is a copper container with a long handle and a grooved tongue. You’ll still find it being used in the Middle East but be careful; it has no filter so produces a very strong brew of coffee.
For those more interested in drinking a beverage than eating coffee grounds, a wide variety of types are available from the plain to the esoteric. Here’s a simple buyers guide.
Most coffee makers you’ll see in the shops are the affordable drip type. You pour the water in the top, it’s then heated by an electric coil, the water then passes through the coffee grounds and into a glass pot sitting on a heating plate.
That’s the very basics covered, now you should be aware of some features available to you.
Coffee makers can have so many controls on them you’d think they were a HiFi. LCD screens can display the time, temperature, timer and various other bits of info.
Auto Shut-Off - Having control over the degree of the brew is essential. If you’re in the habit of forgetting to turn things off then an auto-shutoff is essential. Most people these days are too busy to wait for the brewing process to complete, so they remove the pot before the water has finished draining. Without this feature water would continue to drip and splash onto the heating plate.
The illuminated displays also help on those dark mornings when you can’t find the light switch and haven’t yet had your coffee to get your eyes completely open.
Cleaning your Coffee Maker – Cleaning can be a hassle so if this is something you hate doing then coffee “pods” is the answer. They are pre-measured paper containers of coffee through which the water flows. They’re also very good for filtering grounds. When your coffee has been brewed simply check the pods in the bid. Not very good for the eco-minded however.
Water Filters – Several models are available with water filters, essential for the urban dweller where the water supply tastes more like the water the local swimming baths use. The filters are pricey but a good cup of coffee is priceless.
Permanent coffee filter styles can be had, but with the pods they’re much less important. Debates rage over the environmental impact and the taste effect of the paper from the pods. Vote your conscience.
In-Built Grinder – You can even find makers with in-built grinder however most people prefer to buy them separately for easier cleaning.
Posted by April / Food and Drink
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