Choosing the Vehicle that Transforms My Coffee Beans
Feb 25 '01
The Bottom Line Please read the opinion below.
Coffee Makers
Many people take the purchasing of a good coffee maker for granted. When you spend top dollar for that gourmet coffee wouldn't you want to make sure that you are getting the most out of it? Of course, most coffee makers are generally very good and that the quality of coffee does not improve tremendously between machines. There are however, some basic things one must have in a coffee maker and some other "luxuries" which even though it improves the taste slightly, can make for a better experience.
Some Basics
The Filter
The first thing to decide when looking for a coffee maker is to choose a basket type filter or a cone type filter. The difference between the filters yield different contact times between the water and the coffee grounds. The contact time between the water and coffee grounds seem to be longer in basket type coffee makers, thus if you choose this type, make sure your grounds are fairly large (smaller than one used for a French press, but larger than espresso or a coffee maker with a cone type filter). Personally I would choose the cone type as it is less prone to spillage. As for whether or not to get a gold tone filter, the coffee tastes fuller when a gold tone filter is used, but the upkeep is sometimes not worth it.
The Color and Style
Though not very important, if you choose a coffee maker that is aesthetically pleasing to you, you will be all the more happier and the improved mood may even make your coffee tasting experience better. As for color, the reason I bring this up is that a white coffee maker tends to stain very easily and looks old very quickly. For that reason alone, I would opt for a dark color or even black one.
Cleaning
I'm only mentioning this to point out the fact that some coffee pots have necks which are very skinny. This doesn't make it easy to clean the pot. A pot that isn't washed with soap and water and scrubbed tends to retain the taste of the coffee that was brewed in it before. Make sure you can fit your hand comfortably in the pot!
The Fun Stuff
Apart from the basics: color filter, ease of use, and so on; many advanced coffee makers add other features which are worth a look.
The Timer
Timers are great things. If you don't mind the fact that your coffee grounds may be exposed to the air overnight, a timer can really save a lot of time in the morning. If you get one with an attached grinder, the noise would probably make for a good alarm clock too!
The Shape
One often overlooked feature of a good coffee maker is the housing around the coffee pot. A good cup of coffee is a hot cup of coffee. A lot of manufacturers now are making their machine housings encompass more of the coffee pot. This helps to prevent the coffee from cooling prematurely. Look for a coffee maker whose housing encompasses at around 50% of the circumference of the pot.
The Grinder
Grinders in general are a good idea. I have said many times that coffee freshly ground always tastes better. However, attached grinders often add a lot of hassle. They make the machine harder to clean and the blade type grinders (Krups) don't grind the coffee uniformly. Look for a coffee maker that has a burr type grinder attached. The only one that I know of at this point is made by Capresso.
The Water Filtration System
Many newer models of coffee makers now come with a water filtration system. Be it a regular filter or a carbon filter. Coffee made using filtered water does taste better. The chlorine and trace metals in tap water does detract slightly from the overall experience. However, a good way around this is to just use purified, distilled or spring water.
The Temperature
The best coffee is made with water that is slightly below boiling point. Some say around 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Generally speaking the cheaper models of coffee makers (less than $20) don't bring the temperature of the water to the point where it can efficiently extract the flavor from your coffee. Some manufacturers actually advertise the temperature of the water.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right coffee maker is a hard task. It is important that you stick with a well-known manufacturer because of quality control and also availability of spare parts. The coffee pot is usually very fragile and buying a machine from a well-known company just makes replacing it an easier task. Finally, there are many different types of coffee makers out there. As long as you choose one which at least meets the above basic needs for a coffee maker, you should get an adequate cup. The rest of the opinion reflects some other ways to improve the coffee but are not necessities.
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Epinions.com ID:
coffeeaddict
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Location: New York, NY
Reviews written: 18
Trusted by: 31 members
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