Buying Gude for Coffee Makers
Helpful Tips
-Know your exact needs. What I mean by this is to know what you need form a coffee machine. If you live by yourself, then a 12-cup coffee maker probably isn’t the right one for you. It would have a lot of featrues that you may never use, such as long-term heating options and larger storage. You’ll only be making coffee for yourself and therefore will usually not need to have such a big machine taking up a lot of space. At the same token, a 4-cup machine won’t do if there are more than two or three people needing that cup of coffee in the morning. This figure takes into account going back for a second cup or the sizes of cups. This is when you may need separate features such as a larger storage or heating because you may not all want your coffee at the same time.
-Invest in a machine with a time or “auto-brew” type function. This can save you a lot of hassle and time in the morning or whenever it is you are getting ready for work. You’ll have the ability to setup your machine the night before and have the amchine automatically brew your cup of coffee for whenever it is you need it. No more measuring first thing in the morning and screwing it up when you aren’t fully awake antmore. So as soon as you wake up that cup of coffee is already waiting for you. That is a big deal, trust me.
-Don’t skimp on the accessories. Maybe you need that extra grinder or the precise measuring equipment. This is especially true when you are looking for the above-average quality in a cup of coffee. If all you want is a basic cup then I wouldn’t expect you to do too much in terms of accessories, but you should anyways because it’ll make everything one purchase. Don’t buy all accessories as you may not need them, but some are always good.
-Like shopping for anything else, keep a budget and try to know how much everything is worth. Knowing that a built-in grinder will rise the price of a machine by anywhere from $50 to $100 dollars is probably very important for a shopping trip. This will allow you to check your options in case you have a decision to make regarding different machines, or accessories in the place of these built-in features. Also, giving that range will allow you to see the full value of any given unit together.
-If you are looking for specific machines and/or features you should focus on a specialized retailer or website that has intermediate knowledge of the machines they are selling. Mass retailers or department stores might not have associates who are specifically knowledgeable in coffee machines and may not be able to give you help with more intermediate questions. Getting specialized help and doing research can save you a lot of trouble with buying the wrong machines or machines that are of lesser quality than what you are searching for.
Models to Take a Look At
Bunn My Cafe MCA Automatic Pod Brewer
Suggested Retail Price: $300 (cw-usa.com)
Notes: This may very well be one of the best makers for that single person. There is no need for a built-in timer or automated brewing, because with this machine you will be able to brew your favorite coffee or tee in 30 seconds with little effort. It’s style allows for you to fit different sized cups under the machine so that you can use your travel mugs or a regular ceramic mug for you to brew the coffee in. It’s a high-capacity machine, allowing you to brew over 60 8 0z. cups an hour. It uses coffee pods and tea pods so having ground coffee is not an option but it also limits the mess in that regard as well.
Capresso Coffee Team Thermal Coffeemaker
Suggested Retail Price: $440 (kitchenkapers.com)
Notes: This 10-cup system has a built-in conical burr grinder that allows you to load it directly with whole beans and have the machine grind them for you before brewing. A neat feature is the fact that the grinder and the brewing system are kept separated from each other, which prevents moisture to get into the grinder and rusting. It has a timer system that includes the grinder and allows you to have a fully-automated system in the morning. It can keep coffee hot upto four hours with its stainless steel carafe and its heating tray. Another unique feature is the ability to not only control the volume of coffee brewed from 2-10 cups in even intervals, but there is a setting that allows you to control the strength of the coffee from weak, normal, or strong.
Bosch F.A. Porsche Designer Series Stainless Coffee Maker
Suggested Retail Price: $300 (kitchen-universe.com)
Notes: If you’re into award-winning appliances, then this one is for you. This 8-Cup coffeemaker has a sleek aluminum design and just looks lseek on top of a kitchen counter. It has a nice, convenient water-level indicator on the side of the machine and the heating component inside the machine itself is stainless steel that is resistant of limescale. The filter basket swings out and is easily accessible. It can be paused during brew and re-started and automatically turns off when the brewing cycle is complete.
Cuisinart DGB-600BC Coffee Maker
Suggested Retail Price: $225 (amazon.com)
Notes: This elegant machine has an Italian design. ALso holds upto 10 cups, but is versatile enough because of its size for smaller spaces as well. This machine, while priced more modestly than some of the others listed here, also has a built-in grinding feature, although they are not located separate from each other in the machine. You can turn the grind off and place pre-ground coffee into the machine as well. It comes with a limited 3-year warranty, longer than most machines who sport only 2 years of protection. Although stylish, easy to use and simple in its initial appaearance.
