How Do I choose a Coffee Machine?

Coffee lovers are now quite free to choose whatever they like. Our today's variety of appliances to make this wonderful drink staggers the imagination. The coffee fans are offered a great variety of types, drip, capsule, espresso, Turkish coffee etc. Let's have a brief overview which might help us make up our minds about a coffee maker.

How Do I choose a Coffee Machine?

Drip coffee maker

A drip coffee maker is one of the simplest and most common. It represents a pot or a jug on a heated base. Coffee is prepared through filtration. The idea behind this lies in water at the temperature of 87-95 degrees dropping onto the ground coffee, which is in a special grid, and from there it flows into the coffee pot and is ready to drink.

Very popular drip coffee makers are those produced by Braun and Binatone. Their prices range from several euros to over one hundred depending primarily on the power and volume of a coffee machine.

Espresso

When speaking about espresso, coffee is prepared under steam pressure. These machines have no grid filters but there are plastic or metal wands. Coffee is poured into a wand and a well compacted there with a special pestle. Such coffee machines are usually provided with a special attachment for cappuccino. A tube with a nozzle is lowered into a glass of milk, steam is forced through it under pressure and makes froth.

Espresso machines can cost from 25 euros to several hundred depending on the manufacturer, extra functions, size, pressure and power.

The fans of espresso, latte and cappuccino can be recommended to turn to the partially automated machines. With this type you can click a button to force water to go through the ground coffee. The whole process is made easier and you should not keep an eye on the water temperature; some models are self-cleaning. But you will need to change ground coffee beans and water yourself.

Coffee makers in public places

The most expensive types of coffee machines are designed for making coffee in large quantities and for the shortest possible time. They are fully automated. They are used in coffee shops, restaurants and bars. Now there are coffee machines in offices and large companies. The most popular among the manufacturers of coffee machines are the Jura, Delonghi, Siemens and Ariete.
Built-in coffee machines

Now there is an ever-increasing demand for build-in coffee makers. The leading manufacturers of today are Miele, Gaggenau, Neff etc. Such coffee machines will be built in any kitchen cabinet or pedestal. Those can be embedded capsule coffee makers or espresso, or a combination these as well as large multi-functional coffee machines.

What determines the price of a coffee maker?

The price range for coffee makers today is quite wide. Besides the type of coffee machines, the cost is certainly influenced by the manufacturer’s name. When choosing coffee machines, like with any other domestic appliances, it is worth relying on professionals rather than buying a shoddy product which may break down in the first month.

Before making a choice it is also essential to think about the materials a coffee maker is made of. For example, the body may be plastic or steel. A plastic coffee maker would be cheaper and lighter than steel. But its lifetime is shorter. Moreover we can get a more consistent coffee in a metal coffee maker.

An important characteristic of a coffee maker except for drip and French press-type is the pressure it can reach. For the espresso type, for example, the standard value is 15 bar.

The type of filter has an impact on the price of coffee machines. If they are disposable, paper, the price is definitely lower. However they need to be regularly replaced which implies additional costs. The nylon filters are designed for brewing 60 times. There are also the so-called ‘golden’ filters. They are nylon and coated with titanium nitride which greatly increases their service life.

It is quite natural that the more functions, the higher the price of a coffee maker. The cheapest models have a minimum of features. More expensive ones provide automatic dosing of water and coffee, choosing of coffee strength and automatic shut off the heating pot.

How important are those features? For example, automatic dosing allows you to select the optimum ratio of water and ground coffee. And when re-making drinks, indicators will show what you need and how much to add. The choice of coffee strength allows you to control the taste of your drink. Automatic shut-off ensures reliable protection for coffeemakers against overheating. It is really convenient but everyone decides the extent to which any gadget will be an essential element.

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