Coffee

If you’re looking to buy a new coffee maker, you obviously want to get the best one that you can. As with other consumer products though, which is “best” is dependent on your particular needs. Cheapest, fastest or best features all being ways of evaluating which is the best coffee maker. Therefore, it’s necessary to know the pros and cons of the differing types of coffee makers, and weigh your needs against them, in order to know which is the best for you.

Drip coffee makers are the most common coffee maker. You find them at home, the office, hotels, restaurants, etc. They come in many shapes in sizes, but they all use a water reservoir that passes hot water over coffee grounds in a paper (or gold) coffee filter. They usually make a pretty good cup of coffee as long as the coffee doesn’t sit on the hot plate too long. When coffee sits in the glass carafe for too long, it starts to burn and taste bitter. To prevent this though, you just need to only brew as much coffee as you know you can finish in 30 minutes.

Coffee percolators have been around for a while, but they’re not the best way to make coffee. They require a coarse ground like the French press, but the problem is that they keep boiling your coffee over and over because the brewed coffee spills over into the hot water reservoir. They’re classic, but not the best option. If you must use one though, try not to use an expensive coffee blend, as to a degree, it will be wasted.

Seen as the elegant and classy coffee maker, the French press is the best option for people who like their kitchen and appliances to give off a stylish and modern vibe. The French press is made up of a glass cylinder with a plunger and a flat mesh filter, and to use it you just put some ground coffee into the cylinder, douse it was water, and press repeatedly on the plunger. As for the final cup of coffee that it produces, it is definitely better than average. The only downside to them being that only coarse coffee grounds can be used with it, so it isn’t an option for those of you who prefer finer blends.

The newest coffee maker trend is one cup coffee brewers, especially coffee pod systems. They are becoming more and more popular in offices. They’re extremely easy to use and maintain because there is no messy filter or coffee grounds to fuss with. You simply pop the coffee pod (or disc) into the machine and let it brew. A minute later you have a cup of freshly brewed coffee, with just a pod to throw away.The only downside is that you can’t brew your favorite exotic blend.

So, which is the best coffee maker for you? It’s just a matter of evaluating your lifestyle and coffee habits, and establishing which type best suits your needs.

http://TheCoffeeMakerStore.com is a daily blog and e-commerce store about coffee, coffee makers, and coffee culture. Leave a comment on the blog for a chance to win a free coffee maker!
By Mark Walters

Author: Mark Thomas Walters
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Made to order

Likely the most basic type of coffee machine that people might recall from their childhood is the percolator. This machine isn’t really complicated. There is a pot, with a built in filter made of metal and basket with a tube going from the base of the pot up into the basket. When the water in pot’s body boils, the water is sucked up the tube into the basket of coffee. As the boiling water seeps into the coffee grounds, best coffee is made. In the early days these were built to be placed onto a open burner but nowadays they are built for table top use and are plugged in.

An mechanical drip machine is likely the most popular today. They are placed on you bench top and include a glass carafe for the coffee to drip into. There is a heated plate under the jug to keep the coffee warm. You pour water into the tank, and after the machine is powered on, the water is forced through the basket area where the coffee grounds are put in a filter. These are easy to operate and make a decent pot of coffee. But is this the best coffee.

Most people just cannot get moving in the morning without their daily shot of coffee. There are many different types of coffee machines that you can make that first pot of coffee and they all have their pro’s and cons’s. But which one is able of making the best coffee? Do you have to invest a lot of money for a good coffee machine or will a less expensive one work just as well

The latest coffee machine in the shops is the pod system. Every machine has its own particular brand of pod and that is the only type of pod that can be used in that specific machine. The pods themselves come in a reasonably wide variety of flavors so it is not hard to find the coffee you like. Usually a pod will produce one cup of coffee, which is great if you only want a single cup of coffee. If you enjoy having an entire pot available, a pod coffee machine may not be the best machine for you.

Acquiring a machine that works best for you won’t be difficult. There are a fairly wide variety of coffee machines available to purchase and many have very nice features that you may pay extra for, but are probably worth it. Imagine coming home in the evening to a fresh, full decanter of coffee just waiting for you. All you have to do is buy a good quality coffee machine and you’ll be all set.

Ryan Somerton, the owner of Mighty Bean Coffee is passionate about all things related to coffee. Are looking for some tips or even coffee machines to better your coffee drinking endeavors, chances are you can find it at MightyBeanCoffee.com
check out more about Best Coffee Machines.

Author: Ryan Somerton
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Programmable Multi-cooker

If you want to taste coffee in a whole new way, try making it with a French Press coffee pot. Most people are used to their coffee being brewed in an electric, drip coffee maker a la Mr. Coffee. This method has one flaw in the brewing process that takes away from the true essence of coffee: the paper filter. The paper retains some of the coffee essence, and deprives you of coffee’s true potential. Granted, we cannot simply dump ground coffee into a cup, pour in hot water and start drinking; the grounds must be separated from the liquid that is consumed. Coffee grounds are bitter, gritty, and stick to your teeth. The French Press method removes the grounds, but lets all of the flavor of the coffee come to life.

Although French Presses come in various shapes, sizes, materials and manufacturers, the Chambord model by Bodum is a good example of a ubiquitous style found throughout the industry . The handle attaches to the holder for the glass carafe. The carafe holds the coffee and hot water. The carafe looks like a beaker from a chemistry lab, with a spout for easy pouring. The “pressing” apparatus of the French Press sits atop the beaker. It consists of a dome which covers the coffee as it brews. The plunger is a skinny metal post with a plastic ball at the top that slides through a small hole in the middle of the dome. At the bottom of the post is the filter, a wire mesh disk.

A quick note about ingredients. A cup of coffee is made of coffee beans and water. Therefore, start with freshly roasted whole beans ground just before brewing. Whole beans maintain their freshness twice as long as ground coffee. The water is just as critical: make sure it is cold, fresh, and filtered.

Let’s assume a 12 oz. cup is being prepared. Using 1-1 ½ tablespoons of whole beans, set your grinder to coarse. This produces the largest grounds possible, and allows water to extract the maximum flavor from the coffee. It also reduces the amount of smaller grounds that will end up in the bottom of the cup.

Dump the ground coffee into the carafe. Before adding hot water, take a moment to inhale the aroma of the dry coffee. The aroma of freshly ground coffee will take you to a better place.

Next, heat your water (12 ounces). The optimal brewing temperature is 195-205 F. If you don’t have a thermometer, simply bring your water to a boil and wait thirty seconds.

Pour the water into the beaker and stir for a couple of seconds. This will agitate the mixture and allow the coffee to brew more completely. Place the plunger apparatus on the carafe, but do not depress. Set a timer for four minutes. This amount of time allows all of the flavor and oils to be extracted perfectly from the coffee.

At four minutes press down the plunger completely, then pour the freshly brewed coffee into your mug.
Look at the coffee before adding any condiments. The coffee will appear more complex (richer) than if it were brewed in a drip coffee maker. There will even be a thin layer of crema (light brown froth) resting on top of the liquid. Put your nose close to the cup and breathe in the aroma. The smell is stronger, more pure than if the coffee passed through a paper filter. Taste the coffee before adding sugar etc. When you reach the end of the cup you will notice some residue. These are simply micro-grounds that made it through the mesh filter.

You can purchase French Presses that double as travel mugs. There are also double-walled glass, and stainless steel thermal units as well. Some are beautifully crafted and look like museum pieces. The reason for this is that coffee made in this manner is the height of the coffee brewing experience. So, if you love coffee, you owe it to yourself to purchase a French Press and make the best-tasting coffee in the easiest possible way. Prices start at around 13 dollars for a two cup (12 oz.) unit.

Brent Kloster is co-owner of Falls River Coffee, which sells fresh roasted coffee, loose leaf tea, and brewing equipment online at http://www.FallsRiverCoffee.com.

Author: Brent Kloster
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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