As the third most popular drink in the world – just behind water and tea – coffee has been a morning staple for millions of people for countless years. Whether through quick runs to the nearest Starbucks branch or artisan coffeeshops or through their own brewing techniques at home, people enjoy their cups of coffee for their daily energy boost. If you’re reading this, chances are that you’re one of the millions of coffee lovers out there, and you’re planning on buying a coffee maker for your home barista station or your office.
While choosing the best coffee maker for your home may seem like an easy choice of just picking out the right brand and finding the best one for your price range, you may want to look at other factors, so you get the best tasting coffee. And for almost all coffee lovers, we know you deserve only the best when it comes to strength and flavor. In this article, we’ll give you a few pointers on the things you may want to consider for your next coffee maker:
What Should You Be Looking for in a Home Coffee Maker?
Brewed or Espresso-Based Drinks?
The first thing you need to decide on is what type of coffee you normally drink or the type you’re planning to switch to for your homebrew. For starters, there are two types of coffee you should narrow down your choices to: espresso and brewed. These two coffee types require different brewing techniques and home coffee makers and equipment, as well as a different set of skills needed for brewing. For normal brewed coffee, you can brew them with automatic drip coffeemakers, manual pour-over equipment, or even coffee percolators for larger batches. For espresso, however, you’ll need the more complicated espresso machine or manual espresso makers or presses.
As for flavor, brewed coffee offers lighter flavor notes perfect for people who like their coffee with a subtler taste. Espresso, on the other hand, gives you a stronger and bolder flavor that’s perfect for your espresso-based drinks, like macchiatos and Americanos. Because of the difference between both coffee types, some coffee lovers actually prefer having different coffee machines at home, so that they can switch from brewed coffee to espresso easily.
Single-Serve or Large-Batch Brews?
This question mostly depends on your routine and the number of people you typically brew for in the office or at home. You’d want to determine if you need large-batch brewers or the more hands-on equipment that can only brew coffee in small batches or even solo cups. For office settings where people typically leave pots of coffee brewing in the pantry, you’d want automatic drip coffeemakers or even percolators with which you can brew larger batches and keep them hot for people who want a cup of coffee in the morning. For home use, however, where you’ll be brewing for yourself and maybe your significant other, you can opt for the more hands-on equipment, such as manual pour-overs, Mokka pots, or a portable espresso machine where you can pull espresso shots easily for your espresso-based coffee drinks.
Automatic or Hands-On?
When it comes to brewing coffee, convenience may be at the top of your priorities, especially for people who are always on the go. Do you have the time to be as precise are possible in making your coffee in the morning, or would you prefer scooping your ground coffee beans into a filter and leaving it to brew as you get ready for the day?
If you’re one of the people who like the hands-on experience of brewing their own cup, you can consider going for manual equipment that will allow you to extract distinct flavor notes from your coffee beans for a unique coffee experience every morning. You can go for coffee siphons if you want rich, full-bodied coffee; pour-over drippers and cone brewers for intricate flavor notes; or an espresso machine for bold and concentrated coffee shots.
For people who prefer a hassle-free brewing technique because of busy schedules or the normal chaos of family mornings, you can go for automatic coffee makers and brewers. All you need is to pour water into the machine, scoop a few spoons of ground coffee beans, and then you’re good to go. You can also opt for capsule coffee machines if you’re not ready to give up on great-tasting coffee but you’re in need of a little hint of convenience in your daily routine. With capsule coffee makers, you get great-tasting coffee without the need for all the handiwork of brewing and pulling shots.
Types of Coffee Makers You Should Consider for Your Home
If you’re not yet sure what type of coffee maker you should purchase of your home, here are our favorite choices that you may want to consider:
- Automatic Drip Coffee Brewers
One of the most popular coffee makers because of the convenience it offers, the automatic coffee brewer works by dripping or spraying hot water through ground coffee beans in a cone filter. This method extracts all the needed flavors for an easy caffeine fix in the morning. This machine is also one of the easiest to maintain since you can clean out its parts easily.
- Capsule or Coffee Pod Coffee Makers
Coffee capsule coffee makers are a popular choice for homes and offices, especially for people who want their caffeine fixes in fast packages. Often mistaken for instant coffee, coffee capsules actually contain finely ground coffee. These pods are then put into pod coffee makers where hot, high-pressure jets of water are delivered through the ground coffee, giving you great-tasting coffee while using a quarter of the time you need.
- Espresso Machines
Espresso machines are the choice for people who are in need of bold, strong, and highly customizable coffee drinks. Espresso machines work by forcing pressurized coffee through a puck of fine grounds so that you extract concentrated shots that you can either drink on their own or use as a base for specialty flavored drinks.
- French Press Coffee Makers
Looking to brew rich, full-bodied coffee that contains all the coffee oils and textures you can get from your coffee beans? The French Press is a great choice for people who fancy enjoying the different flavor notes of coffee beans produced by different coffee farmers or from different countries of origin. If you want to pick out citrus or floral flavor notes, you should opt for a French Press coffee maker for your home.
- Cold Brew Coffee Makers
Enjoy smoother coffee without the overpowering bitterness or acidity by using a cold brew coffee maker. Cold brew coffee makers are great manual brewers that only need cold water and ground coffee beans. Leave the brewer inside the refrigerator for about 12 to 24 hours and enjoy the versatility of cold brew coffee for your daily caffeine fix.
Complete Your Home Coffee Station With a Great Coffee Maker
From learning how to brew to finding the best coffee beans, refining your staple cup of coffee may seem like a lot of work. But if you’re dedicated to drinking the best-tasting coffee and knowing how to jumpstart your day in the best way possible, it’s a noble pursuit, especially in the eyes of fellow coffee lovers and enthusiasts. So, if you’re planning to complete coffee stations at home with the best coffee maker or at least a brewer than can deliver your caffeine needs, consider the factors that we’ve enumerated above. You may also visit Curated for high-quality coffee makers and equipment from some of the most well-known and trusted coffee maker manufacturers around the world.
