To Make The Best Coffee You Need The Right Machine For The Job

If you are reading this then chances are you are in the midst of searching for a coffee maker of some kind and quite possibly more than a little confused by the sheer range of what is available. Be reassured - you are not alone!  The choice really is quite staggering and you can pay anywhere from $20 to over $3,000 on your chosen coffee machine, so you do need to make sure that you are getting what you actually want before parting with your money.

First and foremost be realistic about what you need. Do you drink coffee every day, do you like espresso, are you a bit of a fanatic? Or do you really just want a fairly decent cup of coffee a couple of times a week?

Once you start browsing for these things it is quite easy to get sucked into believing that you need a super-duper all singing, all dancing, fully automatic, blindingly shiny contraption on your countertop. For some people this is exactly what they are after, but for most people it is not necessary and a more modest model will fulfill their needs more than adequately. Whatever your needs, doing adequate research beforehand will ensure your money is well spent.

The coffee maker has certainly become a very popular kitchen gadget over the last few years. Ok, so it may not be exactly an essential item but these days most families own an array of kitchen gadgets which could easily be classed as luxury items if we are truthful. If you really love your espresso, latte or cappuccino as opposed to simply needing something to wake you up in the mornings then a decent coffee maker is a highly desirable item. If you like good coffee you are not going to be happy with a kettle and a jar of instant!

Having a good coffee maker in your kitchen means that you can enjoy a high quality brew with breakfast or at any time of day you choose, and it will cost you a lot less than numerous visits to your favorite coffee house.

Where to Start?

As already mentioned, like most things you can pay very little or quite a lot for a coffee maker. There are many mid priced machines which will give you a decent cup of Joe and for a good proportion of coffee drinkers this will be enough. However if you want great as opposed to good, are an espresso fanatic, or you want to have different types of coffee available on tap, the investment in a top notch model is more than worth it. If you fancy yourself as a bit of a barista you owe it to yourself to get the best machine you can afford. Select one which has a learning curve so that you can hone your skills!

For couples who drink several cups per day spending a few hundred dollars on the best coffee maker will actually prove to be sound financial investment. Long term it will be far cheaper than a Starbucks habit!

Coffee makers have seen a huge surge in popularity in the last couple of years and if the trend continues it seems most kitchens will have one. Manufacturers have responded to this increased consumer demand and there is now a quite incredible array of models to choose from. Of course this can present a bit of a problem in that unless you know precisely what you want you are going to be faced with a potentially overwhelming variety to choose from.

The type of coffee maker which is the best one for you will depend on a number of factors including

• how many cups will you want at a time? 
• how often will the machine be used? 
• what type of coffee do you prefer ? 
• do you want to be able to make a wide range of different coffees 
• how much space do you have available 
• what is your budget 

Our Coffee Maker Reviews

Here on our homepage we have examples of various types of coffee machine with a brief overview of their features. On the right of this page you will find links to more in depth reviews of various models plus information on discounts which may be available from time to time. All of the models we feature here attract a high number of positive customer reviews. 

We also have a number of articles on coffee related topics which we hope you will find useful. You can also sign up for our mailing list; we don't have a regular newsletter at the moment but we will let you know about new products, discounts or other useful stuff. Emails will be occasional, we will not clog up your inbox!

So here we go with a few examples.....

The Single Cup Coffee Maker

There seems to be tons of these around now and a lot of them are quite good. This is one of the most popular - the Keurig B60 Special Edition Gourmet Single-Cup Home-Brewing System.

This machine is simplicity itself using K-Cups so there is no grinding involved and no cleaning required afterwards. You can make tea, coffee or cocoa in minutes and there are three size options. The reservoir is large enough to produce eight cups before it need refilling. If you want a good cup of coffee with almost zero effort this is a great little machine.

Smaller Espresso Makers

A lot of people love to drink espresso but a significant number of them don't want to go to the trouble of making it in the traditional way. The answer is to get a machine which does it all for you automatically. If you are looking for something small the Nespresso CitiZ Automatic Espresso Maker and Milk Frother  is worth looking at. There is also a cheaper version without the milk frother. To froth or not to froth, the choice is yours.

This machine is very popular and gets a ton of good reviews. It does the job well and is small enough for any kitchen countertop. It looks extremely stylish and comes in no less than five colors - fire engine red, limousine black, silver chrome, black and white. The machine features a unique extraction system designed for coffee capsules which together with an 19 bar pump ensures that you get a perfect espresso every time. It also means you can enjoy your coffee and not have any mess to clear up afterwards. It also has a built in aeroccino which allows you to produce all sorts of milk based drinks. In short it performs as well as many of the larger, more expensive machines. So if you want coffee house standard shots but don't have a lot of free kitchen space this type may be best for you.

At the time of writing this particular model has no less than 113 full five star reviews at Amazon and these are definitely worth a read if you are considering this machine.

Pour Over Coffee Makers

If you are a 'coffee all day long' sort of person you are going to want a machine that produces quantity as well as quality. A good example of this type of machine is the Bunn Velocity Brew 10 Cup Thermal Carafe Home Coffee Brewer. Bunn are a well established name when it comes to coffee brewing and they have a reputation for great build quality. The model shown below will make up to ten cups of coffee and what's more it will keep the coffee piping hot in the thermal carafe. There is no warming plate on this model as its not needed and keeping the coffee warm in the carafe means that the quality does not deteriorate.

 

 

Now if you are a real coffee enthusiast and only the best will do you are going to be looking at spending a fairly serious amount of money on you chosen coffee maker. There is a growing trend for producing commercial standard espresso shots at home and there are thousands of 'home baristas' out there who want a serious piece of kit!

Having something like the Breville BES900XL Semi Automatic Espresso Machine in your kitchen says that you are really serious about your coffee.

 

 

The first thing to note about this model is the price tag - its undoubtedly expensive. That being said, if you are having a Starbucks every day getting the Breville could actually save you money in the long run.

So why would you go for the Breville? Well first off it looks totally gorgeous - you have a little piece of Italy in your own kitchen. It makes truly great coffee and its easy to use.

This is a semi automatic machine. Its not a push one button and your coffee is ready machine. It is however easy to use and gives you a degree of influence over how you make your drinks. So far there are only a handful of reviews on Amazon for this model but they are all very positive and some are glowing. A couple go into a lot of detail and are extremely informative for anyone considering purchasing. They offer advice on getting the best out of the machine and avoiding the typical beginner pitfalls. Read the reviews here