Choosing a coffee maker for your home: 4 important recommendations or buy quality!

Drip coffee makers

These models are the simplest of those on the market today. The principle of their operation is quite simple. You pour water into a special compartment in which it heats up and then condenses. Hot drops fall on the poured coffee and pass through it, falling straight into your cup.

To prepare one small cup of medium-strong coffee, you will need to add 3 teaspoons of powder.

In order to choose such a coffee maker, you must consider the following parameters:

1. The presence of a plastic or glass vessel. Models with plastic jugs are cheaper, but glass does not give the drink an unpleasant aftertaste.
2. Filter material. There are paper, metal and nylon options. There is no need to change the metal one, however, it gives the drink an unpleasant aftertaste and leaves coffee residue. Paper and completely disposable. The nylon filter has a capacity of 60 cups.
3. Water filter. This feature is only important if you are using tap water.
4. The importance of power for a coffee machine is greatly exaggerated. Only the speed of preparation of the drink depends on it.
5. The presence of a drop control system, which allows you to stop the machine at any time.
6. Volume. It all depends on how many people in your family will use it.
7. The presence or absence of additional functions.

Types of coffee makers

Electric Turk

An electric Turk is a compact and inexpensive option for making coffee at home. It produces the famous Turkish coffee.

The design of an electric Turk is very simple: a special stand with contacts and a heating element on the bottom.

The principle of operation of the Turk is similar to an electric kettle: water is poured inside and coffee powder is poured, and the heating element brings the poured water to a boil. The volume of electric turks is most often 0.25 or 0.4 liters.

Pros:

• speed of preparation;
• practicality;
• ease of use and maintenance.

Cons: The device does not have an automatic shut-off feature.

Electric Turk

Interesting: Opinions are divided regarding the aroma and taste of the resulting coffee: some users believe that the drink is much inferior to real Turkish coffee, the second part believes that there are no significant differences.

French press (French press)

The French press is made of heat-resistant heat-saving glass. It consists of a transparent cylindrical container with a lid, which is connected to a movable metal piston with a mesh filter. The principle of operation of the press: coffee powder is poured into the bottom of the container, then water is poured in. After this, the container is closed with a lid with the piston raised. After approximately 5 minutes the piston lowers. The filter prevents the passage of grounds, so the finished drink will be easy to pour into a cup without sediment.

Pros:

• convenient to use even in traveling conditions;
• tea and other drinks can also be used;
• works without electricity.

Minuses:

• the water inside the container cools quickly;
• taste qualities are far from ideal.

French press

Drip

Drip devices are one of the most popular in the world. Their design includes:

• a heating element;
• container for water;
• brewing container with filter;
• heat-resistant glass container for the finished drink.

To obtain the drink, you need to pour water into the tank, and pour the required amount of ground raw material into a special mesh (filter), through which the water is passed drop by drop when boiling. Then, the resulting drink flows into a glass container on a heated stand.

Advantages:

• the liquid remains hot for a long time;
• ease of operation;
• acceptable cost.

Minuses:

• insufficient strength;
• long cooking time;
• the need to constantly replace filters.

Drip coffee maker

Recommendation: when purchasing a drip-type device, you should pay attention to low-power devices, no more than 700-750 W. The process will take longer, but the device will have time to collect the largest amount of substances contained in the ground grains.

Geysernaya

The geyser coffee maker consists of two different reservoirs and a filter funnel. Here, hot water, heated by electric current and displaced by steam pressure, rises from the bottom to the top through a tube through a compartment filled with ground coffee. Depending on the type of construction, water can pass through this compartment a different number of times. The more times the water passes, the richer the taste of the finished drink.

Advantages:

• the ability to prepare various drinks (tea, herbal infusions);
• rich taste;
• ease of maintenance.

Flaws:

• the need to prepare only full portions of drinks;
• long cooking time (about 5 minutes).

Geyser coffee maker

Carob (holder)

Carob and capsule devices are often called coffee machines, since the drink is prepared here in a semi-automatic/automatic mode. In this article we will call these devices coffee makers.

The carob coffee maker has the widest capabilities for preparing different types of coffee , including: cappuccino, latte, espresso. The drinks are prepared by passing steam under high pressure through coffee powder.

Technically, the carob device is much more complex than other types of coffee makers, and includes a body and two groups of elements: external and internal.

External elements include:

• brewing group (dispensing/coffee/spilling group);
• holder (horn);
• spill button;
• steam supply tap;
• hot water supply tap;
• boiler pressure gauge;
• pump pressure gauge.

Inside the holder coffee maker there are:

• boiler (boiler);
• heat exchanger;
• a heating element;
• pump (pump);
• pressure switch;
• water supply valve to the group;
• boiler and pump pressure sensors;
• volumetric sensor for portion control.

Main advantages:

• speed of preparation;
• various types of coffee and high quality drinks;
• economical consumption of coffee powder.

Flaws:

• the raw materials must be finely ground;
• steam engines heat water up to 100˚C, while the ideal temperature is 90˚C;
• high cost of the device.

Carob (holder) coffee maker

Capsule

A capsule coffee maker is similar to a carob coffee maker, but here the steam does not pass through the powder poured “by eye,” but through the finished capsule.

The design of the capsule apparatus is as follows:

• a housing made of a supporting frame, where the main components and control unit are fixed;
• boiler;
• water pump;
• capsule brewing and ejection system;
• water dispenser.

Pros:

• the use of different coffee capsules allows you to obtain drinks of different strength and taste;
• ease of maintenance and management.

Minuses:

• high cost of the device and the capsules themselves;
• Most often, models of capsule coffee makers are focused on the use of capsules from an identical manufacturer, which can create some difficulties during operation.

Capsule coffee maker

Mocha

Mocha is an Italian geyser coffee maker designed for preparing traditional espresso.

Mocha consists of two compartments and a metal filter. Water is poured into the lower section, coffee is poured into a special hole in the filter, after which the upper part is screwed on, and the device is placed on a gas or electric stove for heating. After boiling, the water enters the upper compartment, creating ready-made aromatic coffee.

Pros:

• ease of use and care (you can wash mocha only with warm water without using cleaning agents;
• speed of preparation;
• practicality.

The downside is that the rubber gasket for the filter wears out quite quickly, which will need to be changed from time to time.

Mocha coffee maker

Carob coffee makers

The operating principle of a carob coffee maker is based on steam pressure. The following types exist:

• steam-based coffee makers;
• pump models.

This coffee machine is designed for only a few cups, but it doesn’t take much time to prepare them.

If you decide to buy such a device for your home, then you need to know the following.

1. The horns for the device are made of metal or plastic. It is best to choose the first option, since the taste of coffee from it is noticeably better.
2. Not only the speed of preparing the drink, but also its strength depends on the level of pressure in your machine.
3. But power only affects speed, so this is not the most important indicator.
4. How many cups you can prepare at a time depends on the volume.
5. There is a function for whipping foam. It is necessary for those who prefer to drink cappuccino.
6. The presence or absence of the possibility of using a pod.
7. Additional gadgets that depend only on your wishes.

Pods are a disposable bag of coffee that is in a special package. Its main advantage is that after use you do not have to wash the machine to remove coffee powder.

What types of coffee makers are there?

The choice of coffee makers is enormous. There are both very simple and cost-effective models, characterized by a simple operating principle and minimal capabilities, as well as more complex models equipped with a wide variety of functions: a timer, temperature control that allows you to keep coffee hot for some time (from half an hour to 3 hours), regulation of strength, etc.

It is worth paying attention to the volume of coffee that is prepared at one time. As a rule, this information is indicated on the device itself and indicates the number of cups with a capacity of 100 ml. This will help you choose a coffee maker according to the amount of product you or your family consumes.

Coffee pod makers

This is an expensive device, but it is also fully automatic. All you have to do is place the capsule in the machine and press start. There are two types of capsule machines.

1. Devices designed for preparing several types of drinks.
2. Machines that can prepare dozens of different types of coffee.

When choosing a capsule machine, it is important to consider whether you are purchasing it for your home or an office machine. The type, volume, and cost of the device will depend on this.

When purchasing a capsule-type coffee maker, it is important to consider the following characteristics:

1. By choosing between a plastic or metal model, you choose the lifespan of your machine.
2. Not only the speed of operation of the equipment, but also the taste of the resulting product depends on the power declared in the passport. After all, it is known that the less coffee is brewed, the tastier the drink turns out.
3. You should not choose models that indicate low pump pressure. This will negatively affect the taste.
4. With capsule machines, it is important to consider the noise level produced.
5. Coffee maker volume.

Read more: how to choose a capsule coffee maker for your home.

How the coffee maker works

In supermarkets you can find devices called coffee makers or coffee machines - what is the difference? The first option involves preparing drinks with human participation. These are devices that do not require electricity and can even be taken with you into nature.

You will have to lay and compact the tea leaves manually. The pump operates in automatic mode, which creates water pressure to pass it through the layer of coffee grounds.

This type of coffee maker includes:

• drip;

• geyser;

• Turks;

• semi-automatic carob;

• capsule or pod semi-automatic machines.

The degree of human participation in the coffee brewing process is determined by the design of the unit. For example, there are professional horn machines that are popular in catering establishments. They work no worse than advanced coffee machines and have many functions.

Geyser coffee makers

The name of the device reflects the entire process of its operation. When water boils, it produces steam that passes through the coffee mass.

Read more about the operating principle of a geyser coffee maker.

Existing types of geyser coffee makers are divided into:

1. Those that work from the network.
2. For manual ones, which must be used on the stove.

Today, most of the population prefers to use electrical appliances, but there are also connoisseurs who like not only the taste of the drink, but also the process of its preparation.

When choosing a geyser-type coffee machine, you should consider the following criteria:

1. Volume calculated from how many people will use the machine.
2. The power of the device, which is proportional to its volume.
3. The quality of a machine, which is influenced by the material from which it is made.
4. Additional functionality.

What types of coffee makers are there for home?

Coffee makers for home are:

• electric, operating when plugged into the network;
• for making coffee on a stove - gas or induction.

To the above models powered by electricity, you can add an electric Turk. Coffee is prepared in it, just like on a stove, but instead of a stove it uses a special power stand. The shutdown is not automatic; after the brewing process is completed, the device must be turned off independently.

Electric Turks

This device is designed specifically for those who like the taste of Turkish coffee, but are unable to prepare it. There are various fancy types of coffee makers, but this model is best suited for home use.

By and large, the device works on the principle of an electric kettle. Only in this case, a Turk is installed on the heating element, and not a container of water.

When choosing an electric Turk, pay attention to the following characteristics:

1. The optimal power of the device should be in the range of 700 – 800 Watt.
2. Automatic shut-off function that saves you from standing over the device.
3. The material from which the heating element is made. It is better to choose stainless steel.

Combined models

Combination coffee machines are a combination of several types in one. Finding such a device at home is very rare. But in a cafe or bar they are used very often. If you decide to purchase such a coffee monster for your home, then pay attention to the following parameters when purchasing:

1. It is important to choose powerful machines, this affects both the speed of preparing the drink and its taste.
2. For many types of coffee, it is important to choose the right steam pressure.
3. You need to know that coffee is prepared at a temperature of about 95 degrees, so check this point when purchasing.
4. Built-in coffee grinder.
5. Container volume.
6. Function for making cappuccino.

How to choose a coffee maker for home use

When buying a coffee maker for your home, you need to compare a number of models according to the following criteria.

1. Specializing in a specific drink. If everyone in the family prefers a certain type of coffee, then you need to choose the appropriate equipment for it. For example, a drip-type device cannot brew tasty, strong enough espresso. And vice versa, if strong coffee is not held in high esteem, and Americano is most often brewed, it is not worth paying extra for a capsule-type machine.
2. Device power. It determines not only the speed with which the coffee maker will prepare a cup of coffee, but also its efficiency. The more powerful the device, the more electricity it “eats”. It is worth choosing the optimal amount of power: sufficient for your needs, but no more, so as not to be shocked by the electricity bills later. An indicator of 2 kW, even a little less, is enough for home use.
3. Water tank volume. This value determines how many servings of a drink the coffee machine can prepare at one time. You need to choose a tank that is enough for one appointment. For example, if only two people in a family drink coffee in the morning, then a 500 ml tank will be enough. Here, too, you need to approach the choice carefully: choose the required capacity, but remember that the larger it is, the more bulky the device itself, and the more energy is spent on its operation.
4. Brand. A coffee maker is one case where the manufacturer matters. The leaders in this area are Maxwell, Bialetti, Bosch, Vitek, Delonghi and Nespresso. Coffee makers are now produced by everyone who is not too lazy. Private brands produce coffee makers of average quality, the drink they produce is not the most delicious. And such a device will not last long.

Depending on what your favorite drink is, take a closer look at the devices in this order:

1. Carob coffee makers work best with espresso;
2. An excellent cappuccino can be brewed by a carob or combination coffee machine;
3. for Americano it is better to purchase a drip device;
4. those who love variety and choose high quality should take a closer look at capsule devices;
5. strong classic coffee will be delicious in a steam coffee maker.

Important: for coffee gourmets who prefer a classic strong drink with a spicy bitterness, a coffee machine with a power of up to 0.8 kW is better suited.