Best Coffee Makers: Five Popular Types of Coffee Makers and How to Choose

Looking for the best coffee makers? The range of choices that you might encounter in a trip to the store or shopping online is enough to discourage even the most ardent shoppers from making choice at all!

Never fear, PurelyCoffeeBean's shortlist includes a brief description of, and links to more information about:

• five popular types of coffee machines;
• many methods and recipes for making coffee;
• things to look for when you go shopping for a coffee machine (see my complete coffee supplies shopping list);
• and even advice and tips on office coffee makers for your office environment!

I hope that this helps you sort out which type of coffee makers you are looking for. So let's get started!

What are the best coffee makers?

The French Press (or Cafetiere)

The French press is quite popular nowadays. It is inexpensive and takes little effort to make coffee and the resulting coffee is fresh, hot and flavorful.

The entire press consists of a glass jar and a plunger fitted with a mesh filter.

The drip coffee maker

The drip coffee maker heats the water and drips the water at an ideal temperature through filter grounds placed under the dripper. The coffee is collected in a jug and kept warm on the hotplate.

They are simple to operate and convenient, coming in a variety of sizes capable of making from one to twelve cups. You can even use a gold coffee filter in this machine, and it may improve the flavor, too.

The Moka Pot

The moka pot is a popular way to brew coffee in Italy. It's a steel (or aluminum) jug that brews hot water.

The water is then passed through coffee grinds at a higher pressure, creating a cup of coffee similar to espresso. Many people call it a stovetop espresso coffee maker

if you get the blend of beans and grind right, this will make fantastic coffee. This can easily be one of the best coffee makers, because of the quality of the espresso it produces.

The Coffee Percolator

Since the percolator warms the water by passing it through the heat pump several times. The heated water then enters the filter basket holding the ground coffee. Unlike the Moka Pot, the coffee is then sent back into the main chamber of the pot.

Each time the water/coffee is circulated, the brew strengthens as it gains heat and filtration. This results in a coffee that can taste bitter from being overheated or even boiled. I wouldn't usually recommend a percolator among the best coffee makers though many other coffee lovers would.

The Espresso Machine

Photo courtesy of Photos8.

Expresso machines (also spelled 'espresso') have moved from the coffee bar to the kitchen work surface. You can find many smaller espresso makers suitable for a worktop space in your kitchen, as well as larger machines capable of higher pressure.

The espresso machines suit only espresso coffee powder and can make a variety of specialized drinks, like Cappuccino or Latte ... A typical example of a domestic espresso maker would be the Breville Espresso Maker.

Unusual Coffee Makers

There are also many types of coffee makers that are more unusual which I would count among the best coffee makers, though most utilize the same principles of roast, grind, heat, gravity and pressure to make coffee drinks.

1. The Aeropress Coffee Maker is a great way to make good espresso and other coffee drinks. Affordable, easy to maintain and produces delicious coffee, too.

2. The Siphon Coffee Maker is worth a look at, although it is not so popular in the States. It is a wonderful method to watch and a very attractive piece of glass.

3. The Vietnam Coffee Maker looks similar to an espresso pot, but with careful managing of the grind, the roast, and the tools, it manages to produce a delicious and sweet alternative to regular coffee. And you can do it at home!

And at the office!

If you're specifically looking for an office coffee maker, as opposed to a domestic machine, there are some office considerations that you may need to take into account, before you go ahead and purchase an office coffee maker suitable for your office.

So let's go shopping!

So how DO you choose? Read up on the buying the best coffee maker page. I've listed things that I think are important to consider. The first thing you can do is check coffee maker ratings, at home or on your mobile phone to find decent Italian coffee makers, for example. You may also find good quality coffee makers at online stores as well.

Tips, Advice, and Help

Once you get the right coffee maker, keep the original packaging for a while, don't throw away the receipts or warranties, and read the manual. It seems that each coffee maker is different in setup, operation, and cleaning. If you lose your manual, try the manufacturer's website for a PDF you can download!

So, if you bought a particular model, read the drip coffee maker tips and advice pages. And it's important to have a clean coffee maker so following the cleaning regimen, and you'll find it easier to maintain flavor.

PurelyCoffeeBeans' Recommendation

My first recommendation for the top quality coffee maker is the French Press. Why? It's the least fussy of all the methods, the simplest to clean, and requires no skill or complex equipment.

All you need: medium ground coffee, hot water and a few minutes! It doesn't produce a large volume of coffee, needs a few minutes, and is easy to break, however. But it's really one of the best coffee makers.

You may prefer an alternate solution: The only solution I would not recommend is the percolator because of its basic design flaw - it rebrews coffee.

Still struggling to choose, take a look at how to choose a great coffee maker page? It provides a good overview of things you should be thinking about. Or consult the Good Housekeeping Guide To Great Coffee Makers to find some of the best coffee machines on the market.

And finally...

Wherever you are, remember "Only Coffee Beans Make Great Coffee"! And enjoy that cup of coffee!

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