The dripolator, as it was called, altered the way businesses viewed making and serving coffee. Prior to the dripolator, which would eventually become the automatic drip coffee maker, people had to use stovetop or electric percolators to brew coffee. The percolator made coffee by heating water that rose to the top of the pot and ran through a tube into the coffee ground basket which allowed the coffee to seep through to the waiting chamber below. The Braun Coffee maker changed this drastically. People no longer had to fill a percolator and wait for the coffee to perk the proper amount of time. They could simply fill a reservoir with water; add coffee grounds to a special coffee filter that fit into a basket that attached to the machine. The machine was then turned on and the person could get dressed while the coffee brewed. The process was simple. The water would heat and drip into the coffee basket which contained the freshly ground coffee. As the water dripped through the ground coffee it passes into a waiting carafe or pot which would be sitting on a heating element beneath the basket. The pot kept the coffee warm for serving and the basket with the filter would simply be emptied into the trash and refilled for the next brew. This new method brewing with the Braun coffee maker was the first time coffee was made without the coffee grounds having to be mixed in with the water which would then have to be carefully poured into a cup while trying not to get the coffee grounds into the cup as well. The Braun coffee maker was not designed for home use and a similar machine would not be available for homes until 1972 when Mr. Coffee introduced their version of the drip coffee machine for homes.
Braun did change the way commercial coffee was made and became a historical part of the coffee world that forever changed the way coffee was brewed. Braun continues to be a leader in commercial quality coffee makers adding water filtration systems for purer-tasting coffee. These filtration systems also prevent hard water build up inside the machines which can damage them. Braun commercial coffee makers can also be plumbed to a water source to prevent having to add water to the brewer. Plumbed coffee makers require nothing more than filling the coffee basket with coffee and pressing the power button. The coffee brews in approximately three to five minutes. Commercial coffee makers like the Braun coffee maker must be sturdy and able to stand up to daily use for many years. The coffee should be fresh and top quality, something that a Braun coffee maker can accomplish easily and consistently.
