If you've been a coffee drinker for long, then you know the importance of finding the right coffee maker and the price you pay for making the wrong decision. The decision can be a bitter one, literally. More than once, a coffee maker hasn't been able to turn out good coffee because the machine itself wasn't a good match for the household. So, how do you go about choosing the right coffee maker for your home? First, you want to consider your coffee consumption. Are you a lover of strong espresso and would be better off with an espresso machine? Or do you like a more traditional cup of coffee, perhaps a fresh roasted cup of Sumatra or Costa Rican? Knowing what you like to drink will help guide you to the type of coffee maker you want to ultimately purchase. There are several basic styles of coffee makers these days. There are the drip style models that dominate the market and are the most popular. There are percolators, which don't brew the coffee but boil it instead (your parents probably had one), a vacuum coffee maker, which is the type most serious coffee lovers prefer, but is the hardest to find, and finally, the specialty coffee makers. These can include iced coffee makers, espresso machines and coffee makers that use pods or k cups such as you find at Coffee.org.
Some of the models on the market today offer lots of features. But if you're not going to use the timer function, why pay extra for it? When choosing the right coffee maker, always think about your own lifestyle. If you're not into high tech, why should your coffee maker be high tech? The same is true of your drinking habits. If you're living alone, a 4-cup coffee maker may do the job and cut down on waste. But if you entertain regularly, you'll want to go with a larger pot because it can be absolutely maddening making pot after pot at a party. Most of all, remember that the quality of the coffee is determined as much by your ability to craft a perfect pot as it is the coffee maker itself. Keeping the carafe and water tank clean, using the right quantities of coffee and using fresh, cold water can really improve the flavor of your coffee, even if you decided to get a vintage percolator at an antique store and go retro in your enjoyment of one of the world's most enjoyable beverages - coffee. Shop Coffee at coffee.org.
