There is nothing better than a perfect cup of coffee.
We are so used to drinking coffee from coffee machines that we have forgotten how a perfect cup of coffee tastes.
It’s like drinking table wines everyday and then one day we sipped a glass of Domaine Romanée-Conti.
At that moment we understood the real meaning of wine.
A perfect cup of coffee is sublime. When you close your eyes and take a sip of it, you will feel its strong, rich and delicate aroma empowering your whole body and senses.
Are there coffee makers that are able to brew such a coffee?
True, the quality of a coffee depends more on the coffee than on the coffee maker.
But a lot of coffee makers are not preparing coffee the optimal way.
The best coffee makers will extract the full delicate flavor of the coffee beans, without its bitterness and harsh acidity.
Brewing coffee is as much of an art as it is a science. It is not just pouring hot water over the coffee.
To extract the full aroma of the coffee a brewing temperature of 90 C to 96 C (195 to 205 F) is generally recommended. The higher the temperature the more astringent the coffee.
The brewing time should be about 5 minutes, at most 6. Longer than that you may have a stronger coffee but also harsher.
There are however other procedures where a lower temperature is used in order to decrease acidity.
Before we go for the reviews of the coffee makers let’s have a look at the different types of coffee makers first.
The same coffee beans will taste differently depending on the types of coffee makers used.
Types of Coffee makers
- The French Press Coffee Maker
- Vacuum Style Coffee Maker
- Pod Coffee Maker
- Drip Coffee Maker
- Percolator
- Espresso Machine
- Cold Brew
- AeroPress Coffee Maker
The French press is the least expensive of all coffee brewers but produces the smoothest coffee as both temperature and extraction time are controlled. Since there is no filter paper to trap the volatile oils the delicate aroma of the coffee is preserved. The taste is fabulous!
The Vacuum Style Coffee Maker prepares exceptionally good coffee with a potent aroma.
Water is boiled at the bottom of the carafe and will infuse the coffee in the upper carafe. As it cools down the vacuum will suck back the coffee to the bottom carafe.
The whole process is actually a delight to watch.
So if you dislike the sediment in the bottom of the cup from the French press coffee makers and still want the best aroma rich-coffee, then the vacuum style coffee maker is a good choice.
This is the latest hype in coffee making. It is probably the fastest way to get good flavor coffee. You can get a cup of coffee in 30 seconds.
Hot water is forced to pass through a pod of ground coffee and the coffee is extracted under pressure with its full aroma.
Each person can choose which type of coffee to drink by simply inserting the right coffee pod in the machine.
The coffee pods are however relatively expensive but for someone who drinks coffee now and then and likes to try different types of coffee this might actually be cheaper.
A pack of coffee which has been opened deteriorates quickly and has to be thrown away if it develops a stale taste.
With a coffee pod machine you always get freshly brewed coffee.
Consumers Reports however find the coffee not very strong.
The drip coffee makers are probably the most popular and are found in most households.
There are 2 kinds:
- Manual
- Automatic
For the manual drip coffee maker water is boiled separately and poured in small amount over the coffee in a filter. It is simple but somewhat tedious.
The automatic drip coffee maker is the one which has invaded almost every home in North America.
It is very simple and convenient to use.
Water is poured into the reservoir of the coffee maker and the grinded coffee is placed on a paper filter. Hot water would drip on the coffee.
It is advisable to thoroughly wet the paper filter first to remove the paper taste.
The problem with automatic drip coffee makers is that they do not give you much control over coffee strength.
This was the typical way coffee was commonly brewed until the arrival of the drip coffee maker.
The water boiling at the bottom of the pot would rise up to the coffee on the container at the top and seep down again.
The extracted coffee would be a bit bitter as it is being boiled over and over again.
Espresso machines make a strong and intense coffee by pressuring hot water through tightly packed, finely ground coffee. It takes only about 25 seconds for the brewing.
This is the only process where coffee is extracted without heat. The resulting coffee is super smooth with very low acidity.
The cold water extracts the coffee overnight and the resulting concentrated coffee is stored in the fridge to be used when required. It will preserve for about 2 weeks without loss in freshness.
The AeroPress method is a new way of making coffee. A predetermined amount of water at 75- 80C is added to the coffee and after 10 seconds a plunger presses the air and forces the mixture through a fine filter. 20 seconds later you have a flavor rich coffee without bitterness.
So which type of coffee makers would produce the perfect cup of coffee?
And what do the coffee maker reviews say?
According to Cook’s Illustrated, the Best Coffee Maker is the Technivorm Moccamaster KBT741.
The Technivorm coffee maker has been certified by the Specialty Coffee Association of America as brewing coffee at 93 C (200 F). Not many coffee makers can claim this award.
It can brew 10 cups of great tasting coffee at a time.
Price: About $265
The Hamilton Beach Brew Station 47454 received top marks (93/100) from Consumer Reports.
The Hamilton Beach Brew Station 47454 brews good coffee and features a thermal-lined insulated coffee tank that keeps it hot.
Price: About $70
Just Tell Us What To Buy
The AeroPress Coffee Maker is a good choice as it is inexpensive and produces smooth rich coffee with barely any acidity.
It is however not as convenient to use as a drip coffee maker. You have to ensure that the water temperature does not go too high and you would need some muscle to press the plunger.
Most people who used it are very impressed with the quality of coffee it brews and find it better than drip or French Press coffee.
If you like “easy” coffee you should try the Cold Brew coffee maker.
You don’t even need gas or electricity. You get coffee concentrate which is very convenient to use.
It is important to choose the right coffee because not all types are suitable. Best are those which are freshly and coarsely ground.
Otherwise we recommend the Technivorm Moccamaster KBT741 which is expensive but very good.
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Link to this post:
September 14th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
French Presses make the best coffee hands down! We just launched a step by step guide about how to make French Press Coffee at http://www.FrenchPressHowTo.com and would love to hear what you think about it!
Thanks
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December 16th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
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