Coffee Maker Types

Summary: When we hear the term 'coffee maker' most of us think of only one type of coffee maker. Most often, the drip style coffee maker or the espresso type machine comes to mind, depending on where you live and your taste in coffee. Of course, the choices vary with the region in which people live also. One type of coffee maker may be frowned upon in certain parts of the world, while being quite acceptable in another location.

When we hear the term 'coffee maker' most of us think of only one type of coffee maker. Most often, the drip style coffee maker or the espresso type machine comes to mind, depending on where you live and your taste in coffee. Of course, the choices vary with the region in which people live also. One type of coffee maker may be frowned upon in certain parts of the world, while being quite acceptable in another location. Some types of coffee makers are quite antiquated by today's standards, but are still being used by those who prefer the coffee produced. Such is the case with the percolator style coffee makers. There are two types of percolator style coffee makers, the stove top model and the electric percolator. Both percolators work in the same fashion, which is circulating boiling water r over the coffee grounds and through a metal filter repeatedly. Some argue that this makes a good cup of coffee while others say this style coffee maker makes the worst coffee imaginable. The naysayers exclaim the percolator produces a bitter tasting coffee no matter what brand or grind of coffee you use. The automatic drip coffee maker is by far the most recognized type of coffee maker. This coffee maker produces coffee by heating water in a reservoir which then travels up into a coffee bin holding a filter with the coffee grounds. Then hot water steeps through the coffee and the filter in the bin and drips into an awaiting pot or carafe. These coffee makers usually have a heating element to keep the brewed coffee reasonably hot until the coffee is gone or it's time to brew another pot. Some models come with a thermal style carafe which allows the coffee drinker to brew a pot of coffee right into the carafe for coffee on the go. Automatic drip coffee makers are the most widely used coffee makers by the American consumer. This type of coffee maker also has the versatility to make from one to usually ten cups of coffee at a time. There are also specialized one cup coffee makers which make use of the automatic drip method. The automatic drip coffee maker uses disposable filters, unlike the percolator style coffee makers. The espresso coffee maker comes in two versions for the consumer, stovetop and electric. The stove top model is of course less expensive than its electric counterpart. Another advantage to the stovetop espresso maker is that it is highly portable, unlike the electric model, which is limited in mobility by its size and need of electricity. One drawback to the stovetop espresso coffee maker is that it may leave bits of very fine powdery granules. This makes the stovetop espresso coffee maker a device that one must master the techniques of using to get a perfect cup of coffee.