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COFFEE MAKER BUYING TIPS FROM THE PROS

Written by Menswear Style in Food & Drink on the 15th February 2021

Some might agree that you can tell a lot about a person by the way they take their coffee. Coffee can be experienced by all five senses, but believe it or not, some people rule out one or two of them by drinking instant or never even touching their coffee and just ordering from the nearest shop. We won’t judge you for how you like your coffee, but we will give you advice on how you can find a coffee maker that suits your lifestyle and piques your senses.

Budget

The last thing you want to do is get hyped up about getting a high-tech coffee making machine without the funds to back it up. So the first thing you need to consider when seeking out life support (AKA a coffee maker) is how much you're willing to spend. Fortunately, there are plenty of quality coffee makers under $100 that can not only get the job done but also offer features you didn’t even know existed, such as being programmable 24 hours a day. Regular coffee makers tend to cost less than fancy espresso makers. So if you take your coffee the old fashioned way, then you’re already pinching pennies.

GRIND

Taste

Do you like your coffee with a frothy top layer of milk or do you prefer a straight-up Americano? Are you a busy bee and always taking your coffee-to-go? Your taste for coffee will depend on a lot of things. If you grew up in Colombia and want to let your coffee transport you back to the coffee bean plantations lining the eastside, then a Keurig pod machine definitely won’t cut it for you. So after mulling over your budget, ask yourself, “What cup of coffee could I drink every day?”

Size

If you’re supplying an entire household with the lifeblood derived from coffee, then a large pot would be best. However, if everyone in that household has differing flavour preferences, then maybe a capsule or pod coffee maker would be ideal so that everyone is happy. There’s a vast array of options as far as budget, quantity, coffee type, and special features, so finding one that suits you and your household shouldn’t be an issue.

Timing and Convenience

If making coffee is a sacred ritual that restores your soul after waking up from a night’s sleep, then by all means, find a coffee maker where you’re required to grind down the beans into a fine grain. If you’re on the other side of this coin, where time is of the essence, and having a quick cup that can prepare itself, then this is where convenience supersedes quality. There are not many things better than a fresh ground cup of joe, but you don’t want it to make you late for work. Consider getting a coffee maker that has a timer and can have your coffee ready at the same time every day.

Features

A coffee maker is a small machine, but it can have over ten features that make the parts of your day involving coffee completely seamless. From automatic brew-shutoff to programmable clocks, to machines that can tell you the weather, you shouldn’t have a problem finding a coffee maker that surpasses your expectations for convenience. If you like to have the option of espresso, then you can even find a coffee maker that accommodates that preference.

Maintenance and Long Term Cost

Some coffee machines can clean themselves, but a lot of the upscale, high-tech espresso machines with milk froth makers will require human hands for their maintenance. Not only that, but over time, you might have to replace parts after a bit of wear and tear. Some of these parts can be expensive. Much like a BMW, the more expensive the machine, the more expensive the parts.

Counter Space

This aspect of a coffee machine is so obvious that you might miss it. Do your due diligence and measure the width of your countertops. You’d be surprised at how big some espresso machines can be. Even some coffee makers might be too big if you live in a studio apartment or just have a tiny kitchen. Don’t make the mistake of going big and forfeiting the comfort of your home.

You now you have all the information you need to make a logical and practical coffee maker purchase. With that being said, there might not be anything practical about your taste in coffee at all. You might be more high maintenance than you thought, but don’t worry, the world of coffee beans is yours to explore.