| When we strive to find out who makes the best | | | | others are talking about. Some machines are more |
| coffee maker, we need to take into consideration the | | | | complicated to use, and it feels like you need a whole |
| type of coffee machine, whether it be a drip, French | | | | day just to go over the manual. Others perform very |
| press or single cup... and then compare how good the | | | | simply, like the Zojirushi fresh brew, and you can |
| coffee tastes an hour after you have brewed it. Let's | | | | usually get your first cup nearly as quick as you can |
| explore only the drip machines for now. | | | | unpack your new coffee maker. |
| Many automatic drip coffee makers perform very well, | | | | Additionally, many manufacturers offer a water filter... |
| but if you are like me, and want to return to grab | | | | and some manufacturers include a water filter |
| another cup of coffee an hour or so after the first... it's | | | | (included with your purchase). After all, it's the quality of |
| important to have a thermal coffee maker. | | | | the water that will determine the final taste of your |
| Why does it matter if choose to use a thermal | | | | coffee. You will save money if the coffee maker has |
| carafe? | | | | a water filter included with your purchase, and you will |
| The basic drip brewing system that most of us have in | | | | know that it's the right size for that machine. |
| our homes utilizes a technique that heats up your | | | | Notice where the controls are located, and if they are |
| water to the optimal temperature for extracting the | | | | lit at nighttime. It's not fun to fumble around with a |
| best flavor from your coffee, and then slowly drips the | | | | coffee maker full of water. A backlit clock is nice, and |
| heated water over your ground beans and releases | | | | it's easy to see when it's dark or early in the morning |
| the newly brewed coffee into a carafe. | | | | when most of us use our machines. |
| The typical carafes are constructed of glass, and | | | | Filter baskets... What is the best choice? |
| generally sit on a heat plate to keep the coffee hot. | | | | Basically there are 2 shapes to coffee filter baskets, |
| What happens when your coffee sits on a burner for | | | | flat bottomed and cone shaped. The difference |
| more than 10 minutes is devastating to the outcome of | | | | between the two is nominal, but you should know that |
| the brewed coffee. If you haven't tried tasting coffee | | | | a cone shaped filter basket would generally use less |
| from a thermal carafe, you are in for a real treat. | | | | ground coffee than the flat-bottomed shape. |
| Why choose a thermal coffee maker? | | | | This is because the filter basket is wider at the top, |
| When you realize that the best tasting drip coffee is | | | | filtering the hot water through the grounds to the |
| brewed into a thermal carafe, the choices you have | | | | pointed end at the bottom, assuring that all the grounds |
| when selecting a coffee maker are substantially | | | | are uniformly wet. A flat-bottomed filter basket needs |
| narrowed down to the top few manufacturers. | | | | to have a good "sprinkler" type of drip machine to |
| Cuisinart, Black and Decker and Zojirushi coffee | | | | equal this, and since the basket is wider, it will use a bit |
| makers, just to name a few of the better buys. | | | | more coffee. |
| I bet you have noticed that all the best coffee houses, | | | | Other options to consider |
| such as Starbucks, use thermal containers to store the | | | | Typically, thermal coffee makers drip the brewed |
| recently brewed coffee. There is just cause for this! | | | | coffee into a thermal carafe. But, you will find some |
| How do you select the best thermal coffee maker? | | | | coffee-on-demand type of coffee machines that use |
| To find out which is the best coffee maker thermal | | | | an insulated reservoir to hold your coffee and keep it |
| style is as easy to find as browsing these few | | | | hot. |
| considerations: | | | | The problem with many of the coffee on demand |
| | | | types are that the reservoirs are constructed of |
| 1. Decide if you need a coffee machine to drip 12 cups, | | | | plastic, and they use a heating element in the reservoir |
| 10 cups or maybe just a cup or two at a time. You | | | | to keep your coffee up to acceptable temperature. |
| can find thermal pots in a variety of sizes. | | | | This sometimes leads to plastic tasting coffee. |
| 2. If you have a shortage of counter space, you should | | | | The idea is good, but I have yet to find one that uses a |
| consider the smaller machine. | | | | thermal carafe to hold the coffee and keep it hot for |
| It's best to read all the reviews you can to see what | | | | hours like the best thermal coffee maker can. |