Coffee Makers
Created by Alan on 19 Feb 2009 | Tagged as: Uncategorized
Coffee makers are devices that make coffee. There are many different devices out there that make coffee, some simple, some complex, and all with their pros and cons. Here are the most common types of coffee makers you'll come across.
Drip Coffee Makers
Drip Coffee makers are by far the most popular type of coffee makers available. They work by dripping hot water over coffee grounds, and rely on gravity to force the water through the coffee.
Vacuum Coffee Makers
Vacuum coffee makers are very unique machines, and fascinating to watch. These machines work by using heat and pressure to force hot water from a lower chamber to an upper chamber, where it steeps in ground coffee. When the cycle is over, the brewed coffee returns to the lower chamber and is ready to drink.
French Press/Press Pot Coffee Makers
French Presses are pots that have a plunger with a mesh filter on it. To use, you put ground coffee into the pot, then pour hot water over the grounds. After steeping for a few minutes, the plunger pushes all of the grounds to the bottom of the pot. You can then serve the filtered coffee. This is the purist's favorite way to brew coffee.
Chemex
The Chemex coffee maker has a very devoted following, and yet is one of the simplest methods to brew coffee. The maker is an hourglass shaped flask, in which a heavy paper filter is placed. The ground coffee goes into the filter, and hot water is poured over it. The heavy filter is designed to remove all of the bad flavors in coffee, while letting the good flavors through.
Cold Brew Coffee Makers
Cold brew coffee has taken the country by storm. The product makers claim a smoother cup with less acidity. To use, coffee grounds are steeped in cold water for about 12 hours. When it's done steeping, the coffee is filtered, and ready for use. The coffee produced is concentrated, so add water or milk, and you're ready to go! This method works well for iced coffee drinks.
Espresso Machines
While not usually thought of as "coffee machines", espresso machines technically are. Espresso is a pressure brewed coffee concentrate, and requires an espresso machine to make it.
