How to choose a coffee maker

Real black coffee is prepared only from natural grains: roasted, ground and brewed according to the rule. Sublimates will not give the consumer the necessary vigor for the whole day, and a natural drink will easily. However, not everyone has the ability to prepare a fragrant drink in a Turk, and sometimes there is simply not enough time for this. In any situation, the problem is solved by purchasing a high-quality coffee maker, which in 5 minutes can brew an espresso, Americano or latte. To know how to choose a coffee maker, you need to read the recommendations.

The principle of operation and the device of the coffee maker

A coffee maker can be an automatic or a semi-automatic - the principle of its operation will not change significantly from this. As indicated, she will simply brew coffee (heat up the water and run it through the ground beans, as a result of which the drink gets a unique taste and smell).

How this directly happens will depend on the selected assembly of the product: some products simply pour boiling water over a sieve with granules, the rest will supply hot water under pressure. One thing will remain unchanged - the basic elements of the coffee maker:

• container for liquid;
• a horn, filter or sieve for a drink;
• Heating element;
• start key or full-fledged remote control.

In a coffee machine that works under pressure, sometimes there are pumps and magnetic pumps, and in the most expensive products there are even integrated coffee grinders and cappuccinatores.

Coffee Maker Selection Options

To choose a high-quality coffee maker, you need to know the key parameters of the purchased device. This will help extend the life of the machine and get a high-quality drink.

Power

The power determines the speed at which the coffee is brewed, as well as its strength, and often the volume of the prepared beverage. The larger this parameter, the less time the coffee maker will need to make a portion of coffee, and its taste will become richer.

• when it is necessary to make an extremely rich drink, a device with a capacity of 800 W or more is chosen;
• for large families or for an office space, you will need a more serious device that consumes at least 1 kW;
• When the cooking speed does not play a special role for the user, a 400-500 Watt fixture is suitable.

When purchasing a drip machine, it is optimal to select a product of low power, which will not exceed 750 watts. Cooking will become slower, but the beverage will collect the most ingredients from the ground grain.

Pressure

Such a parameter is important for the carob apparatus, since it will directly affect the speed of preparation and the strength of the coffee.

The developers of a number of models indicate in the accompanying documents the option of raising the pressure to 17 bar, but in fact, even at 7-9, high-quality espresso will be prepared. In this regard, you should not look for large numbers when you do not want to overpay.

Tank volume

The spaciousness of the hot water chamber should be emphasized by those who want to prepare a drink constantly and in large quantities.

• In the office, devices are installed that are capable of dispensing at least 2 liters of ready-made coffee at 1 filling.
• For domestic use, products in a volume of up to 500 ml are generally sufficient - they are more economical both in terms of energy consumption and in terms of the consumption of coffee powder.

The capacity of the container is extremely important for a geyser device - you should not pour less liquid into it than is required to push through the tube inside. When you purchase a 500 g attachment, you only get 0.5 liters of drink when you exit.

Additional functions

In addition, you should pay attention to the auxiliary functions:

• “Drop-stop” will stop the preparation of the drink when you remove the coffee pot or cup from the tray. Operation continues as soon as they are in place. A convenient option for those who will not wait for the whole portion, in particular, it will become necessary in drip devices.
• The “Timer” functions as a delayed start, it makes it possible to set the start time of the coffee machine, so that aromatic coffee has already been prepared by the set time interval.
• “Strength control” - this option will be useful for families of coffee lovers, where everyone has their own requirements for the preparation of the drink.
• The “overflow protection” shuts off the device when the pot is full and there is still liquid in the container.
• The “Auto Warm Up” option keeps the coffee warm for half an hour after the brewing process.

Types of coffee makers

A large number of people love coffee, but not everyone knows how many varieties of coffee machines there are and how they function. This indicator is the first thing that you need to know when choosing a device for high-quality preparation of such a drink. Coffee machines are getting better, new options appear - timer, heating, portion adjustment, etc., which will also affect the cost. There are automatic and semi-automatic coffee makers, some products have a cappuccinatore.

Electric Turk

The simplest type of coffee machine, according to its own principle of operation, is mostly similar to an electric kettle. Ground coffee grains are poured into a tank made of heat-resistant glass, plastic or refractory ceramics and water is poured, then an electric Turk is installed on a platform with heating elements.

In such a coffee maker, it is possible to prepare 4-9 cups of coffee in a matter of minutes - in strict compliance with the rules of brewing technology.

Pros:

• insignificant dimensions and weight;
• no filters required;
• coffee will be prepared quickly and easily;
• it is possible to use an electric turk for boiling water or brewing tea;
• battery products are available for purchase;
• adequate price.

Minuses:

• not every model has an auto-off option.

Geyser

It is another type of coffee machine, but this time it consists of 2 compartments. The heating element is located below, clean water is poured here, the prepared drink is collected at the top. Such vessels are connected to each other using a thin tube that passes through a separator filter with ground coffee.

During the heating process, the liquid at the bottom will increase the pressure and almost independently squeeze itself out of the compartment. As it climbs the tube, it will pass through the coffee powder, brew it, and then collect at the top. The prepared coffee will come out quite aromatic, with a stable foam, which is extremely appreciated by coffee lovers.

Some geyser coffee makers can circulate water in a circle 4-5 times, making the drink as strong as possible (although the smell is, of course, lost during this period). The geyser coffee maker has its own capacity: in the largest, it is possible to prepare 18 cups of strong drink at a time.

Pros:

• simple operation;
• rather small dimensions;
• a drink is quickly prepared;
• cooking control is not required;
• can be used to make tea;
• a rather strong drink is being prepared.

Minuses:

• it is not possible to prepare small portions - it is necessary to fill the coffee pot up to the highest mark;
• when the drink boils, useful components and partly its smell are lost.

Drip

In such devices, a slightly different principle of coffee preparation is applied. Pure liquid is poured into the upper container, where it is brought with the help of a heating element to a temperature of 90-95 degrees. Further, the water slowly seeps down through the filter with ground coffee beans, saturated with its smell and taste, and will flow into the coffee pot.

Drip products differ in performance and capacity of the container, but each one prepares an equally weak drink. At the same time, they function slowly, but in non-stop mode (until the liquid runs out or the coffee pot is full).

Pros:

• easy operation and cleaning;
• with an impressive volume of the container, it is possible to prepare a large amount of coffee;
• production of models with the option of automatic heating of the coffee pot;
• small price.

Minuses:

• there is no pressure, the drink will come out unsaturated and not so aromatic;
• replaceable filters do not differ in long-term operation, therefore you need to spend money on them and replace them all the time;
• cooking period - the drink will be prepared slowly, therefore it will turn out to be not hot;
• care - after any use, the tank needs to be washed and cleaned (or replaced) the filter.

Carob (holder)

Often the question arises of how to choose an espresso machine. Carob products will make aromatic coffee better than the above products. Here the steam from the liquid heated inside the boiler will be fed under a significant pressure of 4-15 bar into the horn with pressed coffee powder, and then poured into the cup. Everything will take about 1 minute. The taste and smell of the prepared coffee will depend on the method of supplying wet steam and its temperature.

• in the holder product, the boiler valve will open if the liquid boils, and the pressure rises to 4 bar (due to such processing, the drink will turn out to be quite strong);
• pump products will cope better with their own task (first of all, they will not boil the liquid, but heat up to the “necessary” 95 degrees, and the integrated pump will provide the highest supply pressure of about 15 bar, which will result in an excellent brewed drink in 30 seconds).

Pros:

• the “correct” drink is prepared - aroma, taste and strength;
• cups fill up quickly;
• a significant range of products with a capacity of 200 ml - 1.5 liters;
• often have auxiliary options, for example, a cappuccino maker or a second outlet.

Minuses:

• will take up a large space in the kitchen;
• difficult to care for;
• need a particularly fine grinding of coffee;
• noisy operation.

Capsule

This is a fairly new type of device, but it is they who can be called a full-fledged coffee machine. During operation, such products often use the pump-action principle of preparing a drink under pressure, only here the wet steam will be passed through a special capsule with the prepared powder.

The process is fully automatic, even the used casings will be dumped by the coffee machine into a special container. Capsules or pods for such devices must be purchased additionally, choosing the type of coffee that is more suitable.

Pros:

• fast and fully automatic process of preparing a drink;
• simple grooming - just wipe the device from splashes and rinse the pan;
• deliciously brewed coffee and tea of ​​various varieties;
• has a fairly small size and weight.

Minuses:

• a large number of capsule products function only with “native” pods;
• rather high price for capsules;
• it is possible to prepare only those drinks that are available for purchase.

The best coffee maker manufacturers - which company to choose

The household appliances market is saturated with devices of any shape and assembly in the most extensive price ranges.

Buying a product from a popular manufacturer can guarantee a long life of the product, although, of course, you will need to overpay for a brand name. In a large number of popular companies it is possible to find lines of affordable coffee machines for people with different incomes.

It is recommended to purchase models from the following companies, which are leaders in the small household appliances market:

• Delonghi;
• Bosch;
• Philips;
• Krups.

Before purchasing, you need to find out what key characteristics should have popular coffee makers from these manufacturers. However, to make a final decision, you should initially familiarize yourself with the varieties and the principle of functioning of such devices, since the aroma of the drink depends on this.

Which coffee maker to choose

The question often arises of which coffee maker to choose for the home:

• Real coffee lovers and those who experiment with different varieties should use an electric turkey with a small capacity - no more than 500 ml. It is optimal that it has an auto-shutdown option, otherwise the drink constantly runs away.
• The best solution for those who prefer weak coffee, and also consume it in large quantities, are drip or geyser coffee makers. The reservoir is chosen at its own discretion, however, the more spacious it is, the greater the performance of the device should be.
• For offices, drip and geyser products are suitable, however, with an increased volume of the coffee pot: up to 10 liters in the first situation and up to 1.3 liters in the second. This will require increased power and auxiliary options.
• Those who like strong espresso should opt for pump-operated carob units (possibly with a cappuccinatore). Such a device is more expensive than a filtration or geyser analog, but it prepares a drink faster and tastier.
• When the budget allows, you can purchase a capsule product. You should buy models from popular developers.

The question often arises of how to choose coffee makers for the home. To find out how to purchase a quality product, you should read these recommendations.