Best Coffee Maker For Your Needs
Your answers decide the best coffee maker for you
If you are looking to find the best coffee maker for your needs, we help you do that with this article. Have a go at answering the questions below for yourself and this will lead you to one of the types of coffee maker listed at the end.
The questions
What type of coffee do you like to drink?
The answers can be black coffee, with milk, with milk and foam. When you answer this, you should consider the coffee any friends and family will like too. We’ve found you get a lot more popular with friends and family when you have a coffee maker at home 😉
If you answered black your choice of coffee maker is a stove top espresso or filter based machine. If you would like coffee with milk and/or foam, then a pod machine, barista style or bean to cup machines are the ones which have a milk frother included. Otherwise, you can get a separate milk frother for the stove top or filter maker as well.
How important is the convenience of making the coffee & cleaning up?
If you are frazzled and rushed in the morning, then a pod machine or bean to cup machine is the way to go. They are quick and convenient and very little cleaning up after is required.
If you aren’t prioritising convenience then look at the next couple of questions to decide on the best coffee maker for you
Does flavour really matter or is it enough if it’s better than instant or somewhere in between?
If the flavour really matters, it’s sticking to a separate grinder along with a stove top, filter based or barista style machine where you have much more control over the flavour of your coffee.
Pod machines are a good answer if you want your coffee to be better than instant but convenient.
If your answer is somewhere in between, then look at the next question.
How much money do you want to spend compared to a jar of instant?
If money is no object, then a bean to cup machine can give you the freshest coffee with convenience and flavour.
If money is no object and you want the best flavour, kit your kitchen out with a good automatic coffee grinder and a state of the art barista machine.
If you don’t mind spending some amount but don’t want to get into three digits and you value convenience, then look at a pod machine.
If you value flavour, convenience and are on a budget, look at a stove top maker or filter maker with shop bought coffee powder.
How much time do you want to spend making the coffee & enjoying it
Will you enjoy sitting down and savouring a coffee? If you want a slow coffee, consider a manual grinder with a stove top or filter based coffee maker. If you like gadgets, then a barista style machine with an automatic grinder works well.
If coffee is more of a chore & necessity for caffeine, then a pod machine will be the right answer for you.
Different types of coffee makers
1. Stove top
Creates espresso in about 5 minutes. Can make rich espressos but needs some amount of skill. Quality of your ground coffee will determine the ultimate flavour. Budget option for flavourful coffee.
2. Pod machines
Pop a pod into the machine, press a button and your coffee is ready. These are the most convenient coffee makers for flavour that’s better than instant. No skill required.
3. Filter based
Paper or wire mesh is used to filter a brew into a cup or container. This includes the V60, chemex and French press. You’ll need to get the right grind to extract the best flavour which can take intermediate skill. But these are budget options for long black coffees.
4. Barista style
Complex machine that pushes water through a portafilter to extract espresso. All other drinks are either by adding hot water or milk and foam to this base drink. Considerable skill required to get the right quantities, tamping. Cleaning is time consuming. Descaling can be complex.
5. Bean to cup machines
Most expensive of the coffee makers. With some, there is no need for skill to create a consistent coffee, you just push a button. With others you will need Barista type skills to pull a great coffee. Read about the best bean to cup machines here.