If you love coffee, the term coffee maker is not foreign to you. You may think of it as anything you can use to prepare your favorite brew.
There are those who have no idea what a coffee maker is and what it’s used for. This article is for you. Here is some information about coffee makers.
A coffee maker is a device that automatically brews coffee using electricity or gas. These devices have been in existence for thousands of years.
They use pressure or gravity to move hot water through grounds to extract its flavor and aroma.
Most of them are made of a water reservoir that holds water for coffee making and a space to contain the coffee grounds called a filter.
They also have a coffee brewing system and a carafe or pot made of glass or ceramic that collects brewed coffee.
Some coffee machines have extra features that ease the coffee brewing system, such as a timer.
Others have a panel that allows them to program the coffee-making process by choosing how strongly to brew coffee or put it through a self-cleaning cycle. There are also those with automatic shut-off features.
The shape of paper filters used in coffee makers differs depending on the type of filter basket they have. There are round, square, and conical filters for automatic coffee machines.
The brewed coffee usually passes through a paper filter to ensure no residue finds its way into the brewed coffee.
Coffee makers usually brew between 10 to 12 coffee cups in minutes. There are also those made to brew one or two coffee cups per cycle.
Most coffee makers are made to sit on countertops and take up very little space in a kitchen.
What Makes Up a Coffee Maker?
A typical coffee maker comprises three parts: the water reservoir, the filter basket, and a hot water tube with a shower head.
The hot water tube leads from the reservoir to the filter basket. It directs hot water over coffee grounds during coffee brewing. A one-way valve keeps the hot water from flowing back into the reservoir.
Coffee makers are powered by electricity or heated over the stove via a heating element at the bottom.
This heating element comprises an aluminum heating tube and a tube that allows water to pass through it during the brewing process.
Most automatic coffee makers have a warming plate on which they are placed during and after the coffee brewing process.
The warming plate acts as a heater during coffee brewing, and a warmer after the coffee is brewed.
Coffee makers have a power switch you can turn on or off to brew coffee. They also have sensors that prevent them from overheating.
Different Types of Coffee Makers
There are over ten different types of coffee makers on the market. The most popular ones are;
- Drip coffee makers,
- French press coffee makers
- Espresso coffee makers
- Percolators
Drip Coffee Makers
Drip coffee makers work by heating water that automatically drips over a filter with coffee grounds. The brewed coffee drips into a cup or carafe under the filter, ready for drinking.
Some examples are the Breville Precision Brewer, Cuisinart DGB-800BC, OXO BREW 9 Cup Coffeemaker, and Technivorm Moccamaster KBT coffee maker.
Percolators
Coffee percolators brew coffee using a continuous boiling cycle and gravity. They are made of a pot with a heating pad at the bottom, a water reservoir, and a chamber at the top or filter basket that holds coffee grounds.
Water is poured into the coffee jug, and coffee grounds are scooped into the filter basket. The percolator is heated over a stove.
Once the water boils, steam pressurizes hot water up the jug and over the coffee grounds in the filter. Gravity then pulls the brewed coffee down into the jug.
Another kind of coffee machine that uses this concept (the use of gravity and pressure to brew coffee) is the vacuum coffee maker.
Some examples of percolators are Yosemite stainless steel stovetop percolator, Presto Stainless Steel Electric Percolator, and Cuisinox Roma Moka Espresso Maker.
Espresso Coffee Makers
Espresso coffee makers use pressure to extract coffee from fine grounds. Hot water is forced through coffee grounds at great force to extract a flavorful brew in seconds. This machine also comes with extensions for milk frothing.
Some examples of Espresso coffee makers are the De’Longhi Stilosa Espresso Machine and Cuisinart EM-100.
Conclusion
Now you know what a coffee maker is and how several coffee makers work. Use this information to pick the best coffee maker for your home, depending on the kind of coffee-making process you prefer.
You can buy a simple percolator, a french press, a drip coffee maker, or an Espresso machine. You’ll find that there is a coffee maker to suit any budget.
