What's Brewing? Types of Coffee Makers

How It Brews

Water from the reservoir passes through a heating tube, saturates the grinds in the brew basket and drips into the carafe.

Helpful hint: Choosing a coffee maker with a built-in grinder lets you prep beans right before you brew, which means a fresher flavor and richer roast.

Programmable Features

• Not a morning person? With 24-hour programmability, the coffee maker will rise early, so you can have a cup in hand first thing.
• Too busy to stick around for the entire brew?
  Pause features let you grab a cup mid-brew.
• Craving a stronger flavor or aroma?
  Strength selectors cater every cup to your taste.
• Wondering when that pot was brewed?
  Freshness timers keep tabs on that.
• Turning off the coffee maker not the first thing on your mind? Auto shut-off is a must-have.

Keep it clean.

Coffee oils cling and interfere with flavor. For fresh taste, wash out the pot and filter basket with every new pot, clean the coffee maker once a week and descale once a month.

Be generous.

Dish out more beans! A weak blend doesn't mean a bad coffee maker. For a better brew, use one full tablespoon of ground coffee for every 8 ounces (about 227 grams) of water.

Wait a minute.

If you have the time, resist the urge to hit the brew pause. The first cup of coffee carries the most flavor and strength. For a balanced blend, wait for the entire pot to brew.

Pump Espresso Maker

Using Thermo-Block system coils to flash heat water to precise, unique temperatures for both brewing and steaming, the pump espresso maker is perfect for achieving crema and providing continuous steam for cappuccinos and lattes.

Before You Brew: Factor in a small lag time caused by the different temperatures required for brewing, steaming and frothing.

Helpful hint: There's no need to wait for the machine to cool before opening the stopper, so you can keep steaming and brewing. Plus, brewing and steaming are two separate processes that use two separate temperatures, so espresso will never get overcooked and ruined.

Semi-Automatic Espresso Maker

Keeping tabs on the perfect brewing temperature, a semi-automatic machine turns off the heat when the boiler temperature changes. Plus, an automated pump maintains and regulates pressure for a more consistent blend.

Before You Brew: Remember most semi-automatic machines don't have an auto-on or auto-off time, so make time in the morning to turn it on—and don't forget to shut it off!

Helpful hint: Top off every drink! Most machines have wands to add the finishing touches—steam or froth—to every café-quality drink.

Coffee Grinder

The best-tasting coffee starts with the freshest grounds, and grinding coffee beans right before you brew ensures you get the true, rich flavors of your favorite blends.
•  A blade coffee grinder uses a fan-like blade to grind and chop the beans, and is the less expensive option.
•  A burr coffee grinder uses serrated cone-shaped or flat burrs to crush beans, and is the preferred option for espresso drinks.

Milk Frother

This tool heats up and aerates milk into a foamy, frothed texture—the perfect topper to lattes, cappuccinos, macchiatos and more! You can find hand pump frothers, which requires manually pumping the milk to create froth, as well as motorized whisks and electric frothers, which do the work for you and can create larger amounts more easily.