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Three things to consider when buying a coffee brewer
- A single cup of coffee. For those who only want an occasional cup of coffee, a capsule machine can be a good choice. But there are also smaller coffee makers that only hold 1-2 cups, and saves a lot of space iin the kitchen.
- Whole Jugs. For those of you who are heavy drinkers or who want to treat the neighbors to a cup of coffee on a sunny spring day, a larger brewer is needed. The classic filter coffee machines usually brew up to 1.5 liters of coffee
- To the office. At work, it can be practical to be able to brew two pots of coffee at a time, so it's enough for both meetings and your coffee-drinking colleagues.
Hot water and coffee beans = coffee. It isn't more difficult than that, in theory. But in practice there are coffee makers in many price ranges with many different functions and features. In general, the quality of the brewer tends to rise in line with the price, but not always. At the slightly more expensive end we find the ECBC approved coffee machines, which are built for optimal coffee brewing – and coffee taste. Read about ECBC here.
If you like waking up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee, a coffee maker with a built-in timer is a practical choice. If you leave the house in a flying leap with your breath in your throat, it can be nice to know that an automatic shutdown ensures that the coffee maker is not left on all day, with the risk of fire as a result. A brewer that brews directly into a thermos saves electricity as they switch off immediately when the coffee is finished, and the coffee still stays warm. The advantage here is also that your coffee stays hot, without having the disturbing aftertaste of burnt coffee.
FAQ
Between every two to four months, depending on the hardness of the water in your area. There are more minerals in hard water, which means you may have to descale your machine more often. If your area has soft water, it should be sufficient to descale the machine less often. Some manufacturers recommend a descaling after 40 brews.
If a coffee maker has a drip-stop, it means that the coffee stops dripping down when you remove the carafe. This means you can avoid unnecessary spillage, and you can fill your cup before the brew is finished. When you put the carafe back in its place, the brewing will automatically start again. This differs slightly from product to product.
There are a lot of different descaling liquids made by the coffee manufacturers, but a common household remedy is to descale the coffee maker with vinegar:
- Fill the water tank with 600 ml of water and add 100 ml of vinegar.
- Switch on the machine and let half of the liquid brew.
- Switch off the machine and let it rest for 15 minutes.
- Turn the machine back on and let the rest of the liquid brew.
- Rinse the machine by brewing with just water a couple of times.
- Fill the water reservoir with fresh, cold water for the number of cups you want to make. The number of cups is usually outlined on the side of the water tank; if not, you should measure 125 ml per mug.
- Place a paper filter in the filter basket. (You can rinse the filter beforehand to remove any flavour from the previous paper.)
- Weigh or measure fresh coffee for the amount of water you have poured. Count on 7 grams of coffee per cup (60g per litre of water) or a brimming measure of coffee per cup.
- Place the coffee in the filter and turn on the machine. Now you just have to wait.
- Drink the coffee as soon as it is finished brewing. Coffee is the tastiest when it’s fresh.
For a 125 ml cup of coffee, you should count on using 7–8 grams of coffee or 60 grams per litre of water. There are also custom coffee measuring cups; with these, your count is based on each full measure.
- Make sure the coffee maker and the carafe are clean. A coffee maker should be cleaned every second week if it’s used daily, and the carafe should be cleaned after each use.
- Use cold water from the tap. If the water is too warm, it can get overheated during the brewing process, which leads to a burnt and bitter flavour.
- Use the right amount of coffee: 7 grams, or a brim-full measure, of coffee per cup – or 60 grams per litre of water. If you want a stronger or a milder flavour, you should choose a coffee that’s been roasted differently, rather than adding more or less of the same ground beans.
- Use fresh coffee – the aroma is the strongest when it’s fresh. An opened package of ground coffee tastes its best the first 2–3 weeks after opening. The coffee should be stored in an airtight container in a dark, cool place.
- Use white filters for the machine. Brown paper filters give off more flavour of the paper than bleached filters. Alternatively, you can wet the filter before you start the brew, as this removes some of the paper flavours