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Spending a bit of time browsing about the aisles of your local home appliance store, department store or kitchen store will soon have your head swimming with the number of coffee machines being offered. There are literally hundreds of different styles, models, types and price ranges of this essential kitchen appliance to select from, which can be a bit confusing for many buyers.
If you stop and think about what you want in a coffee maker you can narrow down your scope of coffee devices, helping your decision making process. A good idea is to first spend some time examining the features that are offered on the modern styles of coffee makers, which can range from clocks and timers through to automatic starters and even built in coffee grinders.
One of the most important first considerations for selecting from the many coffee machines on the market is deciding what volume of coffee you want to make per use. There are standard 12 cup coffee makers, huge banquet style machines and now even the individual pod style that makes only a single cup at a time. There are machines that hold a carafe and those that hold specialized travel mugs or just regular coffee mugs. Generally if you think you will need a larger standard 12 cup model it is a better option to go this route as you can always make a partial pot. If you choose the small single serving options you can't upsize the volume of coffee per brewing.
Filters are also an important consideration. Single pod makers don't have filters; the pods themselves hold the coffee and form the filter. Basket style filters are most common and provide a significant amount of time for the water to contact the coffee, producing a strong, aromatic coffee brewing experience. Most of these will also have the option to set the strength of the coffee, which really is the length of time the hot water sits in the basket. Cone type filters are also popular and very good for making any type of coffee. Gold cone filters are a great option for a rich beverage but also in helping out the environment. These filters can be washed and used for years with proper care.
Baskets can be designed to swing out from the machine or lift out. Either option is good; however, the swing out baskets is another movable part on the machine that may be prone to damage. If you do use a swing out basket always close the basket immediately after adding coffee or cleaning to prevent hitting it and possibly damaging the hinges.
Several additional features are handy to have on any type of coffee machines that brew more than one cup at a time. Automatic timers are a simple way to have your coffee ready to go when you get up in the morning. Having a two hour feature that automatically shuts off the heater plate under the carafe also prevents burning coffee to the bottom of the pot as well as prevents overheating and possible fire concerns. Finally additional springs in the drainage from the basket can allow the carafe to be removed before the complete brewing cycle without coffee pouring out onto the burner. This can be handy if you need to grab a cup and run or just can't wait for the full cycle to complete.
Sorting through the many colors, styles and designs of coffee machines once you have the basic features you want identified isn't too difficult. Be sure to read reviews and check out the ratings on various machines before deciding on which one is right for you.
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