Different Types of Coffee Making Machines

Coffee is one of the most loved and consumed beverages in the world. From a job-going person to a housewife to a businessman, everyone needs a strong dose of caffeine to make it through the day. Caffeine is the best option if you are working late at night or waking up early in the morning. According to a study, in America almost 79% of people drink coffee they prepare at their homes. Every regular coffee drinker has some type of coffee maker in their home. Today, we are going to discuss some different types of coffee making machines that people usually use to prepare a strong dose of caffeine. Let’s discuss all the different types of coffee makers.

8 Types of Coffee Makers

Here’re the list that you can go through:

1. Drip Coffee Maker:

Drip coffee makers are very common in households where coffee is drunk frequently. As suggested by the name, this machine prepares coffee using the drip method. This machine was invented to automate the process of preparing something called pour-over coffee. Pour-over coffee is prepared by slowly and precisely pouring coffee over coffee grounds. Manually this process takes time and patience but using a drip coffee maker is automated.

The working of this machine is simple and the machine itself is very easy to use. The machine starts the preparation by heating water, inserted by the user into the storing tank. The water is heated and then is released over freshly ground coffee contained in the brew basket. The coffee then slowly drips down into the collection tank called a carafe.

As simple as the work is, still some things need to be taken care of while using a drip coffee maker. The coffee maker needs to be descaled and cleaned. Descaling means removing the deposits that build up in the heating systems. Water contains many minerals and the coffee is prepared using water only. So, the minerals get deposited in the tubes and containers inside the machine. The descaling can be done simply by passing some distilled white vinegar through the apparatus. Also, regular cleaning of the carafe and the brewing basket needs to be done to prevent the building of oils that can make the coffee rancid.

2. Thermal Coffee Maker:

Thermal Coffee Makers work just like a drip coffee maker but instead of having a glass carafe it has an insulated metal carafe that keeps the coffee warm for hours. Beneath the insulated carafe is a heating plate that keeps the brewed coffee warm for a long period without actually cooking it. These coffee machines are more expensive than the normal drip coffee makers but are worth the investment if you want hot and fresh coffee on the go.

3. Espresso Machines:

The Espresso coffee makers are mostly used in coffee shops and restaurants. These machines are best when needed to prepare large quantities and different types of coffee. The machine prepares coffee by forcing highly pressurized water heated nearly to its boiling point through tightly packed coffee grounds and through a filter to produce thick and concentrated coffee extract called espresso. The first espresso machine was built by Luigi Bezzera in the 1900s. Many different machine designs are made but most of them share some common features, such as a group head and a portafilter. Generally, espresso machines have a steam wand that is used to froth or steam liquids (generally milk) for coffee drinks like cappuccino and latte.

4. Electric Percolators:

An electric percolator is were the most popular coffee brewer until the invention of drip makers in the 1970s. A percolator works on the heating and the rising principle of water. It has been established that electric percolators were in the production stage since the 1920s and were available in markets since the 1940s.

The working of an electric percolator is very simple and uses a simple method to prepare good coffee. An electric coffee percolator has a pot with a chamber that contains water placed near the heat source at the bottom. In the center is a vertical tube that goes to the top of the apparatus. Under the lid of the percolator is a perforated chamber that contains coarsely-ground coffee.

When the machine is turned on, the water starts boiling and the bubbles produced pushes the water up in the tube. The water exits through the top of the tube and is poured over the coffee grounds. The water gets mixed with the soluble parts of the coffee and slowly drips down back into the water chamber. This process keeps repeating again and again.

5. Siphon Coffee Makers:

A Siphon Coffee Maker prepares coffee using two chambers where the concept of vapor pressure and gravity is used to produce coffee. This coffee maker was invented by Loeff of Berlin in the 1830s. These are commonly known as vacuum coffee makers and were very popular until the mid of 20th century because they were able to prepare a clear brew but when newer and easier methods were introduced these were replaced.

This coffee maker works like a siphon. This machine’s method of heating and cooling the lower vessel changes the vapor pressure of water in the lower container, first pushing the water up into the upper container, then after the lower tank cools down, the waterfalls back down into the bottom container. How this works is when the water in the bottom container is heated, it increases the vapor pressure above the liquid water. When the vapor pressure exceeds the atmospheric pressure, it pushes the remaining liquid up the siphon tube into the top chamber that has coffee grounds. After the water reaches the top container, the mixture is stirred for about 1 minute to mix the coffee grounds.

After the coffee is brewed and the heat being provided is stopped. The brewed coffee still contains some coffee grounds that need to be separated. After the heat being provided is stopped, the vapor pressure starts decreasing and the coffee from the top chamber starts dripping down through a filter and the fresh and clear brew is produced.

6. French Press Coffee Maker:

A French Press Coffee Maker is a manual coffee maker which has a cylindrical carafe, a plunger, and a built-in filter that percolates the coffee. It only uses boiled water to steep coarse grinds for about four minutes. This approach is more subtle than drip coffee makers or stovetop brewers as it does not overcook the coffee which turns the brew bitter.

A French press coffee maker prepares coffee by submerging ground coffee in nearly boiled water and then filtering the grounds from the coffee by pressing down the filter. Water should be at about 900C to optimize flavor extraction. If the temperature is more then the coffee will taste burnt or if the temperature is low, it’ll be undercooked and watery.

To use the machine follow the below-mentioned steps:

• Boil water and then leave it for 30 seconds to optimize the temperature.

• Put the coffee grounds and hot boiled water into the carafe. After about 1 minute, some coffee grounds will start floating on the surface. Take a spoon and stir until the grounds sink.

• Put the lid with the plunger pulled up completely and then wait for 3-4 minutes.

• Push the plunger down gently and serve instantly to enjoy a perfect cup of coffee.

7. AeroPress:

The AeroPress is a manual coffee maker. It has a cylindrical chamber, a plunger with an airtight seal, identical to a syringe. Grounded coffee is submerged in water and then forced through a filter by pushing the plunger through the cylindrical chamber. AeroPress can brew highly concentrated coffee, identical to the famous espresso, but is also used to brew light-strength coffee. The AeroPress coffee maker was invented by retired engineering lecturer Alan Adler. Mr. Adler is the founder of AeroPress Incorporated.

Using AeroPress is very easy. Finely ground coffee is placed on a paper filter and then the water is poured into the coffee grounds and the mixture is stirred for about 10-15 seconds. The temperature of the water is based on how you like your coffee. Approximately 850C hot water is used for dark roast coffee and 790C hot for light roast coffee. After stirring the plunger is pushed inwards to force the coffee through the filter and into the pot which gives a fresh and hot cup of coffee.

8. Cold Brew Coffee Maker:

A cold brew coffee maker is a manual coffee maker that prepares coffee extracts that are refrigerated instead of heating the water. The coffee produced by this coffee maker is less acidic and contains almost 2-3 times more caffeine.

To brew a perfect cup of cold brew coffee, use the coarsest ground coffee. The coffee grounds should look like bread crumbs to get the best brew. Place the coffee grounds in the coffee container and put water at room temperature or colder. Refrigerate the coffee maker for about 12-18 hours. Remember, the long coffee is submerged, the strong will be the brew.

Take out the coffee maker after refrigeration and remove the coffee grounds. Your brew is ready to consume.

The Bottom Line

In this article, we discussed many different types of coffee makers and how they work. We hope that this article helped you find the best coffee maker that suits your needs. If you have any queries, you can visit aajjo.com and contact our customer support team. We are glad to clear any of your doubts and confusion.