Coffee and Tea Makers
Coffee makers and tea makers are convenient, efficient devices that make brewing your favorite black coffee or tea a breeze. Completely automatic, they require minimal preparation and setup for brewing. Coffee makers and tea makers can also reduce waste by making one cup of brew at a time instead of an entire pot that goes to waste.
What are the different types of coffee and tea makers?- Filter Machines: Cold water is poured into the top of the device, which drips through a filter filled with grounds or tea. The device is heated by a hot plate at the bottom. Blend selection is limitless. A pot of beverage is brewed at once and can be poured into cups from there.
- Pod Machines: Coffee and tea come in pre-packaged small containers that are inserted into the machine instead of grounds in a filter. You add water to the top up to a fill line, place a mug at the bottom, and press a button to initiate the process. The coffee maker or tea maker makes a hole in the container of grounds or tea and heated water is sent through the container and into the mug. Cleanup is a breeze, but not all types of coffee or tea are available in the special type of containers needed to load these coffee makers for brewing. One cup of beverage is brewed at a time.
- Percolators: Coffee grounds or tea leaves are situated above a compartment filled with water. As the device heats, the water boils. The pressure created by the heat forces the H2O up a tube and down through the grounds into a lower compartment. Percolators come in models to use with a stove heat source or in electric models that are self-sufficient for brewing variety.
- Pump Espresso Maker: Water is heated to an optimal temperature and then runs through grounds at a specific pressure. Some of these coffee makers include options for steamed milk and other accessories in case you don't take your brewed espresso black.
- Bean-to-cup: Beans are ground and hot water runs through it. This is very similar to an espresso maker with the added benefit of grinding beans.
- Water Boilers:These devices simply heat water rapidly on a hot plate so that it can be used to stir with instant coffee grounds, a tea bag, or tea leaves.
- Space: How much kitchen counter space is available for the device? If you need the stove to power your device, is one available and if so, is it big enough to accommodate your coffee maker?
- Price: How much are you willing to spend?
- Availability of coffee: If you want to get a pod machine but your favorite blend only comes ground in bags, you may want to reassess.
- Aesthetics: if you’re planning to leave your device out in the kitchen consistently as opposed to putting it away after each use, are you pleased with the way it looks?
Pod machines offer the convenience of making one cup of coffee or tea at a time, while others make multiple cups at once. Pod machines are great for easy cleanup and saving resources, but you’ll want to check that your favorite coffee is available in the necessary plastic containers before you invest.