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Not surprisingly, coffee makers have been around
almost as long as coffee. The original coffee brewer was the Turkish Ibrik, a
copper container with a long handle and a grooved tongue. Still used in the
Middle East, it produces a very strong brew since it does no filtering.
For those more interested in drinking a beverage than eating coffee grounds, a
wide variety of types are available from the plain to the esoteric. Here are a
few things to look for...
make coffee simple -- or not
The largest percentage of
coffee makers these days is, of course, the
inexpensive drip model. Pour water in the top, it's heated by an electric coil,
the water passes through coffee grounds and into a glass pot sitting on a
heating plate.
But beyond these basics, there are a few features that come in handy.
Controls have proliferated to the point that many coffee makers look like a
modern stereo. LCD screens display the time, the time to brew, the temperature,
a timer and several other info bits make it even more esoteric.
The "degree of brew desired" control is a minimum necessity, but more control
rather than less may be preferred. Auto-shutoff is handy for those who forget to
turn it off. Most people these days are too busy to wait for the brewing process
to complete, so they remove the pot before the water has finished dripping. In
the past, coffee would continue to drip, splashing onto the heating plate. The
automatic shut-off solves this by stopping the water flow when the pot is lifted
off the heating element.
The illuminated displays also help on those dark mornings when you can't find
the light switch and haven't yet had your coffee to get your eyes completely
open.
to pod or not to pod
Cleaning has been made easier, too, by the invention of
coffee "pods" --
small pre-measured paper containers of coffee through which the water flows.
They have the added advantage of providing good filtering for grounds. Once the
brewing is complete you just pop them out (after they've cooled!) and toss them
into the waste basket. Essential for the busy - and opposed to cleaning up -
coffee drinker.
Several models are available with water filters, essential for the urban dweller
where the city supply often tastes like the community swimming pool. The filters
are pricey but a good cup of coffee is priceless.
Permanent coffee filter styles can be had, but with the pods they're much less
important. Debates rage over the environmental impact and the taste effect of
the paper from the pods. Vote your conscience .... or your taste buds.
Some coffee makers even have integrated
bean grinders, but I prefer to do that
in a separate device for easier clean up. I haven't seen one, but wouldn't be
surprised if there even were integrated roaster/grinder/brewers.
That really is taking a good thing too far, in my opinion. Sometimes the
old-fashioned ways are best. Maybe the Turks have something there. My coffee HAS
been tasting a little weak, lately...
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