In order to end up with the coffee maker best suited to your needs, you have to clearly understand what you are looking for and what options are available to you. This is done by researching in two areas.
Firstly, you research the market to find out what kinds of coffee makers are available, familiarizing yourself with the different features, styles and price ranges etc. Secondly, you examine your own unique requirements in a coffee maker.
Research the market: Coffee Maker essentials
The first part of the research step is to investigate just what's available in the coffee maker market. The range of options can seem daunting, but you can make a good start by understanding the following major features:
Type: There is a huge range of coffee makers on the market, including coffee plungers, drip coffee makers, espresso and cappuccino, the vacuum method, cold water method, pod models and the percolator.
Consumables: You will need coffee in the form of pods, beans (in which case you will need a grinder) or pre-ground to a density to match the type of coffee machine you are using. Other consumables also depend on the type of machine you purchase and include filters that come in paper, cloth, and metal.
Extra features: There are a number of extra features that can improve the quality of the coffee and the usefulness of the machine, including built in bean grinder, water filtration system, cleaning indicator light, timer and brew strength selections.
Cost: Depending on the type and quality of the coffee maker, they range in price from cheap and affordable for a basic coffee maker to extremely expensive for top of the line stainless steel models. If you can afford to pay for more than a basic bargain bin model, you will enjoy superior tasting coffee and a coffee-maker which will far outlast its competition.
Research your needs: Questions to ask yourself
Now it's time to determine what your requirements are in a coffee maker. For example, will you use the coffee maker only for entertaining or do you want to make a daily brew?
You can start this process by considering the following questions - as well as any others you think of yourself - and recording your answers.
| Have I used a coffee maker before? |
| | If you have used a coffee maker, work out what you did or didn't like about the coffee maker. You may be looking for one exactly like it, hoping to upgrade, or even trying to avoid any particular features that you found inconvenient. |
| What type of coffee maker do I need? |
| | Maybe you want to make cappuccino, latte and macchiato, or perhaps a flat white or long black do just fine. You might want a pot of coffee on the go all day. |
| How much time do I want to take making coffee? |
| | Perhaps you like to put the coffee on and do other things while it brews, or perhaps you enjoy spending time making the coffee. |
| Do I need easy maintenance? |
| | If you don't want to spend time cleaning up afterwards - scrubbing parts and emptying baskets - you may prefer a coffee machine with self-cleaning features. |
| Are quality products important to me? |
| | Would you prefer a super duper stainless steel model over a cheaper plastic coffee maker, as it is important to have a good guarantee, however price is important also. |
Understanding your needs is the key to a successful purchase and you can revisit your list of needs at any time during the buying process.
Once you complete this Research step, having informed yourself about the essentials of coffee makers and identified your needs, you are ready to move on to the next step: Evaluation.
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