There’s nothing quite like starting your day with a cup of coffee – and if you’re anything like me, just dropping a spoon of instant into a mug just doesn’t quite cut it … but funding a daily coffee shop habit soon stacks up – to the point where you could have saved your pennies and bought that coffee machine anyway.
But, now that you’ve decided it’s time to be your own Barista, you’ve suddenly realised there are so many different types of machines, covering every type of budget – so what do you buy?! Luckily we’re here to try and show you the pros and cons. Whilst we’ve worked our way up to relying on our Bean to Cup Machine – with the options of Cold Brew and Hario Pour Over when we fancy a change – we realise that not everyone has the space, or the budget, for their very own Coffee Robot.
Once you’ve picked your coffee maker of choice, we’ve made it easy to take the next step – just head over to the store.
Filter Coffee Machines
It might just be me, but I can’t help but think of US Office based shows when I see the trademark glass jug from a Filter Coffee Machine or Drip Coffee Machine as they’re sometimes called. It’s easy to see why they’re the perfect machine for an office or if you’re making coffee for a group – of all the machines on the site it’s the one that makes the most coffee in one go – perfect for an office, a large family, or if you know you’re going to be mainlining it!
Filter Coffee machines are easy to use – they don’t tend to have many functions apart from altering the number of cups, or the strength of the brew. They don’t have too many parts to go wrong either – filter coffee machines brew by dripping water through ground coffee, collecting in the jug below.
The type of coffee on offer is pretty much limited to black coffee – but you can use any make of coffee you want – or invest in a grinder to use fresh beans every day and fill the house with the smell of freshly ground coffee.
Coffee Pod Machines
There are a range of different types of Coffee Pod Machine on the market but they all share the same idea – you can get your perfectly pre-measured grounds in an enclosed pod, ready to simply insert into the machine, hit ‘go’ and wait for your coffee to land in your cup.
It’s great if you’re short on time and don’t want the faff of measuring out the ground coffee, especially as coffee pod machines tend to dispose of the pod into an internal bin, which can simply be emptied when full.
There’s a huge range of types of coffee to choose from – whether you want to have a selection of brew strengths or even want to make your gingerbread latte there seems to be a coffee pod for everyone.
You are limited to making a cup at a time, and will have to stick with one type of coffee pod – so make sure you pick your machine wisely. Coffee pods do tend to work out as a more expensive option than buying ground coffee or beans – but you can now get your own pods to fill with your ground coffee of choice … but if you’re prepping your pod, you may as well go the whole way and buy an Espresso machine if you ask me!
Espresso Machines
If you’re looking to start your home Barista journey, an Espresso Machine is a great way to start. Your Espresso Machine will get you making your morning americano in no time – and as most have a milk frothing wand, you’re all set to start mastering Latte Art, or simply just get your practice in making your flat white or cappuccino. As you gain more expertise you can start to experiment with the amount of water used in your brew. Or you can add flavoured syrups to really replicate your Coffee Shop experience.
Unlike a coffee pod machine you are able to use any ground coffee you want, and if you invest in a coffee bean grinder, you’re free to use coffee beans as well.
Not to mention the Espresso Machine opens your coffee repertoire up to perfecting your own Espresso Martini!
Bean to Cup Machines
Now we know that Bean To Cup Machines aren’t for everyone, but now we’ve crossed over to being a Bean to Cup owner, it would be really difficult to step back.
Bean to Cup Machines to exactly what the name suggests – in basic terms you put your beans in the machine and you end up with coffee in your cup. Now what happens in between those stages – and how much effort you need to put in – can vary greatly, from measuring the weight of ground coffee used, and altering the coarseness of the ground .. to just hitting a button and watching your latte magically appear. But the more the machine does for you, the more you’re probably going to pay.
You’re open to use whatever beans you like, and most will allow you to use ground coffee if you suddenly have a bag to get through.
There’s no hiding the fact that Bean to Cup Machines are the most expensive of the types of coffee machine. But nothing quite beats the sound of the beans grinding and the smell of that freshly ground coffee.
There’s no hiding the fact that we’re not exactly objective, but after working our way through a number of different types of coffee machine we’d recommend that you’re not going to regret investing in a good quality machine.
We will always recommend you invest in a Bean to Cup Machine – but if you’re new to the game or don’t fancy quite as big an investment, you should set yourself up as a home Barista with an Espresso Machine.
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