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Finding the Right Model For You

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Considering the reality reported by the National Coffee Association that over half of Americans drink around 3.2 cups of coffee a day, it is not surprising that coffee makers are huge sellers in the retail markets. However, it is best to understand which options are available and which ones are preferable for you since many options increase the price of the machine significantly.

Features

• Pause n’ Serve – this is the most basic of features and it simply allows you to take the coffee pot out from under the drip before the entire brew process has completed; the mechanism stops the flow of the coffee until the pot is replaced. It is fairly standard on most models.

• Carafe – with this feature the coffee “pot” is replaced with an insulated carafe that keeps your coffee at its original temperature for up to 5 or 6 hours instead of it being “heated” by a heating plate. The manufacturers sell this feature by pointing out that the coffee is not “cooked” for hours on end which can affect its flavor.

• Pod compatible – one of the popular trends today in coffee making is the coffee pods that are available in pre-packaged sizes; they are pre-measured and enclosed in filter paper and you simply toss them into your coffee maker and let ‘er rip. It can expedite the process even more and there is no threat of messy grounds making it anywhere but the trash can!

• Filter – every coffee maker is different and so is every coffee drinker, for those who are more environmentally conscious, this is a big selling point. Paper filters can be bought by the hundreds and used one at a time and tossed out. The other option, however, is a permanent filter made of fine plastic or metal mesh that is both environmentally friendly, because it never wears out, and popular with coffee connoisseurs, as it preserves much more of the original oils from the coffee beans that a paper filter would absorb.

• Water filter – water can be one of the most important things when it comes to the taste of your coffee, especially if you are serious about your coffee. So again, for the coffee specialist, a water filter would be a must as it can filter out chlorine or any other tastes like iron from the water. The flip-side however, is that it needs to be replaced, so on top of the original cost being more for this model, the ongoing expense can run high as well.

• Controls – this feature is for those who are more in the “I want it done for me!” category. If you want your coffee piping hot and ready to drink when you stumble into the kitchen at 5:00 am in the morning, then you need a model with digital controls. They really are easy to set and reset, but if you don’t want to bother with setting them, then skip this feature as it will add to your cost. These also include the “auto-off” feature for the forgetful types, which shuts the machine off after an allotted time period to prevent scorched coffee pots.

Next Page: Other things to consider

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