May 25 2010
Coffee Brewers
Coffee brewers or makers are possibly the single most popular kitchen appliance in the world. There are many different types of coffee brewers, from antique percolators and to ultra modern espresso and cappuccino makers that create a variety of coffee drinks.
Coffee brewers can be single cup brewers like the French Press that simply use hot water and ground coffee without the use of electricity to make one cup of freshly brewed coffee to the modern single-serve coffee makers that use specially designed pods or disposable containers to brew a single cup of the best coffee available at home. These coffee brewers are popular for their ability to create one cup of coffee that is a delight to the senses and a perfection of aroma and flavor.
Percolators are an older type of coffee brewer that remains popular with some people today. Percolators can be either electric or stand-alone that require a heat source. The types of coffee makers use science to force hot water up a tube and over the coffee grounds that are in a basket sitting over the tube. As the heated water drips through the coffee grounds the resulting coffee is dripped into the empty pot below. This method has been used for many, many years and is still used today in many homes and by people who camp or travel and need a way to make coffee using fire as their heating source.
The most popular coffee brewers that were manufactured after the invention of electricity and that are still popular today are the automatic drip coffee makers. These coffee makers heat water that is placed in a reservoir. The water is then pumped into a filter basket that contains the coffee grounds. As the water drips though the grounds the resulting coffee falls into the waiting carafe below which sits on a heating element to keep it warm.
Commercial businesses such as doctor’s offices and business offices typically use the pour over coffee maker or a plumbed version of the drip coffee maker. The pour over coffee maker relies on the user to pour cold water into a holding tank. This water forces the preheated water that is holding up and into the filter basket where it drips through into a waiting pot, much like a regular drip coffee maker.
Plumbed versions of the drip coffee maker do not have to wait for water to be poured into a reservoir. They are attached to a water source that keeps water in the system ready to brew when a switch is flipped.
Coffee brewers have come a long way from boiling coffee grounds in order to get a cup of coffee. Today, espresso, cappuccino or just a single cup of coffee can be made with the touch of a button and who knows what lies ahead for coffee lovers.
-Sharon Chapman