Espresso Makers vs Coffee Machines
Since the days of cowboy pots that were boiled over hot coals, perhaps it is stating the obvious that coffee makers have come a long way! Thanks to modern technology, coffee makers have evolved to fit every lifestyle, taste, budget and space requirement.
When purchasing a coffee maker, the downside of having endless options to choose from is where on earth to begin!?
The first step, before digging out your credit card is to consider the kind of coffee you prefer, or would like to make with your brand new machine. Also consider how much space you have, how often you plan to drink and how much you can afford to spend. Another consideration is espresso vs non-espresso.
An espresso coffee maker is a fancier type of coffee machine, that usually cost a little more, but are capable of making a wide variety of fancy coffee types (think lattes or cappuccino – a great alternative to Starbucks). The typical espresso maker is capable of making one cup of coffee at a time, requires cleaning after making a cup and the coffee is usually stronger than anything brewed by other means.
The types of espresso coffee makers range from the very simple, to the super-automated that do everything from grinding down the coffee beans, mixing, to pouring into a cup.
On the other hand if you’re a simple coffee drinker who is not interested in fancy stile lattes and the like, who just wants a pot on hand whenever you need it, you might not need a fully automatic espresso maker that costs many $100s.
A non-espresso coffee maker is ideal if you just want to start the brewing process, before going about your daily activities. You can just buy the coffee already ground without bothering about beans and grinding. Non-espresso coffee makers are also far less expensive than coffee espresso makers, the disadvantage is that pre-ground coffee is not as fresh as raw beans.
Non-espresso coffee makers are available in three basic types: French press, Drip and Combinations. If you want to make 6-10 cups at a time, then drip machines are very well suited to the task, these types are inexpensive and very easy to use.
Pod coffee makers use a single serving pod when brewing, these types of coffee makers are inexpensive, but the price of the coffee is more expensive than the standard price of pre-ground coffee.
French press coffee makers feature a combination of non-expresso and espresso coffee makers, and while they only make one cup of coffee at a time, they give you the best of both worlds in terms of features found in non-espresso and espresso coffee machines.
There are three basic varieties of Espresso coffee makers:
Semi automatic coffee machine types, fully automatic coffee machine types and super automatic espresso coffee machine types, which are the best espresso makers in terms of number of features.
A general “rule-of-thumb” is that, the more automated an electric espresso maker is, the more features it usually offers. The very type of the range automatic coffee machines take care of everything from grinding the beans, pouring the coffee and even ejecting the waste coffee grounds. Another “rule-of-thumb” is that the more features these automatic bean to cup coffee machine models have, the higher the price tag you can expect.
Business owners in the market for coffee machines, might be looking for office coffee machines. An office coffee machine can be a great idea as it lets employees and employers alike share something in common. Everyone can take a short break and studies have shown that often some of the best ideas and brainstorm sessions happen in these short breaks when staff are at ease and talking informally.
Coffee machines for the office are usually automatic drip machines with the capacity to make up to 12 cups at a time. Larger businesses may need to consider more sizeable coffee vending machines. Staff feel more alert and refreshed after a five minute coffee break, the caffeine is a natural stimulant that leads to higher productivity and staff morale.
When deciding on coffee machines for offices, a great idea is to talk about it with the coffee drinkers in the office. This can also be a great time to discuss issues such as who is responsible for cleaning the coffee maker, if a smaller coffee pot type of office coffee machine. Once you have established what is required, you can then take a look at the many coffee vending machines for sale.
Some espresso and cappuccino making machines are very popular and could fit in wonderfully well in your workplace. Some of these models, a stove top espresso maker type of coffee machine, cater to a wider variety of preferences by accommodating a normal coffee pot on one side as well as the hallmark espresso making ability.
A coffee vending machine is very useful for a number of reasons. For a start, they do not need to be run by an employee. Ingredients are really not too expensive and if placed in a “high traffic” location, can generate a nice stream of revenue. Typical vending coffee machines can make between 100-600 cups before they require a refill and are capable of making coffee of a quality comparable to one from a coffee shop. These places bring in bags of coffee to keep up.
Modern day commercial coffee machines are not the boxy eye-sores they were in the 80’s and 90’s either. Many have a stylish, sleek look and don’t take up much space. A modern day office coffee vending machine offers a wide variety of high quality beverages too.
Most people usually buy coffee machines or espresso makers in retail stores, but with the invention of the internet this is no longer necessary. In fact, you do not even have to leave your home to review and compare the various espresso maker machines on offer. It is often said that it is a lot easier to compare the features offered between different models without the pressure of the store sales clerk, who is trying to make a sale, or convince you to purchase a particular espresso maker over another in order to reap the biggest profits for the store.
One of the best places to search for or browse for the best espresso maker, or coffee machines is Amazon.Com. Amazon have a huge range of coffee and espresso maker models to choose from and the great thing about Amazon is the customer reviews. You can often gain considerable insight and information about people’s experience in practice with an espresso machine by reading the espresso maker review. Another insightful feature of Amazon.Com is their listmania list feature. Listmania lists feature 10 (or so) best rated items in a particular category of product. It is a perfect way to discover the current “hot items” in the world of coffee machines.
While Amazon.Com prices are very competitive in comparison to retail store items, you can often get an even further savings by seeking out used commercial coffee machines for sale on auction websites like EBay.Com. The beauty of EBay.Com is that they list items sold by private buyers who are often (but not always) selling second hand coffee machines, meaning you save a lot more. On the other hand, you must take into consideration the fact that second hand coffee machines have the wear-and-tear factor going against them, which can particularly be a problem in automatic coffee machines that have a lot of moving parts. While these machines are usually put together very solidly, the fact is that machines tend to break down and need repairs at some point in their lifetime.
At 31stpub.Com, we publish espresso maker reviews (as well as regular coffee machines). We do our best to cover makes and models that differ from the norm, such as italian espresso maker machines, stove top espresso makers, tea coffee vending machines. We also provide articles and reviews on commercial espresso coffee machines and a bunch of general coffee making tips, so you might also consider our website a vital resource when it comes to researching your coffee making needs.