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If the extent of the coffee equipment that you own is your coffee maker, you’re missing out on a whole world of nifty items that are designed to help you extract every last flavourful drop from your coffee.
The most important piece of coffee equipment that most coffee lovers own is their coffee maker. The one with which most people are familiar is the automatic drip coffee maker, though there are lots of other choices on the market too.
Automatic-Drip Coffee Makers
Automatic drip coffee pots still account for the bulk of coffee equipment sales throughout the world. From Mr Coffee to de Longhi, from Hamilton Beach to Kitchen Aid, nearly every maker of small appliances for the kitchen markets at least one automatic drip coffee maker. You can get coffee makers that start the brew on their own, remember how you like your coffee and even those that grind the beans for you just before brewing. A quick trivia fact about automatic drip coffee makers – they make coffee with the highest concentration of caffeine, thanks to the slower extraction time. If you want a more flavourful cup of coffee with less caffeine jitters, try a different type of coffee equipment.
Features to look for when choosing a coffee machine:
• A timer is very convenient. You set the timer at night so that you have coffee ready in the morning. As a safety feature, the timer should turn off the hot plate after a few hours.
• A pause and serve feature will allow you to have a cup of coffee before the coffee is finished brewing.
• A washable filter eliminates buying paper filters, though paper filters remove more of the oil and sediment.
Steam Espresso Pots
Technically, steam-powered espresso pots don’t make espresso – but they do make a mean cup of coffee. Forcing steam through the ground coffee speeds up the brewing process, though it may still take longer to make a cup of coffee since you have to wait for the pot to heat up and cool down. The major advantage of steam-powered espresso pots is that most have a built-in steam wand so that you can make those deliciously decadent frothed cappuccino drinks at home.
Non-electric Coffee Makers
There are still those that swear by non-automatic coffee makers. Those include stovetop mocha pots and French presses, Turkish ibriks and cloth coffee socks for making cafezinho. Each of those coffee making methods has aficionados swearing it makes the best coffee ever. It is not terribly expensive to judge for yourself either.
Espresso Makers
The coffee experts have decreed that coffee isn’t espresso unless it is prepared in a pump-driven espresso machine. This has a lot to do with using precise temperatures, timing and pressure to force the hot water through the ground coffee in the filter. Espresso makers range from upwards of R1000 to well into the thousands, depending on brand, materials and bells and whistles. Since an espresso maker can be a hefty investment, it makes sense to do some research before you plunk down your money.
All-in-one Coffee Machines
The latest trend in coffee equipment is the all-in-one coffee machine, designed to brew drip coffee, make espresso and deliver hot water and steam for cocoa, tea and latte or cappuccinos. As with the espresso makers, there is a wide variation in prices here.
Other Coffee Equipment
As you become more entrenched in the culture of coffee, you will find other accessories that enhance the experience of brewing and appreciating excellent coffee. This is far from a complete list, but it does contain the most popular coffee equipment for a home barista or coffee enthusiast.
Coffee Grinder – The one thing that nearly everyone agrees on about coffee is that freshly ground tastes better. Most experts will tell you that your coffee grinder is even more important to good coffee than your coffee brewer. There are two types of grinders, namely bladed and burr. Bladed coffee grinders are less expensive, being little more than food mills or little blenders. Burr grinders cost more, but deliver a finer, more uniform grind better for brewing espresso.
Coffee Filters – Coffee filters are another important piece of coffee equipment often overlooked. You have many more choices than the familiar basket and cone coffee filters you can pick up in any supermarket. If you opt for a ‘permanent filter’, keep in mind that one of the most important parts of making good coffee is scrupulous cleanliness, as leftover coffee acids on the filter can turn your coffee acidic.
Coffee Tamper – If you make espresso, you are probably familiar with this piece of coffee equipment. A tamper looks like a pestle with a wide, flat face and is designed to compress ground coffee in the filter basket into a coffee puck. A good coffee tamper fits the filter basket perfectly and is sturdy enough to withstand the 35 pounds or so of pressure that you will regularly subject it to. There are some absolutely gorgeous tampers available, with handles made of fine wood, metal and other luxury materials, and inlaid engraving for personalisation.
Coffee Scoop – Yet another underrated piece of coffee equipment, a good coffee scoop can ensure precise measurement of coffee. Believe it or not, the single biggest cause of coffee that is too strong or too weak is the amount of coffee used. Like coffee tampers, coffee scoops can make elegant and memorable gifts for coffee lovers on your list. They’re widely available in sterling silver and can be engraved with personal messages.
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