How to Make the Perfect Cup of Coffee with Today's Automatic Coffee Makers

Coffee produced using an original Turkish Ibrik is propably not for everyone as it is extremely strong.  This was an original method of brewing coffee, an early type of coffee maker, which did not filter the coffee which therefore made it really strong.  Coffee is still brewed using these types of copper containers in the Middle East today.

If you enjoy coffee and would rather drink it than eat it there are a huge selection of automatic coffee makers available.  Some machines are very simple to use whilst others have more features and are more complex.  Before you decide which machine is for you there are a few things you need to consider...

The drip coffee machine is one of the most popular type of automatic coffee makers available today.  Water is poured into the top of the machine, it then filters over the coffee grounds after beiing heated by an electric coil.  The filtered coffee then collects in a glass pot that sits on a heating plate at the base of the machine.

However, these are just the basic features.  There are many more options available which you might find nice to have.

Controls have proliferated to the level that many machines look like a modern stereo. LCD screens display the time, the time to brew, temperature, a timer and several options even more unmentionable.

If you have ever been in the unfortunate position of having coffee pouring all over your kitchen bench because you forgot to shut off the coffee machine or you could not wait until the coffee finished brewing and you removed the glass pot just to take a quick cup of coffee, only to have the coffee drip all over the hote plate, then you will understand the importance of the Auto shut-off feature.  Basically as soon as you remove the coffee pot from the hot plate the machine stops brewing the coffee.  This may not be one of the most fancy options but it is certainly one of the most useful!

Today you can control every aspect of your brewing experience.  Many modern machines let you select the strength of the coffee you desire, along with what time you want the brew to start, so it can be ready when you wake-up, presuming you remember to set it up the night before!

Everyone loves the smell of coffee, and it is very comforting to come down into your kitchen on a dark, cold morning and smell the fresh brewing coffee as well as seeing the little illuminated display telling you your coffee is ready.

Cleaning has been made better, too, by the development of coffee 'pods' - small pre-measured paper containers of coffee through which the water flows. They have the added blessing of providing good filtering for grounds. Once the brewing is complete you just pop them out (after they've cooled!) and toss them into the waste basket. Essential for the busy - and averse to cleaning up - coffee drinker.

A water filter can prove to be a really useful addition to your coffee machine.  If the water where you live is not that great then the water filter will only improve the quality of your coffee.  Of course the water filter may increase the price of your coffee machine, but can you really put a price on the perfect cup of coffee?

The traditional coffee filter machines are still in demand but the development of the coffee pod machines have proved very popular.  Debate rages as to whether they affect the quality of the coffee, but this will come down to your own personal choice.  People also question the enviromental impact of the pods but again this is a decision only you can make.

With so many brands to chose from and a bevy of coffee machines available it may seem like an impossible task to finally decide on your faultless coffee maker.  But you can take pleasure in that fact the once you have chosen you can enjoy your perfect cup of coffee whenever your want for a long time to come.