Beach Coffee Maker

Do You Really Need A Fancy, Dancy Coffee Maker?

I did an internet search for coffee makers, and came up with some interesting facts. Some are said to look good but produce average coffee, and others are supposed to give great reliable results all of the time regardless of appearance.

My biggest surprise came when I looked at the price range of coffee makers. There were plain little models for under $50.00, and there was a mind blowing coffee/espresso center (with milk frother) for $3, 299.00, which was a sale price of 25% from $4, 399.00. This sleek, curved chrome-plated aluminum front panel coffee maker (part of their description) called the Jura Capresso 13299 Impressa Z6 Espresso Machine, can be found at coffeemakers.com if you are interested.

The question is, how much coffee maker do you need?

I have been the happy owner of a Hamilton Beach 12 cup coffee maker for so many years that I can't calculate when I got it.

It is a no brainer to use. I fill the reservoir with filtered water from my Brita water filtering machine. After placing a paper filter (my choice is to use unbleached filters) in the basket, I put in 4 level tablespoons of coffee for 12 cups of coffee. Four tablespoons is the same as two coffee measurers.

My choice of coffee is Starbucks breakfast blend, which is advertised by the company this way: "Bright citrus notes dance across your tongue and then wash away clean". That sounds like a good way to start my day to me!

What about leftovers, you ask?

If company is here, the coffee pot is emptied so there is no problem in this regard. If I'm alone, I drink a cup or two, and then let the remainder of the coffee cool in the pot for several hours. I then store the cooled coffee in a glass jar(s) in the refrigerator for another day.

Warming the coffee is easy. I fill a mug full of coffee and put the mug into the microwave for one minute, 40 seconds. Waste not, want not, you know.

Cleaning my coffee maker

Even though I use filtered water, I think it is important to clean the coffee maker every few weeks, depending on usage. This gets rid of any stains and mineral deposits that may have accumulated. For this I fill the water reservoir with 1 part of white vinegar to 2 parts water, and brew that through a regular cycle.

I then wash the coffee pot, wipe off the machine, and voila, I have a like-new coffee maker.

Like I asked, how much coffee maker do you need? For me, my Hamilton Beach will do just fine until it refuses to do any more brewing. Then I will shop for one of those under $50.00 beauties!