Coffee machines – where to start.

Until relatively recently, for most people in the UK, making a cup of coffee consisted of opening a jar of Gold Blend, spooning a teaspoon of coffee into a mug and adding hot water.

However, the proliferation of coffee shops on our high streets has opened the eyes of the nation to a more authentic coffee experience and many people now want proper coffee at home. Around 20% of homes in the UK now have a coffee machine and sales continue to grow.

Here we take a look at the types of coffee machines available and try to help you decide which type is best for you.

Types of coffee machine.

Probably the most familiar design is the filter coffee machine. You just pour cold water into the top where it is then warmed via a heating element. The water then drips down through the coffee grounds which are held is a permeable basket. A jug collects the coffee and kept warm on top of a hot plate. Any ground coffee can be used so you are not limited to a particular brand or style. Filter coffee machines can be tricky to clean though.

Capsule, or pod, machines use pre-packaged capsules containing your choice of coffee. The pod fits into the machine and when you press the start button, it is pierced, hot water is filtered through it and the resulting infusion drips into your awaiting mug. The real advantage of coffee machines that use capsules is the lack of mess, once the coffee is ready, you just take out the pod and throw it away. The downside is that your coffee choice is limited to what's made available by the manufacturer.

Percolators used to be the most popular type of coffee machine in the UK, and they still sell pretty well despite the increased competition from other designs. Coffee grounds are poured into the machine where they come to rest above a water reservoir. As the water reaches boiling point, it gets forced up a pipe and down into the coffee holder. It filters through the grounds and drips back into the reservoir. Percolators can be electric and use a heating element to boil the water or stove-top versions are available. Percolators can use any ground coffee and are relatively inexpensive. However, they can be a little slow and very noisy.

Pump espresso makers have a boiler that is thermostatically-controlled to heat the water to somewhere between 85 and 92 degrees (the optimum temperature range for making coffee). When the water is at the right temperature, it is passed through the coffee under pressure. Espresso machines produce very flavoursome coffee in around 25 – 30 seconds so there's not much waiting around. They can be expensive though, and for the best results, the coffee should be ground immediately before use. Any beans can be used.

'Bean to cup' machines are like espresso makers but they feature an in-built grinder. While convenient, the internal grinder is not as effective as external grinders which are much more flexible.

Decent coffee machines can be very expensive, particularly espresso makers, however, they usually come with a long warranty and coffee machine spares are usually easy to source and relatively low in cost.

Other considerations.

If you plan to make coffee from fresh beans, a good grinder is essential. The key to great coffee is crushing the beans to the right particle size, and to this properly, you'll need a separate grinder. To get the best results, once ground, the coffee should be used immediately and not stored. So ideally you need an electric grinder that takes less than a minute to produce great coffee grounds.

Very top-end machines are great looking but coffee machine spares for designer models tend to be expensive and hard to get hold of. All in all, you're probably better to go for a decent mid-range machine and grinder from a well known manufacturer.

Before you buy, try as many of your friends' and family's machines as you can to help you decide which one you prefer. If coffee is your passion you'll want to invest in a more serious machine than people who just enjoy the off mug of Nescafe so take you time to research the different types of machine before you take the plunge.

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Author is an expert article writer who has written many articles on the topic of coffee machine spares. Currently, he is writing articles on coffee grinder spares