| There are two main considerations when buying a | | | | for a warmer, as the thermal carafe keeps the |
| coffee maker for your home or small office: type | | | | coffee warm and preserves the flavor and |
| of brewer and features. | | | | aroma for hours. Another advantage to the |
| Choosing the best coffee maker for your needs | | | | thermal carafesis that they do not break as easily |
| can be accomplished by evaluating how many | | | | as glass decanters. Variations on thermal carafe |
| people will be drinking the coffee, coffee drinking | | | | models include thermal mugs and double thermal |
| patterns and how much money you want to | | | | carafes. |
| spend. | | | | The Pod Brewer is the hot new entry in coffee |
| Somebody who lives alone and makes one cup of | | | | brewing. For each cup you brew, you insert a |
| coffee to drink on the commute to work, for | | | | prepackaged coffee pod into the brewer. The |
| example, will have very different needs than a | | | | machine brews the cup, then you dispose of the |
| small office with 4 or 5 employees who drink | | | | pod. There is no mess because the coffee comes |
| coffee sporadically throughout the day. | | | | in the filtered pod and is thrown away in the |
| You can pay very little money and get a drip | | | | filtered pod. The negative is that the pods cost a |
| coffee maker for your home that works | | | | bit more than regular coffee and filters, plus, you |
| perfectly fine, as they all work basically the same | | | | can only brew one cup at a time. |
| - they pour hot water over coffee grounds and | | | | All coffee makers employ different features to |
| then filter the coffee into a decanter of some | | | | accomplish different needs. Features that may be |
| sort. On the other hand, it doesn't cost too much | | | | included on more expensive brewers include a |
| more to get a coffee maker that has lots of | | | | clock/timer to enable programmable brewing |
| extra features and will last for many years to | | | | times, water filtration, stop-and-serve and auto |
| come. Prices generally run the gamut from a | | | | shut-off. Also, some brewers may be combination |
| $29.95 special on up to over $200. | | | | machines that include an espresso maker or a |
| There are basically three types of coffee | | | | grinder. Here are some options to consider: |
| brewers - Drip, Pod and Thermal Carafe. | | | | Programmable - you can program the machine to |
| The Drip Brewer is the old stand-by - pour the | | | | have the coffee brewed before you walk into the |
| water in the top and the coffee is served up in a | | | | kitchen. |
| glass decanter that site on a warmer. The | | | | Volume: Options range from brewing on a per cup |
| decanter sits on a warmer that keeps it warm. | | | | basis to brewing into a 12-cup carafe. |
| Consider a brewer with an auto-shut-off if you | | | | Speed: Bunn coffee makers feature a hot water |
| are worried about leaving the warmer on. | | | | reservoir that enables the machine to brew a pot |
| The Thermal Carafe Brewer brews into a thermal | | | | of coffee in 3 minutes. |
| carafe instead of a decanter. There is no need | | | | |