A coffee machine, including a drip type, is called a household appliance designed for making coffee. The principle of operation of such a device is one of the most elementary, but with proper use it allows you to prepare the necessary amount of a delicious and invigorating drink.
Despite the presence of more multifunctional devices, this technique is often bought for both home and office, as at the same time as simple use it provides automation of coffee preparation. With the right choice, it can replace not only an ordinary Turk, but also a coffee grinder, and also allow you to make tea or another drink, which is obtained by the principle of brewing.
Drip coffee maker
The device of all drip coffee machines existing today includes almost the same elements, the machines work on the same principle. So, the device circuit includes a water tank, a heating element combined with a dish heater, a coffee filling tank and a control board. The latter in the simplest models provides only turning on and off the device.
Most models have a jug in the kit, which is installed on the stove. Most often it is made of tempered glass or metal. The last option in most cases is a coffee pot with the properties thermos.
Also, some drip coffee makers are designed not only for ground coffee, for which they are equipped with a device for grinding beans. A coffee maker with a coffee grinder is more convenient and useful. For it, both ground and grain coffee are suitable.
The main advantages of this device include ease of use and care. To extend the service life, it is only necessary to clean the appliance of coffee residues and limescale on time.
The disadvantage is the possibility of preparing only a single type of coffee, namely Americano. Add milk, cream or other ingredients to the composition after the drink is fully brewed.
How to use a drip coffee maker?
The use of the device is quite simple and consists in filling the water tank, pouring the ground coffee into the appropriate compartment and turning on the device. At this point, water will begin to flow from the tank to the heating element, its temperature will increase until it turns into steam. In the water-steam state, it will rise up into the compartment where the coffee is filled up and condense. After passing through the entire volume of ground powder, the liquid will merge into the installed jug.
The coffee pot in drip devices, if present, is placed on top of the same heating element that is involved in the formation of steam. This location is necessary so that in the process of preparing a large portion of the drink, which is already in the jug, does not cool down. The temperature of the heating element is not too high, so even with a full jug standing on it for a long time, the coffee in it will not boil.
Types of filters
So that during the preparation of coffee ground powder does not get into the dishes, it is necessary to use special filters, which can be either disposable or reusable.
A reusable filter almost always comes with a coffee maker, and a disposable filter is purchased separately, and their average cost is from 2.5 rubles apiece. Moreover, the first option does not guarantee that there is no need to use a disposable filter, especially if the grinding of coffee is very fine.
Disposable filters are qualified by number, namely 1, 2, 4, 6.8 and 12.
The most common are numbers 2 and 4. Moreover, 2 is more suitable for small coffee makers, and 4 is more suitable for models with a tank capacity of 1 liter or more. The advantage of their use is not only the absence of any sediment in the coffee pot, but also easier maintenance of the device. Using a disposable filter, it can be discarded along with a spent portion of coffee.
According to the material, all disposable filters are divided:
- made from brown raw filter paper;
Disposable unbleached paper filter
- from bleached using chlorine or oxygen bleach paper;
Disposable Bleached Paper Filter
- from bamboo fibers.
Disposable Bamboo Fiber Filters
The latter option is the most uneconomical, but at the same time its application is no different from the other two types, so buying such filters is irrational.
The reusable filter needs to be washed after each use, as otherwise it will not work to clean it of the remains of coffee powder.
In addition, once a month, it is necessary to carry out cleaning with additional means, since during operation the filter darkens and accumulates the remains of coffee oil on itself.
Reusable filters are available in two main types: only from nylon, but at the same time quite thin and non-wear-resistant, and made of nylon coated with a thin layer of titanium nitride, due to which the color of the filter becomes gold. Such a coating makes the filter more durable and wear-resistant and does not in any way affect the taste characteristics of the drink.
Reusable Nylon Filter
Reusable Gold Filter
What determines the taste of coffee made in a drip coffee maker?
In order for coffee made in a coffee machine with a drip type of work to please its taste, it is necessary not only to knowingly choose this device, but also to follow all the rules for making a drink.
So, when brewing coffee, the optimal water temperature can be called 90-95 degrees. To achieve this temperature, it is not possible for all devices, but only those whose power will be about 1000 watts. If the kitchen equipment does not have this characteristic, then it is best to pour already hot water into the water tank, thereby helping the device bring it to the required temperature. In addition, in this way, you can significantly reduce the preparation time of the drink.
The taste of coffee made in a drip coffee maker also depends directly on the product itself.
To make coffee made in a drip coffee maker truly tasty and aromatic, it is best to buy grain coffee and grind it before brewing.
The fresher the coffee and its roasting, the more aromatic the drink will be. It is also necessary to grind grains correctly, since coarse grinding will allow water to pass through itself too quickly, not providing the required strength, and too fine, on the contrary, will retain water, which will lead to bitterness.
Grain coffee - ideal for a tasty drink
The water used to make coffee should be as clean as possible, which can only be achieved after using the filter.
If there is no possibility for filtering water, then in this case it is better to choose a model of a coffee maker in which it is built into the device and independently provides good liquid quality.
Popular models
- Panasonic NC-ZF1HTQ (approximate cost of 8500 rubles) - a drip coffee maker with a power of 900 W, a coffee pot capacity of 0.96 liters.Advantages of the model: a thermal coffee pot made of metal is used as a cookware, it allows you to keep coffee hot for a long time, as well as the presence of an anti-drop system, a water level indicator and the inclusion of the device. Disadvantages - significant cost, short power cord and fuzzy water level scale;
Panasonic NC-ZF1HTQ
- Melitta Optima Glass Timer (approximate cost 5500 rubles) - a drip coffee maker with a glass coffee pot with a volume of 1.1 liters, power - 850 watts. The advantages of the device include the ability to set the exact time at which coffee will be prepared, an anti-drip system, auto power off after 30 minutes, with the possibility of increasing the time to 120 minutes. Control of the device allows you to choose 1 of 4 types of water for hardness. The self-cleaning period from the scale depends on this. A significant drawback is the lack of a reusable filter;
Melitta Optima Glass Timer
- Philips HD 7457 (approximate cost 3400 rubles) - a drip coffee maker with a capacity of 1000 watts, the volume of the coffee pot - 1.2 liters. Advantages are expressed in the presence of additional functions (automatic heating, anti-drip system, water level indicator and on). Disadvantages - the lack of auto-shutdown, because of which the heating element of the device will have an elevated temperature until it is turned off, uninformative operating instructions.
Philips HD 7457
