How to Use a French Press Coffee Maker

May 23rd, 2010 Posted in Coffee Makers | No Comments »

Do you enjoy a nice cup of coffee? Perhaps it’s that cup that gets you going in the morning, or maybe you like to relax in the afternoon with a cup of gourmet coffee and a magazine. But have you ever considered how you actually make your coffee?

The vast majority of coffee drinkers make their coffee using the common filter-type coffeemaker. These coffeemakers are certainly the most popular; almost every coffee drinker has one, and you see them in almost every office snack room. But did you know there’s another way to make coffee? A method that leaves the natural oils intact, enhancing both the taste and aroma?

I’m referring to about making coffee using a French Press. A French Press doesn’t use filters. It’s a glass beaker with a special top that has a metal screen attached to the end of a handle. The metal screen is circular and fits perfectly into the glass beaker. When you press the handle down, it pushes the screen through the container, pushing all the coffee grinds to the bottom. What you’re left with is a delicious cup of coffee that still contains all the essential coffee oils.

With the standard paper filter coffeemaker, the paper filter actually ends up filtering out not only the grinds, but the natural oils found in the coffee beans. A French Press, because of its design, leaves those oils in, enhancing the coffee’s flavor and aroma.

If you think you’d like to try a French Press, get coffee that is coarse ground as opposed to fine. You can buy coarse ground coffee in any supermarket. Some supermarkets even have grinding stations where you take a bag of whole beans and grind them right on the spot. A home grinder is also very affordable and can be had for less than $20. If you’re a coffee aficionado, your own grinder and a membership in a gourmet coffee club can be a very potent combination!

The general rule for using a French Press to make your coffee is to use one slightly heaping tablespoon of ground coffee for each cup you want to make. After adding the grounds into the beaker, add very hot (but not quite boiling) water. Now put the top on the French Press, but don’t press it down yet. Let it sit for a few minutes, then slowly push the handle down, pushing the metal screen through the water and driving the grinds to the bottom.

Now pour into your favorite mug, add a small amount of cream and a tiny bit of honey, and get ready to enjoy best-tasting, most delicious cup of coffee you’ll ever drink!

If getting started with a French Press sounds like something you want to do, you should consider membership in a gourmet coffee club. Many of them offer free gifts. One such club is Gevalia Kaffe. There are many Gevalia offers where you can get free coffee makers, travel mugs, carafes and more.

The Best Coffee Maker

May 16th, 2010 Posted in Coffee Makers | No Comments »

How do we look for the  best coffee maker for our coffee drinking needs?

Coffee machines are very important kitchen appliances that can really make or break our morning coffee time.With so many of choices around, deciding on the most suitable maker may prove to be a difficult task. Whether you want to drink a cup of drip java, or hot cappuccino filled with a deep shot of espresso, coffee machine choices are many.

You can choose a good basic coffee maker or a model with programmable features or even one that can grind and brew all-in-one. There really are quite a few different types on the market today. But, to make it easier for you, we will show you the most important factors you need to take into consideration when looking for the best coffee maker for your needs.

Price is a vital factor in defining the overall value of your coffee maker but a low price does not always mean that you are getting the appropriate value for your money. Even so, there are opportunities to purchase a first rate coffee machine for a reasonable amount of money. The ease of use, quality of flavor, quality of construction, brewing temperature, durability, and heat retention can make a higher priced java machine a better overall value.

Today we’ve  have chosen to present the best overall coffee makers. We looked at: price, brewing method, consumer reviews and real life overall performance of a certain coffee makers. In this article we are concentrating on on coffee makers that already do a good job of brewing gourmet coffee beans and produce the results that they are designed to deliver. So if you buy any one of these brewers you will be making a good choice.

Best Coffee Maker Overall


1. Keurig B60 coffee maker
In the category of 1 cup java makers, the Keurig B60 coffee maker  has a great deal of competition. Having said that, if you are looking for the most durable single cup system then the Keurig B60 coffee brewer is the answer. It incorporates a 1500-watt brewing system that can be used to make fine capuccinos, flavorful teas, and rich cocoas.

With a 48 oz. water reservoir it can brew at 3 different sizes. It comes with a programmable backlit Liquid crystal display with digital clock and timer lends. With its temperature control function and great pumping mechanism you can make coffee as hot as you like.  Because it is very compact it is ideal for people who have limited kitchen counter space. Primarily it uses Keurig K – Cups, but if you like to use your own ground beans you can buy a filter that will do the job. Keurig’s system also comes with k-cups for tea!

2. Cuisinart DCC-1200 12 Cup Brew Central

After some consideration we have decided to place the Cuisinart DCC-1200 coffee brewer in the second spot in our Best Coffee  Maker category. With brushed metal finish and an elegant industrial stainless design it stands out from numerous coffee machines on the market.

Its shower head is uniquely designed so that the water goes over the entire surface area of the ground java within the filter. The result is a full and rich coffee flavor. It also has digital clock for programming automatic brewing.

The warming plate can be adjusted to a lower temperature and can keep java hot for up to 4 hours. This is the highest programmable automatic shut off time. The coffee maker can be set to brew 1 -4   5-oz. cups or 5 to twelve cups, and it includes a charcoal water filter.

For convenience, a permanent Gold Tone filter eliminates messy paper filters and an indicator-light shows when decalcification is necessary. If you are looking for a high quality coffee maker that can brew great tasting coffee, then the Cuisinart DCC 12 Cup coffee maker is the one for you .

3. Delonghi Coffee Maker DC514T Esclusivo
The appealing 14-cup (70-ounce) DeLonghi coffee maker DC514T is one of the best coffee makers out there. It has a lot of great features like permanent gold-tone java filter, advanced water filtration, which optimizes taste by eliminating chlorine in the water, lights that shows you how long the coffee has been sitting and when it’s time to decalcify the unit.
It has a 24 hour programmable timer with a 2 hour automatic switch off and aroma button which activates a time-released process that extracts the ideal essence and aroma for a cup of delicious gourmet coffee.

Final Thoughts

No matter how much advice we get from coffee experts everyone has different ideas about which are the best coffee makers. In fact it’s more about your own tastes and lifestyle then some coffee maker experts opinions. Just remember that even some of the simplest brewers make excellent coffee and rarely break down.