De’Longhi Magnifica Espresso Machine (Item 1654461)
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Brew coup

How to pick the perfect coffee maker

by ERIK J. MARTIN

No surprise here: coffee is among Canada’s favourite beverages.

Consider that most Canadians enjoy around 2.7 cups of coffee per day and purchase the equivalent of more than 5 million 60-kilogram (132-pound) bags of coffee a year, according to Coffeeaffection.com. And with Canadians spending more time at home today than before the pandemic, they are purchasing coffee makers at record levels, too; the NPD Group, a market research company, reports that more than 3.5 million coffee and espresso preparation appliances were sold in Canada in 2021.

But not all java machines are alike, and some make coffee better or more conveniently than others. The good news? There are a lot of quality coffee makers to choose from, so you can select one that brews best for you.

Home sweet home brew

Costco member Lorenzo Di Donato, vice president of marketing for Toronto-based FAEMA Canada—which distributes Jura coffee and espresso makers in Canada—says Canadians are increasingly realizing how essential superb specialty coffee is at home.

“As we see the work-home balance shift ... it’s clear that enjoying a cup of specialty coffee in the comfort of your own kitchen café is the perfect way to get the morning started,” he says.

Francis Rego, a Costco member and director of sales for Cuisinart Canada, which makes and sells coffee makers, points out that the average cost of fast-food chain coffee is nearly $1,100 a year, assuming you drink one cup per day. But the average cost to brew at home is only around $182 annually.

“With the impact of inflation forcing Canadians to watch their spending habits closely, investing in a good coffee machine that can repeatedly produce a quality cup can lead to long-term savings,” adds Rego.

Shabbir Nooruddin, the founder of the site Coffeebrewster.com, regularly uses an automatic espresso machine. “Once you start brewing using freshly roasted coffee and grinding just before brewing,” he says, “you’ll get hooked on the real stuff and your taste buds won’t put up with fast-food coffee again.”

Better machines for your beans

Shopping for a coffee maker can be a bit confusing, as modern models boast a variety of brewing methods and features. Choosing the right device boils down to what kind of coffee you prefer. The four most common types are:

• Automatic drip brewers that filter hot water through ground coffee into a pot warmed by a hot plate
• Single-serve machines that use a K-Cup or other pod-like product to produce one serving
• Grind-and-brew devices that employ a burr grinder to grind beans, yielding richer, fresher flavours
• Combo machines—coffee centres—that can make multiple types of coffee, including espresso, cappuccino, latte macchiato and caffe latte, and may offer different brew methods in one unit.

Doug Parkinson, category manager for De’Longhi, says, “You need to decide if you want pre-ground coffee, convenient capsules or freshly ground coffee, which involves grinding your beans right before brewing and requires a separate or built-in grinder. Determine if you want a fully automatic machine that takes the guesswork out of the process or a manual machine with some programming functions that offers a more hands-on experience.”

Other considerations

Once you decide on the type of coffee maker you want, you can consider price. Most coffee makers range in price from $40 to $400, with high-end coffee centre models exceeding $1,000. If you are an occasional user, a basic automatic drip model should suffice.

Any type of bean can be used in a coffee maker, but it’s smart to select the grind according to the brewing method. Drip-style works best with a coarser grind, while espresso requires a finer grind.

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