Electric countertop equipment automatically prepares hot coffee in a coffee machine and espresso. A heated plate, a glass carafe or coffee pot, a filter basket, and a water reservoir.
A coffee maker is a simple but effective low-tech device. On the maker’s base, a hot plate is encircled by a heating element. This heating element ring a hollow aluminum tube. When water is added to the reservoir, a tiny opening at the base of the container feeds a plastic hose that descends to one end of the aluminum tube.
The heating element in the coffee maker heats up quickly once it is turned on. To maintain it between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit, or 90 and 96 degrees Celsius, sensors cycle the portion on and off. When the aluminum tube with the water within boils, bubbles are produced by the turbulence that rises through the opposite end of the line and ascends an escape hose. Hot water riding on these ascending bubbles carries a little stream of boiling water to the top of the coffee maker, where the exit hose eventually comes to rest on a drip plate. The drip plate properly distributes the hot water to pass through to the filter basket below and onto the coffee grinds. So the carafe is filled with freshly made coffee from the drip coffee machine.
Whole coffee beans can be prepared using a coffee grinder, but the beans should be ground as soon as possible before brewing. Drip coffee makers use medium-to-finely ground coffee; finely ground coffee produces gritty espresso. Be aware that espresso must be made in a machine and cannot be brewed in a drip coffee maker.
Most coffee makers come equipped with a timer that enables automatic brewing. However, some individuals favor setting their coffee maker up at night and using a timer so they can wake up to freshly brewed coffee.