Freelance Caffeine Fix: 4 Fine Coffee Makers

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I have a confession to make. I’m addicted to caffeine. For breakfast I either have a can of Diet Coke or a small iced mocha with skim milk from Dunkin Donuts, which happens to be a 5 minute walk from my house or a quick drive on my way to the office.

I am well aware that having a can of Diet Coke for breakfast is not healthy. I should be eating poached eggs, whole grain toast, a banana, and a glass of pomegranate juice. Here’s the thing—I can’t eat first thing in the morning or I feel sick. Here’s the other thing—I don’t have time.

I suspect that many of you that work in the fast paced media world might also have a caffeine addiction and also don’t have the luxury of a breakfast that includes all of the food pyramid. Am I right? So coffee (or Diet Coke) it is.

I’ve created a list of some of the top coffee makers  that should perk up any freelancers day. And, depending on your lifestyle and taste, there is a coffee maker for you on the market; I guarantee it!

Keurig

I don’t own a coffee maker. But if I did, it would be this one. I don’t drink enough coffee to warrant needing to brew a whole pot, and with the Keurig, you brew one cup at a time. It’s a great coffee maker for the office as people can brew their favorite flavor of coffee, cider, or tea one by one and it’s always fresh. No more wasting hours-old coffee. You also don’t have to keep the coffee burner on all day, cutting down on electricity and the hazard.

The biggest complaint I have heard about this machine is the waste it produces. But they good people at Keurig came up with a solution. They have created a K-Cup strainer so you can spoon your favorite ground beans into it and it brews it for you. Your best bet is the Keurig Elite Brewing System. The next model up is the Special Edition, and the only differences between the two is that the Special Edition has chrome in its design and a choice of three cup sizes to the regular system’s two. Save yourself the $30.

French Press

Real coffee connoisseurs will tell you the French Press is the way to go. It’s definitely the best looking coffee maker of the bunch and doesn’t take up counter space, which is always a good thing. It was first used in France in the late 19th century and has evolved over time. The presses of today have a cylinder, usually made of glass or plastic, with a lid and a plunger that has a fine circular mesh filter made out of wire or nylon. You scoop your coffee grounds into the bottom of the press and pour boiling water over it and give it time to brew. To filter, you press the plunger which pushes the filter to the bottom of the press, trapping the grounds under it.

The coffee grounds remain in direct contact to the hot water during brewing, giving a richer flavor than coffee brewed with a paper filter. Unless bitter coffee is your thing, you want to drink your French Press coffee right away. The longer you let it stand the more bitter it gets.

This is active coffee. You can’t just flip a switch and walk away. It’s also not good if you like to have more than one cup of coffee over an hour-long period of time, since it doesn’t keep well and loses heat. The Bodum Chambord Double Wall Thermal Coffee Press impresses me because of it’s design—not only does it have cool handles, the glass cylinder is encased in a stainless steel frame making it spill-proof in case someone knocks it over. With a French Press, you get what you pay for so buy wisely.

Basic Coffee Maker

My pick for a basic coffee maker would be the Mr. Coffee SKX23. It’s the first coffee maker I ever had. My parents were sick of coming to visit me and not being able to have a cup of coffee, so they bought this sweet little coffee maker to keep at my place and it’s still going strong…when they come over that is.

It’s easy to use and perfect for the non-coffee connoisseur, and it even has an automatic shut-off after two hours so you don’t burn your place down. It also has a cord storage feature to help keep your countertop clear. Sure, it’s not the sleekest, coolest model—but I’m sure if you’re more Folgers than Kopi Luwak, you’re not too worried about the coolness factor of this particular kitchen gadget.

More-Than-Your-Basic Brew

Say you want a better coffee maker than your basic model. Something with sleek lines that is programmable. Something that makes your coffee taste a little better, but isn’t as time consuming as the French Press. Something that brews a lot of coffee because you need a lot of coffee. We have just the thing for you: the DeLonghi Exclusivo. Sounds impressive huh?

This coffee maker brews up to 14 cups and keeps it hot for two hours before it automatically shuts off. And you can program it to start brewing at the same time each morning so it’s literally ready and waiting for you. And there’s no need for those annoying paper filters, this baby’s got a permanent coffee filter! It also filters your water and tells you how long your coffee has been sitting around, waiting for you to drink it. It also lets you know when it’s time to decalcify the unit. It doesn’t get much smarter than this.

What coffee maker do you use, or is there one on the market you’ve got your eye on to purchase?