Filter Coffee Machine

Which comes first the quality of the bean or the quality of the grinder?  I believe that if you start with a poor quality bean you will end up with a poor powder no matter how good the grinder.  But if you have a poor grinder you are almost certain not to get the best out of your beans regardless of their quality.

The biggest advantage of a grind and brew coffee machine is that you don’t need to purchase a separate maker and a stand along grinder. The other advantage is that you don’t need to worry about transferring the ground beans into your coffee maker from the stand alone grinder (the mess I have made sometimes is amazing!). 

Getting the powder right: blades or burr?

The goal with coffee beans is to get a fine consistent powder.  Grind and brew coffee makers will either have a blade or burr mechanism for grinding the beans.  The general view is that a burr mechanism will provide a better and more consistent grind.  A blade mechanism will tend to cut the beans and not ‘grind’ them.

Experts say that the best grinder is a conical burr grinder. That applies to buying a separate, stand alone grinder or a grinder built into your automatic maker.

Why might you buy a machine with a blade grinder? A very good question – there are 2 reasons. First, the cost is going to be less, and secondly there are very few burr grinders built into makers.

Most built-in grinders are the lower cost but noisier and less effective blade grinder type.

What about the brewing?

Grind and brew coffee makers will have a water reservoir, a filter and a pot for collecting the coffee.  The brewer will also have a thermostat to heat the water to the perfect temperature.

What about the water?

Something that many people forget about is the affect water can have on the end quality of the coffee.  Depending on your area, tap water can contain various minerals and chemicals which can affect the end taste.

Filter the water yourself is one answer, although there are units which do provide the convenience which provide filters such as charcoal to eliminate the odours and minerals from the water. 

What about cleaning?

Before buying a grind and brew coffee maker, it is important to be aware that cleaning the built in grinder can be a little trickier than cleaning a stand alone grinder, but once you get the hang of it it is no problem at all. 

The end result

Many grind and brew coffee makers have timers, so that much needed coffee is ready just before you are ready to enjoy it – absolutely great first thing in the morning and a truly great way to start the day.