If you’re on a quest for a better tasting cup of freshly brewed coffee, it may be time to ask: What are grind and brew coffee makers?
Simply put, they’re coffee brewing machines that contain a built-in coffee grinder. But that’s a huge oversimplification. Many of these cutting edge small appliances have touch keypads, milk frothers, automatic cleaning systems, etc. And the more bells and whistles — some have integrated atomic clocks — the higher the price tag.
While your basic automatic coffeemaker can create a perfectly serviceable cup of Joe, a grind and brew coffee maker, meanwhile, offers variety. Depending on the model, it can dispense espressos, cappuccinos, crema coffees, lattes or even hot chocolate and tea, at the touch of a button.
Producing this bevy of beverages starts with fresh water and whole, fresh coffee beans. With grind and brew coffee machines, the whole beans are ground on demand inside the coffeemaker. (Some of the machines, however, will allow you to use pre-ground coffee, too.) Most grind and brew machines will produce from six to 15 grams of ground coffee; the texture being determined by the type of grinder and your choice of its settings.
After the grinding, the freshly ground coffee moves to the brewing chamber, where the beverage of your selection will be brewed and dispensed. The used grounds will then be deposited into a tray, which will need to be emptied and cleaned manually.
While being able to serve up an astounding range of beverages, and being favored by a growing number of caterers, these trendy appliances haven’t won over everyone. They’re often berated by coffee connoisseurs for being fitted with blade grinders and being of automatic design. Many of the bean to cup machines, especially older models, use blade grinders. However, some brands are now using the preferred burr grinders in entry-levels models.
A range of coffee brewing appliances, from manual to semi-automatic to fully automatic, are manufactured by firms such as Bodum, Bosch, Gaggia, Saeco, Siemens, Jura and Capresso. It all boils down to personal preference and, of course, budget. The cost of grind and brew coffee makers varies greatly; some models, even those for home use, carry prices in the thousands. But entry-level models are available, and their more affordable prices are allowing more coffee drinkers to experiment with a wider variety of beverages in the quest for a better tasting cup of freshly brewed coffee.
