5 Types of Coffee Makers and How to Use Them

We love to start our mornings with an energising cup of coffee and drinking coffee is an all-important part of our daily routine. The comforting flavour and aroma of quality coffee are a welcome wake-up call, and a cup of the good stuff always guarantees we get up on the right side of the bed.

With so many different coffee makers on the market, it’s never been easier to enjoy delicious coffee at home. Choosing the right coffee maker may seem difficult but it is based entirely on individual taste and preference, so we recommend experimenting with several different brewing techniques to find your best fit.

While some may be after a quick caffeine hit to kickstart their day, others are willing to spend time experimenting with new flavours. Coffee brewing can be as simple or complex as you like and there is a coffee maker for every taste.

Our go-to guide rounds up five of the best coffee maker types on the market, step-by-step instructions on how to use them and their recommended coffee grind size so you can perfect the ultimate espresso coffee at home!

Cafetière

Using a cafetière, or French press, is a fantastic way of achieving an excellent cup of coffee at home. A cafetière is a simple piece of coffee brewing equipment that consists of three main components – a carafe, plunger and lid. It is cost effective, easy to use and a great all-round coffee maker.

To brew coffee, you fill the heatproof carafe with coarse ground coffee and hot water and allow it to steep. The longer you steep the coffee, the stronger the flavour will be. The plunger is then used to move the coffee grounds to the bottom before pouring. Cafetière coffee is typically a full-bodied brew with more bitter and acidic notes.

How to use a cafetière:

1. Warm the cafetière with hot water and tip it out
2. Fill the cafetière with approximately 20g of ground coffee or two dessert spoons per cup (we recommend coarse ground coffee)
3. Pour water just off the boil onto the coffee grounds and give it a good stir
4. Leave to stand for 3-4 minutes
5. Plunge down slowly and steadily, leave for a few seconds, then pour and enjoy

Stove Top Espresso

The moka pot, also known as a macchinetta caffè (‘small coffee machine’) is a stovetop coffee pot that is made up of three chambers. The bottom chamber is filled with water, the chamber above it is a basket filled with fresh-ground coffee and the upper chamber is where your coffee will appear.

Delicious coffee is made by pressurised boiling water in the form of steam passing through the ground coffee and into the upper chamber. Similar to an espresso machine, the moka pot will produce coffee that is smooth, intense and rich so they are an excellent choice for espresso drinkers.

How to use a moka pot:

1. Fill the lower part of the moka pot with cold water, making sure not to fill past the safety valve
2. Fill the filter basket with ground espresso coffee (we recommend fine ground coffee)
3. Place the filter basket so it sits inside of the lower part of the moka pot
4. Screw the top part onto the lower part firmly
5. Place the assembled moka pot onto a stove top and heat over medium heat for 5-10 minutes
6. Remove moka pot from the stove once the top part is filled with coffee, then pour and enjoy

Hario V60

The Hario V60 coffee dripper, or pour over coffee maker, is perfect for making delicate single-cup coffee. Available in a variety of different eye-catching materials, sizes and colours, the compact V60 coffee dripper is a fantastic coffee maker for people looking for a great cup of coffee without the need for bulky electrical coffee machines. Despite its’ small size, the V60 is one of the best pieces of brewing equipment to get the most out of quality coffee beans.

How to use a coffee filter:

1. Place the V60 brewer on top of the mug and put the filter paper in (soak the paper with hot water to get rid of any papery flavours and tip it out)
2. Fill the V60 brewer with approximately 15g of ground coffee (we recommend medium ground coffee)
3. In one quick pour, soak all the coffee grounds with water just off the boil and wait for 30 seconds
4. Slowly pour the hot water over the coffee grounds, making small circles
5. Wait for it to drain and allow the coffee to cool a little, then enjoy

Chemex

Invented in 1941 by a chemist named Peter Schlumbohm, the Chemex is an iconic coffee maker with a timeless design. The Chemex coffee maker’s laboratory glass funnel design encourages excess air to escape from the bottom of the carafe and through the paper filter, allowing the coffee to filter at the perfect rate. For the best results you should use a scale to weigh the Chemex coffee.

How to use a Chemex coffee maker:

1.  Place the Chemex filter in the brewer so there are three layers on the spout side and one layer on the other, then soak the filter with hot water to get an even seal all the way round
2. Add 6 tablespoons of coffee (we recommend coarse ground coffee)
3. When you add the hot water, start the timer and pour until all the grounds are saturated and the scale reaches about 150g
4. After 45 seconds, start the second pour until the volume reaches about a fingertip down from the top or 450g of water
5. After 1 minute and 45 seconds, fill the brewer flush to the top or about 700g of water
6. At 4 minutes you should have enough volume and you can pull the filter out and let it drain into the sink
7. Swirl the Chemex around, serve and enjoy (serves two cups of coffee)

Aeropress

Invented in 2005 by Aerobie president Alan Adler, the Aeropress is a relatively new piece of coffee brewing equipment. Using the Aeropress coffee maker, ground coffee is steeped in water just off the boil for 10-50 seconds and then forced through a filter by pressing the plunger through the tube.

The type of coffee produced by an Aeropress is a cross between an Americano and a filter coffee. For a brighter, sweeter, full-bodied cup of coffee try replacing the standard Aeropress paper filters with a reusable stainless-steel filter.

How to use an Aeropress coffee maker:

1. Place your paper filter in the plastic filter and soak with hot water before attaching it to the base of the Aeropress
2. Using the scoop provided, fill the bottom of the Aeropress with fresh coffee grounds as per instructions (we recommend medium-fine or fine ground coffee)
3. Pour just off the boil water onto coffee and stir for 20 seconds
4. Apply gentle constant pressure for 25 seconds until all water has been pushed through
5. Remove the Aeropress, put coffee into the bin and enjoy your cup of coffee

There are so many fantastic home coffee machines and coffee makers available on the market, so don’t hold back from exploring the wonderous world of delicious coffee.

Treat your palate and get experimenting with different brewing techniques with Penningtons Tea and Coffee’s coffee beans and brewing products. When purchasing Penningtons’ coffee online you have the option to choose the grind of your beans to match your coffee maker, making Penningtons the superior choice for speciality coffee.

Explore Penningtons’ range of specialty brewing products today.