When it comes to my morning coffee, I usually look forward to that first cup of the day before I’m ready to dive into my work.
A few years ago, I used to rush out at 5:45 every morning to make the morning commute – which I never looked forward to. Rushing out, I’d either grab a quick cup from the nearby Dunkin’ Donuts or the gas station for a few dollars. Making coffee in the morning would take a few minutes, but I only need a cup for the road – not a full pot. So what should I do?
My Preferences
As I discussed in my recent blog, I keep things simple when enjoying coffee at home. No fancy machines or anything complicated for me. I just want to get down to drinking a simple cup of coffee as quickly as possible.
With that being said, the only coffee machines that I ever brought have been the simple 5 cup coffee makers. They’ve always done the trick for me, allowing me to simply add the water, filter, ground coffee and wait a few minutes for the fresh coffee.
No long, drawn-out ceremony. No grinding coffee beans (unless I’m truly in the mood for enjoying the coffee making process, which I’m usually not). And it’s simple and easy to deal with. Just toss out the old filter and wash out the coffee pot for the next pot.
Now I had the pleasure of dealing with other machines, like Keurigs, espressos and coffee makers with bigger pots in the employee break rooms. But that got me thinking about someone else in my shoes. If they wanted to keep things simple, what would be the BEST simple coffee maker for them to invest in?
My choices:
The five cup coffee makers are the simplest machines out there, for the smallest amounts of cups needed to enjoy a cup of coffee. These devices can make as much as 25 oz. of coffee (especially if you have a travel mug that big). And with a 25 oz coffee pot, that would come out to 3 8-ounce cups of coffee or 2 12-ounce cups, depending on which size you use.
5 Cup Auto keep Warm Function Coffee Maker with Removable Filter Basket, Black
This is as simple as they come, everyone. This premium quality coffee maker will ensure that I can easily enjoy a cup of coffee without having to be a coffee expert or manage a complicated device. Just add the filter, ground coffee and water and you’re good to go. The key feature for me is the auto warm function, which ensures that the coffee will stay fresh and warm.
I’ve been at work and other places where the coffee light will shut off within a half-hour, or even an hour. Personally, I prefer to shut it off myself once I’m done with that pot or ready to make another.
Mr. Coffee 5-Cup Mini Brew Switch Coffee Maker, Black
Another simple coffee maker, small enough to fit in small spaces in your kitchen. Easy to use and keep clean too. But the difference with this device is the “Grab-a-Cup” Auto Pause feature which allows you to grab the coffee pot and pour the first cup before the full brewing process is finished.
Capresso 5-Cup Minidrip Programmable Coffee Maker
This coffee maker offers the same features as the above: 5-cups or 25 ounces of coffee, and the “Drip Stop” for pouring that quick cup of coffee when you just can’t wait for it to finish brewing. Now there is a warming plate, but it only lasts for two hours, before the safe shut-off engages.
I can understand the need for this, in case you need to step out of the house, or you walk away and forget to come back after a few hours. But honestly, with the simpler coffee machines that I’ve owned – the warming plate can stay on indefinitely without any safety issues. I’ve had the circuit break trip once and it simply turned the whole machine off without restarting it. I can also understand the need for shutting it down after two hours – who would want to drink, or even reheat two-hour old coffee? I don’t mind, but it may not be for everyone.
This particular coffee maker also comes with a programmable timer, which is a benefit if you want to have that coffee ready and waiting for you the next morning!
Black + Decker 5-cup Black/Stainless Residential Drip Coffee Make
This one stands out as my personal favorite, because it comes with four different ways to brew coffee! With a choice of standard mug, tall travel mug, a 5-cup carafe, or pour over coffee. There’s something for everyone in this model.
It even comes with the 14-oz stainless steel travel mug for taking your coffee with you on the go, along with an adjustable stand for the other sizes! Although it’s lacking the programmable timer like the last model, it clearly compensates for it with 4 different brewing methods – and at a reasonable price too!
And living alone, this is my model of choice, as some days I tend to make a full pot, while other days, I only have time for a cup on the go.
