Equipment and Gear Needed to Make Coffee
Coffee may seem like a simple drink, but different kinds of utensils can impact its quality and your overall coffee experience.
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We'll cover some of the most common types of coffee utensils here.
Grinders
There's something about whole coffee beans that give extra flavor to a cup of coffee. However, you'll need a coffee grinder to prepare them. Below are some different styles of coffee grinders.
Blade Coffee Grinder
Blade grinders chop coffee beans into small pieces instead of grinding them into a powdery consistency. The benefits of blade grinders are that they're inexpensive, and you can control how little you want to chop your coffee beans. Disadvantages include they don't get sliced evenly, and heat from the blades can give your coffee a burned flavor.
Burr Coffee Grinder
Burr grinders excel at grinding coffee beans evenly since they pulverize the beans as large or fine as you'd like. Unlike blade grinders, burr grinders tend not to clog as much, and they produce richer tasting coffee.
Dosing Grinder vs. Non-Dosing Coffee Grinder
Coffee grinders with a dosing feature automatically place ground coffee into pre-measured containers so that it's ready to dispense when you want to brew a cup of coffee. Beyond the convenience, some people prefer non-dosing grinders since they want their coffee freshly ground every day.
High-Speed vs. Low-Speed Coffee Grinder
Low-speed grinders are a more economical option and are suitable for brews that don't need constant grinds, such as the French press and drip-brew. High-speed grinders grind beans faster and offer less heat transfer so that coffee beans hold on to their original flavor.
Coffee Makers
Whether you buy coffee beans or pre-ground coffee, you're going to need a coffee maker if you want to make anything other than instant coffee in your home. Let's look at some of the most popular types of coffee makers.
Pour Over Coffee Maker
Pour-over coffee makers involve putting hot water over coffee grounds that are sitting in a filter. Although they're similar to drip coffee makers, many people prefer pour-over coffee makers because it allows them to control the water temperature and how they pour the water, such as by hand with a kettle.
Drip Coffee Maker
Drip coffee makers are an automatic form of pour-over makers. They heat water on their own and then pass steam through a tube system. The water then flows over the grounds and through the filter into a coffee pot.
French Press
French presses are among the most complicated coffee makers, but they produce some of the highest quality coffee. You'll need to do everything from measuring the ingredients to watching the time. The most significant benefit to using a French press is that the coffee bean oils reach your mug and microscopic coffee grounds enter the coffee, offering a more full-bodied flavor.
Vacuum Coffee Maker
Vacuum coffee makers use a siphon to change the vapor pressure of the water. It heats the water from beneath the coffee pot, and the pressurized environment sends water up over the coffee grounds. Similar to the French Press, using a vacuum coffee maker involves a learning curve.
Espresso Maker
Espresso makers operate by pushing pressurized hot water through a narrow area of ground coffee. That movement produces a thicker consistency than regular coffee and gives espresso its concentrated flavor.
Coffee Cups / Coffee Mugs
Walk into most stores, and you'll have your pick of different styles of coffee cups and coffee mugs. Below are different kinds of coffee cups and mugs available on the market. But, you should probably just do what we do around the holidays and gift out Steelers coffee mugs to everyone we know.
- Travel mug
- Tumbler
- Small espresso cups
- Glass cups
- Melamine for insulation
- Stainless steel
- Double-walled
Regardless of the coffee cup or mug you choose, you'll want to ensure it protects your hands from your wonderfully hot cup of joe.
Helpful Coffee Gear Extras
We've covered the essential coffee utensils you need in your home, but there are plenty of extra fun gadgets out there to improve your coffee experience. They include:
Coffee Bean Storage: A device for keeping coffee beans fresh. They typically have a vacuum seal to keep air and moisture out.
Scale: Ideal for ensuring you have the perfect ratio of water and coffee grounds. Coffee scales are ideal for when you make coffee for different size groups.
Coffee Scoop: Sure, you can use a spoon to measure your coffee. But consider purchasing a coffee scoop for the perfect coffee to water ratio every time.
Filter Storage: Having a dry and easy-to-access place for your filters is essential for delicious coffee. Filter storages range from fully covered containers to elevated open-air stands.
Water Filter: There's nothing like purchasing high-quality coffee and then destroying its taste with low-quality water. A water filter will help you eliminate unwanted flavors in your coffee.