Last month, I killed yet another….
Coffee maker.
That makes two in less than two years. And, while I’m terribly sorry (not sorry?!) about this fact, I will not hide from it. I know I could have used filtered water, or cleaned the coffee maker more frequently. Or, maybe I could have drank less coffee, thereby making less coffee, and using the coffee maker less often. (Can you tell I’ve recently caffeinated?)
Okay, so we drink a hearty amount of coffee around here. And, with the exception of occasional fasts, we have no intention of quitting our favorite morning (or all day long) pick-me-up. We obviously needed to replace that broken machine. And, PRONTO! (Never fear! While we were awaiting the arrival of our new brew station, we used a mini/ back-up machine.)
Naturally, before making any decisions about a replacement coffee maker, I went to the blissful shores of… social media. I barely dipped my toes in when I received a slew of recommendations. After a few hours of research and discussion with the other coffee drinker in the house, I had narrowed down my options. Three options to be exact.
Upon further discussion, we ended up purchasing all three coffee brewing options…Because you can never have enough ways to make coffee. So, here’s what we ended up with…
- Ninja Programmable Brewer (model CE251)- We selected this middle-level coffee maker to be the main machine for brewing. It is fast, very quiet, has a standard 12-cup pot, and is programmable (hence the name…) We wanted something that could be prepped the night before and start brewing before we head out to the kitchen each morning. A very convenient feature of this coffee maker is that the water tank is removable, which makes filling it so much easier! It also features a refillable basket, so we no longer need to buy coffee filters!! This machine was under $100 and is used most frequently.
- Stove-top Espresso Maker– Since we love “fancy” coffee, but don’t drink it enough to warrant buying a dedicated espresso machine, we opted for this cute 6-ounce stove-top espresso maker. While it isn’t actually espresso, it makes a heavenly strong “shot” of coffee. The correct term for the brew it makes is moka, which is just another form of very concentrated coffee. (More on this in another post!) I prefer to make this as my afternoon cuppa, especially when I need to head out somewhere and don’t have time to savor a larger cup. I typically mix the moka with cream or milk. This “machine” is under $20 and can be made on the stove, so it can use no electricity (if you have a gas stove!)
- Insulated French Press– This was recommended multiple times, and it has always been on my list of things to buy. While a traditional French press is made out of glass, we opted for this double-walled, stainless steel variety to retain heat. We also bought an extra large one so we could make enough to share! The main benefit of this “machine” is the fact that it simply needs coffee grounds (or tea leaves/herbs) and hot water. No electricity or cooking required. This is huge as our power goes out frequently in the country. We can simply heat water on the wood stove (or eventually on a gas stove) to make a pot of delicious coffee. This will be a game changer the next time we lose power!! And since it does not have an electric component, it was very inexpensive (our model was under $40, some are more or less depending on brand and size.)
So, there ya go! Three fabulous ways to make delicious coffee at home and all under $200!
Happy coffee-drinking, my friends!!
