Consumer Reports figures you can save almost $350 a year by brewing coffee at home instead of buying it to go. Consumer Reports tested 34 coffeemakers.
New tests were devised to measure brewing temperature. To get a good cup of coffee, brewing temperature should be between 195° F and 205° F. Many coffeemakers—even those costing more than $100—didn't reach a high enough temperature to extract the best from the beans and therefore avoid a weak or bitter brew.
One of the most convenient models that reaches an excellent brew temperature is the Michael Graves 12-cup coffeemaker, available at Target. At $40, it's rated a Consumer Reports Best Buy. It's also programmable. That feature allows the coffeemaker to start brewing in the morning before you wake up, so that you have coffee when you get up.
Single-serving pod machines let you simply drop in a sealed packet of coffee with no grinding, no scooping, and no mess. But Consumer Reports found the coffee pricey—25 to 50 cents per pod. That's four times as much per cup as drip-coffee, using supermarket brands.
Instead, Consumer Reports recommends the Melitta Take2, which cost $25 and quickly brewed a superb cup of coffee.
Whichever coffeemaker you choose, Consumer Reports says to consider trading the usual paper filter for a permanent metal one, which usually costs between $5 and $10. It can pay for itself in as little as a year.
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