The drip coffee machine in portrait: why most units brew too cold, what makes a good machine, the brew ratio for a carafe, thermal jug against hot plate and when an expensive unit pays off.
The drip coffee machine has a bad reputation because most units are bad. They heat the water to 80 degrees, drip it into the middle of the filter and then keep the carafe on a hot plate until the coffee is bitter. A good machine does everything differently, and then it is unbeatable for filter coffee in quantity.
What makes a good machine
- A brew temperature of 92 to 96 degrees at the filter, not just in the heating element. Units certified by the European coffee association meet that.
- A brew time of four to six minutes for a one litre carafe. Too slow means too cold.
- A shower head that wets the coffee bed evenly, instead of a single water outlet.
- A bloom function or pre infusion that wets the coffee briefly and waits.
- A thermal jug instead of a hot plate. Coffee that stands on a plate for 20 minutes is ruined.
The recipe
60 grams of coffee per litre of water, ground medium to coarse, and rinse the paper filter first. For half a carafe, grind a little finer, because the shallow coffee bed lets the water through faster. Get the coffee into cups or a thermal jug straight away if the machine has none.
Who it is for
For everyone who drinks filter coffee in quantity in the morning or at the office, for families, and for people who want to enjoy light roasts without effort. Not for espresso and milk drinkers.
Care
Rinse the carafe and filter holder after every use and descale every one to two months. Nothing more is needed.
For
- Large amounts with no effort
- Cheap to buy and to run
- Shows light roasts very well
- Hardly any cleaning
Against
- Cheap units brew too cold and too slowly
- No espresso, no milk foam
- Hot plates stew the coffee
- Still needs a grinder
Common questions
How much coffee for a carafe of filter coffee?
60 grams per litre of water, so about seven heaped tablespoons, or better still: weigh it.
Is an expensive drip machine worth it?
Yes, if you drink filter coffee daily. The difference between 30 and 200 euros lies in the brew temperature and the carafe, and you taste it immediately.
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