With all the popular coffee articles floating around on this blog (and they almost rival the number of cup holder ones), here’s one more:
Bean to cup coffee machines are a growing segment of the coffee maker industry.
While rejected out of hand by many coffee purists because of their automatic design, the combination small appliances are racking up fans in cucinas and kitchens around the globe. And it’s easy to understand the appeal.
At their most basic, the machines combine a grinder and a brewer into one appliance. You’ve probably seen commercial versions of them in restaurants or hotels, but now they’ve been scaled down and redesigned for home use.
The bean to cup coffee machine, as the British call these grind and brewers, starts with whole, fresh coffee beans. Some models allow, if you absolutely must, the use of pre-ground coffee but that completely defeats the purpose of owning this type of brewing equipment. The grinding is on demand, at the touch of a button. Then all that’s left for you to do is select your bean-based beverage of choice and wait for the coffeemaker to dispense the steaming hot drink. At that point, the used grounds are shuttled into a compartment, which does have to be emptied by hand and cleaned.
Some well know small appliance makers have jumped into the bean to cup market. Those include, but certainly are not limited to, Gaggia, Jura-Capresso, Siemens, Saeco, Bosh, Franke and Cuisinart. Look for more companies to start a line of these machines as the concept continues to gain favor among coffee aficionados everywhere.
Some manufacturers have eliminated one of the biggest criticisms of the early versions of these coffee makers by building in a burr grinder instead of a blade grinder. This upgrade can be found in some, but not all, entry-level machines. So be sure to check for this feature if you decide to purchase one of the bean to cup coffee machines. And once done, throw that steaming cup of joe into your favorite coffee drink holder.
