Best Coffee Makers in Canada

How to Choose a Coffee Maker for Canadians

If you are shopping for a coffee maker in Canada, you may not know where to start. While choosing a coffee maker may seem easy, there are quite a few different options that can impact the quality of your coffee and which type of coffee you can make. The following features and options can help you choose the best coffee maker for your kitchen.

Type of Coffee Machine

Coffee makers can be vastly different. They vary mostly on how the coffee is made, as well as what type of grounds or materials you use to make it. Let’s look at three of the most popular types of coffee makers you’ll find on the Canadian market today.

• Drip coffee makers. Drip coffee makers use some type of grounds basket, which contains your favourite coffee grounds. Water is dispensed over the coffee grounds, which creates a steady drip of coffee. This coffee is deposited into the carafe, which can be different based on several different factors. Drip coffee makers are the least expensive and most time-consuming models.
• Single-serve pod makers. Single-serve pod makers use coffee pods or cups. All you have to do is push down the handle and select the brew size or brew strength. The coffee maker makes a single-serve portion of the coffee in the pod using this method. This type of coffee maker is perfect for those who want to make a single cup at a time or those who prefer to try different coffee flavours throughout the day.
• Multi-use coffee makers. Multi-use coffee makers do more than just make coffee. Some of these options have built-in espresso machines or combine the power of a drip coffee maker with a simple single-serve pod on the other side. However it’s laid out, a multi-use coffee maker uses more than one coffee-making method or includes multiple methods in a single machine.

Carafe Size

How much coffee can you make at once? This will be determined by the size of the carafe. Carafes can come in a few different styles, including glass and thermal. Glass carafes allow you to see how much coffee is inside, but they aren’t sealed. Meanwhile, a thermal carafe is sealed and stays warm and fresh for longer.

The size of the carafe matters as well. Smaller carafes can only hold about 4 cups of coffee, which might not be enough for some households. The standard carafe holds about 12 cups, while the carafes in larger coffee makers might exceed this.

You should choose a carafe capacity that matches your coffee intake and intake speed. Keep in mind that glass carafes tend to lose heat faster, meaning you’ll have to drink your coffee quickly if you want it as fresh as possible.

Brew Size Options

You don’t always want a full 12 cups of coffee, but you also might want more than one cup at a time. How do you measure that? Coffee makers used to make you measure out the water and grounds differently, which led to quite a few errors in taste and strength.

Thankfully, most modern coffee makers have a brew size option, which decreases the amount of coffee your maker will brew at once. If you only want a few cups, you should probably choose the 6-cup option on the coffee maker. You can still get a full 12 cups of coffee from the machine; you’ll just have to select a different button.

Programmable Features

Some programmable coffee makers have different features you can select. Most often, some of the only programmable features offered are delayed brew services. This allows you to plan your day ahead of time. If you want to have your coffee ready first thing in the morning, a programmable timer can help. When a certain time is reached, the machine will automatically turn on and begin preparing your coffee.

Other features include different methods of coffee infusion, as well as brew strength and size selection. Choose the options that work best for your lifestyle. You already know how you like your coffee, so investigate the programmable features of each option to see which works best for you.

Brew Strength

Some Canadians prefer their coffee to be dark and bold, while others prefer a lighter, less bitter flavour. No matter how you like your coffee, choosing a coffee maker that has a brew strength selection feature is important. These options allow you to select how you want your coffee on any given day. If you prefer a darker brew on a Monday morning, you can still choose a lighter option on Wednesday. The versatility is well worth the search for a coffee maker that indicates brew strength.

When your coffee maker changes brew strength, they’re changing the amount of time it takes to brew the coffee beans to that intensity. If you often want bold, dark coffee, for instance, your coffee maker will be running for a while. Percolating slowly is one of the best ways to increase the darkness of your coffee. Some coffee makers with brew strength selections have two options, while others might include more.

Water Reservoir and Capacity

The water reservoir is the tank that feeds the coffee maker. The water reservoir should be simple to use, and in a location that makes it simple to refill. There are usually marks on the reservoir, or some sort of viewing window to alert you to how much water is left in the reservoir. If you are concerned about lower cabinets or are worried about odd angles while refilling your reservoir, look for a coffee maker with a removable water reservoir. This way, you can remove the tank and fill it, before placing it back. There’s no mess at all.

The capacity of the water tank matters, too. This is especially important when considering single-serve coffee makers. The larger the reservoir, the less time you’ll spend refilling it after brewing. Some single-serve coffee pots can make up to five or more cups of coffee before the reservoir needs refilling.

If saving time is important, look for a water reservoir that’s significantly larger than the capacity your coffee maker can brew. This is especially true when it comes to single-serve pod coffee makers. In a pod coffee makers, a bigger reservoir is definitely more favorable.

Grinder Attachments

A grinder is just one of the special attachments that might come with your coffee maker. A grinder model doesn’t use ground coffee like you usually purchase in the grocery store. Instead, you supply the hopper with fresh coffee beans. The grinder reduces those beans to fresh grounds in whatever amount you choose.

Grinding fresh coffee unlocks its full flavour potential. Some store-bought grounds quickly go stale or lose out on flavour when they sit on store shelves. When you grind your own beans, you’re unleashing fresh flavours. If you’ve never had fresh-ground beans, you should try making coffee from them at least once.

A coffee maker with a built-in grinder can make some of the best-tasting coffee you’ll find. If you’re up to it, this option can be great for those who enjoy their coffee. However, if you are serious about unlocking the full potential of your coffee, you might want to consider purchasing a full-fized coffee grinder.

Display

All programmable coffee makers need a display screen of some size. You’ll need to see the timer you set, the options you select, and even the time. Because of the importance of the display, you want a larger, clearer option. Coffee makers without a display can be a bit difficult to program, especially if the buttons are small and their purpose is obscure.

Instead, choose a coffee maker with a larger LED or LCD screen. It should be large enough to view easily. Ideally, the screen has enough space to see the options you’ve selected. Some even show you how long it’s been since the coffee has finished brewing.

Cleaning

Coffee makers require regular cleaning, as well as descaling. This type of cleaning removes the hard water scale build-up from inside the machine, ensuring that it lasts for a long time to come. Some coffee makers are easier to clean than others, but all should be cleaned on a regular schedule. You should clean them more often if you use them daily.

If cleaning your coffee maker seems like a chore you just can’t bring yourself to perform, you should choose a coffee maker with a self-cleaning option. Some coffee makers even include self-descaling options. Running these cycles will ensure that your coffee maker lasts for years to come, especially if you use them regularly.