Filter Coffee Machines: An Essential Piece of a Coffee SetUp?

Filter coffee lovers: Are you looking for a device that allows you to make great filter coffee at home or for coffee breaks at your office? Then batch brewers or filter coffee machines are for you.

Although they aren’t anything new, coffee machine technology has definitely improved over the years, and specialty coffee brands are doing a great job creating coffee makers with professional brewing standards.

Read on to learn what you need to look for when purchasing a batch brewer.

The Popularity of Batch brew

To prepare pour-over filter coffee, there are plenty of manual brewing methods and drip coffee machines. The later can help you achieve consistency every time you brew coffee, especially when you make big quantities for your office, home guests and some coffee service venues.

This pursuit of consistency and efficiency has led the specialty coffee sector to develop better coffee brewing technology. In fact, there are a myriad of options available in the market and more people are getting one thanks to the possibility of crafting great quality cups.

So, how do you pick a model suited to your needs?

Here are a few things to consider: 

Quantity

First of all, assess the quantity of coffee you are looking to prepare on a daily basis. Is one liter of coffee enough? Or are you looking instead to brewing higher volumes for an event or a workplace setting?

If amounts of around 3-4 cups of coffee are enough for you, there is a range of models from different brands and state-of-the-art design that will look great on any kitchen countertop.

Recipes

If you are looking to experiment with the water/coffee ratio and find the perfect balance or adjust it to a specific coffee, you need a batch brewer with adjustable water flow settings.

Brewing temperature is also a parameter to consider, as this will allow for experimentation. Most filter coffee machines offer a stable brewing temperature between 90℃ and 96℃.

Some drip coffee machines can be integrated with built-in apps that allow you to store your favourite recipes, adjust brewing settings, and offer you data to monitor your progress. Modern batch brewers also pour the water through the coffee grounds more evenly, for a proper extraction.

Temperature Stability

This function comes in handy when preparing batches of coffee at an office or if you just don’t want to brew coffee every single time you want to have a cup.

Since nobody enjoys burned coffee, you should watch out for how long the heating plate stays warm after brewing coffee. Does it keep a steady temperature for a sufficient amount of time? Or does it keep the heating plate on for very causing the coffee to burn and end up with stale and burnt tasting notes?

Quality/Certification

Many batch brewer brands and models have been certified by the Specialty Coffee Association, because they feature specs that help you brew coffee with high brewing, temperature and ratio standards.

For example, brands like Wilfa have been certified with the SCA Gold Standard. Their Classic model offers adjustable settings to give you better control over your flow rate and extraction time.

Additionally, its smart maintenance features remind you to clean your coffee machine, conserve energy, and prevent drips on the hot plate. Being reminded of these maintenance tasks helps your machine last longer, and avoid seeking a coffee machine repair technician for issues that could be prevented.

It also allows you to choose the water flow speed, to regulate the extraction and therefore, the intensity of your final cup.

Check out or range of coffee machines &  brewing quipment!

If you don’t know which filter coffee machine model to choose, watch out for the features we mention in this guide. Having control over the coffee brewing variables is key to finding your favourite cup. A batch brewer with adjustable settings will give you the possibility to change the recipe according to the coffee you are preparing.