Coffee Machines and Makers – Choose by Cost

There are almost 3,000 patented ways to make coffee, and there are new ones each month. So here is a summary of what to look at depending on budget and need.

What is NOT Coffee!

Before we start let me first start that if you want to drink coffee you should know what some may call coffee but to me is not.

• Any thing that comes in a bottle or tin, that requires you measuring by teaspoon and adding water is not coffee! It is not even coffee essence, which the concept of powder is based on it is as far removed from coffee as grapes are removed from raisins
  
• Instantly dispose of it, if there is any thing any where that says instant, that is not coffee that is a convenience drink
  
• The best place for it is the bin, if it has some fancy marketing name that is based on some city or areas name then it is not coffee
  
• Waste of money scream at me, if it is pre-ground, then it is not coffee, it is something that smells similar but cannot compare like a weed cannot be compared to a rose.
  
• If the words vacuum appear anywhere on the packaging then toss it
  
• A pod is something we will one day take to work, and is not a place to keep coffee
  
• If the beans have a glistening look, then the compost is the best place for them
  

So what is coffee?

• Must be in bean form
  
• Should have a roasting date on it
  
• Should tell you where it is from, and not just a country name either. A Brazilian is not a type of coffee
  

Assumptions

The person who wants a good coffee maker, loves coffee so has found a good source of buying fresh roasted coffee bean. So all the coffee brewing solutions below will assume that, and will either include a grinder or recommend a minimum.

So the basic assumption is that you have found your beans and they are of a high enough standard.

The Recommended Coffee Machine List

For those not from SA, the rand (R) to US $ rate is about R7 to $1. You will see that there is a big jump in the prices between the budget and domestic automatic machine, the reason is that the machines between those two are really fashion statements, they make no better coffee, and not more convenience than the coffee makers in the price range up to R1,350.00.

I have had some good coffees out of the decent domestic machines that hover around R11,000 with a good grinder, but for that price I think the Juras are a more logical choice, since they consistently make a great cup of coffee. What other make is missing here probably WMF and Schearer, but neither of these offer a great support base in South Africa.

At the 35k mark you need real skill to consistently beat the Z7, and if you made 10 cups you would fine in a blind taste the average Joe would probably prefer the Z7.

Need	Solution	Price Range	Coffee Quality (10 is best)
Bare necessity Coffee Maker	Plunger with blade grinder	R120 – R300 (with grinder)	5
Budget Coffee Maker for 1 or 2	Aeropress with burr grinder	R375 – R895 (with grinder)	7-8 (depending on the brew technique)
Espresso Maker for 1 or 2	Mocha pot with burr grinder	R450 – R950 (with grinder)	7
Budget Coffee Maker for up to 10	Mocha pot with burr grinder	R300 – R1,350 (with grinder)	6 - 7 (with a high quality gold filter)
Fashion Coffee Maker	I do not recommend these, but the normally are in the guise of a domestic espresso machine, may even have double barrelled names	R1,350 – R18,000 (with grinder)	5-8 (depending on skill level)
Domestic Automatic Coffee Machine	Jura Ena 3, if you like cappuccino the add different frothing attachment or even stand alone milk frother	R7,900 – R8,800 (with milk frother)	8
Small office Super Automatic Coffee Machine	Jura Impressa F50, if you like cappuccino the add different frothing attachment or even stand alone milk frother	R10,602 – R11,500 (with milk frother)	8.5
Medium office Super Automatic	Jura Impressa XF50, if you like cappuccino the add different frothing attachment or even stand alone milk frother	R10,602 – R11,500 (with milk frother)	8.5
Executive Office or Home Automatic	Jura Impressa Z7, the best coffee a super automatic can produce at the moment.	R24,500 – R26,200 (chrome finish)	9
The I am mad about coffee maker	A single group machine like the La Pavoni, must have a 54 cm head and A Ditting doserless grinder	R35,000 (est)	9.5 (with a well trained person do the magic)
The I am king of the world machine	A clover machine (have to source them second hand, and they are as scarce as hens teeth) and a Ditting doserless grinder.	SQ	9.75 - 10

This table has been status quo for about 2 years now, so we wait with baited breath.

Footnote

We have found that each brewing system changes the taste on the coffee significantly, so you may need to change your coffee if you change your preferred brewing method.