What Is a Coffee Machine?

A coffee machine is a kitchen appliance that brews and pours your morning cup of joe. Whether you use a pod- and capsule coffee machine, bean-to-cup machine or a traditional drip coffee maker, the basic mechanics are the same.

The coffee machine typically has a water reservoir and a white tube that leads up from below the base to the drip area, where your freshly-ground beans are waiting. This system of tubes is where the real magic happens, and it’s what makes your coffee taste so good.

During the brewing cycle, heated water flows through these tubes, spraying across your grounds. This is called a “drip cycle” and it fully saturates your grounds with the correct temperature of water. In the end, it’s what gives you that full-bodied flavor and rich aromas that we all crave.

The best coffee machines make this process easy, allowing you to curate your cup of joe with different options and settings. For example, some models offer different ratios of water to ground coffee, while others allow you to customize the amount of coffee you want to be dispensed. They also have different features like a thermal carafe, which keeps your brewed coffee at the perfect temperature.

The best coffee makers can take care of every step in the process, including grinding your beans, brewing and dispensing the finished product. These hands-off machines often feature menu screens that let you select from a range of coffee shop-style beverages, though they’ll usually require you to bring your own milk, so that the machine can texturize and dispense it at the right temperature.