by Wonderlane

In this article, we talk about the history of coffee makers and their purpose. If you are like me you do love your coffee and coffee makers!

For hundreds of years coffee was not brewed in a pot, but in a pan. Hot water was added to the pan then it was covered with a lid. After the coffee smelled done, it was poured into a cup – coffee grounds and all. In 1865 James Madison invented the coffee percolator. His percolator was based on the principal that heating water expands and can be directed with a tube. When the water would travel up the tube it was then dipped over ground coffee beans held in a metal basket. Throughout history, the goal of coffee makers was to provide a more enjoyable coffee drinking experience.

I wake up every morning and saunter down the stairs half-asleep. The sun is barely on the horizon and, while rubbing my eyes trying to shake that sleepy feeling, I make my way to the kitchen. Once I’m in the kitchen my routine sets in…Walk to the right cabinet, middle shelf and grab one of the filter paper cones. I open the can of coffee and the smell alone is starting to perk me up. I quickly measure the water, put the cone with coffee grounds in the machine and hit the “on” button. This process probably sounds familiar to many of you who can’t bear the thought of a morning without their cup of coffee. This every day luxury is something we have come to take for granted. Have you ever stopped to wonder where the coffee maker came from?

Since coffee makers have been existence, there has been the single cup coffee makers. Back in the 1800′s it was a luxury to drink fresh brewed coffee 1 cup at a time, whenever you wanted it. Since then many manufacturers uphold this belief. Manufacturers such as Keurig have been building single cup coffee makers for years. Unlike the percolators of the 1800′s these machines have multiple brew settings, automatic on and off and high powered brewing systems. Other manufacturers on the market such as Senseo have high-speed coffee makers that can brew single serving in less than a minute. Machines like this one use pods that come in over 100 flavors and have no messy grinding or flavor cross over.