Five Common Mistakes We Make When Buying a Coffee Maker
As coffee lovers we seldom admit when our coffee-related choices are sometimes less than the best; this may be in our choice of coffee itself, how we prepare it and even the machine we choose to prepare it from. Coffee machines – moreover the wrong coffee machine choices can be rather costly to the average Joe, so we’re here to help identify the 5 most common mistakes buyers make when they buy their brew-tiful machines.
Coffee Maker Mistake #1 – Value vs Price
Bigger isn’t always better, and cheaper doesn’t always mean a better deal. Sometimes we need to fork out a little more for a machine that will last longer than its half-price counterpart who will fall apart within the first week of use. Compare features, guarantee/warranty periods, outputs, brand and of course – price – when buying yourself a coffee machine. Some homework will go a long, long way!
Coffee Maker Mistake #2 – Brand Loyalty
Yes, brands play a big part in our decision making process. Sometimes, we stick with one type of product because the brand is held higher in our regards than competitors. With so many newer, more innovative and typically cheaper products, we really do need to try things out before committing. We understand this can be hard, especially for the home coffee machine market where the setup is typically “buy and be happy” – but if you have a friend or relative with a machine you’ve never used, it’s not a bad idea to borrow it to see if perhaps your brand loyalty has blinded you to the capabilities of the lesser-known newcomers.
Coffee Maker Mistake #3 – Buying for One Purpose
If you are buying a coffee machine to make your morning easier, for example, a capsule coffee machine is not necessarily the answer you’re really looking for. You’re still required to fill up the reservoir, add a glass, wait for it to brew, empty out the capsule waste basket, wipe it down and rinse it– that is, of course, if you want the machine to last. This process is likely far longer and more complicated than a filter coffee machine with a timer. Think carefully about which machines have which capabilities, and how they will affect your routine and needs in the long run.
Coffee Maker Mistake #4 – Not Factoring in Related Costs
So you’ve found a coffee machine that fits perfectly into your budget, and life is peachy. Then it arrives on the delivery day and you realise you need a ton of ingredients to have it work properly. Whether it be coffee beans, sugar, powdered milk – or even a free-standing milk frother – you need to make sure you’ve estimated or calculated the TOTAL cost of owning and using that machine. No point you have a gorgeous coffee machine in your kitchen or office and can’t use it!
Coffee Maker Mistake #5 – Buying a Complicated Machine Nobody Can Use
So restaurant-quality Espresso machines are really cool; we admire them from afar and marvel at how Barista’s conjure up a cuppa without a drop of sweat. The same goes for high-0end coffee machines. If you have a machine that requires a cup to be positioned in one spot for milk, and moved over to another spot for coffee – you need to make sure that machine is placed in an area where the typical daily user is a “regular” – i.e. – someone who knows how to operate the machine. Imagine placing such a complicated machine in a reception area? Your office will be flooded with (yes, highly aromatic, but nevertheless sticky and messy) coffee.