Moccha for the Millennial: How Coffee Needs Have Changed

If we take a time capsule back to the early 90’s, we’d see some adverts for coffee that might raise an eyebrow or two in our current times, picturing the typical 1940’s working man scalding his wife for the poor tasting coffee she’s made. These adverts see coffee making depicted in the oldest possible way – imagine a bright orange drip coffee maker type of device that takes a good 15 minutes just to brew some below-average tasting coffee. Why was the coffee below-average tasting, you ask?

Well, back in those times, coffee product had not come nearly as close to what it is now. Pre-ground filter coffee came in huge bags, meaning that by day 3 or 4 of using that coffee, it had already lost the majority of it’s flavour and aroma. Adding into that equation the machines used to brew this coffee were as outdated as the hills did not help in making the outcome nay better. The old-style drip coffeek maker would brew the coffee painfully slowly, and the heat plate underneath the coffee pot would almost immediately start to burn the coffee. We’re now sitting with a tri-fecta of poor quality, bad-tasting coffee.

Aren’t you glad we’ve made so much progress in the last few decades?

An except from Coffee Maker Picks.com states “Other than oil, coffee would be likely the most precious legal commodity on earth. People around the world would roughly consume 2 billion cups each day. For every 3 people, one cup is consumed each day and this is an incredible ratio. No wonder why there is such a huge market for coffee machines. In the late 1990’s when people first demanded more appealing appliances that can compliment modern kitchens, and this resulted in a new trend of redesigned coffee machines available in a wider range of colours and styles to choose from”.

Modern Coffee Makers

Considering the archaic roots of coffee maker origins, we have come exceptionally far – especially in the last decade. Coffee machines nowadays offer abundantly more than plain old filter coffee – even the most entry-level home coffee machines are capable of producing creamy cappuccino’s.

So, how easy is it to make coffee at home?

It’s become easier than ever before. Depending on what type of coffee you enjoy the most, there are as many different types of coffee makers.

French Presses are a modern equivalent of the “father” of coffee makers. They are easy to use and do not require a filter, as the “plunger” part of the machine acts as the filter. This machine can only make plain black coffee (AKA Americano’s) and the coffee machine has no heat-retaining functionality, so it’s best you brew and drink it within 30 minutes.

Drip Coffee Makers come in more shapes and sizes than we could even care to admit. Yes, they are outdated in what they are – but in modern times the technology behind new age Drip COffee Makers has come along beautifully. You can expect to find filter coffee machines with switch-on times, self-regulating hot plates (prevents your coffee from going cold AND prevents any scalding of the coffee if it remains on the hot plate for too long). Also, pre-ground filter coffee also comes in smaller sachets nowadays, so your coffee many taste better for longer. This being said, it is still only able to produce regular filter coffee.

Capsule or Single Serve Coffee Makers are EVERYWHERE. They come in all shapes and sizes, all price ranges, different styles, names and capabilities. But these must be – without the shadow of a doubt – THE most popular type of home coffee maker. It makes sense why that is the case, as well. They are a relatively cheap[ investment, the coffee pods are available in an endless array of flavours and strengths, and they fit nicely into almost any modern kitchen. These types of coffee machines are also not limited to making plain black coffee. You can get various strengths of regular coffee, some capsule machines are compatible with speciality coffee’s such as Chai Latte’s, regular milk Latte’s and even Milo. Consider though that the coffee capsules may seem cheap overall, but if you pay $ 30.00 for 30 capsules, you’re paying $ 1.00 for a cup of coffee – which can add up in the long run if you consumer a lot of coffee each day.

There is also (always) going to be the hype around getting customised speciality coffee’s at your favourite coffee shop – which is going to cost you. Really sit and think about how much time and money you spend standing in a queue to pay $ 10.00 for a cup of coffee each morning. That same cup could cost you literally less than half if you invest in a coffee maker wisely – meaning you can have double the coffee (maybe even triple) , save yourself a ton of time AND get to skip the time-consuming, patience-testing snaking queues you face so bravely each morning.