Next to tea, coffee is THE most popular drink in the world. For coffee lovers, a day without their favorite caffeine is like living without purpose. In between running to the nearest Starbucks and sipping a latte, life goes on. So, owning a coffee machine that can make café-grade brews is nothing short of a life goal.
But one problem all coffee lovers face is which coffee maker is better for them – single-serve or carafe coffee maker? While there are distinct pros and cons for both, most people still find it perplexing to choose. And honestly, why should they when there’s the Hamilton Beach 2 Way Flexbrew coffee maker that offers the best of both worlds!
So, if you want to know more about the differences and advantages of these brewing systems, read on.
Single-Serve Coffee Makers – An Overview
As the name suggests, these kinds of coffee makers can brew only one cup of coffee at a time. Also known as single-serve brewing machines, these are very popular choices for homes and small offices.
Unlike the carafe type, single-serve coffee makers do not use coffee beans or powders. Instead, they work with individually packaged coffee pods called K pods.
Feature Highlights:
- No need to pre-heat the machine. Simply plug and use
- Removes the hassle of pre-measuring coffee
- Requires very less brewing time
- Comes with some customizations
- Very low maintenance and easy to operate
Carafe Coffee Makers – An Overview
If you love your coffee morning, noon, night, and a couple of times in between, coffee machines that serve only one cup at a time might not be the best for you. Carafe or glass pot-type coffee makers can store multiple cups of freshly brewed coffee at once.
These types of coffee makers can be of various kinds – drip-brew type, espresso machines, etc. Unlike the former, carafe makers mostly come with their own coffee grinders and do not need pods.
These are more feature-rich than single-serve machines. According to the Gaggia Classic espresso machine review, these are wildly popular options for bigger homes and offices.
Feature Highlights:
- Can store multiple cups of fresh coffee
- Come with attached coffee grinders
- Have advanced features like auto-shut to prevent overheating
- Are much more customizable
What’s The Right Pick for You?
Now that you have a basic understanding of the differences, it is only a matter of choosing the one that suits your needs. If you like coffee but don’t go overboard with it, choose a single-serve, but the carafe type is best for you if you are a crazy coffee lover.
Read as many good reviews as you can, like the Delonghi EC702 espresso machine review, before choosing.
Summing Up
Getting the right kind of coffee machine is the first and most crucial step in becoming a hoe barista. The decision takes months of careful deliberation, spending hours online comparing, making pros and cons lists, etc. One great pre-purchase activity you should do is read as many online reviews as you can from trusted sources like CoffeeAtoZ.
But if you are still confused over single-serve and carafe, close your eyes and say yes to the dual brewers!