If you’re shopping for the best coffee maker, you might wonder why are coffee makers so big. While you can find compact coffee brewers, you’ll need a specialized device for espresso-style coffee. That said, an espresso machine might be worth the kitchen counter space if you want to make delicious coffee. So, if you want to know why size is essential for a coffee machine, read on.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Big coffee makers use advanced equipment and extra parts that a smaller, standard machine won’t have.
- Consumers regularly choose large, 12-cup coffee makers so they have enough coffee for the household.
- Massive coffee makers can make more robust coffee than regular models due to having additional brewing components.
What Makes Coffee Makers So Huge?
There are two main reasons for a big coffee maker: commercial demand or a desire for more coffee at home. Larger coffee makers usually require more coffee grounds. Still, you’ll experience a shorter brew time than a standard brewer with a paper filter.
Insider Tip
If you need to make more than one pot of coffee, use hot water to speed up the brewing process.
In addition, substantial coffee makers have several lines for multiple boilers and cold water. Large consumer coffee machines usually offer advanced features and a high-capacity thermal carafe. Still, they mainly provide more servings of brew.
Whether you’re at home or in a commercial kitchen, we can tell you where to place a coffee maker in the kitchen. It can be a challenge with espresso machines and drip coffee makers alike.
Commercial Coffee Shop Models
Cheap coffee makers like French presses or drip coffee machines aren’t usually too big. That said, espresso-style coffee makers have a more complicated brewing process, so they take up much more room.
In addition, some models have an extra water reservoir and multiple lines of boiling water. Commercial settings need massive machines to large volumes of strong coffee throughout the day. In consumer models, larger sizes won’t always result in bigger cups of coffee. Still, the extra equipment makes a more potent brew.
If you’re in a commercial shop and wonder why nats are flying around, see our guide on why there are fruit flies in your coffee maker.
Serving Sizes
Unfortunately, coffee maker manufacturers aren’t completely honest about how many batches of coffee their machines make. For example, a regular coffee maker’s cup of coffee is 4-5 ounces of coffee and not the traditional 8-ounces of water.
In addition, for espresso makers, the cup rating is a 2-ounce shot of coffee. Most consumers choose to go with a more significant coffee maker, so they have enough hot coffee to go around. That said, a single-cup brewer should make a batch of coffee large enough for a 10-ounce mug.
Warning
Remember to adjust your ground coffee to water ratio for larger brew sizes. If not, you’ll end up with a bland and under-extracted cup of coffee.
F.A.Q.S
Which brewing method is best for strong coffee?
For the most robust possible brew, use an espresso maker or french press. This is because the coffee grounds get more contact time with the water, thus extracting more caffeine. That said, you should expect a bold flavor from these brewing methods.
What kind of coffee beans make the best strong coffee?
Bean for bean, light roast coffee has more caffeine content than dark roast. That said, dark roasts weigh less, so you’ll get a more robust cup if you measure out the weight of your ground coffee.
What kind of grind should I use for strong coffee?
Experts recommend a burr grinder to fine-tune your ideal grind size. While fine grinds allow you to use more coffee, not every brewing method works well with that type of grind.
STAT: According to a prediction from the USDA, world coffee bean production is expected to fall by 11 million bags of coffee in 2021 and 2022. (source)
