Automatic Drip Coffee
An electric, drip, automatic coffeemaker is the most popular way to brew in Canada. While there are tons of trendy ways to brew coffee, you can never go wrong with this set-it-and-forget-it method… or can you?
The automatic coffeemaker is a drip or filter method coffee maker and there are zillions of brands and models of automatic drip coffeemakers. They vary from very basic - add coffee and water and press a button - to very sophisticated with built in grinders, clocks for scheduling your coffeemaking, and other fancy features.
Fundamentally, they all work by dripping hot water through ground coffee held in a filter.
Your machine may take a paper filter or a reusable metal or plastic mesh filter. Either way, the filter ensures that none of the coffee grounds make it through and your cup is clean, with no sediment.
Why we love it!
An auto drip coffee maker is super easy and convenient - literally add coffee and water and press a button.
It can make delicious coffee when you have a decent machine and premium coffee beans with the correct water to coffee ratio.
It makes a pot of coffee - perfect for sharing or those days when one cup is not enough.
There are models to suit different needs, kitchen aesthetics and price points.
Tips for Making the best drip coffee
You don’t have a lot of control over how the coffee is made with an auto drip coffeemaker but here are the little things that can have a big impact on how your coffee tastes:
MEASURE: make sure the coffee-to-water ratio is correct. We like 60 - 70 grams per litre of water (12 - 15 grams / 200 ml or 2 Tablespoons per cup).
Know your coffee maker! The “cup” measurement on the carafe of most coffee makers is typically 4 oz to 6 oz (120-180 ml) and NOT a real cup.
TIP - Measure your carafe once so you know how much water it holds and figure out how much coffee to use for a full pot. Write this on a piece of tape and stick it to your machine so you never have to do the math again.
TIP - if the basket won’t hold enough ground coffee to make a full pot without overflowing, make 3/4 of a pot and use the full coffee to water ratio.
THE COFFEE: Obviously, the quality of the coffee affects the quality of the brew. Pick a great, fresh roasted, Arabica coffee like Sparkplug.
Our fave coffee for auto drip is a medium roast Central or South American blend like Kick Start and Deuce Coupe.
While a medium roast blend is a classic choice, you can use any style of coffee in your automatic coffee maker. Single origin, light and fruity, bold and dark roasted… whatever appeals to your tastebuds.
THE GRIND: a MEDIUM grind is best, a bit gritty, kind of like sand. Not as fine as table salt or granulated sugar and not as chunky as kosher salt.
THERMAL CARAFE: if you’re not able to brew right into a thermal carafe, when the coffee is done brewing, take it off the heat as soon as you can. Pour it into a thermal carafe or leave it in the glass carafe and reheat in the microwave when you’re ready to drink it.
I promise: a quick reheat will be waaaayyyy better than coffee that’s been stewing on a heat element for a couple hours!
How to choose an Auto Drip Coffeemaker
One of the things to be aware of with an automatic coffeemaker is that you have little control over the brew.
Because of this, it is important to pick a good machine. Expensive does not always mean “makes great coffee”. The features that will make better tasting coffee are a coffee maker that:
Heats water to the best temperature (between 91˚C and 96˚C or just below a full boil)
Keeps the water at that temperature for the full brew cycle
Evenly saturates the ground coffee with water - no dry pockets in the filter basket
Makes a full carafe using the recommended amount of coffee (2 TBSP per cup) without overflowing the basket and getting grinds in your coffee
Brews into a thermos to keep the coffee hot once it’s finished brewing.
An easy way to short list your coffee maker options is to check out coffee makers that are “Certified Home Brewers” by the Specialty Coffee Association.
SCA Certified Home Brewers are coffee makers that meet SCA’s rigorous standards for brewing quality, consistency, and performance. Recognized among the top home coffee brewers available, these machines are tested to ensure they deliver reliable, high-quality results across a variety of conditions.
The current list is here: SCA Certified Home Equipment
My other go-to for current advice on what to buy is the Wirecutter. Here is a link to their current picks for The Best Drip Coffee Maker but you can also find their picks for Best Cheap Coffee Maker, best for espresso, best coffee grinders, best for pour over…
Wirecutter is owned by The New York Times which means their recommendations are not always available in Canada and prices are in US dollars.
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