Here’s how an automatic drip coffee maker works
Everybody has had drip coffee once in their lifetime. Simply put, drip coffee is coffee brewed by coffee makers, which is rich and flavourful. It is commonly believed that drip coffee can boost metabolism and lift your mood. However, have you ever wondered how a drip coffee maker works?
We have listed everything you need to know about the working of an automatic drip coffee maker. But, before jumping to the mechanism, let’s first understand why we use the term ‘drip coffee.’
Like Turkish coffee, the drip coffee drips through a filter so that only the liquid without residual ground coffee enters the cup. Once done, you get an aromatic coffee with no sediment at the bottom of the cup. It is believed that drip coffee first appeared in Japan in the late 1990s. Today, the popularity of drip coffee has spread enormously across the globe.
In an automatic coffee maker, the brewing process comprises of the following
- ● It has a filter that is laden with ground coffee.
- ● It has a water reservoir that is filled with water.
- ● It is equipped with a heating element that heats the water and forces it in an upward direction.
- ● This water drips from the showerhead onto the filter that is packed with ground coffee.
Once the coffee is brewed, it flows out from the coffee maker and drips into the carafe.
What makes drip coffee different?
Drip coffee depends on thermally induced pressure to force water up the showerhead and uses gravity to pour it on the ground coffee. Unlike the espresso machine, it has paper filters that trap the oils of the coffee. The brewing method of drip coffee is affordable and less complicated.
Factors that affect the flavor include the ratio of coffee to water, less cooking time, water temperature, and size of ground beans.
If you are thinking of laying your hands on a drip coffee maker, you first need to know about the different parts of a coffee maker.
Reservoir - As the name suggests, a pool or reservoir holds the water. The reservoir has a small hole at the base and a tube connected to the drip area from where the water drips on the ground coffee.
Showerhead - The reservoir’s tube is connected to the showerhead and is responsible for spraying hot water on the ground coffee.
Drip area - Drip areas are not present in all the coffee makers, but the ones that have a drip area contain a perforated plastic disc. The reservoir’s tube is connected to the drip area, which has small holes in it. The brewing method starts when the water from the tube passes to the holes of the area and drops on the ground coffee.
Heating element - The base of the appliance contains the heating element on the left side. It includes an aluminum extrusion between the warming plate and the water tube. One section consists of a tube that allows water to pass, and the other section has a resistive heating element. The resistive heating element and the aluminum tube are responsible for heating the water.
Switch - All the drip coffee makers contain a switch to adjust the heating element. The switch is equipped with sensors and fuses to protect the heating element from overheating. The sensor helps in sensing the overheating of the heating element. They immediately stop the flow of current when the coil overheats. Once the coil cools down, the sensors start the flow of current again. This helps in maintaining an even temperature inside the machine. Fuses are responsible to completely cut off the flow of current when they detect extremely high temperatures. In such a case, a fuse works as a backup if the sensors do not work.
We advise you to closely analyze the working of all the parts before you invest money and time. For a pleasant and enriching drip coffee experience, you can buy Morphy Richards Primero Drip Coffee Maker or visit our official online store for more options. Another stellar product is the Europa Drip coffee maker, soon launching on Amazon and Flipkart. It is affordable and packed with some great features.