Coffeenesse

Drip Coffee Makers

When it comes to drip coffee makers, The Coffee Kid recommends the manual drip coffee maker, nominating favorite brands like Hario, Melitta or Chemex.

For the automatic drip type, the most commonly used brands appear to be: Braun,Black & Decker, Bosch, Briel, Bunn, Capresso, Cuisinart, DeLonghi, Hamilton Beach, Krups, Melitta, Michael Graves, Mr. Coffee, Oster, Proctor-Silex andPhilips.

Choosing a drip coffee maker is really a matter of personal taste. Some prefer anything that's less automatic, as they believe automation means more convenience in the detriment of flavor. 1 - 4 cups drip coffee makers are considered small sized. Anything over 10 cups is big. The main problem that could turn up with your drip coffee device is its capacity to get water hot enough. If the brewing process takes place at less than 195-205°F, the coffee will be underextracted but you may like it this way. If not, KitchenAid Four Cup Auto, based on two heating elements, seems to be a good choice.
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The most common percolator brands

The early days of the percolators are set back in the 1950's. If you're after stove tops, take a look at the Bialetti Amerikanas.

If looking for something more automatic, Farberware is the leading brand, and seems to be followed by DeLonghi.

Other names to consider are Presto, Melitta, West Bend, Kenmore, Cuisinart.
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Vacuum Coffee Makers

Although a few companies continue to produce vacuum coffee makers, some of the traditional pots still sell big on e-bay or at the antique stores. Vacuum pots were the most popular coffee makers in the early days of the 20^th century (the 30's, the 40's, the 50's). If you want one of these, look for brand-names like Silex, Westinghouse, Farberware,Cory, General Electric, Nicro, Kent, Sunbeam etc. Silex was the first company to introduce the manual vacuum pot in North America, in the 1920's.