Mug shots: close-ups of fives hot coffee makers - includes Krups #199 Aroma Control Therm TimeCuisinart Stainless Thermal Coffeemaker VTC-950 and DeLonghi ICM28B - Product/Service Evaluation

From Seattle to Istanbul, from Rome to Vienna, throughout the centuries one singular beverage has commanded universal appeal: coffee. Sweet, bitter, black, with cream, hot, cold or frozen, with caffeine of decaffeinated--well-brewed coffee pleases one and all with its stylish flavors and its one-two punch that awakens and refreshes. This beloved beverage sets the scene for social hours and for quiet times. And it lures its admirers back for yet another jolt.

Starbucks and the multitudes of other popular coffeehouses couldn't have made such a global impact without the invention of today's automatic coffee maker, the device that, by modern standards, can quantity brew, heat, and time coffee preparation by sophisticated electronic mechanisms and inner workings--always and consistently producing a drinkable beverage. These are a far cry from the earliest coffee-making methods pursued along the Arabian Peninsula centuries ago, when coffee drinkers simply poured boiling water over grounds that they then let settle before sipping their brew.

Today's labor-saving devices sprang from such humble beginnings, thanks to the curiosity and determination of coffee lovers who wanted to enjoy the hot, flavorful coffee essence at more than just a cup at a time. Eventually ingenious drinkers found a way to filter out the messy grounds, using such means as strips of cotton and wool to block out the grounds. One of the most creative original filters is reported to have been a sock.

In natural progression and in short order, inventors devised methods to easily infuse the grounds with the needed hot water, starting in the early 1800s with the pumping percolator invented in France by Nicholas Felix Durant. About a decade later, in 1840, Scottish engineer Robert Napier invented a vacuum pot in which steam pressure forced hot water up and then through coffee grounds to settle as brewed coffee in the bottom half of his device.

With these grounds laid--so to speak--later inventors were able to harness electricity to their coffeemaking devices and finally bring to consumers automatic coffeepots. They can function with only the setting of a few dials to quickly provide breakfasters with that much-loved aroma of a freshly brewed pot of coffee.

Along the way, however, avid coffee drinkers have fashioned other means of capturing their favorite beverage in a mug. Besides the ubiquitous instant coffees, which purists may spurn, drinkers have used such methods as the open-pot, an elaboration on the Arab coffee-cup brew but with a filter; the steam-driven espresso machine for an intense--and usually "express"--coffee-drinking experience; the two-tiered drip pots; the plunger pot, a French creation that combines a plunger, narrow cylinder and a mesh screen for filtering out the grounds; and perhaps the simplest of all, the cold-water concentrate (see the Toddy coffee maker), really simplicity itself.

With so many gadgets and methods at hand, the modern-day coffee drinker would do well to do some market research: Sip around, sample different brewing methods to find the flavor you prefer and ask coffee experts. Any store that specializes in selling coffee beans should have a knowledgeable staff member who can explain the advantages of every kind of coffeemaking machine and method.

Although you may not be able to settle on your favorite blend, flavor or grind, you can pick out the right equipment to suit your needs, a major step toward becoming a discerning coffee drinker.

Toffee-Coffee Pudding

SERVES 4

With its very creamy texture and toffee-coffee
color, this pudding stars deep, rich
coffee flavors with a toffee crunch.

2     cups coffee-flavored soymilk
1     cup strong coffee
4 1/2 Tbs. cornstarch
      cup granulated sugar, or to taste
1     Tbs. vanilla extract
1     cup crushed Heath Bar candy
1     cup soy sour cream, optional

1. Scald soymilk, and add 1/4 cup coffee.
Remove from heat, and set aside.

2. Whisk remaining coffee and cornstarch
together, and heat in saucepan, stirring until
cornstarch dissolves. Stir in sugar and
scalded soymilk. Cook over medium-low
heat, stirring constantly, until mixture
begins to thicken. Stir in vanilla extract.

3. When pudding is thick, scoop into heatproof
dish. Sprinkle top with 1 cup
crushed candy. Set aside to cool. When
serving, top with sour cream, if desired.

PER SERVING: 460 CAL; 5G PROT; 22G TOTAL
FAT (11 G SAT. FAT); 62G CARB; 30MG CHOL
320MG SOD; <1G FIBER, 42G SUGARS

Mocha Mexican Coffee Drink

SERVES 1 30 MINUTES OR LESS

A potent coffee-chocolate drink with a
hint of cinnamon, this could even serve as
dessert after a filling Mexican meal, but it
also may turn a simple brunch into a
festive occasion.

1   cup strong, hot coffee
1   stick cinnamon
1   tsp. sugar, or to taste
1/2 cup whole milk, heated
2   Tbs. sweetened cocoa, preferably
    mocha-flavored
1/4 cup heavy cream
    Dusting of cinnamon

1. Combine 1 cup coffee, stick cinnamon,
sugar and hot milk in saucepan, and heat
over medium heat. Stir in sweetened cocoa,
and continue stirring and heating until
very hot. Remove stick cinnamon.

2. Pour into mug, add stick cinnamon and
set mug aside. Whip cream until stiff, and
carefully spoon onto top of hot beverage.
Dust with cinnamon, and serve.

PER SERVING: 350 CAL; 6G PROT; 24G TOTAL
FAT (15G SAT. FAT); 29G CARB; 90MG CHOL;
160MG SOD; <1G FIBER, 25G SUGARS

Coffee Freeze

SERVES 6

A simple frozen coffee treat, this serves as
a topping for fudgey brownies. This will
freeze solid, so enjoy it while it's still soft
enough to scoop or spoon. Alternatively,
thaw it enough for easy scooping, or
scrape off icy portions as a topping.

1   cup strong coffee
1/2 cup sugar or to taste
3   cups mocha-flavored soymilk
2   6-oz. containers vanilla soy yogurt
1   teaspoon vanilla extract
1   cup chocolate chips, optional

1. Combine coffee and sugar in saucepan,
and heat over medium heat, stirring often,
until sugar dissolves.

2. Combine soymilk, yogurt and vanilla
extract in mixing bowl, and beat until
smooth. Add coffee mixture, and stir well.

3. Freeze mixture according to manufacturer's
directions. About 5 minutes before
churning is complete, add chocolate chips,
if using.

PER SERVING: 180 CAL; 4G PROT; 2.5G TOTAL
FAT (0G SAT. FAT); 37G CARB; 0MG CHOL;
25MG SOD; 0G FIBER; 31G SUGARS