Coffee makers have come a long way in the last few decades. We are now well into the 21st century and coffee is as popular as ever. Coffee may be more popular now than at any time in the recent past. Technology has advanced beyond what many people could have imagined just 60 years ago. And despite all our advances, coffee itself hasn’t changed much. However, the gadgets we use to make it have evolved light years beyond the wood stove and copper kettle our grandparents would have used. This is how life goes by, constantly advancing; Why would coffee makers be any different?

Some models today have their own built-in water filtration systems, such as the Cuisinart DCC 1200. The 1200 comes with its own charcoal water filter to remove impurities from the water and provide the best possible tasting coffee. Many manufacturers design models with permanent gold coffee filters for the ground coffee. They help the buyer save money on filters and help protect the environment by reducing waste because they are reusable. Today’s coffee makers can heat water instantly and be programmed 24 hours in advance. Units sold at your local big box store can make iced coffee, espresso, and have multiple brewing options. Today’s modern coffee drinker is advanced and used to using highly sophisticated gadgets in their daily lives. Just look at the computing power of the phones we carry. It makes sense that our coffee makers are just as advanced as the rest of the technology we use.

Today’s models take advantage of advances in many areas, from water filtration to energy-saving settings. Look at Keurig brand coffee makers, most have an energy saver mode and an auto on/off feature. Today’s brands come with LED displays and built-in digital clocks. They have onboard memory and can select and program your brew cycle 24 hours in advance so when you wake up your coffee is hot and ready for you. Like everything else, our demands and tastes have evolved and our coffee makers are just trying to keep up. Although, for those who prefer a simple, straightforward coffee maker with no bells and whistles, you can still get them. But who knows for how long?

When shopping for a coffee maker, I look specifically for a programmable model. I need a model that offers the possibility of programming 24 hours in advance. Most families will find this option a model worth the extra cost due to the time it saves in the morning. One thing to keep in mind when looking for a programmable model is a built-in backup battery. This is not something that is, in my opinion, emphasized enough. Most will never think about it until they’ve had the unit for quite some time. It is small and seems insignificant until you need it. If you spend the extra money on a programmable drive and don’t have a backup, that money is wasted. I live in a state that is known for power surges and lightning. It’s not unusual for the power to go out a couple of times a night for only a second or two. But, it only takes a second. You program your coffee maker for the next morning and lose power overnight while you sleep. Most will not notice a loss of power overnight because your watch most likely has battery backup. And your cable box will reset and resync itself, but your coffee maker has lost its settings. Unless you have a backup battery. So, you get up in the morning and start the day thinking that the coffee maker is doing its job, after all, it is programmable. Right? As you prepare to leave the house, you notice that there is no coffee. It is now too late to start the brew cycle. So you just have to stop by your local coffee shop and spend $2 and up for a cup of coffee.

This is why I say that a backup battery is a very important feature that should not be overlooked when buying and pricing on luxury coffee makers. Most boxes will not list it as a prominent feature of a particular model. It is up to you to think ahead and be informed.

I can’t say I’m not happy with the progress, I am. But I can also see where it might be overwhelming for some users to find the right coffee maker in today’s market.