What Is Better? Handmade Coffee or Machine-Made Coffee?

For most people, a coffee machine is a go-to method to make their morning cup of coffee. However, others love putting in the effort and brewing their drink by hand. Which method is better you ask? Well, the choice depends solely on your preferences, but each side does have its pros and cons. Here, we’ll discuss all these in detail.

Handmade Coffee Or Machine-Made Coffee

Handmade coffee is made manually without the help of any of the specified machines. It is obvious that the machine brews coffee faster but the handmade method brews stronger coffee. Ever since coffee was introduced, it has been made manually. This is what makes people think handmade coffee is richer and more authentic. On the other hand, machine-made coffee is made with very little effort, and a plethora of settings, offering you more control over the finished product.  

Which Brews Coffee Faster?

You can have different cups of coffee using a machine because it provides a wide range of styles. It also saves you a lot of time because you have to only press a button to have a steaming cup of coffee. People tend to hurry in the mornings and handmade coffee isn’t a good choice for them. Machine-made coffee allows you to multitask. While the coffee brews in the machine, you can do all your other work, and thus make the best use of your time. 

While it takes a minute or so to brew coffee in a machine, it takes about 15 minutes to make coffee manually and you have to be there at all times. Additionally, it takes a lot of time to decide the right quantity of ingredients and to get the right consistency and taste. If you don’t put in the required effort, the coffee might turn out bitter. 

The best part about handmade coffee was that it could be made anywhere. Machines are portable too but they are bulky, which limits the places you can take them. 

Which Takes Up More Space?

If you have a small kitchen then a coffee machine isn’t a good choice for you. The machines have a very large surface area and so take up a lot of space. The manual equipment for handmade coffee, an example of which is the French press, can easily be placed anywhere. 

Which is Cheaper?

In the machine, you don’t have to add fresh ingredients daily because it preserves the ingredients used earlier. All the coffee beans, milk, and sugar stay in the machine and you won’t have to run to the convenience store in the morning. However, brewing a coffee manually is still relatively cheaper than a machine.

Sure the machine saves your money but only in the long run. The coffee machines are generally very expensive to even think about their future benefits. Buying a cheaper model won’t solve the problem because it affects the quality of your coffee and since it won’t last, be costly over time. If your machine requires a coffee pod, then that would be a hassle to purchase too.

Which is Easier to Clean?

The equipment we use to handmake coffee such as a French press or an Aero press is relatively easier to clean. You can even use a gentle soap with warm water to wash them and good quality versions of these are dishwasher safe too. Machines, on the other hand, are much more complicated to clean since they have a lot of parts and a larger area. They are required to be cleaned separately every week or so. Otherwise, you’ll face a nasty buildup that will need to be cleaned with specialized products. You can read about all the best ways to clean a coffee machine here. – How to Clean a Coffee Maker Without Vinegar?

Which is Safer?

 Coffee machines are equipped with insulators to prevent accidents. However, if you choose a handmade coffee method, you have to deal with boiling water and milk which can cause injuries and burns. In the manual equipment, you have to keep a check all the time to prevent the coffee from burning, or other accidents. However, coffee machines come with a timer attached and they stop working on their own when the coffee is done. You can even set the timer of your choice, and the machine will go off accordingly.

This is perfect for people with teenagers that like to make coffee. Children have an affinity for trouble, however, a coffee machine can prevent a lot of accidents. 

Which Method Makes Less of a Mess?

If you make a coffee manually then you should be prepared to face the mess you’ll inevitably be left with. You have to deal with coffee and milk spillage, as well as burnt pots. Not only this, but you require different pans to boil milk and water which fills up your sink, disorganizing your kitchen. Moreover, if you have guests over then a coffee machine just makes it easier to serve them instantly without making causing you a headache. Machines are clean, heavily equipped to avoid any mess, and don’t cause spillage generally. 

However, you should be prepared for the cleaning the machine requires. With how many parts a machine has, you’ll be there for quite some time. 

Which Method Makes Better Tasting Coffee?

Every time you make a cup of coffee manually you have to put in fresh ingredients while in a machine all the ingredients are left inside for hours or even days. The quality of the milk declines as it loses its nutrients with the time it stays in the machine. A cup of coffee will taste better if the ingredients used are fresh. 

 Coffee lovers can detect the best coffee just by a sniff, and the handmade coffee brewing methods give the best aroma. However, to achieve such benefits you need to have the right proportions of everything which is almost impossible to get and there are huge chances unless you’re a veteran, your coffee will get messed up. 

Benefits of Handmade Coffee

Handmade coffee gives you the leverage to determine the quantity of the ingredients you use. This issues you a chance to have a cup that sits just right with your preference. Making a handmade cup of coffee is also relaxing, and some people even find it therapeutic. Some experts have reported that handmade coffee is better than machine-made because there is no loss of beneficial nutrients. It also has a higher chance of preventing diseases such as type 2 diabetes etc.

Coffee lovers can’t resist coffee, and if you can have that cup of coffee without effort, what more do you need? When you make coffee in a machine, the ease of preparation means you have coffee more often than you should. A high intake of coffee has its dangerous drawbacks such as hallucinations, insomnia which we have discussed thoroughly here- 8 Drawbacks of Drinking Too Much Coffee. Moreover, coffee brewed in machines reduces beneficial antioxidants which automatically reduces the positive effects coffee offers for your body. Thus, keeping this in mind, the machine becomes less favorable.

Different Problems With Different Coffee Machines

Filter Coffee Machine

This machine is losing its popularity over time. It limits the variety of coffee you can make, and can’t make cappuccinos, espressos, or hot chocolates. The coffee becomes bitter after some hours to the point it has to be replaced. If the pot is left on the heating plate after brewing then the coffee might burn. 

Capsule Coffee Machine

This is a machine cheaper than the others but it also comes with its problems. The capsules used are expensive to buy and need to be loaded after every drink. This machine doesn’t work the best in places with a large demand for coffee. 

Coffee Vending Machine

This machine is considered to be the most popular because it can create a wide range of beverages. However, if the machine is not clean then the powdered milk will cause clogging. The machine uses powdered milk, which has a lot of lactose and thus makes sweeter coffee. 

Automatic Bean to Cup

This makes fresh cappuccinos but you can expect yourself to be buying a lot of milk. Cappuccino requires a lot of milk which gets expensive, however, if you’re a true cappuccino lover, go for it. The milk frothers clog if the machine is not given attention during cleaning. This is also a reason the machine can get difficult to work with. 

Liquid Coffee Machine

This machine provides you with coffee in very little time, but its product lacks those refreshing vibes other coffee brewing methods give. 

Conclusion

We have talked about all the possible pros and cons of the 2 different ways to make coffee. Now, the choice is yours. Pick your method according to your tastes, and the time you can give your cup of coffee. We personally recommend you go for the handmade method because coffee is all about the taste and the experience, both of which handmade coffee provides.