Want to start brewing coffee at home but not sure where to start? We get it.
There are so many options out there and we’re here to help you decide which is the best for you. We’ve put together a guide on the most popular coffee makers on the market, and also the style, taste, cost and benefits of each.
Scroll to find out more!
The AeroPress is a versatile brewer that makes filter style coffee.
It is a portable, lightweight cylindrical brewing device that is perfect to take camping, or pack in your luggage for a flight. It is a fun, exciting way to brew coffee and is a travellers favourite as it has the added benefit of being compact.
Benefits: It's small, easy to travel with, and doesn't require a lot of equipment.
What does it taste like: Can be a delicate, light-bodied brew with a filter roast, or strong and full bodied with an espresso roast. Best of both worlds!
What coffee should you use: Use a filter roast coffee and more brew water for a lighter bodied brew, or an espresso roast and less water for a bigger-bodied brew.
How much does it cost: $49 for an original Aeropress (comes with filters)
How long does it take to brew: About 2-3 minutes
You can view our Aeropress Brew Guide or shop our Aeropress Collection.
Batch Brew refers to a pourover style filter coffee made with a machine.
They’re small appliances that heat the brew water and then disperse it automatically over the top of the ground coffee, which is held in the filter inside the filter cone; the brew falls into a carafe held at the bottom of the machine. Batch brew is a great way to brew a lot of coffee quickly and consistently, on average brewing 1-2L of coffee.
Benefits: It has a large brewing capacity, provides consistent results, and is very cost effective per cup.
What does it taste like: Can be a delicate, light-bodied brew with a filter roast, or strong and full bodied with an espresso roast. Best of both worlds!
What coffee do you use: For a lighter, fruitier brew to drink black, use filter coffee; for a bolder brew with lower acidity and for those who want to add milk to the brew, use espresso roast.
How much does it cost: Machines start at around $450
How long does it take to brew: About 6 minutes
You can view our Batch Brew Guide or shop our Batch Brew Collection.
The Chemex is a coffee brewer that makes pourover style filter coffee. It is well loved for its unique, design-driven aesthetic.
The Chemex carafe is made from one piece of borosilicate glass, and wears a removable wooden collar that perfectly fits the hand, all tied together with a leather tie. The iconic design of the carafe does not compromise on beauty or function. If you want a coffee maker that looks stunning and brews good coffee, Chemex is the way.
Benefits: It’s a well designed, simple coffee maker with a distinct flavour profile.
What does it taste like: It tastes like filter coffee, clean yet full-bodied.
What coffee do you use: We recommend using filter roasted coffee, although you can also achieve great results using espresso roasted coffee.
How much does it cost: From $75.95
How long does it take to brew: 3.30-4.30 mins
You can view our Chemex Brew Guide or shop our Chemex Collection here.
Cold brew is a full immersion brewing technique, meaning that all of the coffee is immersed in the water for the entire brewing time.
Cold brewing coffee is a simple and easy way to make a lot of coffee at once, with some at-home cold brewers designed to brew 2L of coffee at a time. The coffee is left to steep in a body of water for anywhere between 12 and 24 hours, depending on how strong you’d like the end result to be.
Benefits: A large brewing capacity, consistent results, cost effective per cup, and has a long shelf life or two weeks if left in the refrigerator.
What does it taste like: It’s sweet, smooth and has a balanced acidity. The
What coffee do you use: For a lighter, fruitier brew to drink black, use filter coffee; for a bolder brew with lower acidity and for those who want to add milk to the brew, use espresso roast.
How much does it cost: $69.95 for a 2L Toddy
How long does it take to brew: 12-24hrs
You can view our Cold Brew Guide or shop our Cold Brew Collection here.
Cold drip is a more concentrated version of cold brew, often with a syrupy, boozy flavour profile.
To brew cold drip, cold water drips slowly from one reservoir (usually via a tap) onto a bed of ground coffee held in another reservoir below. The water then flows through the coffee grounds, through a filter, and into a carafe. These contraptions are usually held in place by a wooden or plastic stand, often referred to as a cold drip tower. The top reservoir with the tap controls the drip rate of the water, and the whole process will usually take between 6-8 hours.
Benefits: Has a long shelf life (up to two weeks), yields a large amount and is perfect for warmer weather!
What does it taste like: It has a syrupy and boozy flavour profile, often cleaner and brighter than cold brew.
What coffee do you use: For a lighter, fruitier brew to drink black, use filter coffee; for a bolder brew with lower acidity and for those who want to add milk to the brew, use espresso roast.
How much does it cost: From $139
How long does it take to brew: 6 hours
You can view our Cold Drip Brew Guide or shop our Cold Drip Collection.
Espresso is a method of brewing coffee that uses an espresso machine to force pressurised water through a finely ground, tightly packed bed of coffee.
In many parts of the world, and most definitely here in Australia, espresso has almost become synonymous with coffee. Almost every cafe in the country - unless it’s a specialised filter brew bar - has an espresso machine.
Benefits: Quick brew time, brews strong tasting coffee and is ideal to drink with milk.
What does it taste like: Thick, creamy and concentrated.
What coffee do you use: Espresso is best prepared with a coffee that is roasted medium-dark or to ‘espresso’ profile. If you plan to add milk to your espresso, an espresso blend is most suited. If you plan to enjoy your espresso black, choose any espresso roast coffee with a flavour profile that you enjoy, which might be a blend or a single origin.
How much does it cost: From $500 up to many thousands
How long does it take to brew: About 30 seconds for the extraction, plus time to froth milk if you’re serving the coffee with milk
You can view our Espresso Brew Guide or shop our Espresso Collection.
Plunger coffee is big-bodied filter style coffee brewed with a plunger, also known as French Press.
The coffee maker is a glass or plastic carafe with a metal filter attached to a piston in the lid, and is what we call a ‘full-immersion’ brew method, meaning the coffee and water are in contact for the full brew time. This is different to pour over brew methods - such as V60 or Chemex - and it’s this extended contact time that results in the unmistakable full-bodied brew.
Benefits: Easy to brew, yields a large amount and has a strong flavour.
What does it taste like: It has a bold taste and full mouthfeel.
What coffee do you use: For a fruitier, lighter brew to drink black, we prefer a filter roast coffee; for a richer brew with lower acidity and for those who want to add milk to the brew, we recommend using espresso roast coffee.
How much does it cost: Premium coffee plunger prices start at around $20
How long does it take to brew: 4 mins
You can view our Plunger Brew Guide or shop our Plunger Collection.
Pourover is filter style coffee brewed by pouring hot water over a bed of coffee that sits in a filter inside a pourover cone.
Often considered to be the gold standard of manual filter brewing, it is valued for the way it allows the delicate origin characteristics and flavour profile of coffees shine. You might also see pourover coffee referred to as V60 or Kalita. These names are in reference to the product names of the pourover cones. It’s a fairly inexpensive way to start brewing filter coffee at home, as you only really need a pourover cone, filter paper, and a kettle.
Benefits: It’s a fun, yet easy brewing device that allows for a lot of coffee experimentation and exploration.
What does it taste like: A delicate, light-bodied, complex cup with a lot of clarity
What coffee do you use: We suggest a filter roast coffee.
How much does it cost: Pourover cones start at $12.50 for plastic and $30 for ceramic
How long does it take to brew: 2:30 - 4mins
You can view our Pourover Brew Guide or shop our Pourover Collection.
The stovetop, or moka pot, is a coffee brewer that uses heat to create a pressurised brew, producing coffee that is close to espresso in flavour and mouthfeel.
Stovetop is one of the most common domestic brewing devices, and for good reason! If you’re looking for an easy-to-use, no fuss brew method, do not overlook the humble moka pot. It’s a classic brewing device that is absolutely delicious when brewed well.
Benefits: It’s easy to make, requires minimal equipment, has a short brew time, and brews espresso-like coffee without fuss.
What does it taste like: Rich, full-bodied coffee that is close to espresso.
What coffee do you use: We suggest an espresso roast coffee.
How much does it cost: Starting at $54.95
How long does it take to brew: 3 - 5mins
You can view our Stovetop Brew Guide or shop our Stovetop Collection.
Padre Coffee acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their continued connections to land, sea and community.
We pay our respect to Elders past, present and future, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
