Few household appliances receive the attention or the use received by a coffee maker. And some coffee maker accessories are as important as the machine itself, so far as most coffee drinkers are concerned, even if their love goes little further than the breakfast table. Now, the good news: you do not have to limit yourself to what the machine’s maker provides, and you do not even have to leave the house to buy.
Even with that you should know your coffee maker model or style, the better to make the best accessory fit. Consider permanent filter baskets, which are sometimes provided with coffee makers in the original purchase package but often not—these steel or copper-screen baskets are washable and reusable but they do not fit all drip coffeemakers. You should be sure that your filter receptacle is standard, junior, or cone size before you buy one, though they normally sell for under $10 and can be found for very good prices online.
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Konitz Coffee Bar Espresso 2-Ounce Cups and Saucers, Set of 4, White |
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Yedi Houseware Classic Coffee and Tea Aubergine Espresso Cups and Saucers, Set of 6 |
Standard disposable filters come in several packages and are extremely inexpensive; a package of 100 or 200 filters can be found for as low as a dollar, if you happen to live near a dollar-store market and they carry coffee maker accessories. If you insist on brand names, however, you can find coffee filters made by Bunn, the commercial coffee system manufacturer who also make home models, in a 100-filter package for $1.99 or a twelve-box case (100 filters a box) for $20. Or, you can find Mr. Coffee filters for $0.99 for a box of 100 filters or $10.68 for a twelve-box case.
Special coffee scoops, fancy espresso cups or cappucino accessories (and many of today’s standard coffee makers can be adapted to brew espresso or cappucino, not to mention some machines now offering both in a combination package), special taps, extra carafes or pots, and replacement parts are easy to find and competitively priced. Even if you own and use a Black and Decker Brew ‘n’ Go single-mug drip coffeemaker—ideal for singles with active working lives who need to hit the road fast but do not want to miss that morning bolt—which brews right into a single fifteen-ounce thermal travel mug, you can find extra mugs priced reasonably.
If you happen to have an old reliable percolator, however, and you simply cannot bring yourself to part with it, you may find replacement accessories with a little hunting and a lot of patience. CoffeeMaker-Outlet.com, in fact, offers replacement parts for Presto electric percolators—baskets, basket lids, percolating tubes, electric cords, and even replacement handles for the master pot. With the exception of the electric cord, these parts each cost $3.99.
You can also hunt eBay and other online auction sites for coffee maker accessories, with a surprising number of new or barely-used accessories available for bid, and you may well find yourself winning a bid at a reasonable price, an option you may want to pursue if you simply cannot find what you need through a standard online store or your local shopping outlet.
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