5 Interesting Highlights about the History of Coffee Makers

Some of the highlights in the history of coffeemakers is that they were created for the purpose of making coffee easier, the vacuum coffeemaker was invented in the 1840’s, the percolator was patented in the 1860’s, the drip brewer became commercially available in the 1960’s, and the drip brewer underwent several improvements years after its introduction.

Coffee makers like Keurig K-Cups are almost a mainstay in many homes and restaurants. This is especially true in today’s times when a lot of people want a caffeine boost before they go about their daily activities. To better appreciate how coffeemakers came to be, here are some highlights from their history and development:

Coffeemakers were created to make coffee easier

Coffeemakers were designed to streamline the coffee making process. Before, coffee making was a somewhat complicated process that involved several utensils. With the introduction of the coffeemaker, people were able to prepare the drink without having to heat liquid in separate containers and then mix it with coffee grounds in another filter. Under this principle, several models were invented, including the vacuum, percolator and the drip coffeemakesr. Although these models are all made for the purpose of making coffee, they essentially use somewhat different processes.

The vacuum coffeemaker was invented in the 1840’s

Although the consumption of coffee has existed for many years, it was not until the middle of the 1800’s that the first coffeemaker was invented. The vacuum brewer models were first introduced in the 1840s. This model is divided into 2 reservoirs which are connected by a tube. Water is heated in the bottom reservoir and consequently pushed up through the upper reservoir and brews with the coffee grounds. When the bottom reservoir is completely empty, the pot is taken away from the source of heat, creating a vacuum effect which causes the coffee to be sucked back into the bottom reservoir.

The percolator was patented in the 1860’s

The percolator, which is also the inspiration for the modern automatic drip coffeemaker, was patented in the 1860’s. It works by passing boiled water through a strainer which contains the coffee grounds. Usually, this process is repeated until the coffee is made.

The drip brewer became commercially available in the 1960’s

The drip model is said to be one of the most popular coffeemakers and is the one found in the majority of American homes. This model became commercially available in the 1960’s. The drip brewer works by heating water until it partially boils and creates bubbles. The bubbles push the heated water through a tube and into a second reservoir where it brews coffee grounds. It then drips the finished product, which is coffee, into the pot.

The drip brewer underwent several improvements years after its introduction

Since its introduction to the market, the drip brewer has since undergone several improvements. In 1979, the newest drip brewers were configured with a timer. This allowed for more ease and convenience in the preparation of coffee because the drink could now be made automatically. Later, in 1989, a coffeemaker that brewed 4 cups was introduced. This made it possible for coffee drinkers to choose different sizes for their drinks. Developments continue and we now see coffeemakers like the models for Keurig K-Cups which brew single cups of coffee for individual consumption.

The continuous evolution of coffeemakers is testament to people’s love for coffee and their need for convenience.