The first thing many people do when they wake up in the morning is to fire up the old coffee maker. Most models today are very easy to use, all you need is a filter, some coffee, and running water. Hit the button and you can have a pot of steaming hot coffee in just a few minutes. Today, almost every home has a coffee maker of some type in the kitchen.

There are many variations on the coffee maker. The basic model is nothing special, it brews you a cup of coffee and that’s it. However, some advanced models offer much more. Many brands of coffee makers offer automatic shutoff mechanisms. That means that if you leave your coffee maker on for an extended period of time, or forget to turn it off before you leave the house, the machine will shut off automatically after a while. This automatic shutoff mechanism is designed to prevent the coffee maker from burning the coffee or even starting a fire if left for too long.

Then, there are  more advanced versions of the coffee maker that offer more features. Some advanced models sport timers, which are great for ensuring that you have a pot of steaming coffee ready before you even wake up in the morning. Prepare all of the ingredients, set the timer the night before, and when you wake up your coffee will already be made. You can shave ten to fifteen minutes off your morning prep time just by having a timer on your coffee maker.

In the early days of coffee drinking in the West, coffee was a special treat, consumed in special coffee shops. But people can now enjoy all the coffee they want in the comfort of their own homes. Some people probably thought that with more and more coffee shops opening up, coffee makers at home would disappear. However, even though coffee shops are springing up everywhere and are more popular than ever, it will probably be a long time before people throw out their coffee makers.

That is especially true with the arrival on the scene of specialty coffeemakers that make individual cups for instantly fresh coffee, and even home custom coffee roasters and home coffeemakers that grind the beans, brew the coffee, and keep it warm for you.