Also, the handles must always be cool to touch so you or your children won t get burned. Portability Don t buy a coffee maker that s too big for your counter. So consider the space where you intend to place it. Its size must be just right so it won t eat up much space in your kitchen. Coffee makers come in different types, sizes, and shapes. Durability issues Since they are cheaper, substandard coffee makers are just not ready for serious everyday use. So if you think you will be using the brewer more than once a day, you really need to invest in a larger and better model. You can also opt to add smaller amount of water, which helps solve your problems with the quality of the coffee. After knowing what you need and want in a coffee maker, it's time to check the capacity and quality of the item. Every coffee maker has its own brewing and content capacity. There are one-cup coffee machines and there are those which can contain four, five and even up to twelve cups of coffee. Single-cup coffee machines is a convenient choice for busy people who can carry their cups right after brewing. This coffee maker has a burr grinder that ensures all its 10-cup capacity will not lose its flavor during grinding. Another of its wonderful features is the vacuum carafe made of stainless steel with thermal storage that seals the coffee to its freshness. This additional element keeps the coffee's fresh taste and flavor longer. Units included in this type are pretty much standard and there s really nothing jaw-dropping about them. Single serve pod system This coffee maker is used by most offices these days since it doesn t make much of a mess. It requires less cleaning and less maintenance and it lets you play around with different flavors and blends them easily. If you are just obtaining your first coffee maker, you are probably in confusion as to which type would suit your needs and lifestyle. In that essence, you need to know the factors that will help you in picking the right one. The first one is whether you want a small or large sized brewer. If a number of people is going to use it, the large sized is recommended.