COFFEE has been cultivated since the 12th century, and a prototype for the world’s first espresso machine has been around since the early 1800s.

Back then getting a cuppa joe was a simple thing. These days, however, the choices are endless – not only in blends and flavours of coffee, but also in machines.

Choosing the domestic coffee machine to suit your lifestyle could turn out to be a huge headache – especially if you do not know what the different products have to offer. The price range is also seemingly endless, starting at a few hundred rand and going to more than R20000, and it is therefore also a good idea to determine your budget before buying a domestic coffee machine.

According to the Frontier Coffee Company website, the cheapest and most popular option is the household filter coffee machine. What these machines do is heat water and then drip it onto filter coffee in a filter. The filter can either be a permanent filter basket or a filter paper.

These days choosing one of these simple machines could also prove to be difficult as there are many different types of products in this range. Some have large capacities, while others only offer one to five cups of coffee. Some machines come with various buttons, offering different options, including a timer which can be set to start the machine at a certain time so that when you wake up your first cup of coffee is ready.

A good small filter coffee machine will not cost more than a few hundred rand.

Next in line is the small espresso brewer. The Frontier Coffee company explains that these work in the same way that the coffee shop machines work. Hot water is passed through coffee with pressure. The extraction of the coffee therefore varies from that of a normal coffee machine, which relies on gravity.

Some of these machines have a built-in milk frothing attachment. A good espresso machine is about R1000. Although it is relatively cheap, you can only make one or two cups at a time.

For the coffee fanatic there are automatic coffee machines that grind beans and prepare espresso or black coffee in just a few seconds. There is a wide variety in this range and machines could cost anything from about R4000 to more than R20000. With some you can make different types of beverages like Cappuccino, black coffee, coffee with milk, espresso and a Latte Machiatto.

Coffee pod and capsule machines are also becoming more popular. These machines cost from around R2000 and a capsule is priced from about R4.

After doing your homework, you will need a reputable company from which to buy your coffee machine especially in case of warranty issues and servicing of the product.

Choosing the best coffee to suit your taste is also very important. Tony De La Mare, of Tony’s Appliances in the Bay – who has been supplying household appliances to residents for many years – agreed that the right coffee did make a difference.

He recommends coffee from Masterton’s, which has been supplying the Bay with coffee for the last 85 years, as well as Roast Master, at the Moffet on Main lifestyle centre in Walmer.