Equip Your Kitchen to Make Premium Coffee

These problems can be avoided by using a high-quality model like Cuisinart's Brew Central Thermal 12-Cup Coffee Maker ($129). The Brew Central Thermal brews coffee into an insulated carafe that keeps it warm. This model also allows you to pause the brewing process while you pour a cup.

To experience the full flavor of the coffee you're brewing, use a French press. This method, which involves soaking the grounds directly in hot water, produces a smooth cup of coffee that's rich with the beans' oils.

French presses are inexpensive, require no electricity and take up little space in your kitchen. You simply pour coarse grinds into the glass container, add hot water and press down on a plunger attached to a screen filter. Bodum's excellent Chambord Coffee Press makes eight cups of coffee and sells for about $40.

If it's mochas, lattes and other fancy coffee drinks you're after, you'll need an espresso machine. Before shopping, decide how much you want to spend and how much counter space you can give up. Espresso-making devices can cost anywhere from $20 to several thousand dollars and range from teapot-size to refrigerator-size.

To make top-notch espresso drinks, you'll need a pump or piston-style model that comes with a frothing function. Pump models, which use a pump to push water through the coffee grounds, can be found for as little as $150. Gaggia's Baby Espresso Machine ($349) is a popular pump-style machine with great steaming capacity and a stylish design. Piston models, such as La Pavoni's Europiccola, can make great espresso when operated properly, but they take more effort to master and are much more expensive ($400 and up).