When it comes to coffee makers there are thousands to choose from. Among these thousands there are differences in price, functionality, warranty and style. Sure, you can go to the closest big box store and pick one up for about 20-bucks, but generally the machine is just plain boring. Why not spend some more cash for better longevity, better functionality and sexiness-factor? We all like to be sexy, so why not your kitchen?

The roasting drum roll please… The top 5 snazzy, sexy and sensational coffee makers for 2005 are:

1. The Cuisinart Grind & Brew Thermal Coffee Maker: Best of all is it’s timed grinding and brewing feature. You wake up in the morning to the sound, smell and taste of the freshest ground coffee. This model is very tall and looks exceedingly modern with all of it’s stainless steel. You have to ensure you have enough space in your kitchen for the Grind & Brew – not only in terms of the overall length, but the lid, which is located on top, has to open to pour the water in. It has a thermal carafe, so it doesn’t burn your coffee and you can get warm coffee up to 2-hours later. It also uses charcoal water filters to clean the impurities out of your water. It has a 3-year limited warranty.

2. The Melitta Javapod One:One, Coffee Pod Machines: This is a space age looking coffee machine which makes one cup at a time. The only bummer with this type of coffee maker is it can’t be used in high elevations…or kaboom! It comes in five snazztacular colors: red, white, black, mango and kiwi. It makes one bold cup of coffee in about a minute. It can host many other brands of coffee pods, so you are not just stuck on one kind and it can also make tea. It has a 1-year limited warranty.

3. The Hamilton Beach Eclectrics Coffee Makers: These metal beauties come in the most fantastic modern-retro designs and colors. Colors really wow you with intensity. Think about this…we pick paint sometimes because we like the name and now you can pick a coffee maker for the same reason. The Eclectrics series comes in Intrigue Blue, Apple, Moroccan Red, Sugar (ok, this one’s white), Pineapple, Licorice (black) and Seabreeze. For color and design alone these coffee makers are snazzy, sexy and sensational. An added bonus is its warranty: 3 years, one of the best in the industry.

4. Kitchen Aid Pro Line 12-cup Coffee Makers: So you like coffee and you like lot’s of it. This machine will be your Godsend. It comes with a portable second warmer. This second warmer is great for those winter Sundays, where you can put it on your bedside table to read and drink coffee all day long, without having to get up. It is also great if you want to brew two types of coffee like decaf (it even comes with an orange lid) and regular at the same time. It’s made of die-cast metal, has a timer and a two temperature heat setting. For great tasting coffee this gem comes with a Ion exchange water filter. It has a 2-year warranty and if you, for some reason, get a replacement the replacement has a 2-year warranty.

5. Capresso CoffeeTEAM Luxe Coffee Maker : Capresso coffee and espresso machines are simply the crème de la crème of coffee makers. This pearl has a programmable grind and brew feature, it holds a quarter pound of coffee beans and it has a filter indicator to tell you when your water filter is pooched. It brews to over 200 degrees, so it really extracts the flavor from the beans. It has a one year warranty, but I doubt you will need it. It only comes in black or white.

There you have it, 5 snazzy, sexy and sensational coffee makers to make your kitchen smile with pride. Do yourself a favor, buy a good coffee maker. It will last longer and it looks good in your home…best of all your coffee will taste better.

Kate Simpson is a freelance writer who contributes for the Coffee Bean Queen - http://www.coffeebeanqueen.com/ - a website offering information on everything from coffee beans to coffee makers and specialty coffee types.

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