Coffee Urns - To Use Or Not to Use

Pour-over, automatic and satellite brewers are designed to produce traditional "American-style" coffee. These brewers drip heated water over gronded coffee in a filter. Pour-over models require manual filling of water reservoirs, while automatic urns and satellite brewers connect to a water line. One type of urn holds heated water in a separate chamber until the brew button is pushed, while another uses a heat exchanger. Some coffeemakers have heated plates below glass or metal decanters, while others dispense brewed coffee into insulated thermal or air-pots to keep the beverage warm. Freestanding, insulated urns hold up to 5 gallons of coffee and free up coffeemakers to make additional product while allowing service elsewhere.
Some coffee urns have heating systems that measure the temperature of the coffee and increase heat as needed. Manual brewers, such as French presses, are intended for tableside use. There are different designs and capacities of coffee urns available. Ranging from metallic coffee urns to highly polished coffee urns, all are available in the market. You can expect the coffee urn to have the following features:
Automatic temperature control which keeps the coffee hot for hours. Quick brewing - one cup per minute. Twist-to-secure cover. Two-way drip less faucet for easy serving. Interior water level markings for easy filling. Cool-tip filter basket for easy removal of grounds and stem.
Heat-resistant base and trim. Serving light indicates end of brewing cycle. Detachable cord. Durable aluminum construction. These (medium capacity) coffee urns can hold up to 30 to 45 cups of coffee and the price ranges from $35 to $50 (the price depends on the finishing too). There are larger for-office coffee urns also available. These have a capacity of holding around 55 to 60 cups of coffee and ranges from $90 to $150; the price depends on the type of material used like aluminium or stainless steel.
There are commercial coffee urns as well as electric coffee urns which have a capacity ranging from 5 gallons to 10 gallons. In electric coffee urns, there would be a thermometer on the front panel; it would have adjustable by-pass system, which gives the operator the ability to adjust the strength of the coffee. It would also automatically replenish the urn with fresh water as soon as it starts running low. It may also have automatic coffee agitation - where in you just push the brew button and walk away.
The electric coffee urns may also have cycle stop switch which gives the operator the ability to stop the brew cycle midstream. These electric urns come in attractive casing- all stainless steel construction. The price for such urns may range from $2000 to $4500 depending on the capacity of the coffee urn. Such urns are recommended for big offices wherein the employees have easy access to coffee and coffee consumption is quite high.
I personally do not like any of the urns and coffee making ways, where the coffee is not brewed fresh. I partically don't like the urns that brew the coffee and then control the temperature for sometimes many hours at a time. I would go for the impress your guests, friends, staff and/or colleagues and get in a more professional barista with the correct equipment.
Author Bio:
Do You LOVE good coffee? Heather is a qualified barista and shares many of her great coffee making tips. Register for Your FREE copy of the Health and Happiness Mag, that includes tips on coffee making like the professionals at http://www.womensinfoproducts.com/food/coffee
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