Mmmmm Ahhhh!

That moment when you can sit back and fully enjoy a good cup of coffee. 

The kids are busy or asleep. You’ve decided not to be the flawless mom and tidy the house like a clean freak tornado. Instead, you steal a few minutes from the chaos of the day to savour the ideal bean.

These times are so rare, you owe it to yourself to make them as perfect as possible. Yet, there are still a lot of us who settle for less by going out to grab a coffee from one of the chains. However, when you think about it, this makes no sense for busy moms.

It takes time and organization to leave the house, even for a few minutes. Not only that, it’s not environmentally friendly to collect those hard-to-compost cups. Instead, why not invest a little in a good drip coffee maker? 

There are many reasons why brewing your own coffee, to your own taste, is the ultimate answer to enjoying those moments of peace. You deserve the best experience because you’re such a multitasking maven, any respite from the bedlam should be as relaxing as possible.

So, what should you look for if you’re going to create more of these moments? Here are a few ideas:

• Coffee when you want it. Many machines offer you scheduled brewing, which is great if your life conforms to a schedule. Unfortunately, our lifestyles may clash with this kind of disciplined delivery. But, if you do know when you can grab those luxurious minutes of me-time, then choose a machine that allows you control over this function.
• Timed freshness. There’s nothing worse than being ready for a coffee only to discover that it has burned out before you take your first sip.  You’d certainly want to know how to make strong coffee from a fresh brew. More machines now include a freshness timer that tracks the time between brewed and your own readiness to drink.
• Quantity needed. For some of us, coffee is an addiction – just set up an IV and we’re set for the day. If you need copious quantities of caffeine, then look for the machines that brew up to 12 cups, if not more (there are machines that make up to 16 cups for the coffeeaholics who must share).
• Temperature friendly. It is possible, with the higher end models, to have an insulated, stainless steel coffee pot. These maintain the correct temperature for the coffee without burning or cooling it. Thankfully, these models aren’t that much dearer than the ones with glass carafes.
• Water purifiers. Yes, these can be in-built in some machines, but you probably have other ways of cleaning up your water.

Get the most out of the little time you have to relax and contemplate your navel. Consider brewing your own perfect cup rather than depending on that teenager at that coffee shop. He doesn’t know you like you do, and your moments of peace are too precious to trust to him. Spoil yourself because you deserve it.