Long gone are the "old" days when people used coffee pots with steel filters, made coffee on the stove, and it took time to make. The first high tech coffee maker to appear was a Mr. Coffee brand name, and it was all the rage with coffee drinkers. Also, back in the day, there were very few brands of coffee like Folgers and a few others. Then the younger people of today have the luxuries of being able to drink almost any kind of coffee - at home even. Things are not as simple as they were back in the 60s when it comes to coffee; so if you wanted to shop for a new coffee maker, then what's the optimum approach so it doesn't take a month to figure out everything? At Amazon.com, the absolute most sought after coffee marker is the Cuisinart DCC-1200 12 Cup Brew Central Coffeemaker. As expected, you can program it to do all kinds of neat tricks for you. For the autobrew, simply set it up the night before, set the timer and then leave it. If you need a coffee maker that can handle brewing a dozen cups of coffee, then this is a model you may want to take a closer look at. Black and Decker DCM2500B SmartBrew Coffeemaker is the top rated coffee maker for people on a budget. You can find this Black and Decker model retailing for a surprising low point of under forty dollars. Actually, Black and Decker makes a wide range of equipment, and their reputation has always been very solid. It seems they make everything from electric saws for wood all the way to teapots and coffee brewers. Trust, reliable, durable, long-lasting - all of those things are applicable to the Black and Decker name. This maker will allow you to set your coffee maker's alarm clock so that it will brew your coffee whenever you want it to, whether or not you are home to turn it on. The Keurig B-70 B70 Platinum Single Cup Home Brewing System is incredibly popular. Ok, we'll tell you upfront that it's an expensive unit. At the time of this article's writing, the price of this particular coffee brewer was just under one hundred and seventy dollars. That may sound like a lot, and we understand everyone has a budget to deal with; but it is a heavy seller, and people love brewing a single cup of outstanding coffee with it. What is also very nice and appealing is beinng able to select a different size coffee cup to brew; and you'll have a choice of five different cup sizes. Yes, we know... trying to narrow down and choose a coffee maker can drive you crazy. Just walking down the aisle at Target and seeing all of the different choices can be overwhelming. Yes, it pays to be a little bit knowledgeable about what's important to you before setting foot in store. That's the surest ticket to coffee maker success when you're prepared before you start shopping.