While it has often been debated, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. This can even apply to coffee, particularly if you find you are throwing out as much or more than you are drinking each day. For many of us, we are only at home and awake long enough to grab one cup of coffee each morning. The problem is that the average drip coffee maker only allows 2 cups as its smallest brewing options.

If you are finding that this is often the case for you, then perhaps it is time to downsize to the one-cup coffee maker. You will still get the benefit of freshly brewed coffee in the morning and you will wake up to the wonderful aroma of coffee, but you will not end up letting coffee burn into the bottom of your pot or wind up throwing out unused coffee each and every morning. There are even one-cup coffee makers that make your coffee into a travel cup so that you can grab it and go right out the door without making any adjustments at all.

The world has changed and it has definitely embraced the coffee drinker. There are many products available today that are designed with everyone from those with a one-cup morning coffee ritual to those who drink several cups of coffee throughout the day. And then there are those that fall into another category all together. This would be the occasional coffee drinker. You know the ones I am talking about, these are the people who only drink coffee during exams or when forced to stay up all night on occasion in order to get that big project for work completed. For these people, the one-cup coffee maker is also an ideal choice.

Here are a few things you will want to look for when selecting your one-cup coffee maker:

1. Is it programmable? Most of us prefer to wake up to the smell of brewing coffee rather than go to the effort of getting up only to have to make the additional effort of fixing the coffee pot then hitting the start button (this is of course assuming we have the fine motor skills to accomplish this task yet). The goal is to find one that you can set up the night before and that will be brewing for you as your alarm starts the process of your rude awakening.
2. Is it easy to use? I don't know about you, but I'm completely turned off by a machine that is more complicated than my VCR to program. I want the ease of a Tivo for the lowest price possible.
3. Is it a Pod Brewer? I threw this question in because I am completely enamored with the Pod Brewers and yes; Melitta makes a one-cup pod coffee maker you can even get this one in several color options to match your decor.
4. What will I do when company comes? For the answer to this question I recommend having more than one coffee pot. If counter space is a premium (if it isn't, I want your kitchen) it makes sense to store the one you won't be using daily and keep your one-cup brewer within easy access.

There are really no hard and fast rules as to which coffee maker will be best for you. The thing to look for consistently is that you are getting a good brand that offers some sort of guarantee or warranty. Find the coffee maker size and type that best fits your lifestyle.