Interiors: Coffee Maker, Carafe Brew Up Good Morning

*Courtesy The Republic

"It's 6 o'clock in the morning and the alarm is ringing.  Time to get up!  You know you want to stay in bed a little longer, but the scent of freshly brewed coffee beckons you to the kitchen.

Sound like a good morning?  What better way to start the day than with a perfectly brewed, great-tasting cup of coffee?  The only thing I can think of is if Starbucks delivered, but who wants to greet the delivery person in your pajamas? Oh, well.

How do you choose among the many coffee makers out there?  How about one that is designed to look great as well as perform well?  Many reputable companies offer good service as well as good looks.

For instance, the Frigidaire Professional Thermal Carafe Drip Coffeemaker looks so good you don't have to hide it when it is not in use.  It has a stainless steel finish, still one of the most popular among appliances.  The 10-cup carafe is insulated, so you can place it directly on the kitchen table without having to get up for a refill.  This is a great feature, not only for yourself in the morning but also for when you have guests for dinner or a party.  And you won't get a taste of burnt coffee when you go for that last splash.

Oh, and a couple more features:  The coffee maker has a 24-hour programmable start option and a coffee-strength selector.  Its replaceable charcoal filter ensures clean water, a key element to great-tasting coffee.  (I've noticed that purified water makes coffee taste way better than if I use tap water.)

The small appliances allow for quick cooking, particularly for two to four people.  The bigger appliances come into play on the weekends and for holidays and parties when we have more time to do more cooking.

Quality is important, of course, because if you buy something that looks pretty but doesn't work well, you've wasted money.  As of this writing, the Frigidaire 10-cup coffeemaker was selling for approximately $100 at a big-box retailer, though prices may vary.

Well, have a good morning -- and enjoy your coffee.

(Rosemary Sadez Friedmann, an interior designer in Naples, Fla., is author of "Mystery of Color." For design inquiries, write her at DsgnQuest@aol.com.)