When you go to buy a coffee machine there are some features that you can do without and some that you may consider necessary, depending on your personal preference and lifestyle. If you are an early riser and prefer not to have that blinding light on first thing, an ON button that lights up automatically will be a necessary feature. If you are absent-minded or likely to be interrupted after putting the coffee on, then an auto-off switch is what you need.
Purists will want a water filter in their coffee machine, in spite of the extra maintenance and cost of replacement. This will take the taste of chlorine out of the water for that pure coffee taste. You might even decide that a permanent coffee filter is one feature you truly need to get rid of the taste of the paper filters. You may have to buy one separately if your machine doesn't have one.
A pause and serve feature is something that even the cheapest coffee machine will have. This enables you to take the pot out without coffee dribbling all over the plate. And of course you'll want to be able to use the latest thing in coffee - coffee pods. Not all coffee machines will take them so make sure yours does.
