Abstract: The coffee maker includes a reservoir and a heating chamber, having a vent tube, connected to the reservoir for receiving water therefrom, a heater for the heating chamber, and a coffee making area connected to the heating chamber. A control means is operated by a limited rise of temperature in the heating chamber to close the vent tube. A starter switch to control power supply to the coffee maker and a thermostatically controlled shut-off means is provided to open the starter switch and shut off power to the coffee maker when the heating chamber has no water therein and excessive temperatures are being realized in such heating chamber.A modified coffee maker eliminates the vent tube closure and provides for releasing a small quantity of water to a heating area and repeatedly heating small volumes of water for pumping action to discharge to a coffee making area, the invention also covering such method of making coffee by repeated heatings of small confined volumes of water to steam producing temperatures.