Coffee is one of the most preferred beverages in the world after Tea. Thanks to the cafe culture, coffee lovers are exploring the innovative ways to devour their cuppa of delight. Brewers and chefs in best restaurants, hotels and coffee shops are coming out with amazing coffee recipes, and they use nothing but only the best coffee beans for espresso. From the humble hot coffee to the cool ice shake, this beverage sure has many ways to enjoy it.
It is not possible to head to a cafe all time when one feels like having their favourite espresso coffee. To get that perfect cup of delight, it is advisable to buy the best espresso machine for home or office. This will not only save money, but one will have the chance to indulge in coffee binging as and when the heart yearns for it.
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What Does the Espresso Machine Do to the Coffee?
The machine is designed in such a way that helps in extracting coffee in a thicker form. Here hot water is pressured over the coffee beans that generate a concentrated flavour from the beans. This makes it the best base for all the favourite coffee variants like Cafe’ Latte’, Cappuccino, Americano, Mocha and lot many. With this help of espresso machine, many cafes manage to brew out some awesome coffee for its loyal customers.
A List of Different type of Machines
There is a steam based machine that comes in two kinds; pump less one that runs with electricity and the other that is steamer that can be placed on the stove. The pump less one is expensive and most used while the steamer model is old and outdated, which is also known as the manual espresso machine.
Another variety is that which is made with pump technology. Here the range has automatic, manual, electronic and the best one being an automatic machine with superlative technology.
Specifications
- The Espresso Makers has consistent temperature control and setting for fantastic brewing
- Scope of retaining the heat while making the coffee
- Brewing at a pressure that is ideally around 9BAR
- It has the mechanism for achieving accurate volumes to get equal coffee shots
- Generate steam of high-level quality at appropriate pressure levels
- Succeeds in achieving right boiling point for water when pressured on the beans
- Buy best coffee beans for espresso machine
- Keep a close eye on the Espresso Machines Commercial on television and print advertisements
- A branded espresso machine is easy to clean and maintain
- The overall exteriors are attractive and good to look at
- Can manage to handle workload during peak hours
- Easy to operate and handle the machine with little orientation
- Works on making optimal use of power and is energy efficient
- Provision to keep cups of all sizes
- Not too complicated to understand the functioning
- With training, it is easy to handle steam and water valves, dials and levers
- Fancy machine might look good but not brew perfect espresso
- A machine with grinder that is mediocre will give a bad cup of coffee
- Instead, a mediocre machine with fantastic grinder will give good results
- Difficult to manage the inventory in case of using it at home
- Those with inaccurate settings for pressure will not produce desired results
- Makers would make tall claims that might not give the expected results
- Homemakers might not be able to fix a technical snag in case if any
Things to Consider Before Buying the Machine
- Understand the purpose of buying espresso machine – whether you want to buy a commercial espresso machine or for home use
- Based on the requirement buy a machine that suits the capacity needed per day
- Most importantly the budget fixed to buy a good machine
- For best home espresso machine do an in-depth research and go through some espresso machine reviews
- It is advisable to pick Italian espresso machine for office as it is a safer bet.
- With high budget allocation, one can also go for built in espresso machine
- Check for the noise levels when operating the machine
Tips for Buying Espresso Machine
To buy best home espresso machine online or from the local store, it is always better to make an informed choice. These days the market is flooded with many machines and it can be a huge challenge to invest in one of the many espresso machines available in the market. Here are some handy tips to get started with.
- It is important to be educated about the functioning and features of a good coffee espresso machine. A wise consumer will educate himself/herself of the attributes of the machine and what are the technical specifications to look into.
- Read online about the brands available in the market like the Breville espresso machine or the Krups espresso machine.
- Do a comparative analysis of the selected brand of espresso machine regarding features, price, quality of coffee brewed and the warranty given by the company.
- Look for consumer reviews and blogs to gain first-hand insight of those who have bought and used the machine.
- Buy from online stores that offer to educate and assist buyers in using the machine. This is important for models especially if you are buying a super automatic espresso machine. Without prior knowledge, it would be tough to operate them.
- Those of you buying a manual model try to buy a machine that will work wonders with little pressure else the quality of the taste would not be up to the mark.
- Semi-automatic espresso machine offers a more finely brewed coffee as it offers better pressure to the water, and the cuppa of coffee tastes a lot better over the one made manually.
- There are also ones with fully automatic functions that are more or less like the semi-automatic but with more control in terms of water that makes way to the coffee beans. Buy the one that offers maximum pressure features to get perfect concentrate.
- Those with the extra budget should select super duper fully automatic espresso coffee makers. This one comes with more exciting features like a grinder that is inbuilt and customization mechanism. Here the chance of having a delicious macchiato, latte and cappuccino are possible.
- On a more specified levels look for machines that give the chance to grind the beans to coarse to finer settings for more refined taste.
- Machines that have a light system are better as it is easy to maintain them in a long run.
- There is the provision of removable and adjustable water tank making it easier to cater to small to large group of people at one go.
- The machine is compact, sleek and easy to keep at any corner makes it an ideal thing to buy. This is more so in case when buying it for home or small coffee shop owners
Possible Problems Faced
Espresso machines are a must have for coffee lovers. But some machine might give a bad experience too. Let’s look at some of the instances that people face while using the machine:
- There are some models that are technically complex making it difficult for the owners to handle and maintain.
- Then there are some models that make a lot of noises while brewing the coffee which might be irritating for those who wish to work peacefully.
- In some case, the machine ends up making extra froth that spills from the cup and ruins the machine. This calls for immediate cleaning which many might not have the time to do it.
- There some consumers who have narrated instances when the coffee is not hot as per the requirement, making the purchase a case of bad decision making.
- The worst is to have a leaking machine that might not be as durable as it claims to be in the advertisements.
- Those who are not trained to handle the machine might end up with burns and injuries. It is best to get some idea on ways to operate the machine on popular social network sites.
How Best To Look After The Machine
If you want to enjoy your latte or cappuccino, then it is advisable to keep the machine clean and tidy. Follows these simple steps to keep the espresso machine up and running:
- Get in the habit of cleaning the machine before and after use
- Wash the water tank properly in order to avoid any health issue
- Replenish the coffee stock as and when needed
- Buy a brush to remove dirt or leftover from the tray or stand post use
- Wash the components with special detergent meant for espresso machine only
- Experts advocate use of water and vinegar to clean the inside of the machine
- The brew head needs to be cleaned every day to keep the hygiene factor intact
- Read the manual carefully before cleaning
- Do not use water in areas where it is not advisable as it might disrupt the functioning of the machine
- Store the espresso making machine in a temperature that is listed on the manual only
Final Verdict
The thought of having a perfect espresso coffee is a good driving force for anyone to buy a machine. It can be a manual one to a fully automatic machine – the ultimate test of the machine is when it manages to give that perfect coffee. Quality is something that cannot be overlooked when buying a decent coffee maker. Those who know the taste of best-brewed coffee know what it takes to make a cup all by themselves. Making a coffee is an art and when a machine excels in this art then why takes the worries about fixing a cup manually. Just buy a product that meets your requirement and fits in the budget.
