Buying an espressomachine for the home will allow you to have utmost control over your coffee. To choose the best coffee machine to meet your requirements, you must have a basis of comparison. How much you want to be involved in the process will help you decide on the right espresso machine.
Choosing between the manual and automatic espresso machine
The manual espresso machine which is also called piston machine requires the user to put and press ground coffee into the filter folder to make a cup of coffee. It may take a little effort and some experimentation to achieve a perfect cup of coffee that suits your taste. Since the manual espresso machine allows for customization, the user is generally more satisfied with the coffee experience.
The semi-automatic label refers to electric coffee machines that determine the amount of coffee for every cup. However, some brands give the user an option to determine the amount of ground coffee that they prefer for every cup. After the filter holder is filled and secured, the espresso machine will do the job of brewing the coffee.
Meanwhile the full automatic or sometimes called “bean-to-cup” espresso machine contains its own coffee grinder and will automatically do the process of filling, emptying, pressing and brewing. These devices are considered as the most expensive because they have many different settings to provide the coffee you desire. It will take a lot of trial and error to master the process of making a perfect cup of espresso.
How to choose an espresso machine based on its steam mechanism and boiler system
Most of the new DeLonghi espresso machines in the market include a built-in steam mechanism. Steam need to be at higher temperature than what is required for making an espresso because of the slight time required between brewing coffees and tapping the milk. In some systems, time is reduced because of the extra fast heating technique that makes use of two boilers instead of one.
When only one boiler is used, a useful trick is to cool the boiler from the steam temperature to the right temperature to make coffee. The cup can be placed under the steam wand and then tap hot water to allow the machine to release its last steam. By the time that hot water comes out from the pipe, the machine will be ready to make another cup of espresso. Instead of waiting for 10 to 15 minutes, the machine will ready in just 30 seconds.
Boilers are used in pump driven espresso machines to heat water to optimum temperature before brewing coffee. The quality of the boiler will determine how quickly the espresso machine will reach the right temperature. If convenience is one of your major concerns, choose a high quality espresso machine that produces consistent results even for the less experienced.
