Saturday, June 15, 2013
Monday, May 20, 2013
How to Froth Milk with a Pannarello Wand
If you own an espresso machine like Gaggia 102534 Espresso-Color Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine or Philips Saeco HD8327/47 Poemia Top Espresso Machine with a pannarello wand, you might want to get some tips about how to froth using the pannarello wand, also known as the turbo frother. Actually, what you do is keeping the tip well below the surface of the milk, if it gets near the surface it’ll blast big hunks of air and that’ll make a mess with big bubbles and you’ll never get rid of them. We can always get a lot of questions from customers. For example, the first question likes this:
How to get a quality froth utilizing the Pannarello wand?
People will mention that they have a problem getting a creamy froth. They say they’re getting too much air on the froth and they don’t like that. So the top of the froth is cold while the milk underneath may be hot. But, they want to get more of a creamy texture. Some people call it micro froth which is important to get a good creamy froth because that’s the way the froth mixes with the espresso and you get a really creamy drink. The taste is fantastic. So that’s kind of what this article goal is today, to show you how to do that.
What do you need to know on how to froth?
Okay, it’s all about an air hole that is on the side of the Pannarello wand. It’s all a matter of, what you do is you want to inject just the right amount of air, but not too much. So at first you want to froth your milk. When you get enough froth you take your milk and you actually cover up the air hole and there’re no longer sucking air in so it’s not frothing it’s merely heating. So it’s all about timing, making sure you know when to cover the air hole up. There are many styles on lots of different machines. You see it’s all about the air intake hole on that
Step by step
First, you always want to use cold milk. Cold milk always froths best, always do your frothing, which is air injecting when the milk is at its coldest. And you also want to be careful how much milk you put in the pitcher, if you over fill it, it’ll overflow the pitcher or we won’t be able to get it hot enough. So we’ll get about a third full, which is, which would be right about there. And you also want to know that pitcher size is important. If you’re doing a larger one, obviously you want a bigger pitcher, a smaller or one drink, you use a smaller pitcher.
Then, what if you don’t put enough milk in the pitcher, is that going to cause problems as well? If you don’t put enough milk, it won’t cover the air hole soon enough maybe and you might get too much air in the froth. Okay. So you do want to be a little bit cautious about that.
Last, like with all machines, you constantly want to purge any water out of the wand. All have a little different technique. Put the tip well below the surface. Open the steam knob and it’ll start frothing.
How hot do you want to make the milk?
Never over 160 degrees, after that it’s gonna lose all its flavor and it’s not going to be good. I like it about 140, and that’s a nice temperature. When you see the milk’s expanding, you should feel the bottom of the pitcher, get the temperature there.
With this tip, you’ll have all the froth I want, cover the hole, and it’s not going to froth anymore. The hole was right there. Now it’s going to heat the milk. Now if you put your hand on the bottom of the pitcher you feel it, when it gets really hot with the palm of your hand you know you’re about at 160, but I’m a little less than that, cause I like it less than that, but you can see the froth there. You can swoosh it up a little bit, and I always like to swoosh it up a little bit like this before I pour it. Now, that’s a nice froth and it’s extremely easy to do. Then, let’s brew a nice espresso here, and milk’s been sitting for a couple minutes there while you brewed the espresso. So you just need to swish it up to keep it nice and creamy. I’m sure it’ll give you a wonderful flavor.
How to Froth Milk with a Pannarello Wand
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica for the “Beginner” to the “Aspiring Barista”
If you like drinking or brewing espresso, you maybe already heard the famous espresso machine brands of Delonghi,and probably even get Delonghi ESAM3300. As far as I know, there is no one espresso machine can be easier than Delonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica, especially in home brewing. This super automatic espresso machine is very easy to prepare latte,cappuccino, espresso drinks or more, which means barista quality espresso every time for us. And the espresso quality is undeniably great.The Magnifica ESAM 3300 can mix steam and milk together to create a wonderful creamy froth and rich espresso for you. With its unique technology which is called beans-to-brew, the coffee beans can be grounded to your choice before brewing.Of course, you can get freshly brewed by this unique technology.
->>Click here to check more real customer reviews on Amazon.com
Some key features that must attract your attention:
- Beans-to-Brew system. Delonghi ESAM3300 can grind beans instantly for the freshest espresso with this secret brewing system. The coffee is freshly ground and no traces are left in the machine.You can also easily compact and remove it.
- Patented Cappuccino System.Delonghi ESAM3300 comes equipped with this cappuccino system that rotates 180 degrees to allow for any size milk container, and its coffee spigot height can be adjusted to allow for a classic espresso cup, a tall mug, or all the other different cup sizes.
- Customize your coffee taste.It’s cool for us to rotary and push button control panel with programmable menu settings: adjust start time, auto off, clock, temperature, coffee strength(5 steps) and cup size with rotary dial(4 steps).So this machine allows you to customize your coffee taste.
DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica Super-Automatic Espresso/Coffee Machine
 |  List Price: $1,260.00 Sale Price: $579.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days  |
- Integrated Burr Grinder.Delonghi ESAM3300 equipped with one professional-quality conical low-pitch burr grinder.And with this burr grinder, you can enjoy the fresh and aromatic ground coffee.Grind settings allow you to adjust the fineness for all types of beans.
- Detachable water tank & bean container.This awesome machine is the only super automatic espresso machine that allows you to clean the water tank and bean container easily without moving the machine.With this feature, you’ll reduce some space in your kitchen to put some more espresso machine parts.Though I mentioned so many perfect points about the Delonghi Magnifica, but there’re still found some negative review.
Is there any CONS?
- It has a little noise, especially when the grinder is in motion.Actually, this point is especially common just like most other espresso machine. I think you can ignore this noise while you are eager for a cup of Cappuccino.
- It seems that the cup warmer doesn’t work very well when you first get it to make espresso.Nevertheless, some customers also find that it will not be an issue if you get double walled cups.
- You can’t have it turn on automatically in a few minutes. Actually it only takes a very short time to get up to temperature.
->>Click here to check more real customer reviews on Amazon
Why you should buy DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica Super-Automatic Espresso Machine?
I think this super automatic espresso machine is the most valuable machine. Just like the picture above, DeLonghi ESAM3300 is the real machine for the “Beginner” to the “Aspiring Barista”, and you should buy one for your high-quality espresso life.
DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica for the “Beginner” to the “Aspiring Barista”
DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica for the “Beginner” to the “Aspiring Barista”
If you enjoy drinking or brewing espresso, you maybe already heard the famous espresso machine brands of Delonghi,and probably even get Delonghi ESAM3300. As far as I know, there is no one espresso machine can be easier than Delonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica, especially in home brewing. This super automatic espresso machine is very easy to prepare latte,cappuccino, espresso drinks or more, which means barista quality espresso every time for us. And the espresso quality is undeniably great.The Magnifica ESAM 3300 can mix steam and milk together to create a wonderful creamy froth and rich espresso for you. With its unique technology which is called beans-to-brew, the coffee beans can be grounded to your choice before brewing.Of course, you can get freshly brewed by this unique technology.
Some key features that must attract your attention:
Beans-to-Brew system. Delonghi ESAM3300 can grind beans instantly for the freshest espresso with this secret brewing system. The coffee is freshly ground and no traces are left in the machine.You can also easily compact and remove it.
Patented Cappuccino System.Delonghi ESAM3300 comes equipped with this cappuccino system that rotates 180 degrees to allow for any size milk container, and its coffee spigot height can be adjusted to allow for a classic espresso cup, a tall mug, or all the other different cup sizes.
Customize your coffee taste.It’s cool for us to rotary and push button control panel with programmable menu settings: adjust start time, auto off, clock, temperature, coffee strength(5 steps) and cup size with rotary dial(4 steps).So this machine allows you to customize your coffee taste.
Integrated Burr Grinder.Delonghi ESAM3300 equipped with one professional-quality conical low-pitch burr grinder.And with this burr grinder, you can enjoy the fresh and aromatic ground coffee.Grind settings allow you to adjust the fineness for all types of beans.
Detachable water tank & bean container.This awesome machine is the only super automatic espresso machine that allows you to clean the water tank and bean container easily without moving the machine.With this feature, you’ll reduce some space in your kitchen to put some more espresso machine parts.Though I mentioned so many perfect points about the Delonghi Magnifica, but there’re still found some negative review.
CONS
1, It has a little noise, especially when the grinder is in motion.Actually, this point is especially common just like most other espresso machine. I think you can ignore this noise while you are eager for a cup of Cappuccino.
2,It seems that the cup warmer doesn’t work very well when you first get it to make espresso.Nevertheless, some customers also find that it will not be an issue if you get double walled cups.
3,You can’t have it turn on automatically in a few minutes. Actually it only takes a very short time to get up to temperature.
Why you should buy DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica Super-Automatic Espresso Machine?
I think this super automatic espresso machine is the most valuable machine. DeLonghi ESAM3300 is the real machine for the “Beginner” to the “Aspiring Barista”, and you should buy one for your high-quality espresso life.
DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica for the “Beginner” to the “Aspiring Barista”
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Jura Automatic Espresso Machines Reviews
Let me tell you first off that Jura is the global market leader in premium automatic coffee centers. They are very high quality. As you can see on Amazon.com sales page, 4 -1/2 stars out of 5 with 12 verified customer reviews. So let’s get down to the meat of what the Yura Micro 9 automatic coffee maker really is. A Swiss made automatic coffee machine built for quality, versatility and ease of use. These machines offer more choices in coffee volume and coffee strength than any other models. Some of the common features on these Jura models are; a rotary switch for easy precise operation. Each model comes with a variable brewing unit for individual coffee strengths and preparation of up to two cups in just one brewing operation. You can brew from half a cup to 16 ounces of coffee at one time.
Right off the bat, this Jura espresso machine is proud to present the world’s smallest one touch automatic cappuccino machine around that is capable of preparing cappuccino, and a latte mocchiato at the touch of a button. It looks like a great machine, made by strong metal. As you can see its stainless-steel design is really sleek and modern.
Another feature is the height adjustable coffee spout to accommodate the coffee cup of your choice and a cappuccino frother. The Jura line features programmable settings that include; the amount of water, brewing temperature levels and coffee strength levels. 
These models also have a multi-level, professional, solid stainless steel conical burr grinder for consistent grind. You can also use pre-ground coffee in these machines. For easy maintenance, these models feature integrated cleaning, rinsing and descaling. The ENA 5 features a space saving design of nine and a half inches wide and you can brew coffee through one of two spouts. The Impressa J6 features active bean monitoring to make sure there’s always enough coffee beans available. The Impressa S9 features a one touch function for making a cappuccino or latte macchiato. The Jura Espresso Machine is designed not only to make the perfect espresso, but also to be as small as possible. I would recommend these Jura machines to anyone who wants a great cup of coffee.
Jura Automatic Espresso Machines Reviews
Gaggia Platinum Espresso Machine Comparison
I often hear some friends say that they’ve seen the Gaggia espresso machine series, like Gaggia Vogue, the Gaggia Platinum Swing Up, and the Gaggia Vision, but these machines all look the same or very similar. Well, what are the differences? I’m going to compare with the similarities and the differences of these machines.
Alright, let’s compare with the similarities of the machines. First of all, they’ve all got cup warmers on the top that measure 8 by 5 inches. They’ve got an 8.8 ounce bean hopper for the grinder. They also have the same lid with the rubber gasket to seal tight. They’ve got ABS plastic housing with stainless steel. As with all super-automatics, the grinders are internal. The Platinum series has ceramic burrs. You’ve got three grind settings and when you go to use the coffee dose you can adjust it from 7to 10 ? grams of coffee. These machines all have a stainless steel steam-wand with a Pannarello adapter. They have a stainless steel drip tray cover and a plastic drip tray. A nice feature about these machines is that they all sit on a lazy Susan which allows you easy access for removing your 57 ounce water reservoir, or you turn it the other way you can remove your dredge drawer and your internal drip tray and your brew-group. And again with the Lazy Susan, if you got a little tight counter space above you just can turn things side to side. Pretty easy to fill.
All three of the machines weigh 21 pounds, and they measure 14 x 6 x 12.5 x 16.3. Internally, they all use the same 15 bar pump and brew at about 8 to 9 bars of pressure. And they’ve all got a 1500 Watt stainless steel lined aluminum thermal block boiler. One additional feature to all of these machines is the Gaggia Milk Island. This works with all three of these machines, you attach it on the bottom and you put your milk in here and will automatically froth your milk for you. When you’re done, you remove it and you pour it into your cup.
Let’s talk about the differences of these machines now. As I said before, they all have a cup warmer on top. The difference is going to be that the Vogue has a passive cup warmer, which means it’s heated off the boiler. The Swing Up and the Vision have active cup warmers and you can turn them on or off. Another feature you won’t find in the Vogue is a bypass doser. The Swing Up and the Vision both have a bypass doser, which allows you the option of using pre-ground coffee. Another difference you’ll notice between these machines is the displays. On the Vogue, there’s no display other than what you’ve seen the icons. The Swing Up and the Vision have LCD and a touch screen. Nowadays with the Vogue you have no temperature control, it’s preset at the factory. With the Swing Up and the Platinum Vision, you have programmability. The cup volume of these machines is controlled differently. With the Vogue you control it manually. With the Platinum Swing Up and the Vision there are three different cup volumes. The Vogue’s drip tray manually is adjusted, while the Platinum Swing up and the Platinum Vision have motorized drip trays. Now you’ll also see there’re some color differences between these machines. The Vogue is black stainless steel and graphite color. The Swing Up and the Vision come in stainless steel and champagne.
Gaggia 90901 Platinum Swing Up Automatic Espresso Machine with Milk Island
 |  List Price: $1,499.00 Sale Price: $1,199.00 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Eligible For Free Shipping |
Gaggia 90951 Platinum Vision Automatic Espresso Machine with Milk Island, Platinum
 |  List Price: $1,699.00 Sale Price: $1,100.00 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days |
Above that concludes my comparison of the Gaggia Platinum Vogue, Platinum Swing Up, and Platinum Vision. Of course, everyone has their opinion. I think if you’re an espresso lover, and your irresolute cannot decide which one to buy among these three, you may as well check more real customer reviews on Amazon.
Gaggia Platinum Espresso Machine Comparison
Friday, May 10, 2013
Best Super Automatic Espresso Machine Review
“Super Automatic Espresso Machine is so Great! I’ve had this machine for over 3 years. I still give it a 5 rating.”
Cappuccino, Latte, Espresso, Machiatto and Cafe Crema, no matter what you like, Super-Automatic Espresso Machines can always make all these drinks and more. Often with the touch of one button. It’s like having a high-end coffee shop on your counter-top, like your own personal barista but with no line to stand in, no tip jar and no attitude! We can also get a range of machines in the market, from the very simple up to hi-end super-automatics.
OK, let’s define a few terms used commonly in the super-automatic world. Sure, the first is bean to cup. Now this is what every super-automatic machine does. Put fresh coffee beans in the machine, press a button and out comes espresso or crema-coffee. The machine grinds the beans fresh for every brewing cycle, compresses the ground beans – also known as tamping and then forces hot water through the ground beans under pressure. The same process done by hand in semi-automatic espresso brewing only automated – and a lot less messy. Here, I mentioned the espresso crema-coffee. For those that don’t know, crema-coffee or cafe-crema is similar to drip coffee, but benefits from espresso’s pressure brewing process. For coffee lovers, one sip of cafe-crema and he will be convinced to drop the drip forever! Another term you’ll hear a lot is brew group. It’s the heart of a super-automatic machine. It’s where fresh ground coffee is compressed and where pressure brewing takes place. After brewing is complete, the brew group deposits the puck of used coffee into a dredge drawer. On most machines, the brew group is removable and should be rinsed once a week or so in the sink with tap water.
->>Click here to check more real customer reviews on Amazon
There are a few machines, notably a number made by Jura in which the brew group is not removable. On these, the machine keeps the brew group clean, generally with the aid of a cleaning tablet being run through the machine after a certain number of brewing cycles. Another term is one-touch. If a machine is classified as one-touch, it means it can make milk based drinks like a cappuccino, latte or machiatto at the the touch of a single button and without moving your cup. Milk is steamed or frothed automatically and delivered to your cup along with espresso.
There are other machines which also steam and froth milk automatically but use a separate spout for milk delivery requiring the user to move a cup between spouts for milk and coffee delivery. Auto-frothing machines always have an external milk source. These range from a simple tube you can place in a carton of milk to attachable carafes which can be stored in the fridge and even refrigerated countertop units. Auto-frothing machines are generally able to produce steamed milk for a latte and frothed milk for a cappuccino. But, some machines produce just one kind of froth while others allow a user to control the amount of air injected into milk and vary the density of the froth. Machines that don’t have auto-frothing will have a steam wand for working with milk. And many machines with auto-frothing still include a steam wand. Steam wands can steam milk for a latte or froth for a cappuccino. They also deliver hot water for drinks like tea. Frothing milk with a steam wand is a skill which requires practice. But luckily, most machines have Pannarello style steam wands. Pannarello wands make it relatively easy for beginners to create froth with nice micro-foam by automatically injecting the right amount of air into the milk during steaming.
Now let’s talk about how these machines create hot water and steam. 
They generally use thermoblock systems which heat small amounts of water very quickly. And it only cost a few minutes from turn on to ready to brew. Now some machines have one thermoblock and some will have 2. One for heating water for brewing and another dedicated to producing steam. The advantage to 2 is less waiting between steaming and brewing. On single thermoblock systems, the average wait time between brewing and steaming is about 40 seconds. In a bean to cup system, you’re always brewing from just ground beans from the machine’s grinder. There are a few different styles. You’ve got metallic burr grinders on up to grinders using ceramics. Ceramics are generally considered the best as they generate less heat when grinding leaving more flavor in your coffee. You’ll also have control of grinding fineness going finer for espresso and courser for long coffees. Aside from the type of grinder machines differ on the degree of control a user has in setting fineness. Most all machines will have a bypass doser. They disallow you to use pre-ground coffee. Handy if you have guests over and someone would prefer a decaf.
->>Click Here to See Pricing, Images, and Reviews of the Super Automatic Espresso Machine
All machines will have a water reservoir. They may be accessible from the side, front or top of the machine. On some you can tell at a glance how much water is in them. Others have to be removed to see the water level. Most all machines can accept some type of water filter and we highly recommend using one. Cleaner water means better tasting coffee. But just as important is using a filter to help keep your machine operating properly. Overtime calcium deposits build up on heating elements requiring descaling. But using a filter, you will reduce these deposits and extends the time between descaling cycles. In fact, Jura makes a filter for some of their machines which if used as directed eliminates the need to descale. When choosing a machine you’ll want to pay attention to capacities. You’ve got the water reservoir, dredge drawer, and drip tray. It all comes down to how much you’ll be using your machine and how often you have to service these areas. Super-automatics for the most part are similar in how they brew. But there’re wide variations in how they are programmed and what items can be programmed. On the simplest systems, you’ll have buttons or dials controlling things like dosage, grind and volume in the cup. On the high-end systems, you’ll find machines with full color displays multi-user programmability and extremely fine control over every aspect of the brewing process. Many machines have cup warmers. There are 2 varieties: Passive and active. An active cup warmer uses a dedicated heating element to warm cups. Passive systems use residual internal heat and take longer to work. So if you like your drinks really hot, you may want to consider a machine with an active cup warm. So that’s a basic overview of the capabilities and features of super-automatic espresso machines.
DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica is a wonderful super automatic espresso machine. If you can afford it, just buy one. If you can’t, read more about my reviews for these valuable and affordable semi-automatics espresso machine.
DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica Super-Automatic Espresso/Coffee Machine
| List Price: $1,260.00 Sale Price: $549.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days |
Breville BES860XL Barista Express Espresso Machine with Grinder
 |  List Price: $799.99 Sale Price: $550.00 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days |
KRUPS EA8250001 Espresseria Full Automatic Espresso Machine with Built-in Conical Burr Grinder, Black
 | List Price: $1,200.00 Sale Price: $639.00 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days |
Philips Saeco RI9737/20 Vienna Plus Automatic Espresso Machine, Silver
 | List Price: $700.00 Sale Price: $444.95 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days |
On the Amazon, you can find a listing of each machine’s features on its product landing page. These machines are capable of producing all your favorite coffee based drinks…it’s really like having a barista on your countertop! If you need more help about Super Automatic Espresso Machine, contact us immediately and I would be happy to give you some suggestions.
Best Super Automatic Espresso Machine Review
Breville BES860XL Barista Express Espresso Machine Review
” To my delight, I was able to, for the first time in my life, make a latte as good as what I used to drink at the Seattle’s Best coffee shop! ” As an Amazon reviewer said excitingly. Yeah, Breville Espresso Machine is simply a great product to get us started on home espresso.
Here I will show you a quick review of my Breville BES860XL Barista Express Espresso Machine I picked up about two years ago. It has been working really nice and everything was going just fine. I would definitely recommend it to other people and I’m glad to give some suggestions that needed consideration when purchase an espresso machine like Breville Bes860xl Barista. As far as wholly you know about Breville Barista Express, this is definitely a cool machine that you can get to do all the fun stuff that you want to do.
When you saw the Breville Bes860xl, you can tell this machine has exchanged the hot water dispenser for a bean grinder from the appearance.
This machine is a fully-automatic expresso machine with some super-automatic features of grinding a pre-measure of beans for your brew. Note, the Breville Bes860XL is not a super-automatic machine, and you still need to manually mount the portafilter into the group head, and clean the filter afterwards.My experience with Breville Barista Express has been mostly positive. I’m especially impressed by how easy this machine is to make a delicious-tasting cappuccino!
–>>Click here to check more real customer reviews on Amazon
A commonly reported problem that is noteworthy is that the single hole on the lower wall, and sometimes it gets clogged up (maybe you haven’t encountered the problem thus far). It seems that it’s a little design flaw, but actually we can ignore it as Breville Express is a beautifully designed machine that simply oozes class and quality. Here I will give you some tips if you do end up deciding to get this machine, I suggest you to use a pin to unclog the filter.
Positive Product Points:
- The Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine is built from high-quality materials so the resulting machine is as sturdy as possible.
- Regular Single-Walled Filters and Patented Dual-Wall Filters to allow a novice the freedom to make a respectable cup of espresso without a lot of fuss.
- The Integrated burr grinder is better.
- Get Started Right Away-quality espresso right in your own home in under two minutes flat.
- Clean-up is never a big problem.
All above are some important experience with Breville Barista Express, and you may take into account before you make a purchase decision. If you ask me how about this machine’s drawbacks, I think I can respond you immediately: None. If you want to spend about six hundred bucks to get a Breville Espresso Machine, you’re never going to get a better one I think.
Breville BES860XL Barista Express Espresso Machine with Grinder
| List Price: $799.99 Sale Price: $550.00 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days |
Breville BES860XL Barista Express Espresso Machine Review
Best Semi Automatic Espresso Machine Review
A semi-automatic espresso machine forces hot water through ground coffee under pressure to produce espresso. These semi-automatic espresso machines also produced steam to work with milk for drinks like lattes and cappuccinos and it also produce hot water. With semi-automatic machines available starting around $250 and ranging into the thousands. What are the real differences?
As with anything in the end you get what you pay for, can you get good espresso out of a $250 machine? Yes you can, and for some that’s fine. But if you want to experience the art of espresso you’ll need to go a little further. And now, let’s take a look at the basic dividing points of features in the range of semi-automatic espresso machines. We’ve got a machine here representing each basic group.
Breville BES900XL Dual Boiler Semi Automatic Espresso Machine
 | List Price: $1,499.99 Sale Price: $1,149.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days |
Breville BES840XL the Infuser Espresso Machine
 |  List Price: $799.99 Sale Price: $465.00 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Eligible For Free Shipping |
DeLonghi EC702 15-Bar-Pump Espresso Maker, Stainless
 | List Price: $350.00 Sale Price: $98.00 Availability: Usually ships in 2-3 business days |
Gaggia 14101 Classic Espresso Machine, Brushed Stainless Steel
 | List Price: $599.00 Sale Price: Too low to display Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days |
Now we currently have more than 70 semi-automatic machines to choose from at www.amazon.com. And there are many coffee geeks do extensive testing and note their reviews on all of them. So we can take all that data and put different espresso machines together to compare. On the Amazon, it has a great filter allowing you to create side-by-side comparisons of more than 30 features and data points for every espresso machine it sells. Of course, I will tell you more about the best Semi Automatic Espresso Machine Reviews really makes – well, comparing machines easy. Anyway, here’s a basic breakdown of the types of semi-automatic machines in broad categories.
So as we move down the chart we’re going up in capabilities, features and price right.
For simplicity and low-cost, we begin with a single boiler machine with a pressurized portafilter. Using a pressurized portafilter takes two critical elements of brewing espresso – the grind and tamp, for the most part, out of the equation. This makes it easy to produce espresso as the pressurized portafilter doesn’t allow release of espresso until the proper pressure is reached. For really easy espresso machines like the Saeco Aroma, Gaggia Classic, and Gaggia Baby Twin here come with adapters for pod brewing. Pods aren’t for everyone, but they sure are clean and convenient. Just put a pre-measured pod in the adapted portafilter, brew. And when you’re done, there’s no messy grinds to deal with…just the spent pod. So when you brew in a standard basket it’s the coffee that creates pressure based on your grind and tamp. A pressurized basket simplifies everything. Of course, the tradeoff is the user gives up most of the ability finesse the quality in any way.
->>Click here to view more Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine on Amazon
The next step up on our list are single boiler machines with a 3 way solenoid valve. The 3 way valve improves reliability and performance. It’s an electrically operated, positively sealing valve much less likely to leak than spring operated valves on lower cost machines. Yes, a nice thing with these machines is they usually come with both pressurized and non-pressurized filter baskets. So, the machine can grow with your experience. Be aware when brewing in a standard non-pressurized basket a quality grinder is essential. So with a machine like this Gaggia Classic, You can get into espresso without a good grinder and then move up to really finessing your espresso through variations in grinding and tamping when you’re ready to invest in a quality grinder. On the machines we’ve looked at so far, there’s just one boiler. With these there’s always a wait of about 15 – 30 seconds between brewing and steaming as the boiler gets up to steam temp. You’ll also need to cool down the boiler after steaming before brewing again.
In our next class, dual boiler consumer machines, that waiting goes away while retaining the benefits of a 3 way solenoid valve. And, some machines like the Gaggia Baby Twin come with both pressurized and standard baskets allowing you to grow your skills on one machine. So this class of machine adds a second boiler dedicated to steaming – practically eliminating any waiting between brewing and steaming. It also eliminates cooling down a boiler after steaming before brewing again.
Our next basic class is heat exchange machines.Sometimes referred to as “HX” machines. These machines have a single boiler but with a heat exchange system within the boiler. So inside the steam boiler is a tube in which water for brewing is heated while the boiler is producing steam. With a heat exchange boiler, you can brew and steam at the same time. On machines with heat exchange boilers, we also start to see most of them using the “famed” E61 brew group which is generally a standard throughout all higher end semi-automatic machines. Now the E61 is special because it uses a thermo-siphon which constantly circulates hot water from the boiler through the brew group to keep it hot for better temperature stability. This stability is crucial to the ability of the espresso artist in producing consistently repeatable shots. As we move up through this range of machines other enhancements start to appear under the hood. Now these vary from machine to machine, but in general we find nicer housings or more robust materials inside and more powerful steaming.
Last on our list are dual boiler prosumer machines. These machines employ dedicated boilers for brewing and steaming. They include features allowing the espresso artist to truly perfect their craft with the ability to produce quality espresso repeatedly. Features like PID temperature control allow users to set and maintain extremely accurate brewing temperatures. Many in this category are plumbable to water supplies and drain. You’ll find high quality pumps with adjustable pressures. Components used in these machines are the best. Designed for consistent performance and durability. Bigger valves, better gauges and features ranging from no-burn steam wands to the ability turn off the steam boiler.
So that’s a basic overview of the capabilities and features of semi-automatic espresso machines. Whether you’re just starting out or looking for an easy to use, low cost machine, a machine that can grow along with your experience or one that will allow you to perfect your skill, there’s a machine to fit your needs. Use the filter on the amazon to generate side by side comparisons of the features of our semi-automatic machines. Yeah, it’s a great resource. We can find that the customer does extensive testing on every machine it sells. You’ll find extremely detailed data to help you make an informed purchase decision. If you’d like some help narrowing down the right machine for your needs, just feel free to contact me. Maybe I can help find a machine to perfectly fit your skill level and needs.
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