Finding The Best Espresso Machine
Your very own espresso machine has been on your wish list for a while now. You are at last prepared to buy one. The appeal of enjoying your own magnificent cappuccino and latte or pulling straight espresso shots at home is strong. With a budget in mind, you set out to find the best espresso machine. Shortly into the research phase you start to feel overwhelmed by the sheer selection available. You can’t believe how widely the prices, functions and features range on these machines. Everything you read seems to contradict the last thing you saw.
So just what is the best espresso machine and how do you decide which one to get without dependence on unreliable reviews from questionable sources? If you first learn how espresso is created, you can better understand how the machine needs to operate. Then you will find that the features and specifications of each machine become a lot more meaningful to you. You can then insist on the “must have” features and work within your budget to select the remaining features.
This is a good place for a quick chemistry lesson. I promise, it won’t hurt a bit. Hot water forced under pressure through finely ground and tightly compressed coffee grounds is how espresso is made. Painless, right? Just like I promised.
Just know that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts in this situation. If you want to truly achieve magnificent results rivaling those found in the best cafes and coffee bars, then a series of factors must balance against one another. The outcome is determined by achieving precise pressure, temperature, roast, grind, timing and even tamping technique. For the purpose of this discussion, we’ll focus on temperature and pressure since these are factors most greatly influenced by the machine.
Your machine will have a major influence over the amount of pressure applied, the extraction time (how long it takes for the water to move through the ground coffee) and the temperature. Therefore, these are your “must have” features and you should consider them first when identifying the best espresso machine. To make great espresso you want:
- Time – The extraction should take about 25 to 30 seconds.
- Pressure – A minimum of 9 to 13 bar pressure is required.
- Temperature – the water should be about 95 degrees C during extraction.
Find machines within your price range that perform to these standards before deciding which is the best espresso machine for you. Particularly in the areas of extraction time and pressure, it is not uncommon to find that many lower priced machines fail to even meet these requirements. Insufficient pressure will prevent the formation of crema, which is the top layer of reddish-brown foam. Even if everything else works well, it isn’t espresso without crema.
You will end up with a shot that is too weak or too strong if the extraction time and temperature are not correct. The operator (that’s you) is responsible for grind and tamping and it is true that these also have a substantial effect on the extraction. Still, if the machine won’t deliver on temperature and time the most skilled barista in the world won’t get acceptable results. As price increases, so does the machine’s abilities to manage these and other factors for you. Everything else is technically a matter of convenience. There is no question however that your overall satisfaction with the machine you select and your willingness to use it on a regular basis will be further enhanced by its other more exciting features.
In our next post, we’ll take a closer look at some of those other features and see which are more valuable than others.