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I’ve said it before. It’s all about extraction time, pressure, and temperature control. Get these right and you are on your way to selecting the best espresso maker. You might as well save yourself the money and just use a coffee maker if your machine doesn’t deliver in these critical performance factors.

Your espresso maker must maintain an extraction time of about 25 seconds, pressure of 9 bar and a consistent water temperature of about 95 degrees (C). After narrowing down your search using the requirements shown above, consider additional features that will add to your overall satisfaction with the machine. In spite of what you may have been told elsewhere, there are just 3 types of espresso maker in terms of operation. They are most commonly known as manual (or lever controlled), steam and pump machines.

I want to quickly clear up a couple misconceptions before we continue further. Have you heard of stovetop espresso makers? I use one of mine each day. I own several and I really like them. They don’t make espresso though. They do make a wonderful cup of Italian style coffee, but the name is misleading. You may also be familiar with terms like automatic, semi-automatic and super-automatic. These are all pump driven machines and the designations describe the features of the machine and not the type of machine itself.

Alright. On to the three types of espresso maker and the unique characteristics of each.

STEAM ESPRESSO MACHINES- These machines dwell at the lower end of the range in both function and price. The water is pushed through the machine by steam created in the heating chamber. Most deposit the extraction into a small pot rather than into your cup and it is more difficult to control how much espresso is extracted at a time. You will not be able to develop a decent crema with steam espresso makers because almost all operate below the necessary 9 bar pressure requirement. The cost is quite a bit lower than pump or lever driven machines, so if you are on a tight budget and you plan to use it for mostly milk based drinks like cappuccino this might be a good choice.

PUMP ESPRESSO MACHINES – On these machines, the water is pushed through the machine by pressure created by an electric pump. A pump machine will have either a single or double boiler. It is helpful to recognize which you are getting particularly if you plan to use your machine mostly for beverages containing milk, like latte or cappuccino.The same water source is used for making espresso and steaming the milk in a single boiler model. There are two thermostats to control temperature because the steam used for the milk requires a higher temperature.This set up does not permit the operator to brew and steam at the same time. With two separate water chambers that have their own thermostats, the double boiler models allow simultaneous brewing and steaming.

Pump machines are usually designated as semi-automatic, automatic and super-automatic depending on the features included with the machine. Of course those with more features will carry a higher price. The most significant difference between semi-automatic and automatic espresso makers can be found in the extraction time. The user manipulates a knob to manage brew time on a semi-automatic machine. The user simply presses a button to indicate the volume of espresso to brew on an automatic machine. Grinding, tamping and dosing are carried out by the user with both models. Push a button on a super-automatic and the machine pretty much takes over from there. All you do is fill the water chamber and load the hopper with whole beans. Not only does it produce excellent espresso, it grinds, tamps and doses the coffee for you.

MANUAL ESPRESSO MACHINES – These machines have a pump lever that the operator must use to force the hot water through the ground coffee. They either operate using an internal spring piston, which regulates the pressure, or with a direct lever which requires that the user controls the pressure. Either way, the operator is in charge of the infusion time and the amount of water used and can therefore adjust the outcome to taste. They take some practice but once you get to know your machine and how to use it, you can count on a consistent shot each time. There is just no beating a manual espresso maker for pure dramatic value, aesthetics and romance.

Next time, we’ll drill down into the individual machine features and find out which are worth having and those that can be passed by.

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