The world of coffee is full of beautiful nuances – once learned, these can unlock a path to new levels of taste and aroma. However, getting there is not simple – from selecting the right beans to the perfectly mastered brewing process, any tiny mistake will affect the result.
Types of Coffee Machines
The manual espresso machines are the most affordable and boast the most espresso potential – as the user can control every single step of the process. However, you will need to learn to grind and tamp the coffee into the portafilter, then pull its lever with the right force. You will need to buy a separate portafilter grinder and a unit for steaming milk. Besides, cleaning a manual machine is quite a hassle as well.
If all that sounds too complicated for your morning shot, but you still aspire to develop some professional barista skills, semi-automatic espresso machines might appeal to you more. These use a pump to apply the correct pressure for extracting coffee, the barista just needs to focus on the grind and tamp the portafilter correctly. Semi-automatic models look like the ones you see in coffee shops, only smaller. Many of these coffee machines come with an integrated steam wand for frothing milk – however, this also needs some practice to reach the perfect result.
Finally, for the laziest coffee addicts, a wonderful solution exists – fully automatic espresso machines. Sometimes they are also called bean-to-cup or all-in-one coffee machines. The name is self-explanatory, the machine will do everything itself – grind the beans, tamp them into the portafilter, apply the pressure and hot water, and steam the milk. The best fully automatic espresso machines will always be expensive.
A separate group is built-in coffee machines. Function wise, these are very similar to the fully automatic ones, but they can be integrated into the kitchen interior to save space. Built-in coffee machines look great but are costly to buy and repair – they are best suited for seasoned coffee lovers.
If you are not fond of espresso, a filter machine is another option. These operate by slowly dipping water through beans, resulting in a large amount of smooth, lighter drink. That’s a very convenient way to serve coffee for larger groups or for individuals that prefer more than a small shot. Besides, a good filter machine can extract pleasant taste and aroma from your beans.
Finally, for those who love the convenience and have little wish to clean, capsule machines are the perfect solution. These are extremely simple to use – you just pop a capsule inside, press the button and device makes the drink. Since the coffee is packed inside a pod, there is no mess to clean afterwards. However, you are limited to less variety.
Looking inside a Coffee Maker
Since the fully automatic coffee machines are the most complex, let’s examine them in more detail.
Grinder
There is a good reason why we start all our espresso machine reviews from here – even the best quality speciality beans won’t help if the grind quality is poor.
The first thing that you should know about grinders is that there are stainless steel and ceramic ones. Ceramic grinders are often believed to be quieter, last longer and generate less heat. On the other hand, steel grinders are also very sturdy and considerably cheaper. Furthermore, the shape of the grinding tool is crucial too. Again, two types can be distinguished – conical and flat disc grinders. A conical grinder produces what is called a bimodal grind – some particles are slightly larger than others. Disc grinders make perfectly uniform particles – even if the grind is very fine.
Espresso connoisseurs explain that the bimodal grind can easily result in the finer particles getting over-extracted while the water seeps through the larger ones. This partial over-extraction can lend some bitter notes to your drink. Unimodal grind allows for more even extraction and sweeter, richer taste.
Brewing unit
The next crucial part of your coffee machine is the brewing unit. Once the beans are ground, the brewing unit will press them in a puck, apply the pressure and run hot water to produce your shot. Some manufacturers produce models with non-removable brewing units, advertising that their automatic cleaning systems are so good that manual washing is not needed. Don’t risk any mouldy residue in your brewing unit and get a model with removable one – washing it regularly will ensure better coffee and longer life to your machine.
Pump
As mentioned earlier, the pressure is crucial to extract a proper espresso shot. Thus, manufacturers tend to boast with impressive pump numbers, tricking the customers into the belief that higher means better. Wrong! In a manual machine, a perfect espresso is extracted with only 9 bars of pressure. Then why automatic machines have more? Because they do not operate the same way as the manual ones. The grind quality and how it is packed will affect the outcome. A machine can boast 19 bars and still struggle to extract its finest grind.
Frothing system
Right, enough about espresso, let’s get to those delicious lattes and cappuccinos. In general, you will have to choose between three different systems, and each of them has its own pros and cons.
- Steam wand – this is the simplest and cheapest solution and requires manual skill. Theoretically, it can get the smoothest, finest microfoam ever. Besides, you can practice some latte art!
- External frother – these models will have a separate container for milk and a hose that connects it to the machine itself. Such an arrangement takes more space, but the good news is that the milk container can be placed in a fridge for storing and cleaning is simpler. Many models will allow using a pack of milk too – this is convenient if the machine is shared by people who like different kinds of milk.
- Internal frother – espresso machines with internal or built-in milk frother work similarly to the external ones. Besides, most of the automatic frothers (whether they are internal or external) produce quite mediocre microfoam. While traditionally, a cow’s milk with at least 3,5 % of fat is used for making cappuccino, low-fat milk forms decent microfoam as well. Soy and nut milks usually work very well while the rice milk is notorious for being almost impossible to froth.
Bean Compartment
Just like sometimes people want different kinds of milk with their coffee, the tastes for beans can differ too. If a machine gets shared by a larger group, two bean compartments make a good idea. However, most of the models with two compartments will feature only one grinder. Unless the mill is constructed to operate until completely empty (such as with our top choice Melitta Barista TS Smart), remember to run at least one drink when you switch the compartments to avoid the flavor of a weird mix of beans.
Water Tank
On the one hand, a larger water tank means re-filling it less often. On the other, it will also take more space. Besides, you need to empty and wash the water tank regularly irrespective of its size. Thus, a larger unit than your household needs will simply result in wasted water.
Controls
A coffee machine may have a lot of adjustment options, but they won’t matter if the controls are difficult to use. While a display might be handy, well-thought set of buttons can work just as well – and save you some money. The same stands true regarding the apps. If apps are your thing, Melitta Barista TS Smart by far exceeds its competitors in this aspect.
Adjustments
Grind
As we explained in the previous chapter, you should only buy a machine with adjustable grinder. Some beans will work better with finer grinds, while some will require coarser levels – yet, here is the recipe for attaining the perfection.
The grind levels typically have numbers – the smaller the number is, the finer the grind and vice versa. You should always start with the finest possible. Generally, a finer grind allows extracting more nuanced and rich flavours when it comes to espresso, while slower brewed coffees will benefit from a coarser grind. However, it also takes more pressure to extract a fine grind properly, and not all machines can manage that. If the water seeps through the beans too slowly, your coffee will acquire a more bitter, unpleasant taste. In this case, go one level up and try again. On the other hand, if your coffee seems weak, tasteless and watery, the grind might be too coarse, and you have to try a smaller number.
Coffee Amount
In general, the more coffee is used, the stronger the drink. We would recommend starting at the finest grind and the highest coffee amount that your machine can manage. If the coffee turns muddy and the taste is too bitter, try a smaller amount. Once you find your favourite combination, save it – next time, you will have it available with a push of a button.
Water and Milk Amount
Adjusting water (and milk, if the recipe requires it), has to do a lot with personal preferences. You might try the factory settings for your favourite drinks, but we would recommend checking if they are right to start with. Many machines will have a saved drink called ‘espresso’ with a volume of 30, 40 or even 50 ml (instead of the 25 ml that you would get in reputable coffee shops).
Temperature
The proper espresso recipe requires a water temperature of slightly above 90°C. At lower temperatures, the water will not extract beans fully while at higher ones (close to 100°C and above), the beans will get burned, leading to a bitter taste.
If you heat the milk above 65°C, it will acquire an unpleasant taste due to denaturation and can spoil your drink. 55°C is considered the ideal milk temperature for a cappuccino.
Finally, let’s not forget about the temperature at which the coffee is served. For espresso, it will be ~ 67°C degrees. Since a cold cup can lower the drink temperature beyond the desirable, a cup warming tray is a nice extra to have, especially, when you are comparing the higher-end models.