Espresso Coffee Machines - How To Choose One

In general terms, an espresso coffee machine is an electronic appliance that is used to make a traditional Italian coffee called espresso. For those of you who aren't coffee enthusiasts, espresso is a concentrated beverage that is made by brewing and forcing extremely hot water through finely grounded coffee beans. Given the popularity of espresso as a social coffee beverage and the advent of smaller and affordable home style coffee machines, espresso coffee machines are used in every caf? and have now penetrated many homes all around the world. This article describes the most important things to look for when make a choice to purchase one for your home.

There are three main selection criteria that are most significant in your purchase. The first relates to automation, the second is size and lastly cost. All three are related with all criteria affecting each other.

Espresso coffee machines can be semi automatic, automatic and super automatic. In the case of semi automation, the coffee maker uses the manual instruments such as the grinder to grind the coffee, and a pump to force the hot water through. The control of water volume, the brew time and the froth is by way of experience. Whilst this allows for control, this type of machine is generally not suitable for the typical home but more so for coffee aficionados. However, they are generally more traditional in design and are smaller in size. This allows for them to be used in smaller spaces and not requiring a connection to a water supply. They are also the cheapest of all three types given reduced automation.

With automatic machines, the brewing process, the volume and brew time is managed by the machine. The coffee maker simply places a glass in the holder, presses a button and the coffee is brewed. However, in this type of machine the management of the coffee and water is still somewhat manual. The user must manually add coffee and water for each brew and the user must also establish the settings for brewing. Automatic espresso coffee machines are very popular for homes as they are quite reasonably priced in the market today. Many leading electronic brands make them and they therefore come in many sizes depending on the number of heads. The more heads, the wider the machine and the more applicable they are for commercial purposes therefore the higher the price.

Lastly, super automatic machines provide all the functionality and settings that only require the coffee maker to press one button to make the cup of espresso. The machine will grind the coffee beans, tamp it and extract the shot. Water is connected to a water supply, and there is typically a hopper for a large stream of coffee supply. Some even come with automated milk frothing and exact temperature controls. In most cases, this type of espresso coffee machine makes no counter mess. So for the typical home user, super automatic espresso coffee machines essentially provide speed and convenience but come at a higher price.

Lastly, in terms of cost, the greater the automation, the greater the maintenance cost. This is true for cleaning, regular maintenance and for when things go wrong.

So when selecting an espresso coffee machine, select one that provides the functionality you need balanced with speed and convenience of brew, size and required placement of machine as well as purchase and ongoing costs.

By: Jerome Ginsberg

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Jerome Ginsberg is a coffee lover and runs a medium sized coffee business with supporting websites such as www.espresso-coffee-machines-online.com and he also blogs here espresso coffee machines blog.