The word espresso comes from the Italian language and means strong coffee. As you probably know, most people like stronger beverages than regular drip style coffees! That is why many cafes and restaurants have special espresso machines that can make much more robust drinks with heavier cream and sugar content.
These types of espresso makers are usually very expensive due to the fact that they are designed to do their job extremely well. Luckily for you though, making delicious espresso at home is not too difficult!
There are several different brands of espresso maker available and all work in pretty much the same way. In this article, we will go over how each one works and some tips for using them correctly.
Buying a coffee machine
Having your morning start with a nice, strong cup of espresso or cappuccino is one of the top reasons to own a new espresso device. An easy way to begin investing in an espresso maker is by buying a used coffee machine.
There are many great sites that offer free or low cost espresso making equipment for purchase. You can find complete systems at a steep discount due to being past its use-by date!
Many people have success selling their old coffee machines through online auction websites. Auctions allow you to create a listing with a price tag and then the marketplace decides if and how much others will bid on it.
Maintenance tips
A little maintenance will help your machine perform its best!
Nestlé does an excellent job explaining how to maintain your espresso maker, so I will review their steps more in-depth here. They suggest starting by taking a look at the milk froth control wand.
This tool is used to mix and shape the foam that comes from adding water to the top of your drink. If it seems like there isn’t as much foam or it takes longer to achieve this state, then you should check if the wand needs to be replaced. It can also become clogged up with leftover coffee bits or fat residue.
You don’t need to buy one new for these changes, but it is good to have one that works well because then you won’t be trying to make your drinks without very strong foams.
How to use your machine
The most expensive part of owning an espresso maker is actually using it! This can be tricky for beginners, so let’s talk about that here.
First off, you will need to purchase some coffee filters. These come in various sizes and shapes, but typically they have holes at either end and are white or light grayish-white color. A standard amount of ground coffee should fit in a normal sized filter.
Once you have those, then you will want to buy milk. There are many types of milk you can use with espresso, such as soy milk, cow milk, heavy cream, etc.
You will also need to get sugar. At least table level amounts if not measured spoonfuls. And lastly, you will want to measure your water. Make sure it’s cold, and do not overfill the pitcher or else your drink may burn due to lack of flavor and concentration.
Now that you know what equipment you need, how to make perfect espressos comes down to chemistry! If you would like to learn more about this, you can find lots of information online and at your local bookstore or library.
Popular coffee machine brands
There are two main components to every successful espresso or cappuccino maker-the milk frothing mechanism and the capsule system. Both play an integral part in creating your favorite drink, so let’s take a closer look at them!
The way that most people enjoy their morning coffee is with rich, foamy milk. This milk must be hot, of course, but also slightly sweet. Most common recipes require adding warm milk to cold brewed espresso, which can lead to watered down drinks unless you have access to fresh milk.
There are many types of machines that include this feature, but none compare to the perfection that is produced by an automatic milk frother. These devices use a sensor to detect when there is liquid coming into contact with the top of the pot. Then they heat up and pull off a small amount of milk from within, mixing it together with the incoming liquid until it forms a perfect latte.
Another important component of any good espresso machine is the type of filter used to make the espresso. The three major ones are conical, plunger, and piston filters. Each one shapes the flavor of the beverage differently, making it important to know which one is right for you.
Decide what you want to make
The first thing you will need to do is decide what kind of coffee or espresso drink you would like to create! There are two main types of drinks that most people know how to make: caffe latte and americano. A caffe latte is just plain old brewed coffee with milk, whereas an americano is just regular brewed coffee with no milk.
The hardest part about making either type of drink is determining if you should use sweetener or not! For the caffe latte, you must add milk, so depending on whether or not there is a sugar option already in the recipe, there is a way to determine when to add it. But for the american style coffee, none of those things matter! You can always skip the suger if needed!
Another important detail is timing. Some recipes call for using your machine at the end of the night, which means that you have to wake up early the next day to enjoy your beverage. This could be tricky if you work nights or sleep during the day.
Select the recipe
The next step in using a new espresso maker is to pick your drink! There are two main types of drinks you can make with an espresso machine: straight shots and milk beverages.
A standard drip-style coffee machine will allow you to choose between making either a cappuccino or latte. A pump style device allows for easy froth, which makes most people’s favorite way to enjoy an espresso beverage — a tall, fluffy white cup of coffee.
Most newer automatic machines have preprogrammed settings that help make creating these drinks quick and simple. Some even offer users the chance to create their own customized recipes if they so desire!
There are several brands of automated espresso makers available on the market today. Many feature sleek designs that appeal to both collectors and beginner baristas.
Load the recipe into the machine
The next step is to load your desired amount of coffee into the cup or container of the drinkware you have chosen. With most espresso drinks, this means loading up the milk froth until it reaches the top of the drinkware.
For latte art, very specific recipes require that you do not over-pour the liquid, as this would run out the tip and prevent the artist from creating beautiful shapes and designs. Therefore, make sure to keep lacing the coffee in, but not too much!
The hardest part about making an authentic latté is actually getting rid of all of the excess foam. There are many ways to do this, but the easiest is simply using a spoon to scrape off the foam.
After you have loaded your drinkware with enough coffee, push down firmly on the plunger to extract the rest of the flavorings and liquids. If needed, use the back side of the spoon to remove even more foam.
Start the machine and pour liquid
The first step in making espresso is creating your drink. You will need to start the machine with water and then add milk or espresso powder. Depending on what kind of drink you want, there are different ratios for liquids you can use!
For example, if you only want very strong coffee, you can just use straight espresso. But if you wanted something lighter, like tea or cappuccino, you would need to mix it together first. This creates the basis of the beverage!
After that, you simply push down on the plunger (the part that contains the caffeine) and pull it up slowly. This extracts all the flavor and aroma of the drinks ingredients and mixes them together into one delicious drink!
The trickiest part about using an espresso maker is getting a good quality cup every time. Because they depend on fresh beans, most require you to make sure you have enough materials to keep brewing consistently.