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How to Choose an Espresso Machine in 2020

The first choice, and probably also the most important, concerns the type of espresso machine you will acquire. If, for you, brewing coffee has to be done easily and quickly, then obviously, this is an automatic espresso machine for you. This type of espresso machine gives you the opportunity to quickly prepare both black coffee and milk drinks. In order not to spoil anything, they allow you to define the intensity and the length of the coffee you want.

As for the manual coffee machine, it is made for those who cannot dissociate the preparation of coffee from a ritual where imagination and a certain passion have their place. If you are one of these, you will have undeniable pleasure in using a manual espresso maker.

The main difference between the latter type of machine and those that are automatic is the ability to create the perfect coffee for you. In other words, with a manual espresso maker, you can become a barista, a true coffee artist!

In addition, it should not be forgotten that a classic coffee (with pods or with coffee beans) contains 7g of coffee. However, the manual coffee machine gives you the option of raising this value to 9 g. If there is a negative point to mention about this type of machine, it relates to the production of milk drinks. To achieve good results, it is indeed necessary to master the use of the steam nozzle.

Also to learn more about top espresso machines 2020, you may visit websites like the buyers trend to get an idea of what exactly people are buying from the market. This will also make your search a little easy to choose the best one from the variety of options available in the market.

Things You Need to Consider before Buying It

1. Major Coffee Maker Brands

The most famous brands are Delonghi, Krups, Melitta, Saeco, Jura. To learn more about Delonghi machines, read this article. Delonghi and Krups make both automatic and manual machines.

2. Espresso Machine with or without Grinder

Are you a fan of fresh coffee? The espresso maker with grinder is the one for you. Particularly easy to use, the grinder espresso machine automatically takes care of your coffee beans as well as the fair and precise dosage of water and ground coffee, resulting in an espresso.

It turns out to be more expensive, but it nevertheless saves you considerable savings over the long term. Indeed, the coffee beans are cheaper than capsules and pods. You can also grind coffee with a coffee grinder and use a manual espresso machine to make your coffee.

3. Steel or Ceramic Grinder

To make the shredders, the manufacturers use in most cases steel or ceramic.

Most shredders are made of steel. This material turns out to be reliable and solid. A steel crusher has for it to be unbreakable, but it cannot resist the wear of time.

The ceramic grinder is more expensive than the steel version, since it benefits from more complex technology. It has the advantage of being less noisy than its counterpart, not to mention that it is indestructible and, therefore, extremely reliable. With a ceramic grinder, grinding is always homogeneous.

In addition, it keeps all of the coffee’s aromas intact since it does not heat the bean. The only downside with this crusher is that it can break.

4. Adjustment of the Grinder Variations

It should be noted that the shredders are manufactured with a medium setting. This setting is not necessarily the one that suits your needs. In addition, if some grinders provide indications for the pre-setting of the grind, it becomes apparent fairly quickly that these indications are not always reliable.

Either way, calibrating the mill is nothing complicated. To do this, all you need is a timer to determine the extraction times. What is there to know about these latter elements?

The extraction of a 40 ml espresso takes 25 to 30 seconds for a single dose of 7 or 8 g coffee. Faster extraction results in bland coffee since the extracted flavors are insufficient. In addition, the water passes through the grind the more quickly it is coarse. It is then necessary to make a finer grind.

On the one hand, an extraction that extends beyond 30 seconds produces bitter coffee: the water does not penetrate and only passes through a too fine grind. The extraction is therefore carried out far too slowly, and the coffee obtained is unpleasant to the taste. It is then necessary to make a finer grind.

5. Role of the steam Nozzle

Most espresso machines are equipped with a steam nozzle. Do you like the beauty or the taste of milk coffee? The steam nozzle is the determining element for heating and frothing milk.

Obtaining a smooth and creamy milk froth is subject to many parameters, including the number of holes on the nozzle, the axis of rotation, the available power, the material, and also the know-how.

There are different types of heating systems, including Thermoblock and boiler (single or double), to heat the water into steam. The Thermoblock system allows rapid heating but does not necessarily obtain a very powerful vapor.

The boiler system is slower but the power obtained (steam) will be higher. A double boiler, unlike the single, is made up of dedicated boilers: one for coffee and the other for steam.

Note that the nozzles can be made of plastic (ABS) or stainless steel. The latter is preferred but will require some maintenance (cleaning) after each use. It will also be necessary to see if the nozzle is easy to handle for its use (length of the nozzle, possible rotational movement). Finally, to have a nice milk froth, you will probably have to train a little. You can also froth milk without a machine.

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