Do you want to buy your own espresso machine but not sure how to choose from the many espresso machines found in the stores? If you do not know how they work, it is hard to ask the correct questions when considering buying a machine.
Hot water – around 90 degrees centigrade, is forced under pressure through coffee grounds. The pressures can be quite high – in some cases as much as 9 bars. If the coffee is of a high quality and the grind is fine enough, the machine will extract the coffee oils and produce a smooth, creamy shot of espresso.
Assuming the pump is already primed and the water has been heated, a decent machine will bang out a double shot within about 25 seconds, all things being equal. The grinding of the coffee in the first instance makes a difference to how long this takes. But – by and large, finer blend will of course flow much quicker through the espresso machine than a coarser blend of coffee. See this article for more details: Espresso coffee resource.
You will probably need a device such as a steam wand if you are also looking to make milk based drinks like a cappuccino. Just before the coffee is served a steam wand is used to froth the milk to make a cappuccino-type of drink. The choice of espresso makers can be overwhelming. There are what is called the pump driven espresso machine, steam espresso machines, stove top espresso machines, piston driven espresso machine and last but not least the automatic and super automatic espresso makers.
Making a good shot of espresso needs the basic ingredients to be right – and that starts with the coffee. The coffee you choose will need to be picked especially for your tastes and the type of machine you buy if you are going to get that perfect shot.
What you do not want is coffee that has been very dark roasted as this tends to lose some of the essential oils and affect the sweetness.
Bitter after tastes can be left if the beans have been roasted too much and a charcoal flavor remains. Many tap waters are heavily treated and can leave a nasty taste when distilled down to a shot of espresso – if this is the case, use filtered or bottled water. The espresso machine you pick must also be able to consistently heat the water to the same temperature every time and this needs to be around 95 degrees c.
Visit here for an interesting and fun review of the best espresso machines – by Mark Knowles at http://hubpages.com/hub/espresso-machines
