Espresso maker "demystified"...

Espresso maker is something that makes the coffee espresso, so prior to discussion on the machine, do you what makes an espresso? In a nutshell, it is a coffee drink that is produce when you get 1.5 ounce of water, force it through a 0.75 ounce compressed coffee grounds with at least 12 bar pressure and 195 f temperature.

And this espresso in order to be consider good -must comes with a crema. Of course, this is one extreme end of definition, but this is how those coffee "experts" defines espresso. For us, mere mortals, we have our budgets and taste profile, so we would choose something that suits our needs.

Have you ever thought why espresso is served with crema? Something interesting, in the middle east, crema is known as wesh or "face of the coffee". So, if you serve without crema, is to have no face...

Now, it is not possible to list down all the make and models of espresso makers that are available, but I have broke them into 2 main categories and 5 main types. Prior to that, for those that are "hunting" for espresso machines, you might have these terms on super automatic, automatic and semi-automatic. Generally, they refers to commercial espresso machines, however, these terms are also used to describe pump driven espresso machines, which we would touch on.

1. Non-electrical espresso maker

Moka Pots

One of the simplest way to brew espresso (in fact bialetti even has one that brews latte!), the most popular being the bialetti, this world famous hourglass shape produces approximately 5 bars of pressure.

Not ideal for the perfect espresso, but given the simplicity and ease of use, this is actually a popular espresso maker among many coffee lovers and coffee connoisseurs.


Neapolitan filter brewer

One of the least used and not so popular maker to brew espresso. In a nutshell, it requires one to boil the water then turn the filter brewer upside down for the coffee to steep through the coffee grounds that is packed in the "waist" of this device.

It is easy to use but low availability compared to moka pots have dwindled the usage of this Neapolitan brewer.

2. Electrical espresso brewer

Earlier, I mentioned that those automatic espresso machines , which you all would be familiar with, click on the link to learn more about them. Under the electrical espresso brewer are 3 main segments that people are still using today.

As a piston espresso machine, spring loaded and hand operated piston is the main characteristics of these espresso makers. Instead of the motor, pump and brewing switches, you have a piston that would produce the same high pressure to extract the espresso.

Here is how this piston espresso machine works: cold water is poured into a chamber, and ground coffee is placed in a small container in the top of the maker. The piston is lifted up, this would draws the water above the coffee compartment, then you press the piston down, forcing the water through the coffee bed.

Was popular during the 60's to 70's, now this coffee maker is making a come back due to the attractive models launched by La Pavoni espresso machine.

Steam powered espresso machines

Coffee snobs and critics panned this coffee maker. The main complaint being the low pressure leading to poor extraction of the coffee grounds. However, I believe that all coffee maker are designed to play a certain role in a person lives, so this machine might be great for some folks!

Of course, the biggest difference between this steam and the later pump espresso maker is the price and the pressure. Steam is lower in price, however, it is also lower in pressure. Steam espresso machine usually cannot supply a pressure past 9 bars, which is insufficient to extract a good espresso.

If you compared it to moka pots, moka pots is easier to use although it too cannot attain the desired pressure. This low pressure is one the reason why you can never get a good cappuccino and lattes from these machines.

The milk steaming nozzle, is useless as the pressure generated from the small boiler is insufficient to froth the milk properly. If you are interested to know more about these machines, you can check it out at home espresso machine.

Pump espresso machines

This is the most common espresso maker around, from bunn to saeco, everyone has a machine that is using pump driven pressure. Of course, the reason is that pump drives a higher pressure and this is critical to achieving a smooth espresso.

In terms of price, they are comparable to commercial espresso machines. Although, I must add that their quality is also quite similar to commercial ones, which is good! For the pump espresso machines, you would operate the control switch to activate the pump that raises the heat in the boiler. This creates the pressure that forces the water through the coffee bed, giving you that quality espresso topped with crema.

A good example for the pump espresso makers would be the krups espresso machine.

There you have it, a brief run on the different espresso maker s, all the best in your search!

To further compliment the article, here are more espresso machines information:

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