9 Tips for Picking The Best Espresso Maker For Your Kitchen. If you are a coffee lover, but you don’t really want to wait until your favorite bar opens up again, or if you simply like having a nice cup of espresso at home, then there’s something you will need. I suppose you can guess what I am hinting at, since it’s not like you can make this type of coffee with your own bare hands and without the help of a machine. In any case, let’s make this perfectly clear. You will need an espresso maker that you can put in your kitchen and make your favorite drink whenever you want.
I am quite sure that the idea of getting this machine for your home is appealing to you and that you are probably rather excited to get it as soon as possible. After all, who wouldn’t love to have the perfect espresso maker in their home? This is most definitely a great idea, not only because it allows you to have your favorite drink whenever you want, but also because it allows you to offer that same drink to your guests, friends and family members. You are highly likely to have a lot of guests once people here that you have this machine.
Before you rush into making this purchase, though, there is something that you should know. Not every single espresso maker is made the same way, which means that you will have to do some research before deciding which specific machine to buy for your kitchen. I am quite certain that you want the best bean to cup machine for home use and in order to get it, you will have to step up your game and do some thorough research, because there is absolutely no way that the perfect espresso maker will just appear in front of you out of nowhere.
You are the one responsible for finding the best possible product for you, meaning that you will need to take the time you need to do the necessary research before making any purchases. There’s no doubt in my mind that you don’t want to end up with a product that you will regret purchasing after a short while. Since this is a slightly bigger investment, you also don’t want to end up wasting your money on a product that won’t work perfectly for you, which is exactly why the research that I have mentioned is necessary.
Now, if this is your first time buying an espresso maker, it’s perfectly normal for you to be at least a little bit confused about how to actually go through this shopping process successfully. Well, don’t worry. Everyone who owns this machine has been there at some point and most people were able to make a good choice, simply because they were diligent and committed enough to finding an amazing product. Of course, in addition to commitment, you might also use some tips and that’s what I’ll give you in the rest of this article. So, keep on reading to get some useful tips on how to choose the best espresso maker for your kitchen.
Talk To Some Baristas
First things first, if this is an option, you should talk to some baristas. Who can know more about these machines than the people who use them on a regular basis? So, if you have any friends or acquaintances that are baristas, talking to them could be of huge help. They can give you a few recommendations regarding the machines you should use, but they could also warn you against buying some specific brands and products.
In any case, both of those pieces of information will come rather in handy. To put it simply, baristas can help you create a list of some espresso makers that you should take into further consideration, as well as jot down those brands and machines that you won’t be right for you. I suppose you understand why their input is highly useful, so make sure to talk to any baristas you might know.
Consider The Type
Don’t worry if talking to baristas is not an option in your specific case. The truth is that you will be able to find some great options online. The only thing is, you’ll need to do some much more thorough research in order to figure out which products will work for your kitchen and which ones you shouldn’t even think of purchasing. You should start with considering the actual types of these machines.
While considering the type, here’s what you should know. There are automatic, semi-automatic and manual options. Depending on why you want to get this machine in the first place, some of these types may work perfectly for you, while others might just be wrong. For example, if you just want to be able to quickly make yourself some espresso, then the automatic one can be great. If, however, you want to practice certain techniques, Latte Art or similar, you should choose between semi-automatic or manual, depending on how much you want to do on your own and how much of the work you want to leave to the machine.
If Latte Art is your thing, here are some tips that you might find useful when trying to perfect your techniques: https://www.coffeescience.org/latte-art-beginners-guide/
Check Other Beverage Options
In addition to wanting to make espresso, you might also be interested in making some other coffee-based drinks, including latte, mocha and similar. This is why checking all the beverage options on a particular machine should be your next move. Make sure to take a detailed look at all the options and decide which coffee makers would be able to meet all your requirements regarding these drinks. After all, it all depends on your preferences.
Inspect Brew Speed
Now, while brew speed might not be the most important thing when you are making your espresso at home, the truth is that it can play an important role sometimes. For example, if you have guests over, serving them coffee quickly is much better than having them wait for far too long. Furthermore, you might not want to wait yourself and you might actually be one of those people who get fussy when waiting for their coffee to be ready. If that sounds like you, then you should definitely inspect brew speed of specific machines and choose the one will make you happy.
Check The Quality Of The Coffee
The quality of the drinks you are making is certainly highly important. If you are just looking to learn how to make espresso based drinks, or practice Latte Art, then you might be a bit more tolerant to the overall quality and the taste. On the other hand, if you want to drink what you are making, then you will certainly need to check the quality of the espresso and the machine’s ability to maintain brewing temperature, because that certainly affects quality. So, make sure to check this before going any further.
Keep Ease Of Use In Mind
In addition to the quality of the drink, you should also keep the ease of use in mind. In case you don’t have any previous experience with these machines, but you are eager to learn how to make the perfect cup of coffee for you or your guests, then you should definitely start with a simpler product that is easy to use. Basically, you need something that won’t cause you headaches in the process of making your espresso.
Take A Look At How It Is Cleaned
Speaking of headaches, the cleaning part is most certainly not fun, but the simple truth is that these machines will have to be cleaned regularly. Similarly to the above, you should look for those models that aren’t too complicated to clean. Depending on the type of the espresso maker, some require more attention, while others can be kept clean with minimum effort. Determine how much effort you can put into this process and choose accordingly.
Check Safety Features
Whether you like to hear it or not, these machines can be rather dangerous when not used properly. After all, we are dealing with high temperatures here. I’m not saying this with the aim of talking you out of making this purchase, since I do believe that getting your own espresso maker is a great idea. I’m saying this with the aim of raising your awareness about the necessity of checking safety features on the specific product you are buying. The trick is in finding something that’s perfectly safe for beginners, provided that you are one.
Determine Brand Reputation
One last thing you should keep in mind is the reputation of the brand that you are thinking of purchasing your specific product from. The bottom line is that you need to find a highly reputable brand that is known for selling high quality espresso makers, since high quality is certainly what you need. So, before you decide to give your money to just any shop, make sure to inspect the reputation of the brand and take that into account when deciding which product to buy.
