And more specifically: how to choose your espresso machine?
There's no doubt about it, your thing is espresso: whether it's doubled, long, or topped up with milk, that's how you enjoy your caffeine fix.
Before we can guide you, it's important to know how much time and space you want to devote to it. Don't hesitate to consult our dedicated article HERE
You then need to ask yourself the following questions about your future coffee machine:
- How many people will use it?
- How many coffees will be served per day?
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Are you going to make milk drinks?
- Are you really going to make milk drinks?
Automatic machines with integrated mill
We have to admit that the simplicity/quality ratio of the coffee is extremely favorable to them. A bit like a bowl of Chocapic, you simply put the coffee beans in the hopper, the water in the reservoir, press a button and that's it.
If the machine is well maintained, properly adjusted, and the coffee is of good quality, you should have something interesting in your cup. Depending on the model, you have a number of choices available to you: ristretto, espresso, long coffee, cappuccino, flat white, etc., sometimes with convincing results. Maintaining these machines is essential and can really transform your cup if it is not done according to the recommendations for your model.
Price: Between €250 and €2,000
Brands: De'Longhi, Jura, Melitta, Philips, Krups, etc.
Where to buy it: our store, our website, Darty, Boulanger, etc.
Average time for an espresso: 45 seconds including ignition
Advantages: Ease of use, quick to use, a single device for grinding and extracting, milk drinks option
Disadvantages: Not necessarily a fine control for amateurs (temperature, pressure, dose of coffee), fairly high price
Who is it for? I like good espresso, but I don't know much about it and I don't want to spend too much time on it.
Manual espresso machines with built-in grinder
- Amount of coffee in the filter holder
- Grinding coffee
- Coffee tamping
- Extraction temperature
- Pressure
- Extraction time
This gives you a similar result to a professional machine. Purists tend to separate the grinder from the coffee machine for even more flexibility.
Price: Between €400 and €2,000
Brands: Sage, De'Longhi, Ariete
Where to buy it: our store, our website, Darty, Boulanger, etc.
Average time for an espresso: 2 minutes including ignition
Advantages: very good compromise between practicality of use and quality of coffee, quick to use, relatively compact, inexpensive compared to the service provided
Disadvantages: not as simple as the automatic machine, no total control of the process
Who is it for? I love espresso coffee and I want to go further while staying with a machine that's easy to use.
Note: To take a step up in precision and achieve more consistent espresso results, use a scale accurate to within 0.1g to measure the amount of ground coffee in the filter holder.
The manual espresso machine with separate grinder
If we summarize the minimum of what you will have to do a priori with the grinder + manual coffee machine combination:
- Grind the grain while controlling the grind and quantity
- Pack the cake evenly into the filter holder
- Screw the filter holder to the heating unit
- Press the button to extract your coffee according to the options (ristretto, espresso, double espresso, etc.)
- This does not include the steps of cleaning and bringing the various elements to temperature, but it is a basic use for extracting coffee.
Price: Between €100 and €8,000
Brands: De'Longhi, Sage, Philips, Nuova Simonelli, Victoria Arduino, La Marzocco
Where to buy it: our store (on order) or specialized sites.
Average time for an espresso: Between 2 and 15 minutes including ignition
Advantages: best potential quality, high flexibility allowed
Disadvantages: Expensive unit, takes up more space, requires more cleaning and maintenance. You need to master the settings to get a good espresso.
Who's it for? I'm an espresso purist and want to get the best out of the specialty coffees I buy.
Note: For espresso, prefer an electric grinder. Few manual grinders can produce a grind fine and uniform enough for a good espresso. Also, if you are a heavy coffee drinker, you risk tendonitis! For advice on choosing a grinder, click HERE . A precision scale is also highly recommended for this method.
The manual lever espresso machine
- An electric espresso grinder or a very high-quality manual grinder (Comandante type)
- A kettle accurate to the nearest degree Celsius (are you following?)
Once you have this equipment together, all you have to do is grind your grain, preheat (twice ideally) the machine and extract it using the lever.
Price: Between €100 and €2,000
Brands: Flair, Rok, La Pavoni, Elektra
Where to buy them: Maxicoffee, at your roaster
Average time for an espresso: 10 minutes
Advantages: compact, potentially without electricity or water supply, design, real-time pressure control, great flexibility, portability and great taste potential
Disadvantages: time spent for each espresso, need for a kettle and preheating the machine, poor settings which are heavily penalized.
Who's it for? I'm an espresso poet, and I'm willing to spend hours finding the right settings.
Note: It will be necessary to "test" each coffee and then adjust the grind size or the amount of coffee in the basket to obtain a good extraction. As with an electric espresso machine, the flow rate will be a very good indicator of the quality of your extraction.
Please note: for all methods involving a filter holder, the freshness of the beans is essential, otherwise your coffee will flow much too quickly regardless of your settings.
The capsule or pod machine
We are not going to recommend capsule or pod machines here, because this solution does not satisfy us on three points: ecological, taste and financial.