And more specifically: how to choose your espresso machine?
No doubt about it, your thing is espresso: whether it's doubled, extended or topped with milk, that's how you enjoy your caffeinated moment.
Before we can guide you, it's important that you know how much time and space you want to dedicate to it. Feel free 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-based drinks?
- Are you really going to make milk-based drinks?
Automatic machines with integrated mill
We have to admit that the simplicity/quality ratio of the coffee is extremely favorable to them. Much like a bowl of Chocapic cereal, you simply put the coffee beans in the hopper, the water in the reservoir, press a button, and you're done.
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: ristretto, espresso, Americano, cappuccino, flat white, etc., sometimes with impressive results. Maintaining these machines is essential and can truly transform your cup if it isn't done according to your model's recommendations.
Price: Between €250 and €2,000
Brands: De'Longhi, Jura, Melitta, Philips, Krups, etc.
Where to buy it: our shop, our website, Darty, Boulanger, etc.
Average time for an espresso: 45 seconds including ignition.
Advantages: Simple to use, quick to use, a single appliance for grinding and extracting, milk-based drinks option
Disadvantages: Not necessarily precise control for amateurs (temperature, pressure, coffee dose), fairly high price
Who is it for? I love 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 integrated grinder
- Quantity of coffee in the filter holder
- Coffee grinding
- Coffee tamping
- extraction temperature
- Pressure
- Extraction time
This brings you closer to the results you get with 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 shop, our website, Darty, Boulanger, etc.
Average time for an espresso: 2 minutes including ignition.
Advantages: excellent compromise between ease of use and coffee quality, quick to use, fairly compact, inexpensive considering the service provided
Disadvantages: not as simple as an automated machine, no total control over the process
Who is it for? I love espresso coffee and I want to go further while still using a simple machine.
Note: To take a step towards greater precision and more consistently successful espressos, 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
To summarize the minimum you will have to do initially 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 onto the heating element
- 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 heating the different elements, but it is a basic use in order to extract coffee.
Price: Between €100 and €8,000
Brands: De'Longhi, Sage, Philips, Nuova Simonelli, Victoria Arduino, La Marzocco
Where to buy it: our shop (on order) or specialist websites.
Average time for an espresso: Between 2 and 15 minutes, including ignition.
Advantages: best potential quality, great flexibility allowed
Disadvantages: expensive setup, takes up more space, requires more cleaning and maintenance. Mastering the parameters is essential for making a good espresso.
For whom? I am an espresso coffee purist and I want to get the best out of the specialty coffees I buy.
Note: For espresso, an electric grinder is preferable. Few manual grinders can produce a grind fine and consistent enough for a good espresso. Furthermore, if you're a heavy coffee drinker, you risk developing tendonitis! For advice on choosing a grinder, click HERE . A precision scale is also highly recommended for this method.
The manual lever espresso machine
- A very high-quality electric espresso grinder or manual grinder (Comandante type)
- A kettle accurate to the degree Celsius (are you following?)
Once you have gathered this equipment, all you have to do is grind your grain, preheat the machine (ideally twice) and proceed with the extraction using the lever.
Price: Between €100 and €2,000
Brands: Flair, Rok, La Pavoni, Elektra
Where to buy them: Maxicoffee, at your local coffee roaster
Average time for an espresso: 10 minutes
Advantages: compact, potentially requiring no power supply or water, stylish design, real-time pressure control, high flexibility, portability, and great flavor potential.
Disadvantages: time spent for each espresso, need for a kettle and to preheat the machine, poor settings heavily penalized.
For whom? I am a poet of espresso coffee, and I am ready 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 achieve a good extraction. As with an electric espresso machine, the flow rate will be a very good indicator of the quality of your extraction.
Note Bene: for all methods involving a filter holder, the freshness of the bean 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.