CAN'T FIND IT HERE? GET TARGETED RESULTS WITH:
BRANDS
There is nothing more difficult than choosing the right machine to make that perfect espresso and you have plenty of choices here! Though everyone can agree that a coffee grinder purchase is the most important ingredient in espresso, an espresso machine must be of quality, as well. It must also fit your budget and your space restrictions.
Companies spend small fortunes on brand recognition and advertising, but be aware that a known name does not mean a better espresso machine. A company that makes the best toothpaste may not make a reliable toothbrush. Even within their own models of espresso machines offered, one model may be the best thing developed and sought after, while another model by the same manufacturer could be a huge disappointment because of quality of the shots produced or mechanical breakdowns.
The best source of information is coffee forums. Chat rooms of coffee community sites wherein the consumers and owners of machines discuss a variety of coffee topics - including their pleasure (or displeasure) with a machine they own. Should you continually read postings from people loving a machine and its' capabilities, you have the best information available to you. Such information is far more informative than any advertisement or review by someone who operated the machine for only a few hours to write a "professional" review. My personal suggestion would be to visit coffeegeek.com. Another site is home-barista.com. There are others, but these will get you started.
There are four broad categories of machines, described by how they deliver the espresso:
1. Manual (usually the hand-operated lever style - still often preferred by professional baristas in Italy and Europe)
2. Semi-automatic (requires the operator to manually stop the length of the espresso 'pour') can be electric pump or older 'hydraulic' delivery method
3. Automatic (length of 'pour' is stopped by the machine) can be programmable electronic machine or a 'hydraulic' style with mechanical pour length adjustment
4. Super-automatic (machine does it all - grinds and packs the coffee, brews it and ejects the grounds) some but not all, even add frothed milk directly into the cup
Below is mixed sampling of the many espresso machines available.
To narrow the selection, use the navigation bar at left. We have narrowed the choices for you by the manufacturer. At the top of each page you will find information on each company. Just another service we provide when you visit us.
