Brewing coffee with any of the coffee brewing methods takes time. Shortening the time and brewing fast while achieving a good extraction of the coffee has always been a strive for many generations of coffee lovers. Since coffee was introduced in Europe, people have experimented with different coffee brewing techniques to develop a method or device that would brew them a good cup of coffee in the shortest possible time.
An espresso machine brews coffee the fastest of all methods. An espresso machine is a coffee brewing device designed and manufactured to brew coffee fast, and it operates by forcing hot water through finely-ground coffee beans at high pressure. Within 25 to 30 seconds, the espresso machine yields a small, concentrated, flavorful shot of a coffee beverage named, just like its brewing method, espresso.
If brewed correctly, the espresso yielded from an espresso machine would have thick, syrupy consistency with a whole body and complexity of coffee flavors that other brewing methods can not replicate. Because of that, modern espresso is a base for many popular espresso-based coffee drinks, such as macchiato, cortado, cappuccino, latte, mocha, and many others.
The uniqueness of espresso makes the espresso machine a coveted possession to any coffee lover. And for many of us, it is the single most valuable piece of kitchen equipment. Today's market offers a wide range of espresso machines with varying sizes, features, and price ranges, from budget-friendly cheaper options to high-end, commercial-grade, more expensive models.
Mid-range Home Espresso Machines
Breville Barista Express
The Breville Barista Express is a mid-range semi-automatic espresso machine with several features to enhance the home barista experience. The device is equipped with an integrated precision conical burr grinder that grinds on demand, delivering the right amount of freshly ground coffee directly into the portafilter for the best taste with any roast.
- The machine's low-pressure pre-infusion helps secure the puck's integrity and ensure that all flavors are evenly extracted during brewing. The device's digital temperature control (PID) delivers brewing water at a precise temperature for optimal espresso extraction. The powerful steam wand allows for manual microfoam milk texturing that enhances flavor and enables the creation of latte art.
- The machine comes with several accessories, including a Razor Dose Trimming Tool, 54mm Stainless Steel Portafilter, Single & Double non-pressurized & pressurized Filter Baskets, Coffee Scoop, Integrated Tamper, Stainless Steel Milk Jug, Cleaning disc, tablets, brush tool & Allen Key, Water Filter & Filter Holder.
- Additionally, the machine comes with a 1-year limited product warranty, giving buyers peace of mind.
PHILIPS 3200
The PHILIPS 3200 is a mid-range automatic espresso machine that can make five different types of coffee, including espresso, cappuccino, latte macchiato, americano, and regular coffee. It has an intuitive touch display for easy operation and a 12-step grinder adjustment to customize the coffee strength to your liking.
- The machine contains a built-in grinder with durable ceramic burrs and an aroma seal to keep your beans fresh for longer. The AquaClean filter can make up to 5,000 cups without being descaled. The parts are dishwasher safe for easy cleaning, and the brewing group is fully removable for thorough cleaning.
- The package includes a measuring scoop, water hardness test strip, AquaClean filter, LatteGo storage lid, and a grease tube. This machine is designed for home use and is suitable for coffee lovers who want a customizable and convenient coffee-making experience.
Nespresso Gran Lattissima
The Nespresso Gran Lattissima is a mid-range pod espresso machine allowing you to enjoy a full range of espresso-based coffee drinks with its integrated milk frother. It has a 25-second heat-up time and an energy-saving automatic shut-off function. The machine offers a variety of coffee selections, including Caffe latte and latte macchiato functions, to create the perfect cappuccino, latte, flat white, or milk foam. The one-touch milk recipes feature allows you to prepare the ideal foam and create endless recipes at the touch of a button. The machine has a signature design and one-touch system that is easy on the eyes and easy to use. Each device includes a complimentary starter set of Nespresso capsules.
Flair Espresso Maker
The Flair Espresso Maker is a mid-range, manual espresso machine that can produce professional-quality espresso shots. It requires 2oz (60ml) of boiled water and a dose of up to 18 grams to yield a 40ml shot with beautiful crema. The machine is entirely manual and requires no electricity or plugs, making it portable and easy to use anywhere. The brewing head is detachable and easy to clean under cool water. The Flair Espresso Maker is made from durable materials such as cast aluminum and stainless steel and comes with a 3-year warranty for the aluminum press stand and the stainless steel brewing head. It also comes with a precision-cut and padded carrying case for portability. A burr grinder is recommended for use with this product.
Brief History and Evolution of Espresso Machines
The history of the espresso machine started in May 1884, when Italian inventor Angelo Moriondo patented a device that uses steam pressure to press hot water through the ground coffee and extract it more quickly.
His machine was designed as a bulk brewer and did not brew coffee for individual consumers like today's espresso machine. However, because the device he patented used pressure to brew coffee faster, it is considered the world's first espresso machine. With his machine, he won a bronze medal at the General Expo of Turin in 1884, but he never commercialized his invention.
In the years to come, another Italian inventor, Luigi Bezzera, will improve on Moriondo's concept by redesigning the machine to be a single-shot brewer by brewing directly into the cup and will also introduce the portafilter with multiple group heads. He patented his changes and innovations in 1901, and his ideas are still associated with espresso machines today.
The Ideale from Bezzera and Pavoni (1906)
Bezzera's innovations were later acquired by entrepreneur Desiderio Pavoni, who founded the company La Pavoni in 1905. Together with Bezzera, they began working on producing a device that implemented Bezzera's concepts. The machine they both created, called Ideale, was exhibited at the 1906 World's Fair in Milan, which marked the first time they introduced the term "caffe espresso" to the world.
After their success in 1906 at Milan's Fair, the two men parted ways, and each continued to develop espresso machines in their own company. Both companies they founded, La Pavoni and Bezzera, today produce one of the best espresso machines on the market, and their names live on in the espresso world.
The Milan Fair of 1906 was a seminal moment in the history of espresso machines, but it was just the beginning. Soon other entrepreneurs and innovators entered the story of espresso machines, like Pier Teresio Arduino, with his device La Victoria Arduino. That was the period that marked the birth of the espresso machine industry.
Despite these early advancements, the espresso produced by these machines was quite different from what we know today, as they brewed espresso at a low pressure of 1.5 to 2 bars and were essentially brewing what we today would consider a little cup of filtered coffee.
Gaggia's Lever-Piston Mechanism (1947)
That changed in 1947 when Achille Gaggia saw the workings of an American Army jeep piston engine that used a hydraulic system and started developing his own lever-piston brewing mechanism that could be mounted on an espresso machine to replace the need for steam pressure.
His innovation included a spring to be loaded by a lever, and when released, the piston pushes hot water through a filter filled with ground coffee. When the force of the spring is released on the piston, the pressure exerted on hot water is much greater than the pressure achieved by steam. The coffee brewed at these higher pressures, made possible by Gaggia's mechanism, flowed out of the portafilter's spout as an espresso topped with a rich and creamy red-brown layer of espresso crema.
Espresso Crema
Espresso crema consists of tiny bubbles of CO2 gas extracted from the roasted coffee beans trapped in compounds that coffee naturally poses (surfactants).
When brewing coffee, the brewing water, besides solubles from the coffee, also extracts CO2 gas that gets trapped in the beans during the roasting process. When brewing espresso under high pressure, the hot water gets saturated with CO2 gas from the coffee.
When espresso starts to drip from the portafilter, the environment changes, going from highly pressurized inside the basket to an environment with normal atmospheric pressure, that CO2 releases and gets trapped in tiny bubbles of crema on the surface of the espresso.
Tipo Classica (1948)
In 1948 Achille Gaggia and entrepreneur Carlo Ernesto Valente collaborated on producing their first espresso machine: Tipo Classica, which had the lever-piston brewing mechanism installed init.
The shots of espresso brewed with Tipo Classica had a nice layer of crema on top, and at that point, espresso started to resemble today's modern espresso. With the introduction of Tipo Classica, the production of creamy and flavorful espresso shots within 25 to 30 seconds started to be possible, and with that, the era of modern espresso began.
Faema E61 (1961)
As more manufacturers began to emerge, espresso machines improved little by little as the years went by. But in 1961, a significant change happened when the now iconic Faema E61 was introduced. This machine marked a noteworthy departure from the traditional lever-piston mechanism and adopted an electric pump to exert pressure on the brewing water.
Faema E61 was the machine that established the force of 9 bars as an industry standard. An electric water pump can achieve higher pressures than 9 bars, but people in the coffee industry quickly learned that brewing with higher pressures creates problems. At higher pressures, the coffee inside the basket becomes compressed to the point that it starts to block the water flow or gives up under pressure by breaking and creating a channel.
Features of Modern Espresso Machines
The world of espresso machines has come a long way since its inception. Today's espresso machines are better equipped and have advanced features built into them that enhance the brewing process and deliver a consistent and high-quality cup of espresso. The entire espresso industry and its growing community have evolved with its machines by developing tools and techniques to prevent channeling, introducing preinfusion, producing better quality baskets, and, most recently, experimenting with pressure profiling.
Channeling in Espresso Brewing
Channeling in espresso brewing means that the water, due to a split in the compactness, found a way to travel more easily through only one spot of the coffee puck, over-extracting the coffee in that area, under-extracting the rest of the coffee, which leads to an unpleasant tasting espresso shot.
To decrease the chances of channeling, people in the coffee industry started to notice the importance of puck preparation. Early coffee grinders did not grind the coffee beans uniformly, meaning the coffee particles were ground with different sizes, and also, the grounded coffee came out in clumps, which is a cause for channels in the puck. So, manufacturers have begun to take an interest in better-quality grinders, most typically burr grinders sold as separate appliances and were also becoming a built-in feature in many modern espresso machines.
Also, various distribution tools have been designed to break clumps and distribute the coffee evenly in the basket.
Besides all this, a preinfusion technique started to be implemented as a feature on espresso machines.
Preinfusion
Preinfusion in espresso brewing means that the grounds inside the basket get soaked with a small amount of water before the brewing starts. Adding water to the coffee before brewing will considerably improve its extraction. The absorbed preinfusion water will make the coffee puck hold its integrity better for the entire brewing process. As the espresso machines started to adopt the electric pump and the pressures they brew with increased, the preinfusion became a standard feature implemented in even entry-level espresso machines.
Espresso Baskets
With the introduction of higher brewing pressures, manufacturers become aware that modifying the espresso basket will allow for preground supermarket coffee to be used for brewing espresso. The change implied that a basket is fitted with a double bottom layer with only one hole through which the espresso will exit. That second bottom, usually with one spot on it, will act as a barrier for the brewing water pressure to build up inside the basket.
These double-walled or pressurized espresso baskets, as we call them, allow for a slightly coarser, typically sold preground, coffee to be brewed for espresso. Eliminating the need for a coffee grinder has opened the production of a wide range of entry-level home espresso makers from different manufacturers that vary in their build, features, and prizes.
Pressure Profiling
Modern-day espresso machines, starting from around 2010, began to implement a feature called pressure profiling. They started installing particular types of water pumps with gears so users could adjust the pump's output pressure through the device's user interface and allow the pressure to be controlled at any given time before or during the brewing of the espresso shot.
One of the first machines that implement pressure profiling is the La Marzocco Strada espresso machine. Soon after, more manufacturers started implementing this feature in the newer high-end espresso machines.
Different Types of Espresso Machines
The introduction of the espresso machine revolutionized the way people enjoyed coffee. From its inception in Italy, the device has undergone numerous improvements, increasing its complexity over time. As more people started using espresso machines at home, manufacturers began to cater to their varying needs by producing different types of devices. Today, a vast array of espresso brewing devices are broadly categorized into three main types based on their convenience and the level of control they offer the user. These categories include Pod machines, Manual or Semi-automatic, and Automatic espresso machines, each offering a unique experience to the coffee lover.
Pod Machines
Pod machines, also known as capsule machines, offer a convenient and fuss-free way to enjoy a delicious espresso at home or the office. Pod machines are affordable, accessible, and easy to use, a type of espresso machine that offers users a few very straightforward steps to follow to get an espresso. All these machines require is for the user to fill their tank with water, put a pod in the brewing chamber and press a button to get a cup of coffee.
These machines will make a consistently good espresso every time. They are perfect for beginners because they require very little maintenance and are easy to clean.
Nespresso Gran Lattissima Coffee and Espresso Machine by De'Longhi
The Nespresso Gran Lattissima is a mid-range pod espresso machine made by De'Longhi. It allows you to enjoy a full range of espresso-based coffee drinks with its integrated milk frother.
- It has a 25-second heat-up time and an energy-saving automatic shut-off function.
- The machine offers a variety of coffee selections, including Caffe latte and latte macchiato functions, to create the perfect cappuccino, latte, flat white, or milk foam.
- The one-touch milk recipes feature allows you to prepare the ideal foam and create endless recipes at the touch of a button.
- The machine has a signature design and one-touch system that is easy on the eyes and easy to use.
- Each device includes a complimentary starter set of Nespresso capsules.
Some devices have built-in milk frothers and can produce espresso-based milk drinks. Regardless of that, for the ones that don't have milk frothing capabilities, there are milk capsules for these machines on the market that, when combined with the coffee capsules, can also produce various espresso-based milk drinks.
One of the most significant drawbacks of these machines is the long-term cost of using coffee pods. While the devices themselves are often quite affordable, the price of the coffee pods can add up over time and become quite significant. One of the main reasons for this is that the cost of coffee pods per weight is typically higher than packaged coffee, regardless of whether the coffee is preground or sold as roasted beans. That can result in a substantial increase in the cost of enjoying espresso from a pod machine over time, especially for those who consume a lot of coffee on a daily basis.
Another downside of pod machines is the limited variety of coffee options. While there are many coffee pod brands, the capsule's shape differs from producer to producer and is incompatible with different machines.
Unlike traditional espresso machines, where the user can purchase their beans and experiment with different types and blends, pod machines are limited to the selection of coffee pods available. That can be a significant drawback for coffee lovers who enjoy trying different kinds of coffee and exploring the full range of flavors and aromas that coffee has to offer.
For many of us, reaching that point is a signal to upgrade the coffee gear we use and most likely progress to the next category of espresso machines: Manual or Semi-automatic machines.
Manual Espresso Machines
Manual espresso machines have a lever mechanism that requires physical force to pull a shot. This manual operation gives the user complete control over the extraction process and allows for a more personalized and customized cup of coffee. This machine is perfect for those who enjoy the ritual and tradition of making coffee and want to experience the full range of flavors and aromas that coffee offers.
These machines brew only espresso, and many can compete with high-end espresso machines in that task. We will need a separate milk frothing device to prepare an espresso-based milk drink as these machines don't have any frothing or steaming capabilities. That is also true for the grounds that they brew. We would need a separate coffee grinder to grind our coffee.
Flair Espresso Maker
The Flair Espresso Maker is a mid-range, manual espresso machine that can produce professional-quality espresso shots. It requires 2oz (60ml) of boiled water and a dose of up to 18 grams to yield a 40ml shot with beautiful crema.
- The machine is entirely manual and requires no electricity or plugs, making it portable and easy to use anywhere.
- The brewing head is detachable and easy to clean under cool water.
- The Flair Espresso Maker is made from durable materials such as cast aluminum and stainless steel and comes with a 3-year warranty for the aluminum press stand and the stainless steel brewing head.
- It also comes with a precision-cut and padded carrying case for portability.
- A good burr grinder is recommended for use with this product.
Semi-automatic Espresso Machines
Semi-automatic home espresso machines are a popular choice among coffee lovers looking for a hands-on experience in brewing their espresso. With the rise in demand for these machines, there are now many different types and brands available in the market. These machines are typically compact, making them ideal for home use, and their features vary depending on their price range.
Some semi-automatic machines come equipped with built-in grinders, which save valuable counter space in the kitchen, while others require the user to purchase a separate grinder. Regardless of the type of machine, all semi-automatic home espresso machines come with milk-steaming capabilities for creating creamy espresso-based drinks, such as lattes and cappuccinos. On the cheaper end of the spectrum, espresso machines come with a single heating element, a thermoblock, allowing to either brew espresso or steam milk, not both at the same time. On the other hand, pricier machines have two heating elements installed, offering the ability to steam milk while your espresso is brewing. Besides that, they also offer customizable temperature control of the brewing water to ensure proper extraction, resulting in the perfect cup of espresso every time.
Breville Barista Express
The Breville Barista Express is a mid-range semi-automatic espresso machine with several features to enhance the home barista experience. The device is equipped with an integrated precision conical burr grinder that grinds on demand, delivering the right amount of freshly ground coffee directly into the portafilter for the best taste with any roast.
- The machine's low-pressure pre-infusion helps secure the puck's integrity and ensure that all flavors are evenly extracted during brewing.
- The device's digital temperature control (PID) delivers brewing water at a precise temperature for optimal espresso extraction.
- The powerful steam wand allows for manual microfoam milk texturing that enhances flavor and enables the creation of latte art.
- The machine comes with several accessories, including a Razor Dose Trimming Tool, 54mm Stainless Steel Portafilter, Single & Double non-pressurized & pressurized Filter Baskets, Coffee Scoop, Integrated Tamper, Stainless Steel Milk Jug, Cleaning disc, tablets, brush tool & Allen Key, Water Filter & Filter Holder.
- Additionally, the machine comes with a 1-year limited product warranty, giving buyers peace of mind.
One of the main benefits of semi-automatic home espresso machines is that they offer a hands-on approach to brewing. The user has control over the brew ratio of grounded coffee to the amount of water used and the length of the extraction process, allowing them to craft a genuinely personalized cup of espresso. Many high-end semi-automatic espresso machines have implemented pressure profiling features. With pressure profiling, the user can control the pressure during the brewing process, resulting in surprisingly good espresso shots. This level of control also allows for the consistent brewing of specific recipes and offers the ability to experiment with new ones.
Overall, semi-automatic home espresso machines are an excellent investment for coffee enthusiasts who want to elevate their home-brewing experience. With their customizable features and hands-on approach, these machines allow for the creation of a genuinely personalized cup of espresso tailored to individual taste preferences.
Automated espresso machines
Automated espresso machines offer the ultimate convenience in coffee brewing. They provide complete control over every aspect of the process, from grinding the beans to preparing the coffee and brewing the perfect shot of espresso. Designed for those who desire a hassle-free coffee-making experience, these machines eliminate manual labor and offer a truly effortless way to enjoy a delicious cup of coffee.
Depending on their built-in features, they come available at different prices. Some are limited to brewing espresso only and are relatively more affordable. In contrast, others are more advanced and capable of grinding, brewing espresso, steaming milk, and mixing it with the brewed espresso to make various espresso-based drinks.
With automated espresso machines, all the user needs to do is fill the hopper with high-quality coffee beans and add water and milk, and the device takes care of the rest. Its built-in technology ensures that every cup of coffee is made to perfection, with the right temperature, pressure, and extraction time. These machines are also built to last many years if cleaned and maintained regularly.
PHILIPS 3200
The PHILIPS 3200 is a mid-range automatic espresso machine that can make five different types of coffee, including espresso, cappuccino, latte macchiato, americano, and regular coffee. It has an intuitive touch display for easy operation and a 12-step grinder adjustment to customize the coffee strength to your liking.
- The machine contains a built-in grinder with durable ceramic burrs and an aroma seal to keep your beans fresh for longer.
- The AquaClean filter can make up to 5,000 cups without being descaled.
- The parts are dishwasher safe for easy cleaning, and the brewing group is fully removable for thorough cleaning.
- The package includes a measuring scoop, water hardness test strip, AquaClean filter, LatteGo storage lid, and a grease tube. This machine is designed for home use and is suitable for coffee lovers who want a customizable and convenient coffee-making experience.
Automated espresso machines are the ideal solution for coffee lovers who want a quick and easy way to make their morning coffee without sacrificing the quality of the end product. They are the perfect combination of convenience and quality, providing a delicious and effortless cup of coffee every time.