The modern market offers a lot of carob (espresso) coffee machines, so you will have plenty to choose from. It remains only to find out what to look for and how to choose an espresso coffee machine for the house.
In the espresso coffee machine, coffee is prepared from ground beans that are exposed to high vapor pressure. It is a drink prepared in this way and is called "espresso". The second name - "carob" - these coffee makers have received due to the peculiarities of their design: filter mesh or bag for ground coffee replaced in such coffee makers with plastic or metal horns.
When preparing coffee in espresso coffee machine, first of all it is required to fill the boiler with water, and the horn - with ground coffee, at the same time it is necessary to properly compact the content of the horn. With all the rest, the coffee machine will manage itself: under high pressure, steam passes through coffee powder, and then the finished drink pours into a cup, which it is desirable to warm.
Since coffee is made under high pressure, the maximum of useful substances and components that determine the flavor of the drink can be extracted from coffee powder. And even high water pressure allows extracting up to 25% of so-called coffee substance - and with ordinary cooking this figure is 15-18%, so that the coffee bean consumption can be reduced by almost a third. Carob coffee makers are also appreciated by many users because they make it possible to create a cream on the surface of the prepared beverage - aromatic foam.
So, the work of the carob coffee machine is based on high steam pressure. Therefore, the choice of the device should also begin with this parameter.
The simplest, or "younger" models of espresso coffee machines can develop pressure up to 4 bar. These devices are heated in a closed vessel, and then, when the pressure limit is reached, the valve opens and the steam is passed through the coffee powder. Steam at the same time is too hot, and this partially destroys the aroma of the drink. There is such technology and plus: superheated steam allows you to extract more caffeine and make the drink more invigorating. For coffee machines that provide a pressure of 3.5 bar, the power usually does not exceed 1000 W, while making a cup of coffee takes about two minutes.
Instruments of a higher class are able to develop a pressure of up to 15 bar - this provides a built-in electromagnetic pump equipped with a fuser, heating the water to about 84-95 degrees. This design literally pushes water under pressure through the particles of ground coffee on the filter, while the most active coffee components are taken from them. The power of devices with a pressure of 15 bar varies in the range of 1000-1700 W. To make a cup of coffee in these coffee machines need about a half a minute.
An important parameter is the type of material from which the horn is made: metal or plastic. Preference should be given to the metal, because in the metal horn the coffee is warming up better, which means that the drink will also get more saturated and thick.
Coffee makers with a plastic horn give a more watery coffee, in which the sour taste of the taste is more distinctly felt.
Thinking about how to choose an espresso coffee maker for your home, pay attention to the size of the water tank. Coffee makers, developing pressure up to 4 bar, usually have a small - 200-600 ml - water tank. But in the coffee machine with a pressure of 15 bar, you can pour up to one and a half liters of water, however, one time to cook more than two cups of the drink still will not work.
If you like "cappuccino", look at how the function of making this type of coffee is implemented in the coffee maker. After all, "cappuccino" - in fact the same "espresso", only covered with foam from milk. To beat the milk, carob coffee makers are equipped with various attachments and attachments. In this case, the system of cooking "cappuccino", that is, whipping milk to get foam, can be mechanical and automatic.
The "caper" of the mechanical type acts like this: a tube with a nozzle is lowered into a glass with milk, steam is forced through it, through which foam is formed. But to cook really high foam from milk - "as if in a coffee house" - is not so easy. This requires almost professional skills and in addition milk with high fat content - more than 3.5% - or even cream (11% fat content).
It is much easier to prepare a milk foam with an automatic "cappuccino": you just need to pour the milk into a specially designed tank, turn on the "cappuccino" mode and - voila! - foam itself drains into a cup. Coffee makers with automatic "cappuccino" are sometimes also equipped with the function of adjusting the density of milk foam.
Another important parameter of the espresso coffee machine is the ability to use pre-packaged coffee in pods. This "option" greatly simplifies the preparation of "espresso" at home, providing a very high quality of the drink.
Chalds - portions of compressed roasted ground coffee per brew (7 g), packed in disposable factory packaging - placed between two layers of filter paper. The technology of production of portioned coffee - ESE - is world famous and recognized, and coffee makers are called ESE-compatible.
Undoubtedly their advantage is the simplicity of preparing the drink and cleaning the device. There is also a minus: this additional function significantly increases the price of the coffee machine.
When choosing coffee makers, pay attention to its additional features
- Light indicators of the working process, as well as water level and coffee temperature.
- Automatic shut-off in case of overheating in combination with special valves for steam: these devices reduce the risk of burns and increase the life of the coffee machine.
- Two pumps , allowing you to cook both "cappuccino" and "espresso."
- A removable drop tank will ensure easy care of the carob.
- "Start-stop" button - allows you to stop cooking coffee if necessary.
- A double nozzle allows you to dispense coffee in two cups simultaneously.
- The functions of heating the milk and keeping the cafe hot provide additional convenience when using the drink.