Buying a Coffee and Espresso Maker
Whether you like a full pot of drip coffee or espresso, a coffee and espresso maker is a must for your kitchen. We offer a range of styles and features at Target to meet your requirements.
Espresso machines high pressure pushes water through ground beans in just a few seconds. The grounds are then tamped in order to make them compact and interlock.
Features
There are a variety of things to take into consideration when purchasing a coffee and espresso maker. The most important are the features that determine its function and its suitability to your requirements. Look for features that are simple, improve your brew's quality and allow you to personalize your beverage.
Espresso- and coffee makers aren't difficult to make, such as the classic Bialetti Moka Express non-electric coffee brewer that uses an oven to heat water that slowly drips over ground beans. Some models offer more advanced features, for instance, double boilers that let you to make espresso and froth or steaming milk at the simultaneously. Other features include digital displays that let you know when your water tank is depleted, when it's time to empty the grounds bin or descale, as well as other maintenance tasks.
The majority of modern espresso and coffee makers use a similar brewing process that involves pouring hot water over pre-ground or ground beans that sit in a filter. They're often designed to stop brewing at the right time, allowing you to take an iced cup every morning. Some models also allow you to select the strength you prefer, and some have adjustable temperature settings to give you the best flavor.
The top tier of espresso and coffee machines is the super-automatic one, which is designed to do everything for you. These machines usually come with a built-in grinder, which allows them to grind and brew coffee from fresh beans. They'll usually also have a separate steamer to make cappuccinos and lattes. They might also offer a menu that lets you select from a variety of drinks including hot chocolate.
If you have a small kitchen, opt for a compact model that doesn't take up a lot of counter space. If you have multiple people in the household who each have different preferences in their coffee look into a multi-cup machine that is able to accommodate different sizes of cups. If you're a coffee or espresso enthusiast, search for models that allow you to adjust the strength of the brew and water-to-coffee ratio, so you can make the perfect cup every time.
A solid warranty and prompt customer service are also important aspects to take into consideration when buying the best espresso maker and coffee maker. Warranty terms vary from one to three year depending on the manufacturer.
User-Friendliness
You need more than a basic drip-filter maker to make a coffeehouse type beverage at home. To brew espresso, high-pressured water is pushed through finely ground coffee beans at high speeds. The result is a short "shot" of caffeine, with a thick layer of crema on the top. In this manner, the majority of espresso machines that combine coffee and espresso make use of a portafilter basket as well as a steaming arm. Other machines use pre-packaged pods, filters, or let you measure and grind beans by hand.
The type of machine you pick will depend on how hands-on and spacious you want to be. Manual machines offer the most control, but they require a lot of effort as you'll need to grind the coffee beans, hand-tamp it, and then pull your shots. Semiautomatic machines skip several steps, such as grinding and tapping. However they will require more effort than automatic machines. Fully automatic coffee and espresso makers can make a full pot of drips or an entire cup of espresso with the touch of a button.
You'll also need to consider whether you're making coffee for one or more people. Certain models, such as the Nespresso Vertuo Plus can brew three cups of coffee or espresso at once. This is a great way to meet your morning coffee requirements, but it may not be the best option if you're making for crowds.
Dual boilers let you make steaming and coffee simultaneously, so that you don't need to wait until one process is cool before beginning the other. This feature is particularly useful if you plan to make cappuccinos and lattes.
It is less likely that a espresso machine that has a removable reservoir will accumulate mineral deposits. It's still necessary to clean the reservoir regularly but you'll save some time by not needing to replace and pour out a whole pot of water. Another factor that contributes to the buildup of minerals is the hardness of your water. The harder water will produce more dissolved minerals and causes your machine to need descaling more frequently. Filtered or soft water is less abrasive to your machine and can reduce the frequency of descaling.
Cleaning is easy
A coffee or espresso maker is a significant purchase for a lot of homeowners and it requires regular care to ensure its performance and longevity at the highest levels. Cleaning the carafe as well as other parts that are removable from an espresso machine or drip coffee maker is a crucial part of maintenance. Using vinegar or a specialized descaling solution at least once per month is essential to maintain your machine, and some models may have sensors that light up to alert you when it's time to clean.
While vinegar is fine for sinks and countertops however, the acidity can harm the rubber seals and other components of your coffee and espresso maker, thereby limiting its life. Many brands, including Lavazza and Smeg, also recommend that you do not use vinegar to clean your coffee maker because it could void the warranty.
To clean your espresso maker or coffee maker, first take the portafilter and the basket from the group. Clean any dirt or debris from the portafilter and the basket by using a nylon scrubby pad or brush. Both should be thoroughly cleaned with hot water and then dried using a clean cloth. Next, sanitize the brew group by inserting a clean tablet into the blind filter and running a backflush software. You can also manually flush your machine by placing a tablet of cleaning solution in the portafilter and turning on the brewing program after which you will have to stop for 10 seconds. Repeat this procedure until the water flow is constant. This indicates that your machine has been descaled.
As the water flows through the espresso machine, it is required to pass through the brew group mesh. The mesh can get filled with coffee residue when it gets dirty. This can negatively impact the extraction. Calatrello suggests that you unscrew the mesh once a month and clean it with the aid of a toothbrush. Then, soak the mesh in hot water for a night using a tablet for cleaning.
If you own a fully automatic espresso and coffee maker You can clean it by removing the reservoir of water and filling it with clean water by adding cleaning tablets and running a backflush program. It is recommended to wipe the inside of the pot and the water reservoir to remove any residue and staining. You'll need to rinse and dry the carafe as well as the water reservoir prior to rebuild the appliance.
Ease of Maintenance
If you're looking to brew coffee or espresso in a short time at the go, select an automatic model. It doesn't require any effort from you. These models usually use a basket that contains ground coffee beans and water that has been heated to the right temperature, then poured into the grounds before being brewed as one shot.
These machines are great for those who enjoy making coffee but don't have the time to study the techniques and skills required to produce the best tasting drinks. They are simple to operate and clean and the results are like those produced by the traditional drip coffee maker.
To maintain your machine be sure to clean the grounds that are used from the portafilter after every use, and then clean the portafilter and the grouphead. Additionally, you'll need to backflush your machine regularly. This is accomplished by locking the portafilter in the grouphead and running the brew cycle a few times until the water runs clear. This is a job that coffeehouses perform at the end of every day but that home users can easily do every few days or alternatively, once a week with detergent for an even more thorough clean.
Finally, you'll need to clean the steam wand and the milk reservoir frequently, which we suggest every month. To do this, just wipe the entire surface of the machine using a mixture of vinegar and warm soapy water (check the manual prior to doing so since some manufacturers recommend against using vinegar). Also, you should change your filter often since hard water tends to build up more mineral residue than soft or filtering. This can cause your espresso and coffee maker not to run or have a different taste. To keep this from happening, buy an espresso maker and coffee maker with a water hardness tester.