You don’t have to go to Rome to do as the Romans do. It took a while for Americans to catch on to the European taste for espresso, but these days it seems as if there is a coffee shop on every corner to suit the growing demands of our sophisticated palates. Espresso boasts superior taste and tremendous versatility, not to mention a hit of caffeine to start your day with a jolt. Lattes, cappuccinos and other blended espresso drinks are just a short walk away, but getting your fix at the local coffee shop isn’t your only option. Pronto’s Espresso Machine Buying Guide can point you toward the right machine to help you find your inner barista (see also Coffee Maker Buying Guide).
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Pump espresso machines can achieve the 9 pressure bars needed for ideal espresso shot consistency and flavor, but cost more than steam espresso machines. If flavor, not budget, is your concern, go for a pump espresso machine.
Machine Style
Choose a manual espresso machine if you’re coffee-obsessed and want to hone your barista skills. Stick to automatic or super-automatic machines if all you want is to save yourself a trip to the café for that latte.
Milk Frothing
This capability is a must if you want lattes and cappuccinos. Espresso machines usually come with wands to do the job, but if you’re all about automation, choose a higher-end machine that can froth for you.
Temperature
Machines that derive pressure from steam can sacrifice taste, but pump-driven machines are often more expensive. If your drink of choice is a latte or cappuccino, the steam machine might suit your needs without hurting your wallet. Straight espresso drinkers will get better results from the lower-temp pump machines.
Maintenance
Espresso machines can be messy to clean. If you want flavor without fuss, stick with the pod or super-automatic machines.
Make your kitchen a café with Breville’s Café Roma Espresso Machine. We like it for its combination of style and functionality, delivering a 15-bar Thermoblock pump in a sleek, stainless steel package. This machine also produces an abundance of crema thanks to a dual-wall filter system that will impress coffee purists and casual drinkers alike. Best of all, the 1.3 quart water tank is larger th...
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Make your kitchen a café with Breville’s Café Roma Espresso Machine. We like it for its combination of style and functionality, delivering a 15-bar Thermoblock pump in a sleek, stainless steel package. This machine also produces an abundance of crema thanks to a dual-wall filter system that will impress coffee purists and casual drinkers alike. Best of all, the 1.3 quart water tank is larger than most espresso machines so you can pull shot after shot without running low on water.
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Slate.com – “Nespresso D290 Espesso Machine. Espresso machines are the home-appliance equivalent of six-speed sports cars—they take countless hours to get used to and even then continue to act up. Not so in the case of Nespresso's handsome D290 model, which is so simple that a 5-year-old could master it and so consistent that I managed to get a near-perfect espresso shot out of it every time.” Source: slate.com
Coffeegeek.com – “It's very tempting to buy the cheapest machine out there; after all, there's plenty of machines on the market costing $150 to $250 that have the minimum specifications required to brew a great shot. And I stand by my claim that I can make great espresso with a $200 machine. But if that $200 machine ends up breaking down in two years, requiring a $150 boiler replacement, and the plastic outer body cracks, and the pressurized portafilter starts to fall apart, all of a sudden, it makes spending $475 on a more professional calibre machine much more economical and less stressful than mailing a $200 machine cross country for repair and being without your espresso fix for a month or longer.” Source: coffeegeek.com
Wholelattelove.com – “After taking a deeper look at the Bosch Benvenuto B30 Espresso Machine, it becomes apparent that there isn’t a whole lot about the machine that you can’t figure out just by looking at it. It features a distinct combination of clearly marked controls, an easily visible message center, and high-quality internal components that don’t take a graduate level education to grasp. That intuitive simplicity coupled with its understated appearance make the B30 an obvious choice for freshmen and alumni of the espresso university alike.” Source: Wholelattelove.com
celebrity buzzWhat espresso machines are the celebrities using?
What’s rich, has an intense body and is mysterious with strong character? According to Nespresso’s European commercials, George Clooney thinks it’s him, until he realizes, well, it’s not. Can’t blame this two-time winner of People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive title for being confused. See the commercial on YouTube and the espresso capsule craze that’s got people buzzing across the pond.
Steam machines are significantly less expensive than pump-driven machines. You’ll pay more for commercial-quality materials and parts, but you can also find suitable models under $100. Budget espresso machines produce fewer bars of pressure, but still produce a solid shot for at home convenience.
Mid-range espresso machines ($100-300) supply adequate pressure for consistent flavor extraction and a wide variety of options for control over the final product via some manual and some automatic functions.
Top-of-the-line espresso machines ($300+) are highly-automated and are constructed by superior materials such as stainless steel. They are typically commercial-quality.
What are the terms and definitions I need to know about?
Automatic
Any espresso machine that is not entirely manual. Superautomatic machines handle every step of the pull process, including clean-up, while semi-automatic and automatic varieties automate just the “pull.”
Bar
This is the pressure rating on most pump espresso machines. Ideally, machines will produce 9 bars of pressure when the shot is pulled. Steam machines generate 1-3 bars, while pump machines are capable of building an acceptable level to produce intense flavor and a crema.
Crema
A well-pulled shot will have a slight head of foam that is gold and brown in color. It’s also a good indication that the espresso will taste flavorful and balanced.
Manual
On manual machines, baristas are able to pull the shot themselves by depressing a lever which allows pressurized steam to pass through the espresso grounds.
Moka Pot
The moka pot is a manual machine that is used on the stove top to make strong coffee. It is capable of producing roughly 1.5 bars which it then forces through coffee grounds using steam.
Pod
Aone-shot, pre ground, and pre-packed serving of ground coffee that can be used in pod machines for a no-mess espresso fix.
One thing to watch out for when buying a dual coffee maker (Espresso and Drip) is the drip speed. We have a nice Krups dual coffee maker that takes about 15 minutes to brew a pot of coffee. That's the longest 15 minutes of my day...
