Drinking a shot of espresso in the morning is a great way to start your day. Just the mere scent of it is enough to wake you up. Be it a shot of medium or dark roast, its aroma travels through your nose and into your body, warming you up and giving you energy. Whether you want to relax, or you want to stay focused on something, drinking coffee will sure help you clear your mind or boost your energy levels.
If you’re looking into making coffee into a morning habit, you need a good espresso machine. Here are 4 tips to choosing a coffee maker so you can get the best espresso machine for your home:
Take note of the functions and features
It’s important to research about the features of an espresso machine. When you walk into stores, take your time to talk to the product specialist about the functions of the coffee machine you’re looking at.
Look at the specifications of the pressure pump. 9 bars is the minimum pressure required to make an espresso. A more powerful pump enables you to extract more flavor from your coffee, though there’s also a risk of over-extraction. Consider the boiler plate too, which is responsible for heating water from the valve. The boiler is usually made from aluminum, steel, or brass. Brass and aluminum steel are the most common types as they are able to retain heat longer.
Other parts you can inquire about are portafilters, group head, valves, and water reservoir. These are also vital parts of an espresso machine so you should take your time to learn about them.
Purchase from a reputable brand
You’ll never go wrong buying an espresso machine from a top rated brand. Brands who specialize in coffee makers usually come out as the authority in the field. They know their products well and are knowledgeable in all things coffee. With a reputable brand, their name is your guarantee. Check for a brand that has high consumer ratings, extensive warranty offers, and reliable technical support.
Check for ease of maintenance
Espresso makers with a light system are usually easy to maintain as they don’t sport a lot of extra features. Get a machine that’s easy enough to maintain so you won’t dread cleaning it time after time. Some machines are too complex to clean and maintain you’d rather get your coffee fix at Starbucks. Cleaning basically involves rinsing the filter baskets and scrubbing the group heads. Some espresso makers are small enough for easy cleaning. But there are bigger ones with more features that consequently has more parts to maintain.
Consider the size of the machine
Depends on the features you want, you can get a plain espresso maker that serves 24oz or a barista system that serves a litter. The choice is all yours but generally the more features it has, the more space it will take on your countertop. Some people are content with classic concentrated shots, while some are more adventurous and want variety. There are bigger systems that can produce cappuccino and lattes too.
