Can’t imagine your day without coffee? We feel you.
Workday mornings are often tedious with the same boring routine- The morning alarm, the rushed shower, and leaving home in haste for work. Among all this hustle, a good cup of coffee can make your morning exciting and give you good energy to start your day.
Most coffee lovers tend to have more than one cup in a day. Why spend extra bucks in a coffee shop when you can get the delight of quality espresso coffee at your home. Get yourself the best espresso coffee machine and enjoy your favorite coffee without needing to leave your place.
If you feel overwhelmed with the variety of coffee machines available in the market and do not know which one to pick, then this article is for you. Not only we going to review the best espresso coffee machine options for you, but we’ll also tell you what to look for while purchasing one. Keep reading to learn what you need to know about the coffee machines.
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What is an Espresso Coffee Machine?
An espresso coffee machine is the mini version of the ones you find in coffee shops. It uses ground coffee rather than coffee beans. If you prefer using coffee beans, you’d want to get yourself an electric coffee grinder.
Making a coffee with an espresso coffee machine needs a little more expertise than the simpler models. It is largely about attaining a balance between the appropriate amount of coffee and the pressure used for compression. Once you learn to get the right balance between these two factors, you’re going to be a pro in making quality coffee.
An espresso coffee machine gives you far more control while making specialty coffees like lattes and cappuccinos. Instead of foaming milk in an ordinary bean-to-cup coffee machine, the steam wand offers complete control of the temperature and consistency of the steamed milk.
Also Read: Best Espresso Coffee Beans you must try
Espresso Machine Accessories
Before making a purchase, you must know about the accessories of an espresso machine. When you are fully aware of what to look for, you can easily select the best espresso coffee machine for yourself.
- Portafilter
A portafilter is a lever comprising a filter basket. It holds coffee grounds. This is afterward fitted into the espresso machine, and boiling water is forced through the basket.
- Filter Basket
A filter basket is a compact stainless steel holder with numerous small perforations in the bottom. It is set inside the portafilter. It is where you place the coffee grounds. Some machines come with the feature to make two shots at a time. In this case, your machine will contain two different-sized filter baskets: one if for a double shot and the other for a single shot.
- Tamper
A tamper is set with the portafilter. It is a small part of the espresso machine used for compressing the ground coffee in the filter basket. You shouldn’t pack the coffee grounds excessively loose or too tight. For this, you might need a little practice.
- Stainless steel milk jug
The stainless steel milk jug is to hold the milk. Some machines have up to 500 ml of liquid holding capacity. It indicates the extent to which your milk is heated.
- Cleaning tool
The cleaning tool is sort of a little tooth-brush. It has a plastic handle with bristle brushes for cleaning any struck ground coffee under the portafilter.
Our List of Best Espresso Coffee Machines – 2020
After trying out various models and taking out specific time to look for the features, we have reviewed the best coffee machines for you. Check out the list and see which one is the best espresso coffee machine for your coffee choices.
If you’re very specific and picky about your coffee, this automatic espresso machine is for you. Here is why we suggest this product to you.
Pros
- The Breville Barista Machine lets you select among 30 varieties of grind sizes and five different temperature options.
- Its automatic functions didn’t fail to impress us
- The basic steam wand allows you to froth milk and get the consistency you want
Cons
- The settings are a bit complicated to understand in the beginning
We recommend the Breville Barista Machine to coffee lovers with particular coffee preferences. A little play around and adjustment with the settings allows you to get the shot of your choice. This product is a yes from our side.
The Nespresso Bambino plus Machine is an ideal automatic espresso machine for the ones who want the traditional experience of espresso. Let us tell you why we liked it
Pros
- This machine features a double filter basket which lets you choose between a single or dual espresso shots
- We liked its hands-on and user-friendly operation
- it allows you to choose between frothy or steamy milk so you can make coffee of your choice
Cons
- One thing we found missing in the product is a built-in coffee grinder
On the whole, this espresso machine is a suitable choice for those who love to have traditional barista coffee. It will prove to be a value for money purchase for you.
K-café espresso machine is a suitable pick for coffee lovers who do not have time to experiment with the machine settings and adjustments.
Pros
- While testing, we found the setup process to be fairly easy and took less than 10 minutes
- The features of allowing 4 brewing sizes and letting you choose between latte and cappuccino are quite impressive
- It comes with a built-in wand for milk frothing
- It is easy to operate as compared to other coffee machines with complicated user manuals
Cons
- The design and look of the K-café machine didn’t quite impress us. we found the design to be ordinary with no wings
On the whole, this espresso machine is a perfect choice for those who want their coffee to be just the push of a few buttons away. The quality of espresso does not match with the one from an expensive machine. However, it is a fairly reasonable midrange product.
We found the Deluxe Automatic Espresso Machine amazingly super friendly. Here is what we found for you in this product.
Pros
- We loved this product for being extremely user friendly
- Upon turning it On, the machine gave us a step by step guide to the process
- We were able to set the water hardness level without any complications
- The buttons are clear and swift
- It gives you various choices for brew sizes, water temperatures, and the milk frothing
Cons
- This machine doesn’t come with double filter baskets
The super user-friendly features and modern approach of this espresso machine made us fall in love with this product. We highly recommend it for those who choose to avoid getting into the complicated setup process of the coffee machine.
Mr. Coffee Speciality Pods machine is a fine selection for the coffee lovers who wish to cut out the visits to the coffee shops. This coffee maker has certain features to impress the users.
Pros
- It gives you a variety of K-cup based shots, double espresso shots, or drip free coffee
- We like how the thermal carafe keeps the coffee hot for long periods
- The steam wand to froth milk is a plus
Cons
- We found this machine to be a bit louder while operating
Overall, Mr. Coffee Speciality pods coffee maker is a reasonable choice. It gives you quality K-cup shots and maintains espresso flavor. However, the loud noise might be annoying for some.
Cleaning Your Espresso Machine
It is crucial to regularly clean your espresso machine. When preparing coffee, the direction of water flow is from the boiler to the group head. Afterward, it runs through the portafilter, the ground coffee, and eventually into your coffee mug.
When the shot ends, a three-way solenoid valve discharges additional pressure. During this process, a vacuum is created. This vacuum draws coffee, leftover grinds, and oils back into the group head and the release valve. As you may assume, over time these parts become greasy, which is why it becomes important to clean your espresso coffee machine.
Wrapping it up
Before you get a coffee machine you need to decide which espresso machine fits your needs the most. You’ll find a variety of manual, semi-automatic, automatic, and super-automatic machines available in the market. We gave you a detailed description of espresso machines, their accessories, and a list of the coffee machines we found to be amazing.
We hope that we made it easy for you to choose the best espresso coffee machine for yourself. Let us know which one you decided upon.
Start your day fresh and get the energy you need to start a great day with your favorite mug of coffee. Have a great brewing experience!
