The Espresso Coffee Maker Choices
September 18th, 2008 by adc1000
Photo: Nelly M.
For many people, a steaming cup of espresso is the one and only thing that can effectively help them get their morning off to a good start and give them that burst of energy they need to get out the door and on the way to the office. For some, the lure of picking up their cup of java at their favorite coffee shop is enough to get them moving, but others need an espresso coffee maker in their own kitchen to get their fix.
While it’s true we are all attempting to lower the amount we spend in the kitchen by using cheap recipes, for some of us a proper cup of coffee is essential. If you have decided that it is time to bring espresso equipment into your home so that you can start making your own and have it any time that you get a hankering for it, then you will need to get familiar with the types of home espresso machines that are on the market these days. With the popularity of all kinds of coffee drinks, including espresso and cappuccino, it should not be surprising to learn that there is a huge assortment of espresso coffee makers to choose from.
On thing that often catches people by surprise when they begin researching to buy an espresso coffee maker of their own is discovering that there are eight varieties of espresso machines. Even though not all of the eight models are widely available in the states, it can be helpful to know about the different Italian espresso equipment and how they originated.
The stovetop espresso maker could be considered to be the original espresso machine. If you travel to Italy, Portugal or Spain, you will most likely find one of these stovetop models in just about every home that you might visit. These stovetop machines have three distinct chambers, each with a different purpose.
The top chamber holds the freshly ground coffee, the middle chamber functions as a filter, and the lower chamber is where the water is heated. As the water heats up in the stovetop espresso machine, the steam is forced to go up a tube to the top chamber and the steam then permeates the grounds, which in turn produces the espresso.
The steam espresso maker is similar to the stovetop model, in that most of these types are also heated up on the stovetop, but the internal workings are somewhat different. Another type of espresso coffee machines is the piston-drive model that is operated by the steam. This type of espresso equipment tends to be much more expensive and therefore, not as widely used. However, it was the piston-drive Italian espresso maker that was responsible for the introduction of cream in the espresso, which has become a standard for many people.
There are five different electric espresso coffee maker models on the market today and these are currently more popular than the previous models mentioned. These five varieties are: fully manual, semi-automatic, automatic, super-automatic, and fully automatic. In recent years, the fully automatic home espresso machines have become the most popular because they can be hooked up with a water line. All it takes is a quick push of a button and moments later you can be enjoying your morning espresso.