Health & Fitness Tools

Italian Espresso Coffee Machines Reviewed

31st March, 2010 - Posted by health news - No Comments

Are you having difficulty choosing an espresso maker with all the different to pick from? If you do not know how they work, it is hard to ask the correct questions when considering buying a machine.

Hot water – around 90 degrees centigrade, is forced under pressure through coffee grounds. The pressures can be quite high – in some cases as much as 9 bars. The oils in the coffee are extracted to produce a superb, smooth shot of espresso every time.

If the machine is already prepped – water heated and pump primed – it should be able to produce a shot within a few seconds. Finely ground coffee tends to allow a faster shot to be produced, but other aspects also have an effect. In general, more finely ground coffee allows the water to run through more quickly, depending how tightly packed it is. See this article for more details: Espresso coffee resource.

There are some espresso machines that rely on a combination of a steam wand in order to create milk based coffee beverages like lattes and cappuccinos. The wand forces steam into a container of milk to make the milk hot and frothy. How much froth vs milk is required will depend on your personal preferences. The choice of espresso makers can be overwhelming. Types of machine range from basic stove top models to complex, fully automatic devices, plus of course the pump or steam driven original types of machine.

A key ingredient to making a good shot of espresso is picking the coffee blend. Coffee used for espresso machines has to be specially blended in order to be able to create the smoothness, sweetness and aroma that are necessary in order to have that perfect cup of espresso.

Lighter roasts tend to be sweeter and hold on to the sugars in the beans better than darker roasts, although this can vary.

Some dark roasted blends tend towards bitterness and leave a charcoal after taste in the shot. Filtered water must be used when making espresso also, if the water has a funny taste the final cup with not taste right. It is also vital that your chosen machine is consistent with water heating. You need water around 195 degrees Fahrenheit without fail.

Visit here for an interesting and fun review of the best espresso machines – by Mark Knowles at http://hubpages.com/hub/espresso-machines