

It also makes stronger coffee than a Chemex or similar pour-over setup by using steam to push hot water through the coffee grounds with one to two bars of pressure. In other words, this little appliance takes the guesswork out of making a quality cup - and, in my opinion, it tastes far better than the stuff a standard coffee maker produces. But I’ve quit that routine since acquiring a moka pot, which makes whipping up a cafe-worthy cup at home easy, not to mention cost-effective.Īs Alex wrote in an essay about his own moka pot, “The moka pot has rules (don’t fill the water past the safety valve) and limits (the filter basket can only hold exactly the amount of coffee the pot requires). Instead, I developed a $25-a-week coffee habit, buying $5 lattes sometimes twice a day from Third Wave coffee shops near my house and office. I didn’t start drinking coffee until I was 28, and I’ve never felt confident enough to make it myself at home. Two YouTube videos and a bag of coffee beans later, I was ready to use my one-cup moka pot at home. A week later, a moka pot arrived at my desk as part of a PR package I hadn’t asked for. He set the video to music, though I can’t recall the song, and I thought to myself, I’ve never seen something so beautiful. In Alex’s clip, a slow, steady stream of dark-brown liquid gold flowed through a narrow spout and cascaded into the prismatic silver pot. It wasn’t as if I’d never seen one - go anywhere in Europe or Latin America and you’ll see them around - but I’d never actually observed one in action. We began following each other on Instagram, and that’s where he introduced me to the wonders of the moka pot. Make sure you shop according to your available storage or countertop space.It started with my friend Alex, whom I met at a food conference in Philly in 2019. There are many machines that advertise 15-, 18-, or even 20-bar pressure, but in reality, nine bars is the perfect amount of pressure for espresso.”Įspresso machines can be bulky.

“This pressure refers to atmospheric pressure and is measured in bars. “Pressure is necessary to produce the rich crema that is only found in espresso,” says Calatrello. If you want to spice up your morning coffee with a frothy latte or cappuccino, consider a machine with various settings. What’s your favorite coffee drink? If you’re a black-coffee-only, sip-your-espresso-straight-up kind of person, finding a machine with a built-in milk frother probably doesn’t need to be your top priority. Would you rather push a button or two and have a nice espresso, or are you up for the whole barista experience each time you want a coffee? Manual will, by trade, require more effort, but some people prefer it.

Whether you opt for manual, semi-automatic, or fully automatic, consider which machine type you’re most likely to actually use.
#BIALETTI EXPRESSO MAKER SERIES#
For a proper splurge, we like the Philips 3200 Series Fully Automatic Espresso Machine with LatteGo. The Nespresso VertuoPlus Deluxe Coffee and Espresso Machine by Breville is an ideal choice if you’re looking for simplicity and sleekness. With Calatrello’s help, we’ve rounded up the six best small espresso machines on the market. Whichever your preference, a small espresso machine should reliably produce great results, all without the fuss and space requirements of a conventional machine. For most home coffee brewers, however, a semi-automatic machine will tick most of the boxes for ease of use and affordability.” “For those seeking a truly hands-off brewing experience, fully automatic machines are the way to go. “Espresso machines may be categorized into three basic modalities: manual, semi-automatic, and fully automatic,” says Heather Calatrello, owner and head roaster at ShedLight Coffee. While conventional espresso machines can be bulky, complicated, or expensive, small espresso machines have a minimal footprint and are often as simple to use as pushing a button. Many of us start our day with a nice pot of coffee, but there’s something equally lovely about an espresso as a midday pick-me-up, or perhaps as an after-dinner finish.
