If you're looking for the perfect coffee machine to suit your needs, this guide has all the information you need. From the best barista-style machines to the one touch coffee makers, you can find a range of options to choose from. If you need further help, don't' hesitate to contact us. We'll be more than happy to provide assistance and advice to help you find the perfect coffee machine for you.
Traditional Espresso Machines
Traditional espresso coffee machines use a combination of heated water and pressurized steam to create a strong, flavourful and aromatic espresso shot.
Traditional espresso machines are typically constructed of stainless steel and feature a boiler, a portafilter and other components to create the perfect espresso. The portafilter is used to hold the ground espresso beans, and the boiler is used to heat the water and generate the steam pressure necessary to extract the flavour from the beans. Traditional Espresso Machines are a great way to make a perfect espresso shot every time.
Advantages of buying a traditional espresso machine
- Firstly, they produce a much more flavourful and intense espresso than automatic machines, due to the manual tamping of the grounds before brewing.
- Additionally, they require much less maintenance than an automatic machine and are easier to troubleshoot when problems arise.
- Finally, manual machines allow for greater control and customization over the brewing process, such as the choice of grind size and the amount of pressure applied to the grounds during tamping. For these reasons, many coffee aficionados choose traditional espresso machines over their automatic counterparts.
Disadvantages of traditional espresso machine
- Traditional espresso machines can be difficult to operate and require a certain level of skill and knowledge to use correctly.
- They can also be expensive to purchase and maintain, and require frequent cleaning and maintenance to keep in optimal working order.
- Additionally, traditional espresso machines are often large and bulky, making them difficult to transport or store in small spaces. They can also be quite noisy, which can be disruptive in quiet environments.
What should I look for when buying traditional espresso machine?
- PID (Proportional Integral Derivative) controller: This allows for precise temperature control and accuracy, allowing you to make the perfect espresso shot.
- Pump Pressure: This is an important factor, as it determines the amount of pressure used to extract the espresso shot. The higher the pressure, the more intense the espresso flavour.
- Three-way valve: This is a feature found on higher-end espresso machines, and it helps to flush out the portafilter after each use, helping to maintain a clean espresso machine.
- Thermoblock heating system: This type of heating system uses a series of heating elements to quickly heat up the water for espresso extraction. This helps to reduce the amount of time it takes to make an espresso shot.
- Pre-infusion: This is a feature that allows the espresso grounds to “bloom” before full extraction begins. This helps to develop a more balanced espresso shot.
Bean to Cup Coffee Machines
The advantages of buying a bean to cup coffee machine
- Freshness: Bean to cup coffee machines grind beans fresh for each cup of coffee, ensuring maximum flavour and freshness.
- Convenience: Bean to cup machines are incredibly convenient and user-friendly, allowing you to make specialty drinks quickly and easily.
- Variety: With a bean to cup machine, you can create a variety of drinks, from espresso to cappuccino to latte.
- Customization: Bean to cup machines allow you to customize your drinks according to your tastes, making it easy to make the perfect cup of coffee every time.
- Cost savings: Bean to cup machines can save you money in the long run since you don't have to buy pre-ground or pre-packaged coffee.
The disadvantages of a bean to cup coffee machine
- Maintenance: Bean-to-cup coffee machines require regular maintenance to ensure the best quality of coffee. This includes regular descaling, cleaning, and replenishing of beans and other supplies.
- Complexity: Bean to cup coffee machines are more complex to use and require more attention, as you have to grind the beans each time you make a cup of coffee.
- Noise: Bean-to-cup machines can be noisy when grinding and brewing.
- Limited Variety: Bean-to-cup machines are limited in the types of coffee they can make, as they grind and brew only one type of bean.
- Upfront cost: The bean to cup coffee machines cost anywhere between £300 to £2000
- Counter space: Bean-to-cup coffee machines are large and bulky, so they can take up a lot of counter space.
What should I look for when buying bean to cup coffee machine?
- Ease of Use: A good bean-to-cup coffee machine should be easy to use and maintain. Look for a machine that has easy-to-follow instructions and is not too complicated to operate.
- Maintenance: Check to see how easy it is to maintain the machine. Some machines require more frequent cleaning and maintenance than others.
- Capacity: Consider the capacity of the machine. If you are making coffee for a large group of people, you may want to look for a machine with a larger capacity.
- Size: Consider the counter space the bean to cup machine is going to take. You need to take the water tank out and you need sufficient height under your kitchen cabinets.
Filter Coffee Machines
Filter coffee machines are easy to use and they come in different cup volumes. You pour cold water in the top of the machine where it is warmed by a heating element, then the water simply drips down through a a basket of ground coffee to infuse in a jug below. The jug is kept warm by a hot plate.
The advantages of buying a filter coffee machine
- Cost-effective: Filter coffee machines are affordable and economical. They don’t require expensive capsules or pods, so you can save money in the long run.
- Easy to use: Filter coffee machines are simple and easy to use. All you need to do is add your favourite beans, grind them, add the filter and switch it on.
- Space Efficiency - Compared to other coffee machines the filter coffee machines are compact and require minimal counter space.
- Convenience: Filter coffee machines are incredibly convenient. They are easy to use, require minimal cleanup
- The yield: Filter coffee machines can brew a jug of coffee in a short period of time
The disadvantages of buying a filter coffee machine
- Flavour: Filter paper can absorb some of the coffee's flavour.
- Variety: Filter coffee machine only makes black coffee
- Separate grinder: Filter coffee machines take ground coffee and you will need a separate grinder
- Time: Making coffee using a filter coffee machine can take longer than other types of coffee makers.
