Home Coffee Equipment
Diets December 4th, 2009When there is a time lapse between coffee being roasted and ground then brewed, the chances are that the quality of the coffee won’t be great. This is why coffee lovers have to have their own coffee equipment, especially if they are espresso drinkers.
Freshness is key to quality! Essentially even if you select a lesser quality coffee and grind it to brew fresh, you will get a better cup of coffee out of it than if the coffee beans are roasted, ground and allowed to sit around and go stale. While it may not be that feasible to have a coffee roaster in your home, it is not hard to find freshly roasted beans and grind them at home.
The basic piece of coffee equipment you, as a coffee lover, require is a good grinder. Grinders are available in all kinds of makes and models. They also come in different sizes, but no one really needs an industrial sized coffee grinder at home. Remember you want to grind the coffee fresh every time you need it; this is how you maintain the quality of the brew. A coveted piece of coffee equipment is the espresso machine.
Obviously coffee shops are going to need a bulk grinder, but unless you are a serious coffee drinker, you won’t need one of these at home. So a simple grinder will do the job. The be all and end all of coffee equipment has got to be the espresso machine. These are manufactured by many coffee equipment companies and are designed to make espresso the correct way at home.
There are basically three types of espresso machine, the semi-automatic, automatic or “super” automatic. While most people have a preference for the automatic espresso machine, this is because they are able to be programmed to cut off a shot within a certain period of time and timing is what makes for a good espresso. Twenty three seconds seems to be the agreed up limit for making an espresso, and this is often difficult to judge with semi-automatic coffee equipment.
The semi- automatic machine is okay, but if you want to pull out all the stops, and price is no object then the super automatic espresso machine is the thing for you.
Certainly, if your friends share your love of coffee, they will be fascinated by watching this machine work while it grinds, tamps, cuts a shot and then throws the used grounds into the waste disposal. Just make sure that if you invest in coffee equipment of a superior and expensive nature, that you know you are able to get parts locally, as well as have it serviced if something goes wrong. Imagine the grief if you’re forced to go without your favorite beverage for any extended period!
Choosing a home coffee machine can be difficult. It is not a decision that you should be making unless you are doing many research. Not all coffee machines are correct for everyone many people may like coffee pods many may not.
Tags: food, coffee, make coffee at home, home coffee machine
December 4th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Great article, being an Italian, espresso is my passion
February 21st, 2011 at 3:29 am
I am a heavy coffee drinker. Nothing less than a 10 or 12 cup machine would do for me.