espressomachinecenter.com

The language of the espresso machine is easy to learn.  With a few basic terms and you can show the retailer that you know how many beans make five, and come away with the espresso machine that’s best suited to you.

Bar
A measure of the pressure the pump in the espresso machine can create. You need 8 to 10 bar to make espresso.

Boiler
One method of heating the water before it is pumped through the coffee. Another method is a thermoblock.

Bypass doser
Some automatic machines let you use two different types of coffee, e.g. arabica and decaf. The second coffee will generally have to be pre-ground.

Crema
The creamy brown foam on top of the cup of coffee.

Descaling
A process to remove mineral deposits from the inside of your machine. This needs to be done regularly, especially if your water is hard.

Filter
The filter fits into the portafilter. It holds the ground coffee and has holes in the bottom to let the liquid coffee — but not coffee grinds — through. Espresso machines usually have two filters, one for a single cup and one for a double cup.

Group head
Where the portafilter joins the espresso machine.

Portafilter (or group handle)
Holds the filter and attaches to the group head.

Puck
The used coffee left in the filter. If the coffee is tamped properly, the puck should be dry and easy to knock out.

Tamping
Pressing the ground coffee into the filter. If the coffee is not tamped enough, the cup of coffee will be watery with a poor crema. But if it is tamped too tight, the water will take too long to pump through and the coffee will be bitter.

Thermoblock
An alternative to a boiler.  The water or milk is passed through a metal block to reach the required temperature.

Water reservoir
The tank where water is held before heating.

You can read more about espresso machines at http://espressomachinecenter.com

If you’re looking for an espresso machine then you’re either a coffee lover or you know someone who is.  You can already impress your friends with your lattes and the depth and colour of your crema, well now it’s time to impress them with your knowledge of coffee trivia.

Of course you know that coffee contains caffeine, but did you also know: 

What has caffeine in it?

• coffee, tea and chocolate, where it occurs naturally
• more than 60 plants contain caffeine in their leaves, seeds and fruits
• animals can’t stand the bitter taste and it’s the plant’s protection mechanism to avoid being eaten
• you can use cold, strong Lapsang Souchong tea to repel possums in your garden
• cola, energy drinks and alco-pops, where it is added because it has a stimulant effect
• over-the-counter medications like painkillers and cold and flu remedies

How long does the effect last?

• caffeine is metabolised by your liver and passes through your body within two to 10 hours
• smokers metabolise caffeine more quickly than non-smokers
• pregnant women take longer to metabolise it
• oral contraceptives slow the rate of caffeine metabolism

Compare the caffeine content
 
Espresso        40-90 mg / 30 ml shot
Drip coffee      75-125 mg / 250 ml cup
Instant coffee  20-40 mg / 250 ml cup
Tea                10-50 mg / 250 ml cup
Energy drink   80 mg / 250 ml can
Cola drink       49 mg / 375 ml can
For more about espresso machines, not all trivia, visit http://espressomachinecenter.com

I found a recipe for a low-fat, low joule dessert that’s embarrassingly simple to make.  It’s an Espresso Sorbetto and the ingredients are espresso coffee, low fat milk and a little sugar.  The recipe is at http://www.republicacoffee.com.au

The bonus is that the Republica brand of coffee is 100% Fair Trade Coffee.  They guarantee that every single bean they use is Fair Trade certified, which means that the coffee farmers get a fair price for their crop and their labour.  Coffee is a valuable and much traded commodity - just look on the Commodities Exchange or the Futures Exchange.  Chocolate comes into the same category, so it may reassure you that you can absolve some of your guilt for indulging in these simple pleasures by buying Fair Trade.  Republica’s motto is, “Doesn’t that leave a good taste in your mouth!” (TM).

I found the coffee in my local supermarket.  The price compares with top of the range brands, so I’ll be doing a taste comparison over the next few days.

Their website is well worth a visit http://www.republicacoffee.com.au

Your espresso machine is just the beginning.  With a little patience and some basic tools, you can really impress your guests with coffee art.  Here are some simple directions to make chasing hearts.  It’s up to you to choose who you want to show your art off to.

Tools

You will already have these in your kitchen.  You need a small stainless steel jug, a teaspoon, a tablespoon and a metal skewer.

Brown Base

Heat a jug of milk and swirl it to get a silky texture, as you learned in the previous post.  Pour the milk into the centre of a glass of coffee in a steady stream, in the same spot.  The milk will disappear under the crema and leave a smooth, brown base for you to create your art on.

Chasing Hearts

Prepare a glass of coffee and add milk to make a brown base, as above.  Foam some milk in a jug.  Use a teaspoon to put three dots of foam on top of the brown base.  Put your metal skewer about an inch deep into the crema and in one circular movement, draw it through the middle of each of the three dots.  And voila!  Three hearts, chasing each other around the top of your coffee.

There’s more about espresso machines at http://espressomachinecenter.com

There are some simple techniques you can learn to become a milk master.

Temperature

The worst mistake you can make is to burn the milk.  It makes a vile smell that hangs around for ages.  It’s also the most common mistake made.  The ideal temperature is 66-76 degrees Celsius.  You can use a thermometer, but if you want to look like an expert, use a stainless steel jug and heat the milk until you feel you can no longer keep your hand on the side of the jug.

Foaming

Start with cold milk.  You’ll have more time to get maximum foam before the milk gets too hot.  Only fill the jug one third full, to leave room for the foam.  Put the steam arm under the milk in the middle of the jug, apply maximum steam and slowly lower the jug, taking care to keep the steam arm in the milk.

Bubble Size

If you want to do coffee art, the milk needs to be smooth and shiny.  Lower the jug very slowly, so no big bubbles form while you are foaming.  Tap the jug on the bench to get rid of any bubbles and swirl the jug to get the texture right.

Don’t worry if it isn’t perfect - at least you will look like you know what you’re doing.

So, make a cappuccino and have a look at http://espressomachinecenter.com

Once you’ve chosen your espresso machine and got used to using it, you’ll want to be able to make coffee for your friends and guests.  Here are some coffee essentials to cover most occasions:

Espresso or short black.  30 ml coffee in a small cup.

Long black 30 ml coffee and half a cup of hot water, in a cup.  My favourite.

Latte 1/3 coffee, 2/3 milk and a little foam in a glass with a napkin around it.

Flat white 1/3 coffee, 2/3 milk and a little foam in a cup.

Cappuccino 1/3 coffee, 2/3 milk and a lot of foam in a cup, with chocolate on top.

Macchiato Espresso or short black with foam.

Piccolo Latte Espresso with milk and foam in a small glass.

Mocha 30 ml coffee with hot chocolate in a tall glass.

Vienna long black with whipped cream and chocolate on top.

Iced coffee scoop ice cream, 1/3 cold coffee, 2/3 cold milk, whipped cream and chocolate in a tall glass.

When you’re ready to get really fancy, you can make pictures in the foam on top of your coffee like leaves, flowers, tear drops and hearts.  You can even get them to separate out into layers, which looks impressive if you’re serving coffee in a glass. 

The Rancilio Silva is popular with reviewers who generally say it is an excellent espresso machine for the money. The Silva gets high marks for the quality of its espresso and the fact it is easy-to-use.

Rancilio’s background in comercial espresso macines shows up in the near-professional-quality stainless steel construction and overall build quality.

The Silva can brew a shot of espresso in 20 seconds and steam eight ounces of milk in 45 seconds. It is often sold together with the Rocky coffee grinder.

Product Specifications:

• Dimensions:L 11,4 inch P 9,3 inch H 13,4inch
• Power consumption:
• US version:120V 60Hz 800W
• Euro version: 230V-50/60Hz 1100W
• Water tank capacity: 0,66 US gal
• Weight: 30,4 pounds

Accessories Included:

• 1 two-cup portafilter with double spout
• 1 one-cup filter basket
• Measuring scoop and coffee-tamper

The dual head Nespresso Gemini CS220 that can prepare two drinks at a time and is great for the office, or for a high volume, domestic kitchen.

The two water tanks hold 3 liters of water each to keep you running for a while or there is a direct connect option to plumb it in.

It is designed with semi-automatic capsule insertion and ejection, and features 2 waste containers for used capsules with each container holding up to 35 used capsules.

It offers three programmable cup sizes - Ristretto, Espresso and Lungo.

If you don’t need the internal milk storage of the CS220, the Gemini CS200 should do you fine.

Main Features:

• Cappuccino and Caffè Latte functions. Milk frothed or steamed in 20 seconds with a simple press of a button.
• Disposable milk straws and nozzles.
• 1-litre thermal container to store fresh, cold milk for up to eight hours.
• Innovative double head extraction system for preparing two cups simultaneously.
• Semi-automatic capsule insertion and ejection.
• 3 programmable cup sizes: Ristretto, Espresso, and Lungo.
• Hot water dispenser.
• Pre-programmed choice of languages with digital multilanguage display.
• 2 waste containers for used capsules (Capacity: 35 used capsules per containers).
• Cup-warming plate.
• Two 3-litre removable water tanks.
• Available option for direct water connection
• Electrical power consumtion: 2410W maximum.
• Pressure: 16-19 bars.

Pasquini Espresso Co. is a family owned and managed enterprise thathas been in business since 1956.

Despite the Italian sounding name they are located in LA (you can visit their showroom in downtown Los Angeles and enjoy a free cappuccino)

They supply a selection of top quality imported commercial machines for domestic and restaurant/businesses use across America.

Their company slogan is cute: “For music-Puccini for art-Bernini for espresso-Pasquini” . 

Livia Auto Espresso Machine Features:

• Always ready for use (designed to be left ON all day).
• Brewing - 1 or 2 cups at a time continuously for uninterrupted brewing and steaming with no recovery time necessary (with a one gallon reservoir that fills the boiler tank automatically).
• Heavy-Duty Heating Element - Less than 7 minute warm-up.
• Low Maintenance - A few minutes daily guarantees many years of trouble-free use.
• Computerized Safety System - Will turn the machine OFF when the water level is low.
• Wide range of accessories including the Moka grinder
• Framework and Body - All components are polished stainless steel or completely powder-coated for anti-rust 
   

Why I Prefer Espresso Over Drip

By Matthew Payne

For my normal morning cup of Joe, I settle for two glasses of espresso. The preparation and cleanup of an espresso machine is more time consuming than a drip machine. Despite this aspect, I have integrated the cleanup into my breakfast routine so that the couple of minutes I take to prepare and clean the machine are not noticed.

1. Water content

The main reason I started to consume espresso was that typical coffee contained too much water. I did not enjoy being full of water for the morning part of my day. Four cups of espresso contain the same amount of water as one cup of coffee.

2. Caffeine content

There is not much of a reduction in the amount of caffeine found in one cup of espresso compared to a cup of coffee.

3. Flavor

I love good coffee. Espresso is one way to get the full flavor of the coffee. There is no paper filter to absorb and keep flavorful oils out of the coffee.

4. Warmness

I don’t enjoy hot coffee, but I do like to consume coffee fast. This causes a problem while using a drip machine. One doesn’t want to remove the carafe until brewing is done (doing so alters the flavor). Because of this, the coffee is very hot and takes time to cool in a coffee cup. Espresso cools much quicker and I can gulp it down when it is done brewing.

If you haven’t tried a cup of Espresso, you don’t know what you’re missing!
Matthew Payne is a contributing member of http://coffee-tips.quickprovider.com/ and http://articles.quickprovider.com - both high content filled article sites

You can read more at http://espressomachinecenter.com