If, like me, you find it hard to get through the day without a few good cups of coffee, you are probably already using some type of coffee machine to fulfill your needs. Then, like me, you are probably wondering just why the coffee you make at home is never as good as those that you buy at the local coffee shop. Well a lot of this comes down to espresso machines and how you use them. You see, there are several different types available and not all of them are as good as they promise to be.
The simplest and cheapest espresso machines tend to be in the shape of a jug. You put some water in the base, fill the middle section with ground coffee and, after screwing all the bits back together, place it on the hob. When the water has boiled you should find that the jug part of the machine is full of espresso.
These espresso machines are fairly easy to use and are also quite quick, but they do have their problems. First of all they are pretty clumsy and can be knocked off the heat by yourself, or your children. This is an obviously dangerous downside. Next, they boil the water to make the coffee and everybody knows that a proper cup of java should be made with water that is just below boiling point. You didn’t know that? Well now you do and you can bore your friends too.
So they are dangerous and the results aren’t as good as they should be, that’s a fail in my book.
Has anyone ever tried to use a French press or cafetiere? These look great and are fairly easy to master. You put the coffee grinds in the jug, add hot water and then push down the plunger when the coffee has had time to brew; sounds great. And they are if you use them properly. A tip here is to wait for a couple of minutes after the water has boiled before you pour it into the press. Remember, boiling water is bad.
They can, however, be time consuming to use and there always seems to be a small amount of ground coffee at the bottom of your mug.
So we move onto the more professional looking espresso machines that resemble the ones in your favorite coffee shop. These are usually quite large and a good one will set you back a lot of cash. You put the grinds into the strainer and put your mug under it. Switch on the machine and watch your espresso appear. If you get everything right you get a cracking cup of espresso and an awful lot of washing up, because these espresso machines are a pain to clean.
So, finally, let’s consider the newer style of pod espresso machines. With these you buy coffee pods to place in the machine. These pods are available in all sorts of flavors and types and can be purchased from most food stores. As long as the machine has water and pods it is ready to go. You switch it on and, within seconds, you have your coffee.
They make a decent cup and it is the same every time, so no more messing about with amounts of grinds or temperatures of water. The only downfall is that you are not responsible for how the coffee tastes; the espresso machines do it for you, much like at your local coffee shop.