When is a capsule espresso machine the ideal choice, and when does it not pay off? What are the advantages of manual coffee machines, and what are the virtues of automatic devices? Is the price of the machine the most crucial factor in decision-making, or should attention be paid to its functions and technical characteristics?
Surely, some people enjoy coffee the most when they go out, but many want to have a good espresso at home. Regardless, due to the pandemic, there has undoubtedly been a lot more coffee consumed in the comfort of one’s own home lately, confirming the increase in sales of home espresso machines.
Like with any product, when it comes to an espresso machine, there are many different models, price ranges, qualities, methods of operation, and coffee preparation techniques. In the following text, we will try to help you choose the espresso machine that suits you best.
Types of Espresso Machines
Generally, home espresso machines can be divided into three categories: automated machines, manual machines, and capsule machines. First, you should decide which of these three types of espresso machines suits you best, and then choose the one that represents the best choice based on design, price, or any special features.
Automated Machines
Automated machines are devices where the coffee preparation process is maximally simplified, reduced to placing a cup and pressing a button. The machine grinds the coffee beans, fills the doser, and prepares the coffee. All this happens inside the machine, so the user is spared from any additional actions. The advantages of these machines include extremely simplified coffee preparation, which neither takes time nor requires washing anything or getting hands dirty. Ideal for business spaces.
Also, the taste of the coffee is excellent because nothing can compare to coffee freshly ground a few moments earlier and immediately prepared. It is assumed that these devices allow for playing with various parameters of coffee preparation, and the more expensive the device, of course, the more options for coffee preparation.
Most of these machines are quite high-quality, with ceramic grinders that are very durable, so maintenance is simple and amounts to occasional cleaning of the device. However, these machines are quite expensive. They are more expensive than manual machines and incomparably more expensive than capsule machines.
As a drawback, coffee enthusiasts attribute to these devices that coffee is prepared by pressing a button, so someone who truly enjoys preparing coffee is deprived of that ritual. Of course, for many, this is an advantage…
Manual Espresso Machines
The most interesting in terms of the relationship between utility value and price are manual coffee machines. These are espresso machines with a lever and a doser into which ground coffee is poured, just like professional machines in cafes.
This is precisely what appeals to many users because coffee preparation resembles making espresso in cafes. Of course, this involves a little more work because the doser needs to be filled with ground coffee, placed in the holder, and then emptied and cleaned after coffee preparation. This may be a deal-breaker for some and not for others…
The fact that you do the process of filling the coffee into the doser before hot water passes through it gives you additional freedom to experiment and prepare coffee exactly to your taste, but it also requires a bit more involvement and exploration from you to make the coffee ideal.
Apart from the slightly more complicated process of preparing coffee and cleaning after coffee preparation, maintaining the machine itself is as demanding as with automated machines. One of the advantages of manual machines is that they are significantly cheaper than automated ones, so it is possible to buy a fairly high-quality machine at much more affordable prices.
Capsule Machines
The third category is capsule machines. Coffee preparation with them is very simple. You insert a capsule, press a lever, activate the switch, and the coffee is ready. Many people often rush to buy these devices because they are very affordable and have a very attractive design.
However, there is a catch: when you buy this device at a more affordable price, you are obliged to buy capsules from that manufacturer. We won’t mention any brands, but there are several renowned manufacturers selling capsules with very high-quality coffee, offered in various types (stronger, weaker, decaffeinated…), so the quality of the coffee is excellent.
The drawback is that after a minor investment in the device, you drink more expensive coffee than when buying a manual or automatic espresso machine. Of course, there are ways to cope, so you can buy capsules from lesser-known brands, which are more affordable, while the quality of the coffee remains excellent.
It is even possible to find and order adapters on the internet that allow the use of capsules from one manufacturer in devices from others, but this complicates the coffee preparation quite a bit, so it might be better to start by buying a manual espresso machine.
Conclusion
When it comes to the basic three types of espresso machines, the conclusion could be as follows: if you enjoy high-quality espresso, don’t have time to prepare it, and money is not an issue, automatic espresso machines are the right choice.
If you also don’t want coffee preparation to be a complicated procedure and don’t want to invest a lot of money in a coffee machine, then the right choice is a capsule machine. Also, an automated machine is suitable for those who drink several coffees a day or have multiple family members who drink coffee because the price of one cup of coffee is low.
On the other hand, if you only drink one coffee a day, it is not worth investing in an expensive automated coffee machine. In that case, a capsule machine is a better choice because one box with 16 capsules will last for more than two weeks. Manual espresso machines are a kind of good compromise. The device itself is relatively affordable, the coffee cup is not expensive, but it requires a little more involvement to prepare espresso.
It should also be noted that when choosing an espresso machine, you should inquire well about additional features, such as the possibility of heating milk and making foam from it. Most people never use this option even though they have it, instead adding milk afterward, but for some, this addition is very important.
Some models have faster heating before coffee preparation begins, and some even have the option of heating cups. This may sound unimportant, but it is not because pouring a short espresso into a cold cup is by no means a recipe for enjoying excellent coffee.
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