Given our stressful lives, coffee companies like Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts and Costa have become integral in our daily routine. One of the most popular coffee brews is espresso, a highly-concentrated, bittersweet brew that first sprang up in Italy. For folks who drink espresso all the time, repeat visits to cafes can cost time and money. The practical alternative would be to own an espresso machine. We are here to help rock your next cup of coffee by sharing how to use your espresso machine to prepare excellent coffee.
Understanding Your Home Espresso Machine
A home espresso machine is a relatively smaller version of those found in commercial establishments but both work on the same principles. The internals of an espresso machine is a cluster of wiring and metal, with each part properly profiled and precision-engineered. But all the bells and whistles are simply to pressurize water and force them through the ground coffee and a set of filters. The result is a thick, concentrated coffee brew known as an espresso. Ready to start on your home espresso journey? On this list are four tips for working an espresso machine:
1. Look for the best espresso machine under 1,000 dollars
You want something to cut your everyday budget bust, so getting a relatively expensive espresso machine defeats your purpose. It isn’t difficult to find the best espresso machine under 1000 dollars, but don’t let the relatively inexpensive price fool you. These espresso machines under 1000 dollars already come with either semi-automatic or fully-automatic operation, constructed of heavy-grade plastic or stainless steel to ensure durability standards are met and comes with intelligent technology to make them competitive against the expensive ones.
2. Clean your espresso machine regularly
As with any kitchen appliance, an espresso machine accumulates dust, dirt, and other particulates over time. Routine maintenance is a requirement if you want your machine in tip-top shape. Regularly clean them once a month if you are using them every day, especially the filters.
3. Master your machine
Before jumping in excitedly on your new, shiny investment, try to read and learn all that you can from its instruction manual. You run a real risk of destroying the machine or hurting yourself if you operate it without properly following the correct procedures.
4. As much as possible, get a service warranty
Human as we are, the machines we make are equally imperfect and susceptible to malfunction. An espresso machine is not exactly a cheap investment, so a service warranty will help you should anything unfortunate happen to your machine.