Prolog There are several - easily about a dozen - major brands competing in the $500 range for competent home espresso machines. Surprised? Who in their right mind would spend a half a "G" on a "coffee maker"? Well, my fellow epinionators, I have news for you; people spend much, much more than $500 on these things and are very happy with their purchase... ...if you're one to stop at a coffee shop a few times a week, you can easily and quickly justify the cost of a good machine within a few months. Or, if you just enjoy being able to have a quality espresso in your bath robe, then you have another justification - I'm groping for reasons here!
My research led me to either the Gaggia Classic or the Rancillio Silvia. Both have a $600 list price and are currently priced at just under $500 including delivery from www.wholelattelove.com; to me the best espresso site in the world - lots of info and reviews, aggressive pricing, and heads-up support.
Types of Espresso Machines
First, the "discards": These are the inexpensive steam machines usually priced under $50 - please don't bother with these; they cannot brew decent espresso and cannot foam milk. The $100 pump machines drop the ball too. Then there are the under-$200 pump machines - they can do a good job and are passable if you make a handfull of espressos or lattes a month or don't mind replacing the machine every few months. Then there are the stove-top, weirdly-shaped, aluminum devices ... these don't actually make espresso, but rather a "mocha". Good, but no banana. And now, the true "contenders" for a great home machine types in the $200 and up price range...
Manual: These are the machines with the large hand lever. They are usually beautifully crafted and tend to be more expensive (over $600) than most. They are delightful to look at - striking me as the ultimate-yet-useful Rube Goldberg machine. The operator needs more skill because he/she is doing "the pull" manually and needs to uniformly apply 8 BARS (135psi) of pressure.
Semi-automantic: Here the hand lever is replaced with a pump. The electric pump reduces the skill level because it meters out exactly 8 BARS of pressure on the coffee grounds (135 psi), which is the optimum pressure to hit a 22 second brew. Note that many quality machines advertise "15 BAR" pump - most pumps are up around that but are then regulated down to the industry standard of 8 BARs. Regarding the quality of the pump, it is natural that the lower-end machines must use cheaper pumps (and switches, and boilers, and on and on)and therefore these cheaper machines may have a tendancy for more breakage than the better machines.
Automatic: Some people use this term to mean the forth type of machine described below. An automatic is a semi-automatic with the addition of a timed brew of 22 seconds (so that the operator doesn't need to stand there waiting to turn off the brew switch.) Many commercial machines are automatics.
Fully (or Super)Automatic: These machines have a built-in grinder, doser, tamper, and ejector. Here, the user adds beans and water, presses the 1 or 2 shot button, and viola, brewed espresso. These can be very good machines if the user doesn't want to get more seriously into the ritual of making espresso but still wants top performance. There are many days when a super automatic is very appealing to me. A good super automatic with a quality body will cost $600 or more.
And now there are machines that are even more automatic in that they do everything a super does, and also, automatically froth milk and dispense it into the awaiting cup. These machines are a nice fit in a work-group setting. They do require rigorous cleaning attention and the cost is about $2,500.
My search for a great home espresso machine was not fully exhaustive - I didn't consider every brand and type - but these two machines, Classic and Silvia, quickly showed that they are near the top of many lists for quality, value, and durability. I only considered "semi-automatic" machines, ie, those with a pump (rather than a hand-pulled lever),and only those machines that did not incorporate a super-automated grinder/tamper/ejector. To me, in this price band, the super-automated machines had cheaper bodies, and in a way, took some of the fun out of espresso making.
This is our first good home machine but we did own a restaurant a few years back and have good experience with commercial espresso machines (ours was over $4,000, plus a $1,000 grinder). So, this review is written from the past experiences of owning a high quality commercial machine and a $125 Krups steam machine (vintage 1983, which was good at brewing drip coffee but the pits for espresso and frothing). The Silvia is probably nearer to a commercial machine of the two given its design, but this "nearer commercial" is what makes it weaker than the Classic in ways that mean the most to me. These are: The Classic has faster warm up time, faster recovery time, and the ability to use Illy pods when we don't feel like grinding and tamping or when one of us wants caffeinated and the other decaffeinated.
Other practical considerations include a front-access water tank which can also be filled from the top of the machine without pulling out the tank. The Silvia has a top access tank.
Both machines are excellent, low-frills "work horses", designed to provide high quality espresso and cappuccinos for 15-20 years or more.
Espresso machines have three basic functions:
1) Brew espresso. All of the better semi-automatic machines have pumps that push water through packed grounds in 22 seconds plus or minus 2 seconds. The combination of appropriate fineness of the grind, appropriate pressure from the water pump, appropriate tamping of the grinds, appropriate water temperature from the boiler, and of course, good beans, offers espresso nirvana - the perfect crema. Both machines compare well to our $4,000 commercial machine here.
2)Steaming capability to heat and froth milk. Here, better boiler design produces better steam and more of it. The Silvia does better in steaming than the Classic; the Silvia will steam and froth 10 oz of milk in 66 seconds versus 133 seconds for the Classic. The commercial machine does better than both machines in this department. Note that higher end machines (over $800) usually add a second boiler used just for steam which negates the neeed to run blank shots, and sequence the process of foaming and brewing, mentioned below. For this category alone, you may want to look closer at the Silvia. In short, If you plan to do mostly latte-type drinks, the Silvia would win that race. If you do mostly Americanos, and shots, the Classic may work better.
3)Provide hot water for tea, hot chocolate, etc.Both machines are comparable here with the Silvia winning on a higher temperature of water and Classic winning on speed to get the water hot. Both machines equal the commercial machine here, except the commercial machine can deliver endlessly since it is plumbed to the water supply.
Warm-up time Espresso machines require some time to warm-up from a cold start. Commercial machines are generally left on all the time - including overnight. Home machines are usually turned on and off as they are needed. The Classic is specified to warm up to brewing temperature in 120 seconds and the Silvia, about twice that. WholeLatteLove.com recommends 6 minutes on both machines and I agree with their conclusion. However, I find that the Classic is ready to use, at least for lattes or Americanos, when the ready light lights... in about a minute or so. If you're after the perfect crema and drink espresso, then hold your horses and wait a few minutes before brewing, or, wait 2 minutes, draw a blank shot,then add grounds and brew the espresso.
Construction Commercial Size and Style Portafilter Handle. Lots of mass and weight results in temperature stability, which is all-important in brewing fine espresso. In machines with less mass in the brewing head, the flow of water cools down the head and critical temperatures are missed.
Size: The portafilter (the removable armed device that holds the coffee grinds) is 58mm diameter, just like commercial machines. A wider portafilter results in a wider area for hot water to be pumped onto the grounds, resulting in a more complete brewing of the coffee. Commercial Brewing Group This is where the portafilter installs into when brewing. Is made of chrome plated marine brass (heck, it sounds impressive to me... I mean marine brass!) More goodness here.
Boiler The Gaggia 3.5 oz boiler system is aluminum with two embedded heating elements. This is unique; most quality machines use a larger (10 oz) brass boiler. This seems an odd approach by Gaggia, but their machines last and last - at least as well as brass boiler machines. In fact, most espresso machine failures are the corrosion of heating elements; Classic elements are embedded into the aluminum boiler casting, never touching the water and hence, are never corroded. Gaggia couples this small boiler with 1400 watt heating elements, versus 850 watt in the Silvia.This combination - small aluminum boiler and high wattage heater - is what gets the user a quicker warm up time and quicker recovery times (when making several beverages at one session - say for entertaining). Again, add $200 or so for a model with twin boilers.
3 Way Solenoid Valve The three-way solenoid valve is usually found only in commercial machines.This feature doesn't help make better coffee, but it does significantly improve ease-of-use in that the used grinds ("the puck") are dried off immediately, and the brew head pressure (remember that 135 psi?)is relieved after releasing the brew switch thus eliminating a sloshy mess of coffee grinds (called "the sneeze") to deal with. Both Silvia and Classic have this valve.
High Quality Controls with Temperature Ready Light The Classic contains three rocker arm switches: one for on/off, one for steam, and one for brew. There is also a steam valve handle used to release steam or hot water. If you press both "steam" and "brew" switches at the same time, you get instant hot water from the steam wand for hot chocolate, cafe americano,or tea, etc.
I recommend trying Cafe Americano instead of percolated or pressed coffee - here you brew a single shot of espresso then top off an 8 oz to 10 oz cup with hot water - result is a deeply rich cup of coffee with only a 1/2 the caffeine of regular brewed coffee. A good espresso machine is worth buying if only for the benefit of brewing Americanos.
Understanding Coffee Beans: While there are many, many, coffee growing regions of the world, and many, many, other variables in the coffee supply chain......in all the world there are only two kinds of coffee. This comes from the fact that there are only two kinds of coffee plants; arabica and robusta. Arabica is the premium bean which grows only at high altitudes, usually on hillsides. Arabica beans have 22 chromosomes, adding to the complex taste. Robusta is the low-cost bean which grows only at low altitudes, usually on large, level cultivated fields. Robusta has 11 chromosomes, reducing the complexity of taste.
Water: Heed the mantra "First do no harm", meaning, start with good water. If that means bottled water then so be it. In El Paso we have good water out of the tap. After testing with bottle water and tap, we stay with the tap water.
Arabica: grows more slowly, is hand harvested, has less harshness and more complex flavors, and forms about half the caffeine as robusta.
Robusta: grows faster, is machine harvested, is harsher and has less complex flavors, and forms about twice the caffeine as arabica.
Dispelling myths... Contrary to the street lore that espresso (nearly always high% arabica) "packs a whollop", espresso-based drinks actually have about 25%-to-50% of the caffeine found in a cheap run-of-the-mill cup o'coffee. This is because premium arabica beans contain about one-half the caffeine as cheaper robusta beans, and when brewed in a drip coffee maker or French press, the resulting cup of arabica contains half the caffeine as a comparable cup of robusta. Further, when brewing espresso (either to drink as-is or as a base for a latte), the 22 second brew time reduces the extraction of caffeine by another half. Hence the 25%-50% statement for espresso-based drinks. So, if you can afford the premium arabica bean coffees you will find a better tasting drink with half to one quarter the caffeine. Just one other note here, many espresso beans have a some robusta mixed in as a way to increase the production of crema and to add body to the drink. You should all know that the marketing use of terms such as "100% Columbian" are a serious red flag which usually means "Not high% or 100% arabica". Both types of plants are grown in Columbia, arabica and robusta, so marketing of this sort is useless to the knowlegable consumer. Why do they do this? I suspect some is deceit, and some is "we don't want to confuse the consumer with percentages."
What is an "espresso" bean? Any bean and any roast, really; it is the fineness of the grind that makes the coffee suitable to brew espresso. Some beans and some roasts (dark-light-medium) yield better results, but it is usually in the eye of the beholder. In America, most espresso has a very dark roast with oily residue on the bean. In contrast, Italians prefer a medium roast and non-oily bean. Whatever the roast and whatever the origin, espresso is defined by a much finer grind than other brewing methods... often very close to a powdered sugar consistency. We make espresso with any kind of arabica bean - but usually a dark roast.
Usage tip: When making latte or cappuccino, froth the milk first... turn on "steam" switch, wait 20 seconds, open steam valve to release any water build-up (point steam wand into drip tray), then steam, holding end of wand a half inch below the milk surface. When steaming is done, turn off the "steam" switch, and turn on brew switch thus running a blank shot before brewing the espresso. This blank shot is accompanied by lots of steam exiting the brew head followed by a stream of hot water. The blank shot cools down the brew head and boiler water to proper temperature for espresso. If you neglect to do this you'll notice a slightly burnt taste in the espresso, caused by the caramelization of trace sugars in the coffee grounds. Usage Tip: After brewing, remove the portafilter and rinse. Before re-installing the portafilter, run a one second shot to clean the shower head of any old coffee grounds, then wipe the shower head with a sponge. I also - a couple of times a week - run a damp sponge around the edge of the shower head to clean any grounds off of the round gasket that seals the portafilter to the brewing group.
Usage Tip: This may seem like a no-brainer to many, but I just want to say this: After adding fresh ground coffee to the portafilter and tamping the grounds flat, swipe off the top rim of the portafilter with your palm to remove any grounds from the area that seals to the brew group rubber gasket. Thank you for your patience.
Cup Warmer The Classic has a 5-cup passive (rising heat off the boiler) warmer. As with most non-commercial cup warmers, the cup warmers don't really get the cups quite as hot as needed - I recommend running some hot water into your cups and frothing pitchers before brewing or frothing. Most commercial machines use passive heat as well but these machines pump out much more heat AND they are left on 24/7.
Hot Water Dispenser If you want hot water for Hot Chocolate, Tea or Americanos it is very easy to do; turn on the brew switch and steam switch then open the steam knob. Hot water will start to stream out.
Turbo Frother Steam Wand The The Turbo Frothing steam wand makes great froth every time with no problems. The "turbo froth" attachment is actually an unnecessary add-on since the plain wand steams so easily it's ridiculous.
Water Reservoir The front-removable 64oz reservoir can be refilled by sliding out of the machine or from the top any time during the operation, for an endless supply of coffee. This is one of the features that won me over versus the Silvia, but now that I have the Classic's front removal reservoir it doesn't really matter since I find it easier to just pull out the machine from under the cabinet and fill through the top rather than front-filling which requires removal of the drip pan and 3-way solenoid relief tube before sliding out the tank. Illy Pod Capable Comes ready to use pods or ground coffee. Use the single shot filter basket with illy pods. I like the option of using pods. Pods are convenient and neat but bring the shot price up to 55 cents versus 20 cents for non-pod coffee. Now that I've used the machine a while, the Illy pod capability seems less important... we simply buy preground decaf and preground regular and get back to 20 cent shots.
Purists, of course, will need to spend another $150 to $250 or so for a decent grinder.
Housing Construction The Classic is made of stainless steel for high durability and a professional appearance. The drip tray is chrome plated while the drip grate and pan are made of plastic. This machine both looks -and is- rugged and beautiful on the counter. You can opt for the Gaggia Baby at $100 less and get the same mechanicals as the Classic (hence the same quality espresso/cappaccino) but with a rugged plastic case.
Classic CV The Classic weighs 22 pounds, 14.25" high, 9" wide and 10" deep. The Silvia is 30 pounds. Most of the lessor home brands weigh in at under 10 pounds. Care of the machine Just wipe surfaces with a spounge. If you use tap water for brewing, use warm soapy water to wash out the water tank, about weekly. If you use bottled water then clean monthly. Depending on your water chemistry and frequency of use, about every 2 to 5 months run the machine with a citrus-based cleaner designed for these machines... run the solution through the brew head, through the 3-way solenoid valve, and through the steam wand. I run the solution through then rinse with three times as much clean water. Finally, we use a specialized stainless steel spray cleaner about once a week to clean the Classic, with very nice results.
World's most expensive (and weird) coffee: From the Indonesian islands comes Kopi Luwak. Kopi Luwak is an arabica bean which has passed through the digestive system of a Palm Civet (paradoxurus hermaphorditus). This cat-like monkey ingests the reddest, ripest coffee cherries, digests the outer covering, and excretes the bean. Apparently, digestive enzymes contribute to this coffee's reportedly rich and complex flavor. Goes for $600 per pound. You can read more by going to google and enter most expensive coffee. There are several sources listed there.... one source asked, "crappuccino anyone?" Recommended:
