The Blue Bottle Craft of Coffee by James Freeman

Author:James Freeman [Freeman, James]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-60774-119-0
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Published: 2012-10-08T16:00:00+00:00

CHOOSING AN ESPRESSO MACHINE

It sounds simplistic, but the single best predictor of the adequacy of an espresso machine is weight. Heavy machines usually perform better than lighter machines. Weight implies metal rather than plastic parts, copper or brass boilers rather than steel, larger group heads rather than smaller, commercial-grade rather than consumer-grade.

So when choosing a machine, you can spend countless hours on the Internet, or you can keep a simple guideline in mind: if you spend around two grand on a semiautomatic machine that weighs more than 40 pounds (18.1 kg), you probably made as good a decision as you would have after lurking around boring chatrooms for months.

If you want to consider the important specs in more detail, here are some key features to look for: a commercial-size 58 millimeter portafilter, a rotary pump, an articulated steam wand, a three-way valve, a copper or brass boiler with a volume greater than 12 fluid ounces (355 ml), and a boiler pressure gauge, which lets you know what your brewing temperature is and lets you see the change if you make adjustments, since temperature is proportional to pressure. The same lever or button should turn the pump on and off; you don’t need an automatic doser. The only automatic feature should be a sensor that cuts the power to the heating element if the boiler or reservoir runs dry.

If two grand seems like a lot of money, think of all the status symbols that sit lonely and unused day after day: the Steinway pianos, the Viking ranges, the KitchenAid mixers, the Vitamix blenders. An espresso machine and grinder that are put to use frequently are objects that transform time and money into pleasure and deliciousness—and that, if you have the money, are nothing to be ashamed of.

Of course you don’t have to spend $2,000 on an espresso machine to get something serviceable. There are a couple of reasonably priced (around $700) models by Rancilio and Gaggia that are heavy and simple, with larger boilers and commercial portafilters. One of those, paired with a good grinder, will work just fine.

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