Choosing Coffee Machine

There is a wide range of Coffee Machines to choose in-between. As a general rule, the more expensive Coffee Machine, the better quality and capacity you get, something that can be seen in the final result of your espresso.

Your first choice is to decide whether you shall buy a Bean to Cup Machine (Automatic Coffee Machine), a Semi-automatic Traditional Espresso Machine or a Lever Coffee Machine. The Bean to Cup Machine is perfect for you who do not have the interest or patience to learn how to grind, dose and brew yourself with a Traditional Espresso Machine. With the right skills, a good Traditional Espresso Machine in combination with a good grinder, you will have the potential to make better espresso than with a Bean to Cup Machine.

Do you have difficulties in deciding which Coffe Machine to buy? We are glad to help you - please send us your questions and requirementes by e-mail to info@kaffegrossisten.se.

Bean to Cup Machine (Automatic Coffee Machine)

A Bean to Cup Machine has an automatic brewing process. After you have filled the hopper with whole coffee beans and the water tank with water the machine is ready to use.

The Bean to Cup Machine grinds on demand, doses the freshly ground coffee, pass it to a brewing group where the coffee is brewed. After dispensing the freshly brewed coffee, the used coffee grounds are ejected into a tray.

The in-built grinder gives you the possibility to adjust the strength of your coffee by adjusting the grinder. The more advanced machines gives you the possibility to adjust the brewing process as well, making it possible to adjust the taste of your coffee.

The Bean to Cup Machine has a steam nozzle to froth milk for Cappuccino and Latte. Some Bean to Cup Machines got accessories which makes it possible to froth from a milk-container or a milk-thermos. The most advanced machines have integrated the milk frothing in the coffee brewing process, i.e. you will only need to push a button to get a Cappuccino or a Latte. An example of such a machine is Jura Impressa Z5.

The Bean to Cup Machine is easy to handle, besides emptying the tray from coffee grounds from time to time, you will need to run a cleaning program and to decalcify the machine on a regular basis.

Semi-automatic Traditional Espresso Machine

The Traditional Espresso Machine use an electric pump to make the necessary pressure to force water through ground coffee directly into the cup. The Traditional Espresso Machine does not have an in-built grinder. With this type of machine you will have to use a coffee grinder, dose manually and press the coffee in the coffee filter with a tamper. This is the method that is used in the majority of commercial coffee machines.

To gain the full potential out of your espresso machine you need to have a good coffee grinder. The grinder will make the brewing process much easier as you have the choice over how fine your beans are ground, giving you free-reigns to experiment and find the grind that extracts the perfect level of flavour to satisfy your coffee tastes. In addition grinding your coffee just before you use it, allows you to taste coffee how it should be, fresh and vibrant.

After dosing the fresh ground coffee, you attach the filterholder to the brewing group. To get an espresso with thick nice crema you will have to work with how fine your beans are ground, which pressure you use with the tamper and the quantity of ground coffee used.

The quality and capacity differs widely in-between different Traditional Espresso Machines. The material used for the boiler, the brewing group etc has a direct consequence of the final result of your espresso. Cheaper machines have small aluminium boilers of 2 decilitres while more expensive ones has copper boilers of 15 decilitres. The size of the boiler is one important factor on the capacity of the machine. The more expensive machines got heat exchangers which enables the machine to brew coffee and to froth milk at the same time.

Lever Coffee Machine

Besides what is required for Traditional Espresso Machines there are additional steps for an owner of a Lever Coffee Machine. With a Lever Coffee Machine you do not get the bar pressure automatically, you will need to create the magic 9 bars yourself with the lever.

When the Lever Coffee Machine is ready for brewing you use the lever to operate the machine manually to force the hot water through the ground coffee.

The Lever Coffee Machine requires training and skill to get the perfect espresso. On the other hand this method of coffee making is the most "hands on" and give the ultimate control over each individual cup of coffee.