The very popular espresso coffee has more to it than just its taste, and in fact be quite complicated in the production process alone just to get the right taste into that one special cup. This is why there is an espresso machine to help produce this coffee in an attempt to be consistent in the flavor for the distinguished coffee connoisseur.
Espresso is such a delicate blend of coffee that when the amount of pressure, level of temperature, or the fineness in texture of the grind varies, so does the taste – and espresso machines help to maintain consistency in these three areas. Some machines have an additional attached steam wand which can froth up liquids such as milk, mainly used when making cappuccino or latte coffee drinks.
Some espresso machines are steam driven and the concept behind this is when the water is actually forced through the coffee filter with the use of steam pressure. Most of the very first espresso machines were steam models as piping already hot, steaming water through several pipes could serve more cups of coffee at one time. This type of design still survives as a combination drip coffee machine that is sold as a lower cost appliance.
The piston driven version of espresso machine requires the use of a hand lever that is used to send the hot water through the grinds, and an operator does the work in pumping the lever mechanism. The pressure applied by the operator creates a unique espresso brew, and this is quite popular in many high class establishments. There is a manual piston design that requires direct pressure from the operator, and also a spring piston design that helps an operator in controlling the pressure to be more consistent and maintaining the taste of the coffee.
A refined version of the piston pressure machine is the pump driven machine that uses a motor to provide the pressure needed for the espresso. These espresso makers can be found in commercial establishments and are attached directly to the water supply of the establishment, whereas the home consumer models have water containers for filling up before use.
Another type of espresso coffee machine is the air pump driven version that uses compressed air to force hot water through. For this version, the hot water can be added from a separate source such as a kettle, and the compressed air can be released by a hand pump, pressurized cartridges, or an electric compressor. The air pump driven machines are a much smaller version than the electric compressor type, giving them the option of portability.
As the years have gone by, the modern automated versions of the espresso machine have been developed, and these are popular in many establishments as they basically take care of most of the process. Using sensors, valves, pumps, and grinders, these automated machines allow more room for the operator to attend to more customers at one time.
The automated machines are usually utilized by commercial establishments and they come in three different versions. Semi automatic uses an automated pump to deliver the water and the brew pressure is released through a valve that goes three ways. Automatic machines add a special inflow meter that regulates the amount of water that passes through, regulating the time of brewing.
The super automatic version, although few in terms of production, is fully automated from the grinding and tamping, all the way to the brewing and serving of espresso shots. This version allows unskilled operators to basically just provide the coffee beans and water in order to consistently produce cups of espresso. Many well trained baristas do not like this machine, along with other espresso machines as they insist it takes away the real flavor of the coffee.
Ken Wright owns an best espresso machine reviews website. He has written many espresso machine reviews and informative articles on the espresso machines he liked. He hopes that other coffee lovers like him will be able to get the best espresso machine.