We're all coffee addicts in our family. We have a particular fondness for expresso coffee. In our conventional kitchen, we have often attempted to prepare this expresso coffee but have failed terribly. It is not feasible to go to the store every day for an expresso. So, we made the decision to purchase an espresso machine. Has anyone dealt with one before? If so, what should I consider before making the purchase and what are your opinions?
We have a Gaggia Classic Pro. It's a solid machine and makes great espresso. We purchased from Whole Latte Love, great company for coffee equipment. Gaggia Classic Pro Espresso Machine in Cherry Red
I have two of these. One for home and one at the cottage. Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine | Sur La Table I know a couple people that have bought one after having coffee at my place. 8^)
Kind of fond of a french press and adding over charge of espresso let it steep longer. plenty strong. At like 30 bucks and doesn't use electricity. Hard to beat in my opinion.
Should also mention I get the beans from Amazon, called "Koffee Kult", dark roast. We like it. Interestingly enough, there's another thread from a day or two ago about roasting your own.
I’m going to assume you will want a super automatic machine. I can recommend the Breville Barista Touch or Express machines. Easy to use, and clean. I also recommend Whole Latte Love if you’re East coast or Seattle Coffee Gear if you’re West coast. You can watch reviews of machines on their YouTube channels.
I still prefer Italian street style over all others and that requires going OLD SCHOOL with a Mediterranean cup roaster! It's really just a simple copper pot you fill with water and simmer over a heat source while adding your grind of preference, let it steep for a few and then dribble a spoon of cold water over the top so the grounds settle to the bottom, pour and enjoy! For the most enjoyable experience Italian Sweet Cream is added and served in traditional Russian Glass mugs with Silver service! You can also do this Turkish style in tea cups, pour the boiling water from a tea pot into your cup/mug and then add the grounds and let steep, then do the trick with the spoon and cold water to settle the ground, and add the sweet cream, Cofveve perfection!
That all sounds like a lot of unnecessary trouble and expense in order to get your daily caffeine fix!
