Espresso Machines - The Best Espresso Makers in the UK
Espresso machines are the ideal method to enjoy the best coffee experience. They're an effort of passion, but they also give you complete control over the coffee you drink.
They typically have an espresso tamper to flatten the grinds, and steamer to froth the milk for lattes and cappuccinos.
1. Stovetop
There are around 98 million cups of coffee consumed in the UK every day. We have a fantastic range of espresso makers for stovetops to help you brew an excellent cup of coffee. Known as moka pots, these devices make use of pressure to produce an espresso-like coffee, without the need for messy filter paper. They are a simple, easy-to-use device that can enhance any coffee and can be combined with milk to make cappuccinos and lattes.
The lower chamber of the moka pot is filled with hot water. The coffee grounds are placed in a basket, which is between two pipes that connect to the upper chamber where the brewed beverage will be served. As the water heats up in the bottom, it forces its way through the grounds at high pressure and seeps up into the upper chamber where the aromas are released for you to take pleasure in. The result is a full and aromatic coffee that can be consumed on its own or with sugar and milk.
The main thing to bear in mind when buying a moka pot is the capacity of the unit. It is essential to make sure that the dimensions of the bottom chamber as well as the capacity of the basket is sufficient for your needs as larger pots will require a long wait time, whereas a smaller model may not be able build up enough pressure. We suggest that you consider the material the machine is made from. Stainless steel machines are more durable and strong however they cost more.
Other considerations are how the appliance will function with the heat source you choose (gas or electric) and any other add-ons that might be available like milk steamer wands which can be used to heat and froth milk to make lattes and cappuccinos. You may also want to consider the number of cups that you can make in one go and this could be a useful factor in selecting the best size unit for you.
We would also recommend to check the base of the moka pot to ensure that it is a good fit on your burner. We discovered that certain models, such as the Stelton collar espresso maker had a narrow base and were difficult to put in the proper spot on a gas burner. However, wider bases, like those of the Bialetti Venus and the London Sip stovetop espresso makers, produced better results. We also preferred models with thicker walls as they were found to conduct heat more efficiently and stop it from sputtering too fast.
2. Capsule
In a similar vein to stovetop models there are capsule coffee makers which make cappuccinos, espresso and other drinks using pods. This is a great option if you don't want to be tangled with brewing, grounds, and cleaning up after - they are a quick, simple and hassle-free way to get your caffeine fix in the morning.
You will have to purchase the coffee pods separately. There are a variety of brands to choose from, such as Nespresso Dolce Gusto, and Tassimo. There are a variety of sizes available, so you can choose the size and kind of coffee that best suits your preferences. The Nespresso Essenza Mini is the smaller model and is perfect for small space. It can make one cup of coffee at a time. There is a larger model that can hold larger cups, but they're more expensive.
Illy Iperespresso offers a stylish alternative for coffee snobs who prefer a sophisticated machine that makes better tasting coffee. It isn't the cheapest machine however it produces a superb cup of coffee and is simple to use as well. It has a clever feature that allows it to automatically alter its settings in accordance with the type of pods it's using. Coffeee makes it one of the most adaptable machines in our opinion.
It is recommended to look for one with a milk carafe in case you're looking to test the various drinks you can make using a pod machine. This will let you experiment with cappuccinos, lattes and other drinks. You can still make most popular drinks using capsule machines, however it will be more of a than a hit-and-miss experience.
If you're thinking of buying capsule coffee maker, make sure it is marked as compatible with ESE pods. This will usually mean it comes with a basket, or adapter that can be used to accommodate smaller pods. Certain machines in our range have this feature. This means that you can use the machine with Nespresso compatible pods, as well as Dolce Gusto and Tassimo pods.
3. Manual
These are espresso machines that are manual for purists. They look like the OG espresso machine, which was invented in Italy back in the early 1900's and operate by pumping water manually into a portafilter, locking it, then forcing water to 9 bars of pressure creating an espresso shot.
A manual espresso maker is often more of a labour of affection than a capsule maker as they require you to heat the water in a separate manner from your coffee, pour it into the chamber above the ground coffee or pods, and then press down on the lever or plunger to create the pressure and push the water through and into the cup below. This method is messy, lengthy and sometimes a bit difficult to get right however the result is well worth the effort.
Some of the more modern models like the Flair 58 and the Sage The Barista Touch Impress have taken a different approach to make it easier to control, they have utilised an electronic temperature controller known as a PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative). This is a piece of technology you will find in immersion circulators, top-of-the-line toasters, and is designed to stabilise the brew boiler temperature. This is a fantastic way to eliminate a lot the uncertainty about the optimal temperature of brewing.
Rancilio, La Pavoni and other large names make manual espresso machines. The majority of people who have worked in a cafe or cafe are familiar with these names. They make the massive commercial espresso machines with three or two heads that you see in coffee shops. However, in 1997, they launched the Silvia semi-automatic manual espresso machine with a few bells & whistles that help to reduce the stress out of brewing.
Fully automated espresso machines do all of the tasks for you, they grind the beans, tamp and then pull a shot and some will steam your milk too all at the press of a button, but they can also cost an astronomical amount of money so you need to have an adequate balance in your bank to be in a position to afford one.
4. Semi-Automatic
If the thought of replicating an espresso shot from your favorite cafe at home is appealing to you, then a semi-automatic machine is the right choice for you. These machines let you alter your preferences over time and adjust your espresso drink based on your mood at any given time.
They include a portafilter as well as a steam wand. The brewing process of these machines is similar to super automatics but with some added manual steps like grinding the beans before putting them into the portafilter. They also require more understanding and skills to operate because the brewing process is not controlled by a computer.
A good semi-automatic machine will come with a portafilter that can be removed and a tamper to help in compressing the ground coffee inside of the portafilter before making. It also allows you to control the quantity of water and the pressure used in the brewing process. This means you can customize your shots to your own preferences, and to the particular type of coffee bean that you are using.
A semi-automatic must have the ability to control temperature that can be adjusted. This feature allows you to decide the brewing temperature for your coffee beans based on the way they taste. It also allows you to avoid temperature fluctuations, which is especially important in the case of the boiler for brewing. Without a PID control, the temperature of brewing can fluctuate by as much as 20oF from one cup to the next. With PID controllers the swing is restricted to about 0.1oF.
Some of the top models come with a milk frother to make espresso drinks based on milk. This lets you make delicious cappuccinos and lattes. The pitcher that froths should have a comfortable handle and an spout to make it easy to pour.
It is also an excellent idea to select a model with a filter that is removable basket as well as an automatic dosing system for grounds. You'll be able avoid the manual grinding and tamping yourself. This will make cleaning the machine much simpler.