5 Things To Consider When Picking an Espresso Machine

When you think of the word “coffee”, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Chances are, the image of a cup of black brewed coffee would come to mind. Sometimes, people might think of a cafe americano. While these are valid answers, these are only some of the many different varieties of coffees out there.

Aside from your typical cafe americano, you also have your macchiatos, lattes, and flat whites, to name a few. However, despite all the different ways to prepare them, these drinks have one similarity. Despite all the varieties, many coffee-based drinks use a shot of espresso.

With that in mind, it’s hard to downplay the role a good shot of espresso has for any coffee drink. However, much like how there are many ways to prepare your coffee, there are also many ways to make an espresso. One of the most common ways would be with the help of an espresso machine.

With this machine, making a shot is pretty much straightforward – all you have to do is prepare your finely ground coffee. Then, you extract the shot with pressure and hot water. But, even with that seemingly straightforward process, there are many ways you can make that espresso shot, and, a significant factor would depend on your machine.

So, if you’re looking to delve into the coffee world, getting a suitable espresso machine is detrimental to helping you along your journey. Fortunately, despite the different kinds of espresso machines available, there is a way to find the best commercial espresso machines for you!

It also doesn’t have to be so complicated when deciding what you need. You just need to know what to consider while you’re still in the process of choosing. So, what do you have to keep in mind?

●    The Setting You’ll Be Using It In

One of the most important considerations to make when choosing an espresso machine would be where you’ll be using it. For example, if you’re thinking of putting up an artisan coffee shop, you’ll need an espresso machine to match the shop’s aesthetic. In this case, you might consider using a manual espresso machine. On the other hand, if you’re looking to put up a no-frills type of coffee shop or want a machine for your home, a semiautomatic or automatic coffee machine might be more up your alley.

Once you’ve figured out where you’ll be using the machine and what you’ll need it for, you make things easier for yourself by being able to narrow down your choices from this point onward.

●    Your Water Source

This might seem like a rather odd consideration to make, but you’ll find out that it’s actually practical to think about. Different espresso machines have various ways of getting the water you need for the extraction.

If you’ve got the plumbing for a drinking water system in your coffee shop or home, you can get a machine that connects to your water system. These types of machines are called direct-connect espresso machines.

However, if you don’t have the plumbing for it, you can opt to get a machine with a water storage receptacle. These types of machines are called pour-over espresso machines. While this may seem like a lot of trouble to refill, especially if you run a coffee shop, you can at least have the option of bringing your coffee machine around.

●    How Many Drinks You’ll Be Making

This is a consideration that’s more important for people that plan on running a coffee shop. However, this would also be a sensible consideration if you were to get a coffee shop for your office.

Some coffee machines can produce large quantities of espresso shots within a specific period. On the other hand, some will require some time to cool down.

So, if you’re thinking of getting a machine for a busy coffee shop, it would be good to get one that’s heavy-duty and can extract as many espresso shots within a given time. But, on the other hand, if you know you’re in a setting where you won’t need to make as many cups, such as in an office or at home, a smaller machine would be more than enough.

●    How Big Will Your Drinks Be?

This is another consideration that might be more appropriate for those thinking of putting up a coffee shop. If you’re planning on having differently sized drinks on your menu, you might want to get a machine that’ll be able to make bigger cups of espresso.

You could also opt to transfer your espresso shots into a larger cup. However, for convenience, a tall cup machine may be a more practical option. Of course, if you like making big batches of espresso at home, you could also get a tall cup machine.

●    How Much Space Do You Have?

Continuing with the practical considerations, you also have to think about how much space you have for a coffee machine. You can probably get a more sizeable coffee machine if you’ve got a large kitchen or a large coffee shop. However, if space is something you don’t have much of, getting a smaller machine would be your best bet.

Thankfully, espresso machines come in all shapes and sizes. So, all you need to do is measure out the space you plan on placing that machine. Once you’ve got the dimensions, you can then look for the machine that’s a perfect fit!

Moving Forward

Whether you’re planning on delving deeper into making coffee or looking for something to fit your needs, there will always be an espresso machine that’s right for you. However, it can be hard to figure out which machine you should get with all the choices available.

Fortunately, choosing your ideal espresso machine doesn’t have to be that difficult. While the choices can get overwhelming, you can narrow them down by considering a few factors. By doing so, you make the decision process more straightforward, and you know what you want after!

Daniel Martin

An adept technology content writer specializing in demystifying the digital world. With a passion for innovation and a knack for translating complex tech jargon into accessible insights, they keep readers informed about the latest trends and breakthroughs. Their writing bridges the gap between technology and everyday life

Leave a Comment