TEST HOUSE

Thinking of buying a ‘real’ coffee machine? Consider your preferred brew and how often you intend to use your machine.

Coffee machines

BUYER’S GUIDE

• Ease of use: Look for a userfriendly one with programmable cup-size options. • Wattage: For large quantities, a higher wattage is recommended. • Useful functions: Automatic shut-off, adjustable grinder, heightadjustable spout, pause function, strength and temperature selections. • Bar pressure: Powerful pressure helps extract full flavour from your coffee. 9-15 bars is fine for creating a smooth crema on your espresso. • One shot at a time: Machines that make two espressos simultaneously don’t necessarily distribute the coffee evenly between cups. • Brewing temperature for espresso: Best between 92ºC and 98ºC. • Milk temperature: 60-70ºC brings out the sweetness of the coffee.

TYPES

ESPRESSO MACHINES Make barista-style espresso. They’re usually more affordable than bean-to-cup

machines – lighter, too. A variety of ground coffees can be used. You can adjust the strength. Ground coffee is cheaper than capsules, and generates less waste.

BEAN-TO-CUP Most of them are easy to use and clean. An in-built grinder grinds any coffee beans of your choice, but you can also use ground coffee. Intensity control and a large water reservoir is vital. You set the machine to deliver the exact volume for your cup size. These machines are bulky, heavy and quite pricey.

CAPSULE MACHINES They’re fast, compact, easy to use, mess-free and well-priced. A good option if you don’t use your machine often, as the capsules keep fresh. You’re often limited to one brand of (usually expensive) capsules. FILTER COFFEE MACHINES Perfect for making more than one cup at a time. Reusable filters require cleaning, but are more cost-effective. Removable paper filters are convenient, but a relatively costly repeat purchase.