Ever wondered what the secrets are to making Espresso as good as the coffee house baristas do? Well stay with me a while and I will give away some of their trade secrets so you too can master the art of making a great cup of espresso.

The most important ingredient in making a good tasting espresso is to use pure fresh filtered or rain water. Regardless of what quality coffee grounds you use it won’t override the associated taste of poor water. For most of us chlorine and other chemicals in our tap water will put us at a real disadvantage. It might surprise some to know water can get stale so make sure it hasn’t been sitting around in plastic containers or in the fridge for too long before you use it.

To make a new brew of espresso remember to use very hot water with an optimum temperature of around 203F (95C) or nearly boiling water. If you don’t want to get too technical using a thermometer, just switch the jug off as the water is starting to boil and then count to ten. That has always worked for me.

Of course the next most important ingredient is the coffee. These days there is an abundance of choice and sometimes it’s hard to know where to start. I like to be a little adventurous and try coffees from different countries all over the world. Each one has its own unique flavour. Some I like and some I don’t go back for a second go.

One of my favorites is Arabica coffee which comes from the high country in Brazil or Bogota. Some people like to roast the green beans themselves while others are content to buy them freshly roasted. Either way it is important to make sure the beans are fresh and have a good aromatic smell to them.

Also Robusta is one you might like to try. This variety has more caffeine but is a little less full bodied flavour than Arabica. Generally it should be used for those quick pick-me-up cups but it’s not at all suitable for an espresso that is to be savoured.

Once you start exploring different types of coffee, blending is something you might like to try your hand at. A blend of 70% Arabica and 30% Robusta is a great favorite of mine because it takes away the heavy chocolate taste of the Arabica and gives a mellower and more creamy texture to the brew. Women more often enjoy this blend as it is milder in flavor and is not such an assault on the taste buds. In Australia you can find this blend already ground in the MAP brand (red packet).

From personal experience let me tell you adding a grinder to your kitchen appliances will open up a whole world of espresso coffee tasting for you. Being able to buy beans of any type and bring them home and finely grind them yourself is essentially a defining experience.

Another important point is that the quality of the espresso machine you buy will of course affect the quality of the espresso coffee it produces. Here I should remind you to look for a machine that is easy to clean and maintain as well as one that generates heat by boiler or thermoblock and is capable of producing pump pressure of 9 bar or better. A thermoblock heats water as it passes through the machine on the way to the pump. For a really professional and satisfying brew it is best to avoid the cheaper units that rely on steam to create pressure.

Now that we know all that we are ready to make a top cup of espresso. For the best results pre-warm the equipment by running clean water through the machine is a good idea. Then when you turn the machine on, let the water heat, before running a cup through with no coffee to warm the surfaces and flush the system.

Next you can add the freshly ground espresso roast and then tamp it down slightly with the back of a spoon, just like you would in a tobacco pipe till you feel some springiness – but the coffee shouldn’t scatter about.

Then put the hopper in the machine and place a warmed espresso cup at the outlet. Now comes the good part, start the machine and in about five seconds you will have a steady stream of beautiful espresso coffee. For a double shot it will take about 20 seconds to complete.

Making cappuccino is easy this way as all you have to do is warm half a cup of milk in the microwave for about 90 seconds, froth it with the wand and add it to the espresso. If you are like me and love the froth use full cream milk rather than reduced fat milk as it froths better. To make it just like a bought one, sprinkle some cinnamon over the top. However if you really want to create a sensation you could shave some chocolate or sprinkle cocoa on the top. For the sweet tooth you will probably need a teaspoon of sugar.

In a nutshell the secret to making a good cup of espresso at home that tastes just like one from your favourite coffee shop is to start with good quality coffee, keep your equipment nice and clean, use fresh water, don’t burn the roast and make sure you grind it properly.

Enjoy.

How to buy the roasted coffee?

After harvest the beans of coffee. The next step is roasting the beans with high temperature about 220-260 Celsius. Grind them to small molecules. The taste and smelling of the roasted beans may be different in each time, up to many factors such as the size of coffee after grind, roasting time or coffee sources.

These are the tips for select the best roasted beans:

1. Buying amount of coffee as you need for only one week.

2. The smelling of the roasted beans should be nice and no smelling of contaminate objects inside.

3. Do not buy roasted beans from the store or supermarket that estate near by the strong smelling food shops. The roasted bean will absorb the scent of each food.

4. Remember the flavor and characteristic of each type of coffee.

5. Kept the roasted beans in vacuum or air tight for stable quality of coffee.

6. Mill the roasted beans for single used only.

Making coffee with coffee machines.

Whenever you drink a cup of coffee, you have to realize about the flavor and quality of each cup not only the volume of water in a cup.

Making a delicious cup of coffee is not easy. You have to learn and practice for a long time. Now a day, technology of coffee making machines such as Moka Express, Espresso pot and French Press make everything easier.

These are important points for making coffee with coffee machines:

1. Clean the coffee machine before and after usage.
2. The water for making a cup of coffee should be clean and without chlorine.
3. Use fresh milled roasted bean for every cup.
4. The amount of coffee should be follow to the each formulation.
5. Do not use boiling water for making coffee.
6. Coffee maker should know the ratio of ingredients and know how to convert the unit.

The coffee cups

The coffee cups are the important part of making coffee that you should be not remiss. Coffee makers have to know which cup for each type coffee.

Espresso: The Basic Information

Normally, Espresso is a cup of coffee that has golden milk foam bubbles on the top of the cup. The art of making Espresso such as milk foam bubbles, wipe cream adding, or liqueur adding makes the Espresso named in many reputes.

Espresso and Black coffee

Many coffee drinkers have miss understanding about Espresso and Black coffee. Truly, Espresso is not similar to short black coffee.

The different of Espresso and Black coffee:

1. Coffee cup; A cup of Espresso is not more than 2 ounce but a cup of black coffee is 4 to 6 ounce.

2. A cup of black coffee always serve with cream or sugar but Espresso serve without cream and sugar.

3. Espresso has golden milk foam bubbles on the top of the cup but the black coffee has nothing on the top of the cup.

4. The flavor of Espresso will stay on the tongue about 15-30 min. but no flavor stay on the tongue after drinking black coffee.

5. The way to drink black coffee is sip slowly until finish but the right way to drink Espresso is drink all in one time.

How to drink Espresso

Normally, Espresso always drink during day or dinner and the right step for drinking Espresso is necessary to approach the truly flavor of Espresso. If you are interesting, try to practice follow the steps and you will get the miracle taste of Espresso.

1. Before drinking, you have to smell the cup of Espresso.
2. Sip a little bit of Espresso with loud voice and keep in your mouth a moment.
3. Drink the rest all in one time and stay moment in the mouth.
4. Try to remember the taste of Espresso and compare with the next cup.

As we all know, espresso is just one of the coffee beverages that are popular throughout the world! Even though there are plenty of flavors of regular black drip coffee, one of the things that people enjoy about espresso is that there is hardly ever anyone that orders just a plain espresso plain and simple. It seems as though an espresso always has to be added to some other mixture in order to taste better, although many people feel that espresso beverages are just fine the way they are! There are actually probably more than 50 definite ways of mixing espresso with different coffee mixtures in order to get a different flavor each time, however, there is probably more than that still. Nevertheless, if you’ve been wondering about what some of the different popular espresso mixtures and forms of espresso are, here is a short-list of the many beverages one can order espresso with:

The Americano

Probably so named because regular black coffee is popular in America, and perhaps more so than espresso is (even though it’s a close tie!); the Americano is actually a simple espresso beverage. The espresso is made but then is diluted with a little bit of water in order to make the taste less strong, but the taste will actually resemble that of black regular coffee that’s made from a machine! Even though the Americano is popular with many people throughout the United States and elsewhere, the concept of it is a little bland. Considering the fact that many people love to doctor their espresso beverages up with whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and other such toppings the Americano may seem like an unfair version of the espresso that some may just doctor it up anyway!

The Latte

Even though this espresso beverage is probably the one that is the least understood it is quite necessary to explain exactly what an espresso latte is. Some people actually think that the latte is a separate beverage from the espresso, but the espresso still is used as the main ingredient in a latte. How the Latte comes together, though, is a bit of steamed milk is poured over the espresso itself. On top of the whole mixture then is a fine, or sometimes thick layer of a frothy and foamy substance. This espresso beverage is probably most likened to the cappuccino, which will be explained next!

The Cappuccino

This espresso beverage is probably most known as the sister of the Latte itself. The reason for this, though, is the fact that the cappuccino also includes milk and the same foamy substance on top. However, the cappuccino is slightly different because it actually contains a considerably less amount of milk, but the milk is replaced with more foam on top!

Now that you know three of the basic forms of espresso beverages then you are ready to walk into a coffee shop as a well prepared consumer. But trying all three of these espresso drinks is a great idea to finding out exactly what espresso drinks you like and dislike!

Automatic espresso coffee makers are more expensive than many other coffee makers. They are prestigious as well as good coffee makers. They’re available in semi-automatic, fully-automatic and super automatic machines.

Semi-Automatic Espresso Coffee Makers

The distinction between semi, fully and super automatic lies in the automation process. Semi-automatic espresso coffee makers are very popular. The electric pump makes for consistently good coffee. Users put coffee and water into the machine. Pulling the electric pump turns the coffee maker on and off.

Semi-Automatic espresso coffee makers automatically:

>tamp down coffee grounds
>brew coffee
>fill coffee cup
>eject used grounds

Semi-automatic espresso coffee makers can be purchased for less than a thousand dollars.

Fully Automatic Espresso Coffee Makers

Fully automatic espresso coffee makers work like the semi-automatic machines but operate via the simple touch of a button.

Fully automatic espresso coffee makers automatically:

>grind coffee
>fill brewing chamber
>tamp down coffee grounds
>brew coffee
>fill coffee cup
>eject used grounds

Prices for fully automatic espresso coffee makers range from hundreds of dollars to thousands of dollars.

Super Automatic Espresso Coffee Makers

Super automatic espresso coffee makers are the luxury version of coffee machines. In addition to the fully automated process, the super coffee maker comes with a built-in coffee grinder and other special features. These machines are fast, easy to use and easy to maintain. Most allow the user to brew any number of specialty coffees such as espresso, cappuccino and lattes.

Super automatic espresso coffee makers automatically:
>grind coffee
>fill brewing chamber
>tamp down coffee grounds
>brew coffee
>fill coffee cup
>eject used grounds into waste box

Users of fully automatic espresso coffee makers do not have to deal with grinding coffee beans or hot filters and cleaning sieves. Super machines include either a steam wand or an automatic system to froth milk. Competition between super automatic espresso coffee maker companies is fierce. Each is seeking to create the best loved, most versatile machine.

Some machines now feature automatic cleaning and descaling. Another special feature is the presence of water filters that reduce mineral content and get rid of the taste of chlorine. Adjustable coffee cup spouts and the ability to manually control water volume in a cup of coffee are also added features available on select machines.

Prices for super automatic espresso coffee makers run from hundreds of dollars to thousands of dollars.

Popular Features of Automatic Espresso Coffee Makers

Features differ among brands and styles of automatic espresso coffee makers. Available features include the following.

Adjustable dosing.
In coffee, dose refers to the number of grams of coffee used in brewing a shot. Some espresso coffee makers allow users to adjust both number of grams and amount of water used.

Bean Grinder
Bean grinders are included on some units to automatically grind the necessary amount of coffee.

Brass Boiler:
Brass boilers offer greater durability and help retain warmth. Machines with brass boilers reheat faster and have less fluctuation in water temperature.

Bypass Doser
A bypass doser allows users to use a different blend of coffee than what is already in the machine grinder. Emptying the grinder isn’t necessary.

Cup Warmer.
Some units feature a cup warmer. Using a pre-warmed cup maintains the heat of the coffee for a longer period of time.

Milk frothing/foaming wand.
Cappuccino and latte drinkers need machines with a milk frothing/foaming wand. These aren’t available on all machines. Some of the more expensive coffee maker models feature milk reservoirs.

Pre-brewing pre-moistening.
Coffee is pre-moistened. This may provide for superior taste.

Removable Brew Group.
The brew group refers to where the brewing occurs. If these components can be removed, they’re easier to clean. Machines without removable components often have automatic cleaners.

Water Filter
Some high-end espresso coffee makers have water filters built in to eliminate chlorine, minerals and contaminants that affect taste. If filters are present, they do have to be changed regularly.

Cappuccino makers are preferred over standard coffee makers among the most serious coffee lovers. With these products, you can brew your favourite cafe style coffee drink in the privacy of your own home. You may be unsure at first, but with practice, you will be making restaurant quality drinks at home.

These coffee machines work by heating the water and then forcing the heated water through the ground coffee. As the heated water moves through the grinds, the water extracts the flavor. The coffee used is ground finer than for regular coffee. Steam is also used to froth milk for cappuccino or lattes.

Types of Cappuccino Makers

There are two basic types of machines for brewing specialty coffee drinks: steam and pump models. Pump machines are the best rated for heating water to the optimal level quickly. The most expensive models all work with an electric pump. They make a great cup of espresso with good crema. Crema is the foamy layer on top of a cup of espresso and is considered an important feature that coffee lovers look for.

Steam models are less expensive and are capable of brewing a good cup of espresso. Steam models have less pressure and less power. They are more affordable and make a good first machine. These products are definitely a step up from standard drip coffee makers.

A variety of coffee types are available for making espresso at home. The grinds are finer than standard coffee. Individual pods are available to fit most models. Pods are pre filled filter packets with the ground coffee measured and sealed inside. Some people love the convenience of pods and swear by them. Other people feel the quality of the drink is much lower when pods are used. The finished drink can be weak or bitter, depending on the brand of coffee and how it is prepared.

Super automatics are the top of the line in home cappuccino making. Super automatics can make all specialty coffees including espresso, cappuccino, lattes and mochas. An automatic milk frothing system prepares the milk according to your taste.

Super automatics are grind and brew devices that do everything for you. They grind the beans, tamp the grinds, measure the water, brew the coffee and froth the milk. Used grinds are dumped into a waste box, which you empty to dispose of the used beans. You program it according to the strength, quantity, and temperature desired in the finished drink. You can brew two mugs at once with super automatics.

Burr grinders are used in most super automatics. You can set the grinder for the consistency you want in the ground beans. Super automatics measure the beans for you, depending on the number of cups you will be brewing.

Cleaning a Cappuccino Machine

Proper cleaning is important to keep your machine working well and making great tasting drinks. Follow the manufacturer’s directions for proper cleaning. The components vary from product to product, so following the directions is important.

The machine should be cleaned inside and out to keep it working well. How you will clean it depends in part on the material used in construction. Stainless steel is the easiest to clean and maintain. Follow the directions included to keep it working well.

You will need to descale and decalcify the machine regularly. This is necessary to remove build up caused by particles in your drinking water. Over time, these particles can clog the machine and interfere with the operation. How often you will need to do this depends on the quality of your water and how often you use the coffee maker. One way to avoid this build up is to use distilled water.

The brew group will need to be cleaned about once each weak. A removable brew group is easier in terms of cleaning. You slide the brew group out through the service door and rinse it regularly. This removes coffee residue and grinds and results in a better tasting drink.

A non removable brew group should be cleaned with the automatic cleaning cycle. You program this feature and it cleans the brew group for you. Cleaning tablets are sold for non removable brew groups. Follow the directions on the package for proper use.

Making coffee is one of the easiest things in the world, and yet people are forever finding more and more complicated ways to do it. We live in an advanced coffee culture, where coffee is the most popular drink on the planet, and people get used to things like cappuccinos and lattes and start wondering how to do them at home. A trap some people fall into is buying the instant versions of coffee shop drinks, which inevitably taste inferior, instead of just making the drinks themselves at home.

The most important thing to realise about coffee-making is that, no matter what you might think, there is no variety of coffee-shop coffee that is really very difficult to make, despite the fancy names. An americano is just a normal coffee: coffee, hot water and milk on the side. A cappuccino is coffee, milk, and frothed milk, usually with chocolate sprinkles on top. A latte is milky coffee in a glass, and a mocha is the same thing with chocolate. A macchiato is coffee with frothed milk on top. Each fancy word basically means coffee, milk and froth in some combination (plus, occasionally, chocolate), with everything else being pretty much a matter of presentation.

The coffee in each drink is made by an espresso machine, and a basic espresso machine is really all you need to start making coffee at home: once you can put beans in the top and get espresso out the bottom, there aren’t really any other features you need. This simple fact means that there’s not much difference between the cheapest and the most expensive coffee machines if you know what you’re doing. To make your coffee stronger, you just put in more espresso; to make the different drinks, you use different quantities of the different ingredients.

Coffee has a language all its own. Here are a few of the frequently used coffee maker terms.

Auto Frother: device that automatically froths milk for cappuccinos and lattes.

Automatic Drip Coffee Maker: machine that automatically heats water and filters it through the coffee.

Automatic Espresso Machine and Coffee Maker: an espresso machine featuring controllable, programmable coffee dosing.

Bean to Cup: fully automated coffee making process. Machines with bean to cup capability do everything from grinding the beans to filling a cup with coffee.

Boiler: steam machine inside coffee maker. Machines with larger boilers usually are more powerful and produce more hot water for beverages.

Boiler Element: electric element that heats boiler in electric espresso coffee makers.

Cappuccino: Italian espresso based beverage.

Cup Warmer: metal portion at top of espresso coffee maker where cups are placed for warming.

Dosing: refers to either the number of grams of coffee per cup or the amount of brewed coffee per cup.

Drip Tray: Part of espresso coffee maker where coffee cup sits for filling.

Espresso: Italian black coffee which preceded specialty coffees. Rich black coffee.

Filter Basket: Metal filter where grounds are placed for brewing.

Filtered Method: process of brewing coffee with a filter, coffee is separate from the water.

French Press: aka plunger pot. A cylindrical coffee maker in which ground coffee is steeped then filtered. Coffee grounds are pushed to the bottom of the pot with the plunger. Coffee stays in the top of the pot.

Fully Automatic Espresso Machine and Coffee Maker: machines which automatically manage the brewing process from coffee bean to fresh cup of coffee.

Grind: process of preparing coffee beans for coffee brewing.

Group: Portion of espresso coffee maker that brews coffee.

Group Handle: Portion of espresso coffee maker that holds the filter basket that ground coffee goes into.

Heat Exchanger: heats water for coffee without taking water from the boiler.

Hopper: portion of grinder that holds coffee beans.
French Press coffee maker:

Knock-out Box: container used to knock the used coffee grounds from group handle.

Latte: Hot beverage made with one quarter coffee, three quarters of steamed, hot milk with little froth.

Mocha: term used to describe hot beverage made from espresso, chocolate and milk.

Moka Pot: Classic Italian espresso-maker used on top of the stove.

Percolator: coffee maker that continuously runs water through the coffee grounds to make coffee.

Pod: a self-contained, single serving unit of ready to use coffee.

Pour/Pour Speed/Pour Time: the amount of time required to pour coffee from group into cup. Should be 25 to 30 seconds for espresso.

Pump: device that moves water through the coffee maker.

Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine and Coffee Maker: machine without pre-set dosing capability.

Steam Arm/Wand: metal tube delivering steam to froth milk.

Super Automatic Espresso Machine and Coffee Maker: machine which automatically manages brewing process from coffee bean to fresh cup of coffee in addition to other features such as a water filter.

Tamping: act of pressing ground coffee into filter basket.

Vacuum coffee maker: machine using vacuum process to make coffee.

Traditional espresso coffee maker: machine that is not a bean to cup automated model.

Water Filter: filters contaminants from water for better coffee taste.

Water Font: nozzle used to dispense water from machine boiler.

Water Softener: filters lime and minerals from water, preventing build up of scales in the coffee maker. This is a must have for anyone using hard water.

There are so very many different types of espresso machine on the world-wide market, with many having such a wide range of features, that it is no wonder that finding just the right espresso machine for your business needs can be a greatly perplexing task. But once you get to understand the basics, and the main differences between the various models, you will find that getting the best machine for you is much more straightforward than you might otherwise think.

First of all, it is important that you know exactly what an espresso machine does: once you understand this, many of the extra features that come with some machines will not seem so strange! Espresso machines are fitted with a metal filter container that is filled with ground coffee; this is tamped down to compact the coffee grounds, and the metal filter is locked in place in the machine. Water is then pumped through the coffee grounds in the filter, and this produces an espresso. Cappuccinos, lattes and other variations of coffee can also be made by adding various amounts of frothed milk to the basic espresso- espresso machines come with a steam wand and milk frother for this purpose.

Some of the differences you will find between machines include the number of steam wands (some have more than one so that you can steam milk for more than one cup at once), the number of ‘heads’ (the more heads a machine has, the more cups of coffee can be produced at one time), and the inclusion of extras such as cup-warming plates and drip trays.

So keep the basics in mind, research the range of machines out there and make sure you know exactly what kind of machine you can afford for your budget- then get ready to serve your espresso! Happy shopping!

Love for coffee will bring you an interest to know how all these coffee shops do your favorite coffee or how long does it take them to do it or what are the things they need to do to make the milk fluffy. Technology brings the luxury at home in much more affordable prices. Others would be thinking that they have undergone intensive training and course study to be able to do it. Actually, it is so much easy and that is because of the use of devices that will help the work easier and faster. Below are few instructions on how to steam milk at home with your own milk steamer.

Place the tip of the steamer into the milk and turn on the steam.

Gradually lower the pitcher until the tip is near the top of the milk that will give you a foaming action.

Do not boil the milk.

In making your own steam milk at home you should be very careful and focus in doing such so you will get the result that you would like to get. All senses must be used in making your own favorite coffee at home. You need to use your sense of sight to make sure that the fluffy foam you are looking for is done and not just any bubbly milk. You also need to use your sense of hearing; you should be keen to listening on the sound your machine will make as you steam your milk. Whenever the sound is too muffled it is too deep and when it is too loud it isn’t deep enough.  The sweet spot in steamed milk isn’t stationary it moves around as the milk gets foamier so you need to learn to move along with it. Your sense to feel as you go with the flow of the milk as it is steamed. Lastly, your sense of taste will tell you if you did it the right way. But if it didn’t go through the way you want it to be then you can always try it again. The best way to master is through continuous practice and consistency.

Because of the increasing rise in popularity of coffees such as cappuccino, latte, macchiato, mochas and others people especially the coffee drinkers and lovers would like to experience these beverages at the comfort of their homes in the least expensive way. They need a device in order for them to do this and that is why milk frothers are created. Milk frothers come in various types and one most common and most affordable one is the hand held milk frothers.

Other milk frothers are quite expensive, can also accommodate a space in your room unlike with these handheld ones they are easier to use and they won’t eat up much of your space because they come in smaller shapes. They come in either electric of battery operated. The battery operated hand held milk frother whips up milk into a thick froth quickly and efficiently. You can use it with hot or cold milk to enjoy either a hot or iced coffee which may you want. These devices aren’t also good for mixing salad dressings, whipping up hot chocolates, diet shakes and so many other drinks you can think of. The electric handheld milk frother functions the same way the only difference is their source of energy.

The hand held milk frothers can make multiple cups of frothed milk that you want though it needs extra effort and ample time to pump the plunger to get the amount of froth that you want.  The only constraint that it has is the manual operation the user needs to do in order to make frothed milk though it has more great benefits and advantages compared to the rest of the milk frother. One of which is because of its small shape you can store it almost anywhere in the kitchen so you will have no issue on space, you can hide it without eating much of your cabinet.  They might be at times tricky to use but if you take some practice it would be easier then eventually.  Most of all they are easy to clean. The style may vary slightly based on its availability.