What is an Espresso?
The origin for the word espresso comes from the English word “express.” This can be explained either by the short time of passage of water through the coffee or the Italian habit of eating as fast as it takes to make his coffee behind the bar.
How do we make an espresso?
While the classic coffee maker will have heated water drip slowly through a filter to obtain a mild drink, espresso machine sends highly pressurised water along with air through the grounded coffee that limits the percolation time to ideally 30 seconds, which develops the coffees aroma and gives it its familiar velvety, creamy foam.
The espresso machine these days is quite a technical piece of equipment since it must follow a strict process for you to enjoy this little caffeinated gem: a minimum pressure of 10 bar, water heated to between 92 and 94 ° C and a percolation time of about thirty seconds.
Latest innovations in coffee machines include bar-code reading of the flavoured pods or caps so that the machine automatically processes the right amount of water and pressure to give you the perfect cuppa every time!
Please visit our Espresso Machine Buyers Guide to help you make your choice of coffee machine.