Making Coffee from home using milk...machine available?

musicfan

Hiya
I leave in an area with really 'hard' water so its impossible to make a nice cup of coffee......even when you boil the water!
I love cappochinos, lattes etc from the usual coffee shop suspects ie starbucks, sol, coffee cuisine, insomnia, o'briens etc
Just wondering is there a machine (obviously smaller than they use in the shops!) that I could buy to use at home?
How do these work? Is there any that just use milk (not water)?
Any recommendations???
Thanks

SeaSide

brita water filter

RE*AC*TOR

musicfan - there aren't any machines that I am aware of that use milk exclusively.

However, there are plenty of espresso machines on the market for home use. You would be talking about a single dual purpose boiler machine (purpose 1 make espresso, purpose 2 steam milk). You can get one for about €200, although from time to time there are special offers where you can get them from less (look at the thread on Home Store + More).

Another interesting alternative would be the mukka express from bialetti.



You put that one your stovetop and it makes espresso cappuccino.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVbslUZKc7s

Gran Hermano

As SeaSide mentioned, try using a Britta Water filter jug for removing
the minerals from the water you intend to use.

With regards to a machine that uses only milk instead of water - the short
answer is no. You'll still need water for the coffee/espresso part,
hence the need to filter the water first before filling the water resovoir
in the machine.

As for a machine, it all depends on how much you want to spend.
The minimum you'll need for an entry level machine is €100-150,
check RE*AC*TOR's post yesterday for the new Gaggias in stock
in Home Store + More starting at €100. They'll also froth the milk
you'll require for your milk based coffee drinks.


(RE*AC*TOR we got to stop posting at the same time )

rockbeer

musicfan wrote:

Hiya
I leave in an area with really 'hard' water so its impossible to make a nice cup of coffee......even when you boil the water!

An alternative to filtering is to buy Volvic water - it's a bit expensive, but it's the perfect water for making coffee. It won't scale up your machines, but has enough mineral content for a good flavour.

I won't use anything else in my machines these days.

As the others have said, there are a number of machines you could consider for making espresso-based drinks at home. It all depends on your budget - if you can give us an idea how much you want to spend, it makes it easier to recommend good equipment at the price.

musicfan

I don't want to say a minimum of how much I'd spend cos it would depend on the product. For the right product I'd probably pay a little bit more.......
I would like a piece of equipment that is easy to clean......
I don't know if most coffee machines only allow you to make 2 cups if there was a machine that only allowed you to make one cup it would be even better as I'm the only coffee drinker in the house. (Thats a minor thing but it would probably be a waste of Volvic to have to use up a bottle of water to make one cup of coffee..........
I've looked up coffee machines on the internet but would like some advice / recomendation for a good one!!

RE*AC*TOR

musicfan, bottomline if you want to make proper lattés and cappucinos you need an espresso machine. These range from about €150-200 up. If you are primarily going to use it for yourself and just for milk based coffee drinks (ie not that interested in "neat" espressos) then I suggest you get yourself down to Home Store + More in either Swords or Tallaght and buy the Gaggia Viva that's currently on sale for €100.

As for hard water, I have reasonably hard water and it doesn't seem to cause me any problems. Might have to descale the machine a bit more frequently, but that's ok.

rockbeer

RE*AC*TOR wrote:

musicfan, bottomline if you want to make proper lattés and cappucinos you need an espresso machine. These range from about €150-200 up.

And don't forget you'll also need to spend at least that much on a reasonable grinder too, unless you intend to rely on pre-ground which is likely to give you inconsistent results.

The absolute minimum budget for quality home espresso unless you get very lucky is €250, and you could spend twice that without getting anywhere near the upper end of the scale. It's an expensive business.

But if you really want those lattes and cappuccinos you'll find the cash somehow*

As regards cleaning, all espresso machines are essentially the same in this regard. They need regular backflushing with a cleaning powder such as Puly-Caff. This removes the rancid stale coffee oils from the inside of the machine, and unless you do it your coffee will quickly start to taste bad. You clean the portafilter, baskets etc. by soaking them in the same stuff.

Depending on your choice of water, you will also need to descale periodically using a proprietary descaler or citric acid. Scale is the biggest killer of espresso machines: if you let it build up your machine will eventually die. Also once there it can be devilishly hard to remove, plus you really can't see inside the boiler, pipes etc. so you never really know how bad it is until the worst happens. That's why I use Volvic: it's good knowing for certain that the machine is scale-free.

Very little water gets wasted - most home machines have built in tanks which you top up as necessary. The machine only uses as much water as it needs to brew the shot, plus a small amount of waste that ends up in your drip tray.

Home espresso machines basically brew one double or two single shots at a time, so any such machine is perfect for making coffee for one or two people at a time. Big industrial 3 or 4-group machines are in a different league of course...

If money is no object you could do worse than the Rancilio Silvia, which is widely regarded as the top of the range for home espresso. Otherwise you could do worse than have a look around in BTs where they have a decent range of home machines.

* Please note this post does not advocate any illegal activities in the pursuit of decent coffee.

RE*AC*TOR

rockbeer wrote:

As regards cleaning, all espresso machines are essentially the same in this regard. They need regular backflushing with a cleaning powder such as Puly-Caff.

Also worth noting that the cheapest machine with the required solenoid valve to perform a backflush is €300 (Gaggia Classic currently on sale in BT).

rockbeer

RE*AC*TOR wrote:

Also worth noting that the cheapest machine with the required solenoid valve to perform a backflush is €300 (Gaggia Classic currently on sale in BT).

Good point RE*AC*TOR - I've often wondered how you clean the insides of a cheap (non-solenoid) espresso machine. Anyone know what the story with such machines is?

Dave3x

RE*AC*TOR:

Thanks, man. I'm just beginning to get into coffee, and your photo/video combo of the Mukka Express got me seraching on the internet. I'd never heard of Moka pots before, and have just finished drinking my first one from them (Lavazza something or other) and am suitably happy.

I know it's not grinding your own, using an expensive machine, etc, but for a student with a weekly budget of €20-ish, that little photo has temporarily solved my problem with hating instant coffee.

Cheers.

RE*AC*TOR

Good on ya Dave3x, moka pots are what 90% of Italians use at home to make coffee, and its certainly a better starting point for coffee than where I started.

musicfan

I wa intrigued by that Mukka Express coffee maker as well - had a look on the internet and was thinking of buying one as a starting point?

Is it easy to clean and what sort of coffee do you use in it - probably a silly question I know?

I saw an electric version on the internet (don't know if its available in Ireland yet) but would this be better as I have a gas hob with an open flame?

RE*AC*TOR

musicfan - there's a difference between moka express and mukka express - only the mukka one involves milk, so be sure of which one you are buying.

I have never used a mukka, but I don't think the cleaning process is too elaborate.

They have them in Arnotts and Stock and some other shops, so you don't necessarily need to buy online.

To answer your questions... store bought bricks of ground Illy or Lavazza will do nicely for the mukka. Obviously grinding your own beans is always tastier, but this isn't as important when using milk.

The electric one and the hob one should be fairly much equal. Its just a practicality thing in the end of the day.

Dave3x

I have a gas hob at home, it works fine. Just make sure, if you're buying a small one, that it won't fall off your ring. Also, make sure that the flames won't go up the side of the pot.

Like RE*AC*TOR said, Mukka Express is cappucino only- and it's much pricier. The Moka pot is tiny, simple, and under €30 in Arnotts for one that makes six espresso at a time.

Also, bear in mind that they're built to make a set amount of coffee. The wise people on the internet reccomend not buying more capacity then you'll use- you'll just end up wasting coffee.

Again, completely new to this, but for a start, it's great.

musicfan

I invested in the Mucca Express to see how it goes!!!

I've just tried it but it doesn't seem to froth up!! What am I doing wrong?? And before you ask, yes I have followed the instructions!!

Any suggestions from any Mukka Express users??

RE*AC*TOR

all i can say to you musicfan is that the pressure valve wasn't pressed down properly. have a fiddle with it and try again. did you watch the youtube vid above?

rockbeer

How you getting on with it musicfan?

musicfan

Its a disaster!!!

I've put water into the base - up to the correct level for use with a gas hob - and it spurts out everywhere - Even when I reduce the water level considerably!!

Then when I eventually got the frother bit of it to work - no matter how much milk I put in it (even less than the required amount - it froths and bubbles over everywhere - Out of the approx 10 times Ive tried it so far - i've spend hours cleaning up the kitchen!!!

Help............

Gran Hermano

musicfan wrote:

Its a disaster!!!

I've put water into the base - up to the correct level for use with a gas hob - and it spurts out everywhere - Even when I reduce the water level considerably!!

Then when I eventually got the frother bit of it to work - no matter how much milk I put in it (even less than the required amount - it froths and bubbles over everywhere - Out of the approx 10 times Ive tried it so far - i've spend hours cleaning up the kitchen!!!

Help............

Just a suggestion, try lowering the heat once it starts to percolate.
I know with the ordinary Bialetti moka pots they'd 'spurt' like you mentioned
if the heat was too high.

Dave3x

Also, as far as I know, the things have to be sealed as tight as possible without breaking them! I think they need a perect seal- is it spurting out from the middle?

musicfan

It spurts out from the middle (i.e. the top of where you put the water in) when I put even a tiny amount of water in and even when its so tight I have to get someone else to open it.

It spurts out from the jug part of it when I put considerably less milk in than I'm supposed to and I'm lucky to end up with half a cup of coffee which I usually drink while I'm mopping up coffee from the hob, kitchen counter and floor........all for a bargain of 80 euro approx!!

Maybe I should have purchased a more expensive coffee machine (i.e. the ones that look like the ones in the coffee shops only smaller) but I said I'd spend the €80 to see how I get on with it. False economy!!

Gran Hermano

Musicfan, Bialetti is a well known brand in the coffee world and there
is no reason why you shouldn't get a decent drink from it.

It sounds like you have two problems, and whilst I'm not familiar with
the Mukka pot, I've used several Bialetti and non-Bialettio moka pots
over the years.

The leaking from the middle would suggest to me either one of the rubber
rings or seals is not on correctly. Check all the rubber rings/gaskets are in
place correctly - especially the ring between the filter basket (where the
coffee goes in) and the filter plate. Also make sure you're not putting
in too much ground coffee.

Double check the diagram here to check the placement of rings/gasket:
http://www.bialettishop.com/BW/Manual/MukkaExpressEnglish.htm

Put the pot on a medium-high heat once it starts boiling take it off the ring
and see how you get on. Might help with the liquid boiling/spurting from the
top.

Keep us posted!

musicfan

I've double checked and yes everything seems to be in place. The filter bit and the gasket at the bottom of the jug were in place when I purchased it but everything seems to be there!

I'll give it a another go tomorrow and will take it off the heat when it starts boiling and we'll see what happens!

Will keep you all informed and thanks a mill for your help / suggestions!

rockbeer

It's an easy mistake to put the gaskets on the wrong way round, at least on ones I've used in the past so double check that. Also it's important to make sure you don't get any coffee grounds in the seal - anything that prevents a proper seal at the joint between the gasket and the machined metal surface will make hot liquid p*ss out everywhere.

Also on my Bialetti there's a filter screen just above the basket which it's easy to put in the wrong way round - it actually looks like it should go the other way round to how it actually does. Getting that wrong results in the same clean-up job.

But I aree with Gran Hermano ( as usual ) - Bialetti is a top brand and unless you've been really unlucky and got a duff one you should be able to sort it out.

Good luck, keep us posted.

egan007

musicfan wrote:

Hiya
I leave in an area with really 'hard' water so its impossible to make a nice cup of coffee......even when you boil the water!
I love cappochinos, lattes etc from the usual coffee shop suspects ie starbucks, sol, coffee cuisine, insomnia, o'briens etc
Just wondering is there a machine (obviously smaller than they use in the shops!) that I could buy to use at home?
How do these work? Is there any that just use milk (not water)?
Any recommendations???
Thanks

Install a water softener only a couple of hundred quid.

http://www.google.ie/search?hl=en&q=water+softener&btnG=Search&meta=cr%3DcountryIE