Espresso - how?

5littleangels

Hi, I dont know anything about coffee / coffee machines etc. and dont like cappachino/lattes etc however I love espresso and would like to know how I can make these at home / which machine / coffees are best for this? I remembered from ages ago that there were coffee experts on boards so thats why I thought to ask you on here. Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I dont have anyone else to ask about this thank you x

chewed

it all depends on how much you're willing to spend! You can pay thousands for a good espresso machine or you could pay €100 for a Nespresso one that uses the pods. I have a Nespresso and find them very handy. I wouldn't say it's the nicest espresso I've tasted, but it comes very close and there's no cleaning involved.

5littleangels

I just thought that espresso would be some type of plain coffee not come in a pod/ need one of those machines that make capachino etc? i never realised it was a 'flavour' if you know what i mean I thought it was just strong coffee granules?

adrian522

What you need for espresso is an espresso machine, e.g Gaggia Classic or Rancillio Silvia would be considered good machines for home use.

You will also need a grinder capable of producing a consistent, fine grind and cpaable of making small adjustments to the grind in order to get the correct fineness for the beans you are using.

After that you need a lot of patience as there is a lot of trial and error involved.

If you wanted a cheaper alternative and an "Espresso-like" drink, you could get a hand grinder and a stove top moka pot, which will get you pretty good coffee(though not really espresso) at a fraction of the cost.

Personally I wouldn't bother with Nespresso or any other pod based system.

Batesy

Buy a Nespresso machine. It sounds like that's exactly what you're after.

You'll receive a €90 voucher for pods too.

Slaphead07

I'd avoid any pod machine. Very inferior espresso and a coffee cul-de-sac. Even a "bean to cup" machine would give a decent shot.

whomitconcerns

Slaphead07 wrote: »

I'd avoid any pod machine. Very inferior espresso and a coffee cul-de-sac. Even a "bean to cup" machine would give a decent shot.

well i assumed that. But for a 10second non messy and tasty espresso in the morning its a godsend! I think based on the OP that will do the job for him nicely

Mycroft H

Ever try a mokka pot? They're the poor mans expresso machine. I find them great!

Mec-a-nic

Slaphead07 wrote: »

I'd avoid any pod machine.

I'd agree - they are the inkjet printers of the drinks world - cheap to buy the machine - pay a fortune in refills.

I still considered buying one for the convenience (and I can afford it) but the fact you can't recycle the pods ( a mix of aluminium and coffee grounds) put an end to that permanently.

I Moka Pot or Aeropress.

bbbbb

Did.ie have a delonghi espresso machine for €70 which looks like gvfm

vibe666

get an aeropress and a fine mesh filter for it, learn how to use it inverted and off you go.

personally, I'd say to learn one thing at a time so you don't overwhelm yourself, start with pre-ground beans and experiment with different types of coffee to see what you like and go from there.

next thing you know you'll be roasting and grinding your own beans at home and have some mad expensive coffee machine to brew it all in.