If you are looking to get into home espresso on a budget, you have likely come across the Delonghi Stilosa Espresso Machine. It is everywhere. It is cheap, it looks decent on a shelf, and it promises to make you a barista overnight.
If you walk into a specialty coffee shop today, the menu can be overwhelming. Cappuccinos, lattes, flat whites, macchiatos, it is easy to get lost in the ratios. But for me, there is one drink that stands above the rest when it comes to the perfect balance of milk and espresso: the Cortado.
When you start shopping for espresso gear, you will hear three terms thrown around: Super-Automatic, Manual, and Semi-Automatic.
There are coffee makers, and then there are machines that look like they belong in a museum of modern art. If you are searching for a "high end drip coffee maker," you aren't just looking for something that heats water. You are looking for reliability, design, and, most importantly, perfect coffee every single morning. You want consistency.
A good Latte was really the first reason my wife and I wanted to make the leap into espresso in our home. While we love drinking it black it is also a nice change to enjoy a good latte without having to go out. Though to do this you really need a machine that doesn't just pull a great shot, but one that can also steam milk well.
There is a big difference between someone who just wants a morning caffeine fix and a "home barista.". Or in my case a reluctant coffee snob who works from home.
If you are looking for a way to make strong, delicious coffee at home without buying a massive machine, most people end up deciding between these two: the Moka Pot and the French Press.
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If you walked into a kitchen in the 90s or early 2000s, including my own, you almost certainly saw a Bodum French Press sitting on the counter. For decades, it was the default "fancy" way to make coffee at home. It was simple, and it looks nice.