When you start diving into technical specs for espresso gear, you will see terms like "Dual Boiler," "Heat Exchanger," and "Single Boiler." If you look at the price tags, you will notice a trend: Dual Boilers are expensive. Heat Exchangers are bulky.
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.
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're reading this post it's for a reason. Like me you don't have a lot of space in your kitchen. My family in particular lives in a condo here in Hawaii so we also don't have a lot of storage space to go with it.
The Americano, or Long Black for my non American readers, is the coffee drink for the purist. It is deceptively simple: just a shot (or two) of espresso topped with hot water. It has a similar strength to drip coffee, but because it is made with espresso, it retains that rich, oily body and the layer of golden crema on top.
When you decide you want to make espresso at home, you aren't just buying a coffee maker; you are picking up a new hobby. It requires patience, practice, and the right tools. And while there are dozens of plastic appliances out there promising "barista quality" with the push of a button, most of them just don't deliver.