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.
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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. This means we are picky when it comes to what takes up that space.
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.
When people ask me for a recommendation for a budget friendly espresso machine, they are usually hoping I’ll point them toward a $100 appliance at a big-box store. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you want real espresso, not just strong, foamy coffee, you need to spend a little more than that.
Here is the most common mistake I see people make when getting into home espresso: they spend their entire budget on a shiny new machine and then plug in a $50 blade grinder they bought at the grocery store.
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When I decided to finally dive into making espresso at home, I knew there was a steep learning curve. I spent hours reading about pressure, temperature, and extraction times. But one piece of advice kept coming up over and over: puck prep is everything.