Espress - OH!
Great espresso at home doesn’t have to be expensive or difficult to make, we promise!
So many easy options for great espresso!
What is it about espresso that is so elusive? It is the basis of almost every coffee beverage and yet it is supremely difficult to master even for seasoned coffee professionals, with all of the best equipment and modern innovations in their cafes. Which makes it a daunting challenge to get right, especially at home and on a limited budget. Probably the most important thing to remember is that not all coffees were created equal, so they will all react differently even if you have a tried a true method. And that’s a good thing, that’s part of the fun!
Tips for the best possible espresso station;
Here are 5 sure-fire pieces of equipment to brew excellent espresso in your home on a budget. Espress-Oh-Yeah!
The Flair Classic Espresso Maker
Price: Under R5000
This one is for the artisans and the flamboyants!
The Flair Classic is the original manual espresso maker that turned the craft coffee industry on its head in 2016. The completely manual, lever espresso action is capable of brewing between 6-9 BAR pressure, exactly that needed to brew cafe-quality espresso from wherever you are. There have been many modifications on further models, like pressure gauges, interchangeable portafilters, multiple add-ons but essentially what the Flair provides is a way to neatly (and safely!) push very hot water through very fine coffee grounds to extract a delicious shot of espresso.
TOP TIP: Watch the videos on YouTube to get some excellent tips on pre-infusion, dosage, lever speed and different brew parameters - there is so much you can do with this one!
The Swan One Touch Espresso Machine
Price: Under R3500.
Now, we are pretty sceptical of entry level manual espresso machines, but this one punches well above its weight. The beautiful Nordic style and Slate Grey means is looks very good on the countertop. It has a pressure gauge and a milk frother for cappuccinos and lattes too. You will need either a good coffee grinder or to buy your fresh coffee beans and have them ground by your local roastery in order to extract a great espresso shot, but while playing with this machine we found it to work really well and it looks super cute too!
TOP TIP: What you save on the Swan machine, invest in a very good grinder! While it’s great to use a hand grinder (time consuming) or get it pre-ground from the roastery (consistent) it’s really fun to play with grind size and dosage over time.
The Bialetti Moka Pot
Price: Under R1500
Probably the most popular method of making espresso coffee at home in the world, Bialetti has been around for almost 100 years since its founding in Italy in 1933 by Alfonso Bialetti. The moka pot is a tried and tested method of boiling water under a chamber of coffee grounds and as the pressure rises, the boiling water is forced through the grounds extracting a perfect rich and aromatic brew into the pouring chamber above. These days the moka pot comes in a variety of shapes, materials and designs, but you can absolutely bank on the Bialetti to give you consistently delicious espresso day after day. (It is still the Editors daily way to make coffee!) The resulting brew doesn’t have the same viscosity as a mechanical espresso, but it’s got an intensity, flavour and such an incredible aroma!
TOP TIP: We’ve got two for you! Go with a medium grind size and then gently tamp it down. Build a little pyramid and then screw down the top chamber, and then secondly, brew it with the lid open and as soon as it starts to ooze through, lift it off the heat so it brews through gently and slowly and doesn’t over boil.
The Blume 2- Step Pro (left in the picture)
Price: Under R2500
There’s no doubt that Nespresso and George Clooney changed the game with the capsule coffee idea for homes. They created a way to make it easy for everyday people to enjoy espresso at home - unfortunately, what they had in innovation, they lacked in delivery…and yes, they were ahead of their time - so here is a piece of equipment that builds on the capsule idea but actually gives you good espresso in an easy way. The BLUME 2-Step Pro Capsule Machine is made specifically for specialty coffee and it does two things significantly different to the archetype : 1. Pre-infusion or blooming or in very simple terms, it soaks the grounds first and gently opens up the coffee and then 2. Applies the required high pressure for a satisfying shot and impressive crema. We love the adjustable temperature and brew parameters - which is not something you need to know, but you will have fun in learning about these as you grow in your coffee journey!
TOP TIP: Firstly, - try specialty pods, not the commercial ones! You will be pleasantly surprised. Secondly, RTFM! Or Read the Freaking Manual! While it is dead easy to brew on this little number, and your quick start guide will have you brewing on the factory settings within minutes, the real joy of this machine is in the many variables you can tweak to get your coffee tasting exactly how you want it to.
The Wacaco Minipresso and NS2 (right in the above picture)
Price: Under R1500
This is a portable espresso machine which is very small, can brew either grounds or capsules (depending on the model - NS2 is the capsule version) and only needs coffee and hot water. The pressure comes from you! Like a bicycle pump, you put the lever to build up pressure, which then pushes the hot water through the grounds and extracts your espresso into the vessel. The entire unit is built for being on the road, including cute little travel cases for each unit, a brush and a cup as part of the design. We have religiously used this for the past 5 years when traveling and found it to produce outstanding coffee while on the road.
TOP TIP: The more you use this little beauty, the easier it gets to brew with and you can start to play around with water temperature and, like all of the methods above, can even implement some pre-infusion (soaking the coffee before extraction) with two full pumps of the handle and then pausing for about 10 seconds - no coffee will come out of the device at this point, while your soak the grounds, and then a series of hard pumps will drive the hot water through the soaked grounds giving you a beautifully balanced shot of espresso!
