I recommend the Nespresso Pixie Espresso Maker.Very simple: due to the hermetically sealed little alu pods, it delivers the same quality as a real cappuccino machine (I think it's better than most coffeehouse coffee actually), but it's super-compact, and there's much, much less mess to deal with. And it's fast. If you just want an expresso, it's less than a minute from turning it on til you have your coffee!
Couldn't be simpler and quicker.
If you want milk, there's a few more steps. A steamer is pretty ridic for a home, so I just heat the milk in the microwave, and then froth it with a simple little frother.
It's recommended to pre-heat the cup also, with hot water.
I'f you're used to "a cup of coffee" being like half a liter, maybe this machine is not for you, it makes pretty small cups. But there are two sizes, and I guess one could use two capsules in one go for a double cup.
The capsules by the way, are expensive many places, 70 pence (a buck) per shot. But I buy directly from Nespresso.com, that's half price, much more in line of what home-brewing oughta cost.
Congrats! Glad it's working out for you! :-) I pulled out my little old rinky-dink espresso machine, a coupla days ago, and made myself an iced cafe mocha. Don't know why I stopped; it ain't that much of a bother and...it's DELISH! :-D
ReplyDeleteI'm not an espresso drinker, and nor do I know anything about how to make it, but the way you phrased the sentence below immediately tells me that a steamer is a must for proper espresso preparation. :-)
ReplyDeleteA steamer is pretty ridic for a home, so I just ...
Anybody ever call you a contrarian? Nah, surely not!
ReplyDeleteA steamer is admittedly optimal. You don't risk over-heating the milk, and if you're skilled, you can make better foam with it. But that takes real skill, I never mastered it. (And the foam quality is really just cosmetic.) And it's another of those bits which needs cleaning all the time.
Anybody ever call you a contrarian?
ReplyDeleteCome on! I'm just trying to be helpful here. ;-)
There has apparently been some movement against these machines which dispense from an aluminium can. I think it refers back to a (possibly unproven) link between ingesting aluminium and Alzheimer's.
ReplyDeleteNot only that ... you have to think about the "ecological footprint" - every cup of espresso needs one pad made of aluminium, OMG!
ReplyDeleteBut you can make your pads yourself using filter paper (which is additionally much cheaper, and you can use the coffe of your choice) ... after a short research I have found (German websites):
http://www.gerozahn.de/kaffeepads/, or
http://www.gerozahn.de/kaffeepads/html/maschine.html
Maybe there are English websites, too.
Generally, espresso is of all kinds of coffee the best for the stomach - only for a few seconds the water (85° - 87° Celsius hot, not less, not more) is in contact with the coffee powder. And of course the right pressure of the water, otherwise it takes too much time for it to go through. Therefore no bitter substances or tannin in your coffee, which you get with coffee made "classically" by filtering.
To produce a good espresso you need some skills - in Italy there is the profession "barista", which means "the man behind the bar making espresso" ;-) (I know a little bit about espresso, because ten years ago I have helped a friend to build up an espresso business - my job was to make the workshop for repairing the machines, "classical" machines as well as half and full automatic machines, for home and for gastronomy.)
For my espresso at home I'm using the "Lattepresso" machine, which is the classical Italian kind of home-made espresso, but enhanced: stainless steel instead of aluminium, with built-in heater:
http://www.waschbaer.de/Milchmix-Kocher-Lattepresso--47d1a188462.html
A good espresso needs some kind of celebration, like smoking a pipe ... ;-)
Neeraj said...
ReplyDelete"A good espresso needs some kind of celebration, like smoking a pipe ... ;-) "
A "peace" pipe, Neeraj, or...? :-D
One of my favorite (but very rare!) things I love to "pair" a delicious cafe mocha with is...a yummy almond pastry! :-P
(The way you write about "the perfect" Italian espresso sure makes me wanna travel Italy in search of it, too! :-D
"... A "peace" pipe, Neeraj, or...? :-D"
ReplyDeleteOf course ... are there other kinds of pipe?
"... makes me wanna travel Italy ..."
Italy is a beautiful country in many aspects, not only the espresso ... (and yes, they have also almond pastry ;-))
Addendum:
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barista
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Barista_Championship
;-)
P.S.: captcha "heart" :-)
Neeraj said...
ReplyDelete"Of course ... are there other kinds of pipe?"
Well...there's the "regular" tobacco-smoking variety; and...not so sure that that was ever "endearingly" called a "peace pipe" (my dad certainly never called it that! lol! :-) and...then there's that "wacky tobaccy" variety that makes ya feel all mellow...or so I've heard! :-D
"... makes me wanna travel Italy ..."
"Italy is a beautiful country in many aspects,"
Yes...I have heard and...also read about it, in 'Eat, Pray, Love.' It's on my 'Bucket List.' :-D
"...not only the espresso ... (and yes, they have also almond pastry ;-)) "
Glad to know about that! I'll be lookin' for that, when I, finally, get a chance to go! Thanks! Something to look forward to! :-D
Eolake said...
ReplyDelete"And the foam quality is really just cosmetic."
Yeah...all that stuff is just so silly and overrated! (all serious about some fricken scum - I mean - "foam!") lol! Peeps take that stuff *so* seriously, it's almost laughable! Just easier to have an iced one w/a shot of chocolate to calm the nerves, I say! Tastes better, too! :-D
The link between aluminum and Alzheimer's apprently doesn't exist or at least has yet to be proven:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_myths_about_alzheimers.asp
It's Myth 4 and is at the bottom.
the foam is my favorite part, scoop it out with the teaspoon from the bottom of the cup a chi no
ReplyDelete