Category: Gear

Philips Espresso Machines: Models, Features, Pros, Cons & Buying Guide

Philips espresso machines are built around a very different idea from traditional home espresso. Instead of asking you to grind beans, dose a portafilter, tamp the coffee, time the extraction, and steam milk manually, Philips’ fully automatic machines handle most of the process for you. Fill the bean hopper. Fill the water tank. Choose your …

Continue reading

Lavazza Espresso Machines: Models, Features, Pros, Cons & Buying Guide

Lavazza is one of Italy’s best-known coffee companies, but its approach to home espresso machines is very different from brands such as Gaggia, Philips, JURA, or La Marzocco. Most Lavazza home machines aren’t traditional espresso machines with portafilters. They aren’t bean-to-cup machines with built-in grinders either. Instead, Lavazza specializes in single-serve espresso systems designed around …

Continue reading

Best Espresso Accessories: Essential Tools for Home Baristas

Buying an espresso machine is only the beginning of a home espresso setup. A good machine provides hot water, pressure, and—in many cases—steam. But consistently good espresso also depends on everything that happens before and after the machine’s brew button is pressed. You need coffee ground finely and consistently enough for espresso. You need to …

Continue reading

Farberware Espresso Maker Review: Features, Pros, Cons & Performance

The Farberware Espresso Maker is an interesting option for anyone who wants to experiment with homemade espresso without spending several hundred dollars on a machine. The model covered in this review—the Farberware 15-Bar Espresso Machine, model FW61100042872—is a compact semi-automatic machine equipped with a stainless-steel boiler, pressure gauge, removable 47-ounce water tank, single- and double-shot …

Continue reading

How to Make French Press Coffee: Ratio, Grind Size & Brewing Guide

French press coffee is one of the simplest ways to make a rich, full-bodied cup at home. There are no paper filters to fold. No complicated pouring pattern to master. No pump, capsule, or electronic brewing system. At its simplest, you need only: But simple doesn’t mean foolproof. French press coffee can taste wonderfully sweet, …

Continue reading

Zulay Magiá Espresso Machine Review: Features, Pros, Cons & Performance

The Zulay Magiá Manual Espresso Machine occupies an interesting place in the home espresso market. It combines several pieces of equipment that beginners would otherwise need to purchase separately: That puts the Zulay Magiá Manual Espresso Machine, model SOS100, in the same broad all-in-one category as machines such as the Breville Barista Express. You fill …

Continue reading

Rocket Espresso Machines: Models, Features, Pros, Cons & Buying Guide

Rocket Espresso occupies an interesting place in the home espresso world. These are not inexpensive starter appliances designed to automate coffee at the touch of a button. Rocket builds premium Italian espresso machines for people who enjoy the traditional process of grinding coffee, preparing a portafilter, controlling extraction, and steaming milk manually. The company describes …

Continue reading

Rancilio Espresso Machines: Models, Features, Pros, Cons & Buying Guide

Rancilio has one of the most recognizable names in traditional espresso equipment. Founded in Italy, the company has spent decades building machines for cafés, restaurants, specialty coffee shops, and home baristas. But if you’re shopping for a Rancilio espresso machine for your kitchen, the lineup is actually much simpler than it first appears. For home …

Continue reading

How Does a Coffee Maker Work? Drip Coffee Brewing Explained

You fill the reservoir with cold water, add ground coffee, press a button, and a few minutes later a steaming pot of coffee appears. It feels simple. Inside an automatic drip coffee maker, however, several processes are happening at once. Water must move from the reservoir to the heating system. It must become hot enough …

Continue reading

Victoria Arduino Espresso Machines: Models, Features, Pros, Cons & Buying Guide

Victoria Arduino is not a typical home espresso-machine brand. Founded in Italy in 1905, the company spent much of its history building dramatic professional machines for cafés and hospitality businesses. Its equipment has long combined espresso technology with unusually strong attention to industrial design. That heritage is still obvious today. A Victoria Arduino machine tends …

Continue reading