The best commercial espresso coffee machine? Well, there is one key element across over 150 manufacturers of commercial espresso coffee machines across the globe… and that is pressure, meaning steam pressure in the boiler and pump pressure to make great espresso coffee!
The Concept And Background
The concept of a commercial espresso coffee machine originated in Italy and the key point is high-pressure extraction of intensely flavoured and concentrated coffee in short measure. This strong brew has spread from Italy to the whole world as a favourite coffee fix.
With the Caffia range of coffee beans it comes in a variety of taste styles but should always have a good ‘crema’ – the emulsion of coffee oils that floats on top of the drink (it’s a good idea to stir your espresso with a spoon to blend this in).
How They Work
As you probably already know, the coffee beans are ground to a fine consistency and ‘tamped’ (pressed firmly) into a strong handle which is known as a group handle or portafilter, this is not unlike a very small and rugged saucepan.
Once secured in the group head on the espresso machine by means of a quarter of a turn the machine’s pump is triggered to force water through the ground coffee at around 140 psi (although at a low flow rate) and the result is this intense extraction.
Milk heating, foaming and texturing are undertaken by the barista with the machine’s steam arms – this is a skill that takes practice but don’t worry – we train you on all of this.
Strong points of espresso machines are smart looks that shouts ‘we sell good coffee’, good cup warming storage, good ‘theatre’ as customers can see the drink being crafted for them, good prices and robust performance.
Also consider that these espresso coffee machines do take time to make a drink as well as quite a bit of skill acquired by practice – also with a human operator (s) there can be a degree of inconsistency in the end product. It’s fair to say that traditional coffee machines are rare in the office setting as they are not really automated enough to be convenient for staff drinks.
Plenty Of Options To Consider…
Caffia Coffee Group offers a range of both ‘workhorse’ and luxury espresso coffee machines, coffee grinders and barista training and provide a free case of 6 x 1kg coffee beans of your choice with your machine.
If you run a high-pressure outlet where coffee is not the main focus, have high staff turnover or are in a self-service situation (eg: an office kitchen) you might be better off with an automatic bean-to-cup coffee machine.
Phone: 0203 096 7233 or 01324 617618 – Email: sales@caffia.com
Caffia Coffee Group
Lomond House
Russel Street
Falkirk
FK2 7HS
Design Hub Clerkenwell
47 Gee Street
London
EC1V 3RS