Espresso. Is there anything more magical than this luscious crema-topped shot of flavor and energy? I’m assuming if you’re reading this you love your coffee, specifically espresso. So it will come as no surprise to you that great espresso begins with great bean selection, proper roast and grind choices BUT without a great machine to bring out the best of the bean, you’re really just going around in circles.
Yes, you can chicken-and-egg this argument, and in truth the bean, the roast the grind and the machine are inseparable links in the chain that play an important role in producing this dark ambrosia. But Espresso’s unique qualities are the result of the brewing method: Forcing hot water through finely-ground coffee at high pressure. You can start with any bean, any roast and use less-than-ideal grind size but if you don’t specifically have an “Espresso Machine” you will not be able to produce proper Espresso. The ultra flavorful, almost syrupy shot with a frothy “crema” floating on top. The result of the oils being forced out of the grounds under high pressure.
Okay yes, there are Manual Espresso makers that may produce Espresso-like, close-to-espresso, almost-espresso results but honestly, you’re not interested in those, are you? Good. Neither are we.
And let’s face it, making wrong choices with your beans, roast and grind are far easier to correct and significantly less costly than investing in the wrong kind of machine. So the most important question is: What’s the right machine for you?
What kind of coffee experience are you looking for? How much counterspace do you have? Are you for convenience or do you enjoy the “ritual” of coffee prep? All important questions, so we’ve selected our three best options for your consideration. All worthy candidates with distinct pros and cons. And our top picks are…
The Eletta Explore
Fairly new to the coffee addiction and don’t want to spend too much time fiddling with your machine? This one can give you more than 50 coffee recipes including, first and foremost, quality espresso, along with lattes, cappuccinos, and even cold brew coffees with a single touch of a button. Or in this case a single touch of it’s easy to use 3.5 inch TFT display. The Eletta Explore is what’s known as a one-touch bean-to-cup machine. You plug it in, fill it with water, fill the machine’s bean hopper with your choice of beans, and simply select the type of coffee recipe you want and let the machine do all the work for you. No guesswork, consistent high-quality coffee every time.
The Eletta is a technological marvel by Delonghi. It has some pretty impressive tech onboard like its Bean Adapt technology where you simply input your bean characteristics and let the machine figure out how to adjust the brewing parameters to get the best extraction. It also has a great automatic milk frothing system which will churn out perfect cappuccinos all day. It’s a compact machine with sleek minimalist lines and will complement modern kitchens. You’ll take ease-of-use to the next level by linking it to the DeLonghi Coffee Link app on your Smartphone. It’s the perfect machine for those who have convenience and consistency at the top of their list.
Price P188,800.00
La Specialista
La Specialista are a line of beautiful manual machines from Delonghi. This time aimed at the espresso connoisseur who wants a “semi-automatic’ coffee experience. While DeLonghi calls these “Manual Machines”, and based on the way they look it’s obvious you do more than just press a single button, certain models in this line including the La Specialista Opera have some innovations onboard to aid budding baristas in getting better extractions.
While still technically a bean-to-cup machine in that you load the machine with your choice of whole beans and let the on-board conical grinder (with multiple grind settings) take care of grinding, with this you unleash your inner barista by tamping the ground coffee in the double-walled portafilter basket yourself, you load it unto the brew head and tune the pressure to get the extraction result you’re aiming for. Might sound a bit challenging if you’re still building experience and developing a fine touch with your tamping. But not to worry, the “Smart Tamping System” as found on the La Specialista Opera model, assists you for consistent results. The La Specialista line also features the MyLatte Art steam wand for perfectly micro-bubbled milk for those wanting to experiment with Latte art. You trade quick-convenience with the ability to inject some artistry in your coffee-making with the La Specialista. These are handsome machines that balances consistent results while still allowing you to exert some control on the resulting espresso extraction. While there are only basic espresso, americano (and a cold brew settings with the La Specialista Opera model). Technically you can create ANY coffee recipe with an espresso base manually.
With its polished body, old-world dials and beautifully knurled knobs, the look is a mix of industrial and artisanal, and in our opinion are the prettiest machines among our choices. Even more experienced espresso brewers may choose this beauty cause it looks so good in any kitchen. Best value-to-features from this line would be the La Specialista Opera.
Price P78,800.00
The San Remo Cube
Now for the truly committed caffeine connoisseurs, there is nothing like “driving stick”. By this we mean brewing via a fully manual machine where your results depend on your knowledge, technique and experience. This is the full coffee-making ritual where everything is controlled by you. You grind your pre-weighed beans to the ideal grind size in a separate grinder (take this into account if counterspace is a big concern). You load your grounds to the correct level into the portafilter basket, you then tamp it completely by feel and extract to perfection by finessing the brewing head. This is not the machine for a beginner, but in the hands of an experienced enthusiast it will produce liquid gold in a home or even in a small commercial setting. That’s right this is a café-quality machine. It’s that good. But it’s important to mention that even the best machine will not produce great results if you don’t have the experience to allow it to shine.
The Cube is the most minimalist among our picks in terms of its design. In plain black or white, it can be quite neutral in terms of its styling and can be made to work in a broad variety of decorative settings. Though it does come in a few fun colors as options, as its name implies it’s basically, well, a plain metal cube with the brew head and steam wand sticking out the front of it. But don’t let its diminutive size and simple styling fool you, this would actually be the Pro’s choice among our 3 picks. It stays clean in terms of its design by interfacing with your smartphone via a proprietary app that allows the finest controls from pre-scheduled operation, water temp, extraction time, and many other brewing minutiae that can influence your final extraction to be made from there.
This is a pro-level machine that can be configured to draw from the onboard water reservoir or oy can be connected to a waterline as it would in a commercial setting. While all espresso machines are simply a way to pump hot water through finely ground coffee under high pressure, thanks to superior boiler elements, pumps, and fancier brewing heads the cube does everything a one-touch machine will do but it will do it to a higher level…but as a manual machine, it does all that at the price of less convenience of course.
The San Remo Cube requires an experienced hand that has the time for manual prep. This is coffee-making at its most romantic and ritualized form. Brewing your espresso with equipment like this is performance art in itself. And when done right, is guaranteed to bring a standing ovation with every cup.
Price P178,000.00