The Variations of Espresso Machines

It takes a good espresso machine to make a good respectable espresso, one that is properly concentrated with the right flavors and quality and one which is topped with a red-brown foamy froth called crema, which is its distinctive trait. Of course, there are several types to choose from, ranging from the steam-driven one which was the first type of invented during the early part of the twentieth century; to the piston-driven type which was the type that first produced espresso with a crema; to the pump-driven machine which is basically a better and more developed version of the piston-driven machine.

What can make it seemingly more complicated is that there are even more variations of the espresso machine. They all have additional sensors, valves, pumps, and grinders. They generally vary in their additional parts and subsequently, their overall efficacy in terms of automaticity.

The first variation is the semi-automatic machine. With this one, water is brought into the machine using a pump, with the pressure of the brewing mechanism being dissipated using a 3-way valve.

The next variation is the automatic espresso machine. With this variation, there is an addition of a flow meter which lined along with the group head. With this, when a certain amount of water, which has been pre-set, flows through the flow meter, the pump of the machine switches off automatically and consequently, the pressure of the brewing mechanism is also dissipated over a 3-way solenoid type of valve.

Still another variation of the espresso machine would be the super-automatic variation. It works by automatically subjecting the coffee to a process involving grinding, tamping and extracting. It's very convenient in that the operator only has to fill up the bean hopper with coffee beans and either pour water into the reservoir or connect the espresso machine to a water line. What's more, certain models of this variation of espresso machine also have a device that automatically tops the espresso off with a frothy milk later and even an implement for dispensing.

Other such types include the air-pressure driven type and the stove top type. The first one, the air-pressure driven espresso machine, is hand-held and as such, can be used to make excellent crema-topped espresso.

Lastly, there is the stove top machine which makes espresso whose extraction ratio nearly equals that of a conventional machine.

Katya Coen provides information on espresso machines for Espresso Xpert - your online guide to espresso!

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