Top 5 coffee machines for home
Visiting a coffee shop every day to drink your favorite coffee can be inconvenient and expensive. If you want to enjoy your drink more often, buy your own coffee machine. The abundance of options on the market can be confusing when choosing, so in this article we will look at the types of coffee machines and their main characteristics.
Coffee is one of the popular hot drinks along with tea. Most people drink it not only in the morning with breakfast, but also throughout the day. In any city you will find a cozy coffee shop that will prepare your favorite drinks: classic espresso, cappuccino, latte, as well as unusual drink options – raf, flat white, mochaccino.
Types of coffee machines for home
There are several types of household coffee machines, each of which has pros and cons.
Carob
The compartment with ground coffee through which water flows is called a horn, hence the name of the device. The machine prepares espresso and drinks based on it. What are the advantages of such coffee machines?
● High coffee preparation speed – we get 1 serving of espresso in 40 seconds.
● Richer taste and smell of the drink – coffee is prepared under greater pressure, this allows the taste of the beans to be better revealed.
● No suspension, no coffee grounds at the bottom of the cup – everything remains in the cone.
● Long service life – lasts up to 7 years.
The disadvantages include a small variety of drinks, difficulty in care and operation – after each use the cone needs to be washed and periodically replaced due to wear.
Additionally, carob coffee machines can be equipped with a cappuccino maker for frothing milk and automatic grinding of beans.
Capsule
Machines whose basic operating principle is based on the use of plastic capsules with pre-packaged coffee. During cooking, the capsule is pierced and hot water passes through it. What are the advantages of a capsule coffee machine?
● Variety of drinks – cappuccino, espresso, caramel latte, chocolate moccacino and other flavors.
● Easy to use and prepare—put in the finished capsule and press one button; after preparation, the capsule is removed and thrown away.
● No noise – no need to grind coffee, so there are no loud sounds.
● Laconic design and compactness – they weigh up to 3 kg and easily fit on a table, bedside table, or windowsill.
Among the disadvantages is the high cost of capsules, which are not always compatible with all car models.
pods
The operating principle of coffee machines is similar to carob machines. The difference is in the design of the horn. In pod models, it is flat; a packaged filter bag with coffee powder for one serving is placed in it – a pod. Machine advantages:
● They prepare coffee with a rich taste and aroma – due to high pressure and optimal compression of the coffee tablet.
● Easy to use and care – just place the pod in the machine, select the drink preparation parameters, and then throw away the used tablet.
The machines also have disadvantages: the high cost of pods, a limited range of drinks, and it can be difficult to find coffee tablets suitable for the machine.
Drip
One of the simple and affordable options. The principle of operation is that water flows from a special tank into the boiler using a tube, heats up, then goes to a reusable filter containing coffee, passes through it and ends up in a container for the finished drink. What are the advantages of drip devices?
● Low cost – can cost 20 times less than automatic ones.
● Ability to cook several servings at once – up to 6 servings.
● Easy to use – after adding coffee, press one button, and after 2-3 minutes a hot drink enters the kettle.
Coffee machines prepare only two types of coffee: Americano and espresso. The consumption of coffee powder is higher than that of other models. Filters need to be changed periodically due to wear. You can’t make hot coffee with just one click.
Automatic
The basic principle of operation of coffee machines is to automate the entire process. The machines independently grind the beans, measure a portion, compact it, brew coffee and pour the finished drink into a cup. Most often, the machines also have an automatic cleaning system. The person only needs to maintain the level of water, milk and coffee beans in the tanks.
Disadvantages include high cost compared to drip coffee machines, large weight and dimensions – it can weigh about 8 kg.
1.The GARLYN L1000
Coffee machine is an ideal option for coffee connoisseurs who especially value comfort. This model can be called truly convenient, since the manufacturer managed to fit the best technical solutions into a small body, which is truly incomparably compact compared to its competitors. A neat and functional personal barista that does not require much space and at the same time performs all the tasks that a high-quality modern coffee machine should perform.
The set of automatic preparation programs includes all the necessary drinks: espresso and Americano, latte and cappuccino, milk foam or just hot water. Moreover, the user can program his own recipes, which can be used to set not only the total serving volume directly, but also the proportions of milk froth and coffee.
Any type of coffee bean is suitable for use; the built-in coffee grinder is equipped with an adjustable grinding degree, so you can select the grind to suit your taste or based on the type and degree of roasting of the beans. An additional advantage is that the capacity of the coffee grinder is 200 g, which means preparing many servings in a row is not a problem.
A pump with a pressure of 19 bar is responsible for preparation, which allows you to maximize the taste and aroma of coffee. If we talk about caring for the coffee machine, then there is a significant plus in the form of an easy-to-remove and clean design of the brewing unit. In other words, if cleaning is necessary, you can do it in the shortest possible time and again enjoy freshly brewed coffee.
The control is implemented in the form of a touch panel with convenient display; the panel itself is made in a minimalist style. Additional advantages include the ability to use both very small and tall capacious cups, lighting of the cooking area, and a convenient cappuccino maker. The downside of compactness is a small drawback – the water tank capacity is not the largest – 1.1 liters.
2. De’Longhi Dinamica ECAM 370.85
The coffee machine from De’Longhi made it to the list of the best models due to a whole host of advantages. This convenient and stylish model will delight you with both its functionality and quality of preparation.
First of all, it is worth noting the high level of pump pressure – 19 bar, thanks to which this model fully reveals the taste and aroma of coffee. As for the built-in cooking programs, the list is quite wide and includes espresso and latte, as well as lungo and ristretto. The user can not only choose a drink to suit his taste, but also save his preferred preparation settings.
You can use both ground and bean coffee. 13 grinding levels are available for customization. The strength of the drink is also adjustable. The control is implemented in the form of a modern touch panel on the front side of the case.
An additional advantage of this model is the ability to serve 2 cups of espresso. The disadvantages include the high cost and not the most convenient location of the water tank.
3. Melitta Caffeo Varianza CSP
This participant also boasts relatively compact dimensions and does not require much space for installation. And its wide functionality, reliability and modern controls allowed it to be included in the list of the best models of 2021.
Preparing drinks in automatic mode is not difficult, and the list of built-in programs includes everything you need: from espresso to ristretto.
The coffee machine is equipped with a spacious coffee grinder with an adjustable grinding degree. You can customize it depending on your preferences and the types of grains used. Coffee is prepared under pressure of 15 bar – not the highest among this class, but the taste and aroma are well revealed during preparation.
There is also an auto-cappuccino maker here, and unlike the previous participant, the reservoir does not take up space on the tray for cups and is installed separately.
Additional benefits include quick installation and cleaning of the brewing unit, and simultaneous delivery of 2 cups of espresso. Disadvantages include not the most convenient water tank and high cost.
The stylish and powerful model from Krups will delight you with its functionality, convenience and modern control system.
This automatic coffee machine prepares coffee under a pressure of 15 bar, which is not the most powerful indicator, but for a home coffee machine this pressure will be sufficient to qualitatively reveal the taste and aroma of coffee. The model can prepare various drinks automatically: ristretto or lungo, latte or cappuccino, espresso or Americano. The main advantage of the model is the ability to adjust the strength and temperature of drinks.
The automatic cappuccino maker is equipped with a stylish metal milk jug. The downside of this solution is that it is difficult to monitor the level of milk inside, and with constant use, its freshness. This model provides for serving drinks for 2 cups, but this only applies to serving coffee, since there is only one nozzle for dispensing milk froth in the dispenser.
Conveniences also include the ability to adjust the height of the dispenser, a clear and convenient control panel with many buttons and a built-in display. Among the disadvantages are the easily soiled case material and not the most budget-friendly price.
5. Philips 5400 Series LatteGo
One of the most popular models from Philips from the LatteGo series will delight you not only with electronic control, but also with its functionality.
The model is capable of preparing drinks from both bean coffee (thanks to the built-in coffee grinder) and ground coffee. The built-in pump prepares espresso under a pressure of 15 bar. In the list of built-in programs you can find a variety of drinks, including lungo, ristretto or flat white.
The built-in cappuccino maker is also equipped with a milk tank; it is not installed quite standardly, but has a number of its advantages – for example, convenient refilling of the milk jug without removing it from the structure. The foam density is also adjustable.
On the front side of the case there is a touch control panel, with which you can not only select what drink the coffee machine will prepare, but also adjust its strength and volume or program your own recipes.
Among the main disadvantages are the quality of the case materials, large dimensions and high cost.
