If you have decided that it is time to bring espresso equipment into your home so that you can start making your own and have it any time that you get a craving for it, then you will need to get familiar with the types of home espresso machines that are on the market these days. With the popularity of all kinds of coffee drinks, including espresso and cappuccino, it should come as little surprise that there is a vast variety of espresso coffee makers to choose from as well.
On thing that often catches folks by surprise when they begin researching, to buy an espresso coffee maker of their own is discovering that there are eight varieties of espresso machines. Even though not all of the eight models are widely available in every country, it can be helpful to know about the different Italian espresso equipment and how they originated.
Stovetop Espresso Maker
The original espresso machine as we know it today is often considered to be the stovetop espresso maker which can still be found in the majority of homes across Italy, Portugal and Spain. These stovetop machines have three distinct chambers, each of which serves a different purpose. The top chamber holds the freshly ground coffee, the middle chamber functions as a filter, and the lower chamber is where the water is heated. As the water heats up in the stovetop espresso machine, the steam is forced to go up a tube to the top chamber and the steam then permeates the grounds, which in turn produces the espresso. Steam Espresso Maker
The steam espresso maker is similar to the stovetop model, in that most of these types are also heated up on the stovetop, but the internal workings are somewhat different. Another type of espresso coffee machines is the piston-drive model that is operated by the steam. This type of espresso equipment tends to be much more expensive and therefore, not as widely used. However, it was the piston-drive Italian espresso maker that was responsible for the introduction of cream in the espresso, which has become a standard for many folks. Electric Espresso Coffee Maker
There are five different electric espresso coffee maker models on the market today and these are currently more popular than either the steam or the stovetop models.
These five varieties are:
- Fully manual
- Semi-automatic
- Automatic
- Super-automatic
- Fully automatic