Espresso Coffee Machines - The Grind Matters
You can buy the most expensive or the most trendy espresso coffee machine and still make harsh, bitter shots of espresso. While the quality of the machine matters, so does the quality of the grind. Brewing espresso is likely the toughest challenge your beans will ever see. Twenty-five seconds of exposure to 135 PSI hot steam and water sounds like torture to me. If you want a great shot of espresso, you need to give consideration to how you prepare the beans. This means a top-notch grinder that can take fresh beans and turn them into precisely ground particles that can help you achieve that precise 25 second pull.
As you build your home-based barista shopping for a high-quality coffee bean grinder should be a priority. It can be very tempting to overlook this less glamorous tool in you espresso tool box and become distracted by the features of that gleaming espresso dream machine. Smart shoppers choose the grinder first then shop for an espresso coffee machine second.
Features to consider when you’re shopping for a coffee bean grinder include:
- To Dose or Not to Dose: A doser receives the coffee grinds from the grinder and holds them in a small container where measured doses of java delight are dispensed in preparation for your espresso creation. This is not a “Must Have” feature as you can certainly stand at the ready next to the grinder and receive the grinds in a portafilter or some other container as the grinder does its business. The bonus of having a doser is that it allows you to step away from the machine during the grinding so you can busy yourself with preparing your capresso espresso machine. This feature is a creature comfort.
- Grind Adjustment: The ability to adjust the grind allows you to fine tune the size of your resulting coffee grounds. This is important as coffee ground size affects the timing of your pull. Seeking 25 seconds of Nirvana will require the ability to fine tune the grinding. This feature comes in two varieties, incremental and infinite adjustment. At first glance infinite adjustment sounds like the hands down winner as it promises the greatest flexibility in the tuning process. However, a successful espresso shot comes from a very narrow band of coffee ground particle size. If cost is a factor, you should be able to make due with incremental adjustment. Grind adjustment is a “Must Have” feature. Choose between the two varieties based upon your available budget.
- Burr Size and Motor Speed: Burrs are usually measured in millimeters and motor speed is measured in RPM. While appearing completely different, these features are combined here to highlight the balancing act that is required between them. As a general rule, bigger burrs and faster motors mean a quicker grinding process. However the faster the motor speed the greater the chance of creating excessive heat and imparting a burned flavor to your espresso coffee grounds. Go for slower motor speeds and larger burr sizes to meet your custom needs.
When you budget for a capresso espresso coffee machine don’t forget to include a quality espresso grinder in that budget. The grinder is so important to your set up that you should consider taking a step down, yes down, on the espresso coffee machine to afford the grinder. If you have budgeted under $1000, it’s not unreasonable to expect to spend half your budget on the grinder. That may seem like an inbalance, however, a high-quality espresso grinder is the one piece of equipment that separates ordinary espresso from truly extradorinary.
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