2009 November | Filter Coffee Machine

Nov 23

Pumped Espresso / Cappuccino Maker
15 Bar Pressure
Swivel Steam Pipe
1 Litre Water reservoir
2 in 1 Crema Holder
Removable Metal Drip Tray
Measuring Spoon
3 Button Operation
Cup Warmer

Do you love your espresso? Do you know your macchiato from your latte? If you do then this machine is probably not for you. That’s not because of the quality of the coffee – no, that’s pretty darn good. Its the occassional faults that leaves a question mark over this machine. But if you are looking for a reasonably priced entry level machine then this may be the machine for you! First of all let me tell you about…

The Pros

Produces fabulous tasting coffee – just like the coffee shops!
Creates a lovely crema
The pump is particularly quite – yes you can hear it when it starts, but it is no where as noisy as more expensive models
Very stylish
Can use Easy Serve Espresso (ESE) pods as well as ground coffee

The Cons

There have been a few reports of water leaking from the water tank. However De’Longhi themselves say that it is to be expected that there is some water in the tray under the tank. You also have to make sure that if you have removed the tank to fill it (you can fill it left in-situ), you need to make sure you need to replace the tank by connecting the valve at the bottom of the tank with the hole in the base on the machine.
There have also been concerns about a strong plasticy smell comming from some machines which may taint the taste of the coffee. Again De’Longi do say that before we first use the machine there is a need to wash all the accessories in warm soapy water and rinse. For the best tasting coffee the internal circuits must be flushed through at least five times.

Handy Tip(s)

Make sure you ‘tamper’ the coffee correctly and then make sure the filter holder handle is pushed well over to the right when you prepare coffee – this will ensure a great ‘crema’ every time.

Just because this is a reasonably priced machine does not mean you can take it for granted. All espresso machines need some time to understand them – so please read the instructions and follow them.

Personally, for the price, I don’t think you can go wrong with this machine. Yes there are some question marks over this machine but you can get round these with a little understanding and patience.

For more information, click here

Nov 22

Making a Fantastic Espresso at Home

Making a truly great espresso is most definitley a a skill as practised by a barista (the World Chamionships are next to be held in London in June 2010). However the ease of household espresso machines means that there is no reason why any of us should not be able to brew a really decent espresso. Here are some pointers to help you achive the best espresso you can:

Step1
For the best quality home espresso coffee, it is preferable that the espresso machine is a pump-driven one rather than a steam driven one, as pump-driven machines provide consistent pressure and flow rate, which makes for better shot quality.

Step 2
It is best to use filtered water in the machine. Tap water can introduce outside flavors such as minerals and chemicals, that can affect the quality and taste of the espresso shots.

Step 3
Espresso coffee powder should be finely ground and used freshly. Beans that are older than a week or powders that have been stored in the fridge will have a weaker flavour.

Step 4
Use a tamper to press the espresso powder into the filter firmly, you don’t need to pack it down with a lot of force, just compact the powder.

Step 5
You have the filtered water in the machine, and the powder in the filter, you are now ready to brew.

Step 6

Once the shot is pulled, use it immediately! You’ll notice 3 separate layers to the shot, and a cascading action taking place as these layers begin to blend with each other after about 10-15 seconds. Unfortunately some flavor will have been lost

Step 7

Undoubtedly, you will need to experiment with your machine until you find just the right grind, the correct amount of coffee to use, and the firmness of the tamp until the coffee is just how you like it. You know what they say – practice makes perfect.

Nov 20

De’Longhi EC330S Pump Espresso Maker

Stainless Steel Pump Driven Espresso Machine
Can operate with Either Ground Coffee or Coffee Pods
15 Bar Pressure
Stainless Steel Boiler for Longer Life
Self Priming System
Cappuccino System
Cup Warmer
Crema Filter Holder
Adjustable Steam Emission.

De’Longhi are really pretty good you know. This espresso machine is proof of that. Firstly, this machine has previously come top of the list of Which? Best Buys for machines under £200 and this has really helped people with confidence in this machine.

The Pros

Stainless steel boiler is much better than the aluminium ones which corrode much more easily
Good build quality which results in a sturdy, professional feel
Excellent quality coffee
Very easy to use (although please make sure you read and understand the instructions)
Milk frother is very easy to use and produces really good light, frothy milk that provides for a great crema.
Comes with free Illy pods
Compact machine so won’t take up too much space on the counter top
Takes ground coffee as well as ESE pods

The Cons

Please make sure you read and understand the instructions. You don’t need to be a barista, but you do need to understand what you are doing
The pump is a little on the noisy side – but this is only for a few seconds and any way this can give you the feel of a real coffee shop experience in your own home!
You need to be pretty accurate when using the pods. When using pods it’s essential that the paper border surrounding the pod is away from the filter seal – if not the filter holder will leak
There is some vibration which can be a little off putting (the cup rattles a little whilst sitting on the machine).

Handy tip

When putting the steam nozzle back on, the offset portion of the nozzle should be facing the front or the nozzle shroud won’t be reseated properly.

Overall Verdict 4.5/5

The De’Longhi EC330S, is quite simply one of the best espresso machine for the price. It looks great (don’t under-estimate the importance of styling – there are many appliance that are banished to the cupboard, either because they are no good or that they look awful!). Believe me this wiill not me the case for the De’Longi. I’m sure that once you have bought it you will love it and the coffee it produces.

For more information, click here

Nov 17

Bosch Tassimo Coffee Maker – Red

Automatically prepares freshly brewed hot drinks at the push of a button
Includes Caffe Crema, Espresso, Latte Macchiato, Cappuccino, teas, hot chocolate and more
Barcode system ensures perfect drink every time
Manual adjustment of drink strength
Flow heater technology means virtually no heat up time and minimal waiting between drinks

I’m going to have to be upfront about this – I love Bosch! My garage is like a Bosch showroom of tools. Why? They are just so well built and go on forever and this machine is pretty much the same.

The machine above is the red version (obviously!) but you can get one in black or silver (£69.90 and £74.97 respectively). I think the red one just looks so much snazzier!

The bar-code technology, means the machine reads information off the special T-Disc (Tassimo Disc) beverage containers, and adjusts brewing time and temperature accordingly.

The Pros

Build quality is excellent!!
The coffee is lovely and the ‘discs’ come in a variety of flavours. More than 40 beverage varieties are available in the special T-Disc packages, including ones for cappuccino, tea, latte, and hot chocolate.
Very very quick to get a cup of coffee
Very simple to clean – jug at the back and the drip tray are both easy to fill and clean

The Cons
Well, believe it or not there are some drawbacks:

The discs. Please bear in mind the costs of these. Whilst not massively expensive they can surprise some people. Discs are readily available from all high street supermarkets.

Overall Verdict 5/5
This model is slightly more expensive than the other 2, but the way it looks more than makes up for this! Coupled with the fact that it produces great coffee as well, this really is a fantastic machine.

For more information, click here

Nov 15

Morphy Richards Café Mattino Filter Coffee Machine 47070

12 cup capacity
Programmable timer
Thermostatic hotplate
Heat resistant carafe and lid
Permanent, easy clean filter
Water level indicator

This is another great filter coffee machine from Morphy Richards! Not only is it a good looking machine, but it can be used as a manual as well as an automatic filter machine. If you are serious about your coffee or simply want one that will last you. this is the machine for you!

The Pros

Very simple to use – one dessert spoon of coffee for each cup and the right amount of water which is all marked out on the reservoir, then push one button and coffee is ready in a few minutes
Pretty quick – less than 10 minutes for a full 12 cups
Hot plate is particularly good – keeping the coffee hot for a good 2 hours
The auto cut off is great for those of us who are a little forgetful
A programmable option is always a great plus for fresh coffee aroma first thing in the morning!

The Cons

Sorry folks I haven’t come across any! There are cheaper models out there but at this price this is a very, very good filter coffee machine!

The Verdict 5/5
All I can say is buy it now – simples!!

For more information, click here

Nov 8

Mr. Cappuccino Espresso Maker

New improved and unique heated easy to clean milk frother
Non-stick stainless steel milk jug
6 espresso cup capacity
Thermostatic hotplate – heats milk for frothing
Heat resistant glass carafe and lid
Strength selector
Illuminated on/off switch

Morphy Richards have made a good attempt with this machine. Whilst this machine is not perfect there is much to applaud on this Espresso maker.

The Pros

Makes cappuccino, espresso lattes & hot chocolate (stir drinking chocolate into the milk before frothing
Very easy to use and to wash afterwards.
Unlike similar machines it is relatively quiet.

The Cons

The machine looks pretty stylish but the build is predominantly plastic which can make feel £60 rather than looking more expensive.
There have been reports of water spitting whilst brewing and that the milk frother spits.

Handy Tips

You need to clean the machine by running water through it before using it for real. Some spitting can occur, but should stop once you have coffee in.
Spitting can occur if you put the filter cup on wrong. When you lock it into place its handle should start on the left and then lock in the middle – but you can start in the middle and lock it on the far right. Doing it this way means it does not lock properly and water spurts out of the side.

Overall Verdict 4/5

Its not perfect, but its really good machine for the money. You will be hard pushed to find a similar machine that produces great coffee for such a great price.

To find out more click here

Nov 3

Cuisinart DGB900BCU Grind and Brew Coffee Makers

All-in-one operation grinds fresh beans and makes the filter coffee,
Integrated burr plates grind fresh beans for ultimate flavour extraction
Strength-control option for a strong, medium or mild coffee
Programmable timer
Thermal-insulated carafe
12 cup capacity
85-90 degree serving temperature
3 year guarantee

If you prefer coffee made from fresh-ground beans then this may be the machine for you. However there are some things you need know before making your decision.

The Pros

Simple to use – just fill the hopper with beans, automatically measures the amount you need and grinds them;
Uses burrs instead of blades to grind the beans. This gives a much more consistent grind.
The timer function allows you wake up to the aroma of fresh coffee,
The thermal carafe means there is no need for a hot plate – really does keep the coffee warm for at least 2-3hrs
Also works with pre-ground coffee

The Cons

The design of the carafe means it can be difficult getting the last 2 cups of coffee out.
There have been complaints that the coffee is too weak, although the instructions do advise of the need to mix the strong brew at the bottom with the weaker coffee on top. You can do this just by shaking it and swirling it around – thankfully the design means that no coffee spills out (this one is not really a con, but I felt I needed something else in here!)

Handy Tip

Be sure to study the instructions thoroughly in order to get the best from this machine. It is also important to clean the little hole under the coffee bean container, as some old coffee can get stuck there and it may eventually spoil the machine.

Overall Verdict 4/5

Considering this is a burr grinder and comes with a 3 year guarantee, it really is a good buy if you are after a grind and brew coffee maker. Its main let down is the design of the carafe.

For more information, click here

Nov 3

Prestige Deco Digital Coffee Maker

1.5 litres, 12-15 cups
Dimensions: 22 cm x 22 cm x 33 cm
Digital clock display
Digital timer control
Stainless steel front housing and top cover
Permanent, washable filter
Glass jug with stainless steel lid
2 hours keep warm with safety cut off
Easy clean outer casing
Anti-drip system
Water level indicator

The Prestige Deco is probably one of the cheapest filter coffee machine out on the market today. This makes it a perfect entry level coffee maker and a great buy as a Christmas present.

The Pros

The timer function allows you wake up to the aroma of fresh coffee,
Easy to use
Quick – brews in less than 10 minutes
The glass carafe is well designed and does not spill
Compact and nice looking.
Safety cut out feature is a great idea for the forgetful among us

The Cons

There have been some reports of newly bought machines failing;
The filter only fits in one direction (not a major criticism) but you soon get the hang of this;
The re-usable filter is not as good as the paper ones

Handy tip

Use disposable paper filters as it makes cleaner, more rounded flavour coffee and there’s less cleaning too!

Overall Verdict 3.5/5

To be honest this verdict is a little harsh, because for the price, this is a cracking machine. It may not meet the expectations of seasoned coffee lovers, but it will more than meet the needs for the vast majority of coffee drinkers.

For more information, click here

Filter Coffee Machine

De'Longhi ICM2B Filter Coffee Maker

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