How to Build a Professional Espresso Machine

This is an excellent choice for coffee shops and cafes that wish to attract customers who are enthralled by barista and espresso skills. It's the official machine for the World Barista Championships, and it shows.

It also has a reservoir for water so that the barista just needs to refill it once during their shift. The machine comes with hot water for tea and cool-touch steam wands.

Water

A commercial espresso machine must be able to produce a high volume of espresso-based drinks efficiently. That's why these machines are usually constructed of stainless steel, which is more robust and resistant to scratches and breaks. These espresso machines are also easier to maintain and clean.

A good quality machine should include a separate shut-off valve for the water pipe to prevent the build-up of limescale. This will ensure that any repairs are only limited to the affected components of the machine and will not impact the rest your operation.

When selecting your water ensure that you test it and treat it correctly to get the best espresso machine under 200 results. Remineralize distilled water by adding some minerals. It can enhance the taste and reduce its erosive qualities, but can also damage certain machines. Remineralized wate makes the boiler sensor think the machine is full however it's not. This could cause excessive heat and damage to the machine.

Grinder

The grinder is an essential element of an espresso machine that works. It is used to take a raw, unground bean and turns it into a finely ground coffee that can be properly tamped into the filter basket to create an excellent extraction.

Commercial-grade professional espresso machines usually come with a built-in grinder that can be programmed to grind for different sizes of drinks, providing consistency in results every time. Super-automatic machines go a step further and automate the entire process from brewing through grinding and dispensing. These kinds of machines are able to score high scores in Lab tests due to their hands-free user-friendliness.

Semi-automatic or manual machines demand more effort from the barista, but the results are worth it. This model won a Good Housekeeping Coffee Award in 2022 due to its sophisticated dosing mechanism that measures and distributes the right amount of coffee each time. It also features the ability to use a low pressure pre-infusion to ensure well-balanced extraction, as well as a milk frother that made thick, rich steamed milk in our tests.

Temperature

Temperature is an important factor in espresso. If the water temperature is not at its ideal level, it could result in the extraction being impeded and may even result in an unpleasant cup.

High-quality espresso machines come with tools that help you maintain the proper temperature of your water. A PID monitors and regulates temperature of the water. The other way is by making use of a double boiler. This allows you to utilize one boiler for tea and steam, while the other heats water to the right temperature for brewing.

Carles explains that these systems can make a difference for large corporations as well as home-based baristas. They can make it simpler for novices to determine the ideal shot of espresso because they are able to maintain an exact temperature and eliminate many of the factors that can affect the flavor profile. It also makes it easier for experienced baristas to get their shots exactly as they would like them.

Pressure

The pressure the espresso machine makes use of can affect the quality of coffee it makes. Many espresso drinkers notice that their coffees taste different depending on the amount of pressure employed, even when all other elements remain the same.

Most commercial machines use 9 bars of pressure to brew espresso. They also tend to be driven by pumps rather than steam-driven. Although higher-pressure machines are also available however they require a group head that is more sophisticated to handle the higher levels of pressure.

While you may find espresso machines that advertise 15 or even 18 bars of pressure, nine bars is generally considered to be the gold standard for consistently excellent espressos. The higher-pressure machines tend to be less expensive and designed for home use.

In comparison, 9 bar of pressure is four times higher than the pressure that is exerted by your car tire. The greater the pressure that a professional espresso machine can apply more pressure, the better it'll be at capturing the flavor of the coffee beans you love. For this reason, it's worth investing in a high-quality machine that can deliver the best possible results.

Barista Skills

Baristas must be able to accept and process orders of customers quickly and efficiently. This is particularly crucial during busy times at the coffee shop. A good understanding of customer service is also vital to establishing relationships with customers and increasing sales for the shop. This includes acknowledging regular customers, working to resolve problems efficiently, and remaining positive and amiable in tough situations.

Being able to multitask is usually required for a barista as they could be required to take orders and operate the cash counter and also communicate orders to their coworkers and handle phone calls at the same time. This skill allows them to keep orders moving quickly to the customer, and ensures that customers have an enjoyable time in the coffee shop.

It is beneficial for baristas to be aware of the various styles of drinks that can be made with an espresso capsule machine machine. Learn about the various kinds of espresso by studying about the various types, trying them in person, and watching online videos. Many baristas also prefer to attend classes on the matter, offered by several organizations.