Say "Yes" To These 5 Professional Espresso Machine Tips

How to Build a Professional Espresso Machine

This is a great choice for coffee shops and cafes that wish to attract customers who are passionate about barista and espresso skills. It's the official machine for World Barista Championships and it truly shows.

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

Water

A commercial espresso machine has to produce a high volume of espresso based drinks in an efficient manner. This is why these machines are generally constructed from stainless steel which is more robust and resistant to breaks and scratches. Stainless steel espresso machines also make it easier to keep clean and maintained.

Additionally, a top quality machine has a shut off valve for the water line in order to prevent the formation of limescale. This will ensure that any repairs will be isolated to the affected machine components and won't affect the rest of your operation.

When selecting your water ensure that you test it and treat it correctly to ensure the best espresso maker results. For instance, distilled water can be remineralized by adding a small amount of minerals back into it. This can reduce its anti-erosive properties as well as improve its taste, however it may also damage machines. The remineralized water will make the boiler sensor think the machine is full and it isn't. This can cause the machine to overheat and be damaged.

Grinder

The grinder is a crucial part of a successful espresso maker. The grinder turns a raw, unground coffee bean into a finely-ground coffee that can be tamped properly into the filter basket to ensure an excellent extraction.

Commercial-grade professional espresso machines typically include a built-in grinder that can be programmed to grind for various sizes of drinks, ensuring consistency in results every time. Super-automatic espresso machines take this one step further, by automating and programmable the whole process from brewing to grinding to dispensing. These machines are often praised by Lab tests for their ease to use.

Semi-automatic or manual machines demand more work from the barista but often the results are worth the effort. This model earned a 2022 Good Housekeeping Coffee Award for its dosing technology that weighs and dispenses the correct amount of ground coffee and espresso machine every time. It also features the ability to use a low pressure pre-infusion to ensure an even extraction, and a milk frother that made rich, thick steamed-milk during our tests.

Temperature

Temperature is an important factor in espresso. If the temperature of your water is not at the right level, it may cause extraction to be impeded and could result in bitter coffee.

Fortunately, high-quality espresso machines come with tools that enable you to keep your water at the right temperature. One method of doing this is to use a PID, which monitors and adjusts the temperature of the water. Another option is using a double boiler system. This allows you to make use of one dual boiler espresso machine for tea and steam while the second one heats water to the right temperature for brewing.

Carles points out that these types of systems can make a big difference for large businesses and baristas working at home. They can make it much easier for newbies to make the perfect espresso drink because they are able to maintain an exact temperature and eliminate a lot of the factors that can affect the flavor profile. It is also easier for baristas with more experience to make their shots just the way they prefer.

Pressure

The pressure an espresso machine uses also affects the quality of coffee it produces. Many espresso drinkers notice that their coffees taste different based on the pressure that is used, even though all other variables remain the same.

In general, commercial grade machines use nine bars of pressure to brew espresso. These machines are also more likely to be steam-driven rather than pump-driven. While there are higher-pressure machines, they often require a more complex group head design that can handle the higher pressure levels.

Although you might see espresso machines that advertise 15 or even 18 bars of pressure, nine bars are generally considered to be the gold standard for creating consistently excellent espressos. These machines with higher pressure are generally more affordable and are designed for use at home.

To put 9 bar of pressure into perspective, it's nearly four times the amount that is exerted by the air inside your car tire. The greater the pressure that a professional espresso machine can apply to the coffee, the better it will be at extracting flavor from your favorite coffee beans. This is why it's worthwhile to invest in a top-quality machine that can give you the highest quality results.

Barista Skills

A barista needs to be able to take and process orders from customers quickly and accurately. This is especially important when there is a lot of activity at the coffee machine espresso shop. A good customer service skill is also important for building relationships with customers as well as increasing the sales of the coffee shop. This includes recognizing regular customers, resolving issues quickly and remaining positive and amiable in tough situations.

Baristas often need to be adept at multitasking as they are expected to take orders and operate a cash counter and share orders with colleagues and handle phone calls all at once. This ability allows orders to be moving quickly to the customer and will allow them to have an enjoyable experience at the coffee shop.

It is vital for a barista's knowledge to be able to prepare various types of coffee using an espresso machine. You can learn about the different types of espresso by reading up on the various types, trying them in person, and watching online videos. Baristas often prefer to attend classes on the topic, which are offered by various organizations.