How to Build a Professional Espresso Machine

For coffee shops and cafes that want to attract customers with a passion for espresso and barista abilities, this is an excellent choice. It's the official machine used 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 throughout their shift. The machine is equipped with a hot water tap for tea and cool-touch steam wands.

Water

A commercial espresso machine has to create a huge amount of espresso-based drinks in an efficient manner. They are typically made of stainless steel, which is durable and resistant to breaks and scratches. Stainless steel espresso machines also make it easier to maintain and clean.

A good quality machine should have a separate shut-off valve for the water pipe to avoid limescale build-up. This will ensure that any repairs are made to the affected parts of the machine and won't affect the rest of your operation.

When selecting the water you want to drink, make sure to test it and treat it appropriately to get the best results. For instance distilled water may be recycled by adding a small amount of minerals back to it. It can enhance the taste of the water and eliminate its erosive properties, however it can also damage certain machines. This is because the remineralized water will cause the boiler sensor to think that the machine is full when it's not. This can cause the machine to overheat and become damaged.

Grinder

The grinder is an essential component of a successful espresso maker. The grinder turns the raw, unground coffee and espresso maker bean into a finely-ground coffee which can be tamped correctly into the filter basket to ensure an efficient extraction.

Commercial-grade professional espresso machines typically include a built-in grinder that can be programmed to grind different drink sizes, ensuring that the results are consistent every time. Super-automatic machines go further and automate the entire process, from brewing to grinding and dispensing. These types of machines typically get high marks in Lab tests due to their hands-free ease of use.

Manual or semi-automatic machines require more effort from the barista but often the results are worth the effort. This model won a Good Housekeeping Coffee Award in 2022 for its intelligent dosing system that is able to measure and dispensing the correct amount of coffee each time. It also features the ability to use a low pressure pre-infusion to ensure an even extraction, and an milk frother that created dense, thick steamed milk during our tests.

Temperature

Temperature is a major element in espresso. If the temperature of your water is not at its ideal level, it could result in a slower extraction and can even lead to an unpleasant cup.

Fortunately, high-quality espresso machines come with tools that enable you to ensure that your water is at the correct temperature. One way to do this is by using PIDs, which monitors and adjusts the temperature of the water. Double boiler systems are a different way to accomplish this. You can use one boiler to heat steam and water for tea, and use the second to heat water to brewing temperature.

Carles explains that these systems can make a difference for both large businesses and baristas who work from home. They can make it easier for newbies to make the perfect espresso drink since they can keep an accurate temperature and avoid all the factors that can affect the flavor profile. It's also easier for baristas with more experience to make their espressos exactly how they prefer.

Pressure

The amount of pressure an espresso machine uses is another aspect that influences the quality of the coffee it makes. Many espresso drinkers notice that their coffees taste different depending on the amount of pressure they use, even if all other elements remain the same.

The majority of commercial machines utilize 9 bars of pressure in order to brew espresso coffee maker. These machines also tend to be driven by pumps rather than steam-driven. Although higher-pressure machines are also available but they require a group head that is more sophisticated to handle the higher levels of pressure.

While some espresso machines advertise 15 or 18 bars of pressure in their machines nine bars are usually considered to be the gold standard for making consistently excellent brews. These machines with higher pressures are generally smaller and designed for home use.

In comparison, 9 bar of pressure is four times more than the pressure applied by your car tire. The more pressure a professional espresso maker is able to apply, the better it is at separating flavor from the coffee beans you love. It's worth investing in top-Quality Espresso machine machines that can give the highest quality espresso machine results.

Barista Skills

A barista should be able to take and process orders quickly and accurately. This is particularly crucial in busy times in the coffee shop. Excellent customer service skills are also important for building relationships with customers and boosting sales for the coffee shop. This includes recognizing regular customers, resolving issues efficiently and remaining optimistic and friendly even in challenging situations.

Having strong multitasking skills is often required for baristas, since they might be required to take orders as well as operate the cash register, communicate orders to coworkers and answer phone calls at one time. This skill allows them to keep orders moving quickly to the customer and gives them a pleasant experience in the coffee shop.

It is crucial for a barista's knowledge to be able to prepare various types of coffee using an espresso machine. This can be learned by reading about the various types of coffee, trying the drinks in person and watching videos online. Many baristas find it beneficial to take classes offered by various organizations.