Home Coffee Machines
There are many ways that coffee can be enjoyed at home, and all methods require the passing of hot water over ground coffee beans to release essential oils and aromatic flavour. In order to achieve the best results coffee must be fresh and correctly ground for the method of coffee preparation used. Water should be at 85-90 degrees Centigrade. The cup that you are going to drink from should be pre-heated and once brewed, coffee should be drunk! Reheating creates a bitter taste.
Here are the most popular ways in preparing coffee:
The Jug
Though this is not really a domestic coffee machine, the jug is the most basic way coffee can be made. Here coarsely ground coffee is mixed with hot water. After a few minutes the coffee is gently poured so as not to allow too many grounds going into the drink.
Arab/Turkish Coffee
Coffee is made in a small copper pot with a long handle called an Ibrik. The coffee is finely ground with the addition of sugar, placed into the Ibrik filled with water and brought to a boil.
Filter Method
Coffee grounds are placed in a metal or paper filter cone on top of a jar, usually glass. Some filter machines heat and dispense the water others require hot water to be poured over the coffee. Metal filters allow more flavour than paper while still removing sediment whereas paper can impart a flavour to the coffee. Coffee is best drunk when freshly made as leaving it on a warming plate will cause it to acquire a bitter taste.
Vacuum Method
This is arguably the best method for making coffee. Here you ensure the right temperature and there is no contamination of taste. The vacuum coffee maker consists of two glass bowls. Boiling water in the lower glass passes under pressure to the top one containing coffee grounds where infusion takes place. When the heat source is removed from the lower globe, contraction takes place drawing the infused coffee back into the lower bowl through a purpose disposed filter. Simple and delicious.
Plunger/Cafetiere
This method sometimes known as the French Press extracts delicate flavours from the ground beans. A circular fine gauge wire mesh is attached to a vertical rod which fits inside a pot of either metal or glass. Coarsely ground coffee of single or blended origins, one heap tablespoonful of each measure is placed in the bottom of the pot. A small amount of hot water is added to cover the grounds which are then stirred to create infusion. The pot is then filled with more hot water and the mesh covered with a lid is placed on top. This retains the heat and permits a further infusion for three to five minutes. The plunger is then pushed down to separate the coffee grounds which remain at the bottom of the pot.
Traditional Moka Stovetop
There are three chambers. A lower one which will contain water to be boiled and has an emergency pressure release valve in it. A middle one which contains a funnel the top of which is cylindrical and contains coffee. The bottom part of which extends into the chamber below. And a top section with a column slit at the top. The lower section is heated and boiling water is forced through the coffee in the centre emerging through the slit at the top as espresso. This is the most traditional Italian method and the Moka pot made either of aluminium or stainless steel comes in a number of sizes depending on the needs of the household.
Napoletana
Another three chamber method but more akin to filter than espresso. Picture a moka where the water is heated in the bottom chamber. The main difference however is once the water has boiled, the Napoletana is turned upside-down so that water passes through the coffee grounds from the top. The spout which is at first upside-down is now the right way up for pouring and serving at the table.
Coffee Percolator
This is a jug which is either electrically operated or is placed on a heat source. The bottom of the jug contains water conducted when the water is boiling up a tube and cascades down over coffee which is held in a perforated cylinder at the top. Percolators are not very popular today because in the process the water continually cascades over the same coffee grounds making the taste stale and lacking aroma.
Espresso Coffee Machines
It was not really until the early part of the 20th century with the advent of a machine that would produce a consistent pressure and temperature to yield what is today known as the espresso. Coffee as an after drink had become popular in Italy and the thought was to be able to have a small measure of coffee made expressly for you. Engineers tried different methods starting by pushing steam through coffee but the result was a bitter drink with no real aroma. This led to the development of the modern espresso machine which required about 35 centilitres of hot water to be passed through 7 grams of coffee under pressure with 9 atmospheres being ideal. The original machines used a hand pump or lever to create the pressure and this method was later supplemented by the use of an electric pump.
Home Coffee Machines at Fairfax
If you are having difficulty deciding on which coffee machine is right for you our experienced team is on hand to help you make the right decision. We will find you the perfect home coffee machine.