How to choose a semi-automatic espresso machine correctly? What is the difference between a hundred yuan/thousand yuan/ten thousand yuan coffee maker?

Semi-automatic coffee machines, that is, Italian concentration machines, require users to grind, powder, fill, and extract themselves. They have to foam and pull the flowers manually. This also includes grinding degree, powder amount, powder-to-liquid ratio, flow rate, pressure and other factors. Only by reasonably controlling these key parameters during extraction can we truly grasp the taste of each cup of coffee. It is precisely because of such a process that many friends are willing to spend more money to buy equipment (compared to hand-washing), hoping to gain a sense of ceremony while also drinking coffee shop products at home.

Many people have asked Qianjie to recommend semi-automatic coffee machines, but because the price range of this type of equipment is very large, with many varieties, different corresponding performances, even the appearance is dizzying, and many brands are involved, Qianjie rarely gives purchasing suggestions by name, but lets everyone "prescribe the right medicine" according to their needs.

Take the price as an example. When you open the shopping platform, you will find that the price of a semi-automatic coffee machine (excluding the bean grinder) ranges from a few hundred yuan to several thousand yuan, or even tens of thousands of yuan. As a beginner, how should I choose?

First, don't buy a "toy machine" for less than 500 yuan

Qian Jie believes that if you are an experienced barista, as long as you make sure that the raw materials are good and the extraction is not problematic, cheap equipment can still make good coffee. However, novice Xiaobai ultimately lacks operating experience. If you use a three-to-four hundred "toy machines", there is a high probability that they will face the problems of unstable pressure and uneven extraction, and even make a loud "da" sound during operation. Every cup of coffee is exhausting, which is really a thankless thing.

A cup of good Italian concentrate is a coffee cake that is finely ground and evenly ground at a stable high temperature (about 93 - 95℃), a uniform and sufficient high pressure (about 9Bar is considered to be the ideal extraction pressure), and a continuous and stable water flow to extract at a stable high temperature (about 93 - 95 ℃), a coffee cake that is finely ground and evenly filled.

It can be seen that the semi-automatic coffee machine you buy needs to meet at least the above extraction conditions at the same time to provide a basic starting point for concentration, while "toy machines" below 500 yuan are far from reaching it.

Second, choose according to needs within an acceptable budget

Although the price range of semi-automatic coffee machines is large, if we remove "toy machines" below 500 yuan and commercial-grade equipment above 6000 yuan, they can be divided into several gears according to the needs of general home users:

1. Entry-level (500 - 1,000 yuan), suitable for novices who want to experience making espresso at a low cost. Features: low price, simple operation, but less fat, unstable concentration, and weak taste.

2. Advanced class (1,000 - 3,000 yuan), suitable for friends who want to improve the quality of enrichment by improving the hardware of the equipment. The characteristics are relatively stable pressure, weak steam rods, and general controllability.

3. High-end level (3,000 - 6,000 yuan), suitable for players who want to reproduce the same type of drinks in the coffee shop at home in one step. Coffee machines within this price range generally have dual boilers, the pressure can be stabilized at 9Bar, and the extraction and foaming of milk are more efficient.

Although the more expensive the coffee machine with more functions does not necessarily make better the coffee, the two are indeed positively correlated. To a certain extent, good equipment is easier to use and expensive. It is indeed expensive. Therefore, if you really want to enter the world of semi-automatic coffee machines, please don't be distracted by those low-priced and sophisticated equipment, but set a reasonable budget based on the above gears to buy it.

Third, comprehensive judgment

From the perspective of consumers, it is best for us to check the brand and sales volume first when purchasing a semi-automatic coffee machine. The brand should choose the one with better reputation, and the model with higher sales volume should be given priority.

Excluding advertisements, a coffee machine brand with a good reputation means that it has received more recognition. For example, brands such as Gai, De, Ma, Bai, etc., which are favored by domestic consumers, have many good reviews. Models with high sales volume (within budget) provide more comprehensive after-sales and warranty, and once the coffee machine fails, it is easy to obtain timely repair.

If we still can't make up our minds, we might as well just click on the product comment area to see the real renderings made by other consumers. When Italian concentrate can have brownish-yellow oil, or clearer lines can be seen on the flower, indicating that the pressure and steam are acceptable, and the extraction will not be a problem.

If the concentration you make does not contain oil at all, or disappears quickly or becomes dry and hard, and the pulling flowers are all rough white bubbles, then it is recommended to not start yet and find other homes to compare them.

What is the difference between hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of coffee makers?

Once, we used the medium and deep roasted Qianjie boutique coffee beans (the flavor is a mixture of nut aroma and caramel biscuit flavor) to extract them on several semi-automatic coffee machines at different price points:

The concentrated coffee grease made with equipment costing 500 - 1,000 yuan has a yellowish coffee grease, a light nutty flavor and baking aroma, and the taste is thin; the 2000 yuan coffee machine has a significantly thicker grease and a stronger color, making American fried peanuts and cream have outstanding flavor and moderate mellow;

The concentrate extracted using the store-grade 10,000-yuan coffee machine is not only rich in oil, stable in foam, but also visible to the naked eye. It also continuously exudes the flavor of cocoa and wafer cakes. Whether it is American or dairy coffee, it can express the obvious aroma of caramel, cream, and almonds.

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