Espresso Club » Espresso Machines

Nespresso E350 Romeo Espresso Machine

admin — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 19:05:26 +0000

Today I am writing about the prestigious Nespresso E350 Romeo Espresso Machine. This coffee machine is designed for the Nespresso capsule system. So what are the cool features of this machine, besides its beautiful design?

Nespresso E350 Romeo

Like all Nespresso coffee machines, it uses a 19 Bar pressure pump with the Thermoblock system, that helps produce that perfect espresso.
A programmable dosing system lets you set the exact amount of water for your espresso, so you always get the same dose and don’t have to press a button to stop the water flow.
A fully automatic capsule placing mechanism sets the capsule into its place and ejects it to a used capsules container. When the container is full of used capsules, the machine will indicate it so you know when to dispose of the capsules.
A visual control lets you know when the drip tray is full of water so you can clean up before it gets messy.
Keep the espresso cups warm just before making the drink with the warming plate for 5 espresso cups.
An AutoCappuccino steam nozzle lets you connect any milk container to the nozzle with a plastic hose, so that you can get the steamed milk straight to your cup without needing to use the steam nozzle manually.

Over all this is a great looking machine with some extra cool features to show off. Enjoy!

Check out price comparisons and user reviews on Nespresso E350 Romeo Espresso Machine.

Antique Coffee Machines at Coffee Weekend

admin — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 19:59:10 +0000

In my last post I told you about the Jura booth at the “coffee weekend” show I attended. This time I want to share some photos and impressions about a beautiful showcase of antique and original looking coffee machines by Elektra, La Cimbali, and more. I only took photos of some but you don’t see these every day so enjoy.

Elektra Belle Epoque (1997)

This is just an old world styled espresso machine. Selling for around 11,000 GBP, the Belle Epoque is a machine in a class all of its own, where beauty, functionality and reliability merge together. The brightness of its metal, shaped to a design with the fascination of the past makes an immediate impact and provides a striking finishing touch for elegant, refined premises (excuse me if some of the text is from the website, it just sounds exactly like what I was thinking).

Elektra Belle Epoque

La Cimbali (1950’s)

Two lever system espresso machine from the 1950’s by La Cimbali:

La Cimbali 1950

Mystery Espresso Machine

I have no clue what machine this is but here it is for you:

Oldie

If you recognize this last machine, please tell me what it is

No related posts.

Jura Impressa Z5 Bean to Cup at Coffee Weekend Show

admin — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 16:00:11 +0000

So I took my camera to a mall in a nearby town, that had a coffee weekend show, where different coffee machines – mainly Jura and Gaggia – were showcased. Here are the photos and videos, as well as my impressions, from the Jura booth.

Jura Booth

First I had to look at the monsters, the Z5 and J5. You can see the Jura Capresso Z5 in action here, right after the steamed milk was poured to the cup, the espresso dose flows to the cup without having to move it.

Jura Capresso Impressa Z5

The Jura J5 surprised me with it’s amazing design. I really love the white color on this machine. This is the machine that won the red dot design award in the category of product design in 2007, competing against 2,548 products from 43 countries. That says something…

Jura Impressa J5

The other bean to cup machine that surprised me was the was the Jura ENA5 Jura brought 3 ENA5 machines in red, green and silver colors. That was enough to keep me staring at them for a while You can see the AutoCappuccino device on the right side of the machines. The plastic hose goes into the milk carton, and then gets sucked in to the frothing device, so you don’t have to do it yourself.

Jura ENA5

I also shot a few short videos for you so check them out. First the Jura Impress J5 and Jura Impressa C5:

The second video is of the Jura ENA5 machines in three striking colors :

The last one is of the Jura Impressa Z5:

Nespresso Capsules – Where to Buy

admin — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 20:30:08 +0000

If you recently bought a Nespresso capsule system machine, or looking to buy one, you will need a supply of capsules from day 1 if you want to use the machine. Nespresso has great online service. All you have to do is register online and you can start ordering capsules online. It usually take 2 days to arrive.

Nespresso Capsules

Online

Get them at the Nespresso website.

Prices

Each capsule costs 0.55 USD. Capsules are ordered in multiples of 50 for packing reasons.

Delonghi Lattissima EN660/670/680/690 Nespresso Capsule System Coffee Machine Review

admin — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 13:05:50 +0000

I wanted to tell you about this great looking Nespresso capsule system coffee maker from Delonghi – DeLonghi Lattissima EN660 / EN670 / EN680 / EN690. This coffee maker includes a built in internal milk frothing system and a programmable sequence mechanism to produce a great tasting cappuccino in just a press of a button!

Delonghi Lattissima EN660

This is a really cool machine. The idea is that you place your espresso cup or latte mug in one of the two available heights. Then you insert the included milk container with fresh milk at the left side of the machine and direct the milk nozzle to your cup. After pressing the programmable button, you will get the steamed milk directly to the cup followed by the delicious Nespresso coffee. You don’t need to move the cup…

This sequence is done with two separate Thermoblock pumps, for the milk and water, which means they are heated in two different places in the machine, and you don’t have to wait between the milk and the water. When you finish you remove the milk container and store it if you want, and return the milk hose to its original setting.

One last note, in case you don’t know this, you are limited to one of 12 flavors in capsules currently offered by Nespresso. Only Nespresso makes and markets capsules for Nespresso machines. This is not a big limitation really, since 12 is a nice variety, and Nespresso offers an easy way to order capsules from its website.

I know this machine is not for everyone pricewise, but it looks amazing, and there’s something about pressing a button and getting your coffee prepared without extra work that gets some of us excited!

Check out price comparisons and user reviews on DeLonghi Lattissima EN680 and its companions
.

Coffee Machine Summary

Nespresso Pod System Coffee Machine
Instant Froth Dispenser – Cappuccino in one press of a button
Removable Milk Jug
19 Bar Pressure (Thermoblock)
1.2 Litre Water Reservoir
Cup heating tray in the EN680 and EN690
Energy Saving Function
Adjustable Drip Tray
Automatic Capsule Ejection
Metal Structure

Capsule System Coffee Machines

admin — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 12:33:01 +0000

Capsule System

Coffee Capsules

Capsule systems for making coffee are a newer method than the traditional coffee handle machines, and are well fitted for home or small office uses. They offer a simpler, cleaner way for producing quality espresso and other coffee and tea beverages. Essentially, capsules which contain premeasured amount of sealed ground coffee are inserted in the compatible capsule system machines. The machines then pierce the top part of the capsule to allow the water to flow through. Following that, hot water is forced through the capsule with high pressure, extracting the beverage to the cup. Each capsule is used once and then disposed of.

Several capsule systems exist in the market, and each of them has a unique capsule technology which means the capsules have a unique shape and structure. For each capsule system, a limited variety of coffee machine, that are compatible with the system’s unique capsules, are available. For example, the Nespresso D100 coffee machine is made by Magimix and Krups for the Nespresso capsule system. This coffee maker may be a very good one, but it will not be able to handle a capsule from the Caffitaly capsule system.

So capsules are sold in many shapes and flavors. You can buy them in stores, or online. I wanted to put together this article, to make some things a little clearer for those of you who are thinking about buying a coffee machine for your home. Here is a summary of some of the most popular capsule systems available:

The Caffitaly System

Caffitaly System

The Caffitaly System (or Caffita System) is a capsule system for making espresso and other coffee, and tea drinks in home espresso machines designed for the Caffitaly system. The system was developed by the Italian company Gaggia. The Caffitaly capsule has two small filters. The coffee is extracted as the high pressure water passes through the grounded coffee and the filters in the capsule. Caffitaly capsules are found in the world though different manufacturers, which brand the capsules in a different ways, but the capsules are always the same.

Among the Gaggia coffee machines which use the Caffitaly system you can find the K111d Gaggia Caffitaly, L’Amante Gaggia Caffitaly and the new Nautilus.

Read in more detail about the Caffitaly system here…

The Nespresso System

Nespresso D100

The Nespresso System’s capsules are made of pressed aluminum foil. The top and sides are made of a thick layer, and the base is covered with a thinner layer. After the top is pierced and the machine activated, pressurized hot water runs into the top of the capsule, which in turn causes the bottom of the capsule (thinner layer) to bow out, and finally be pierced by the machine. This way the brewed coffee can flow into the cup.

Among the popular coffee makers which use the Nespresso system are the Nespresso D100, Nespresso D185 Le Cube and many more.

Read in more detail about the Nespresso system here…

The Tassimo System

The Tassimo System’s capsules have among others, drinks that include milk, such as cappuccino. The capsules are called T-Discs and have a bar code printed on their label. The Tassimo machine reads the bar code to calculate the amount of water, brewing time, and temperature for the specific beverage. The brewing process takes between 30-60 seconds. Discs containing milk use UHT milk, not powdered milk.

The newer coffee makers which use the Tassimo system include the Bosch TAS4511 Multi Beverage Machine and other models by Bosch.

Pod Systems

There are more capsule systems, like the Keurig system with it’s K-Cup portion cups, and even more pod systems. Pods are tightly packed filter bags filled with coffee grounds (sometimes called pads). These pods fit in special machines for their system, or on special adaptors fitted in traditional coffee handles, so you can place the pods instead of actual coffee grounds. One of these pod systems is the Senseo system that makes pods for coffee makers made by Philips and Douwe Egberts. Models that utilize this system include among others the Senseo HD7832 Supreme Single-Serve Gourmet Coffeemaker.

Senseo HD7832

I hope this gives you some useful information about the capsule systems available. Follow the links to get more information about the different systems, and the relevant coffee makers.

Bean to Cup Coffee Machines

admin — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 14:34:52 +0000

It isn’t hard to guess what “Bean to Cup” or automatic coffee machines are meant to give us. You supply the coffee beans of your choice (instead of ground coffee in capsules or any other form) and put them in a special compartment in the coffee machine, then let the machine take care of all the necessary phases:

Grinding the coffee beans
Measuring the correct dose of coffee grounds for our desired drink
Pressing the coffee grounds
Automatically setting the dose for an espresso, long or double espresso
Brewing a delicious aromatic coffee drink
In some machines, frothing the milk automatically and pouring it to your cup with needing to move it.

Saeco Odea Go

So at the push of a button of a bean to cup coffee machine, it will grind the coffee on demand for each cup, brew the coffee into the cup and dispose of the used coffee grounds into a disposal unit. There are many coffee machine companies that produce bean to cup machines in different levels. Other features of automatic machines include the self-cleaning mechanisms to minimize the hassle on your part.

The best company for automatic coffee machines is considered to be Jura, with its top of breed home bean to cup machine – the Jura Capresso Z6 – But you can find great machines from Gaggia, Saeco and other producers as well.

Jura Capresso Z6

Gaggia Baby Twin Traditional Coffee Machine

admin — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 14:33:49 +0000

This is an exciting coffee maker of the traditional coffee handle type by Gaggia. It has 2 boilers to separate the heating operations for the water and milk (Rapid stream method). This means that the Gaggia Baby Twin can froth your milk and brew the coffee at the same time without switching between modes. There is also a dosing system to automatically control the amount of water in your espresso drink.

Gaggia Baby Twin

It has a 1.6 Liter removable water container, but is recommended for no more than 20 cups a day. You can use both coffee grounds and pods when preparing your espresso. You will get a 15 Bar water pressure with this machine. The machine has an aluminum boiler and a stainless steel base. For milk steaming, use the built in Gaggia Pannarello.

Check out price comparisons and user reviews on the Gaggia Baby Twin

Coffee Maker Summary

Size: 24.5 cm X 40 cm X 26.5 cm
Weight: 7.5 KG
2 boilers for steaming milk and brewing coffee without switching modes
Up to 20 cups per day
Touch Ring control panel
Professional coffee handle
15 Bar water pressure
1.6 Liter water container
Aluminum boiler w/ temperature control machanism
Pannarello milk steaming system
Dosing system

Gaggia Baby Dose Red Traditional Coffee Machine

admin — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 14:33:02 +0000

This coffee handle type espresso machine looks very much like the Baby Nero, and is another one of the new generation coffee makers from Gaggia, with the difference of having a dosing system. It has a red design and will look great at home or a small office. The Gaggia Baby Dose Red has a 1.6 Liter removable water container, but is recommended for no more than 20 cups a day.

Gaggia Baby Dose Red

You can use both coffee grounds and pods when preparing your espresso. You will get a 15 Bar water pressure with this machine. The machine has an aluminum boiler and a stainless steel base. For milk steaming, use the built in Gaggia Pannarello.

This machine has a dosing system which lets you, at a press of a button, decide on the exact amount of water for your espresso drinks, so you always get the same perfect amount.

Check out price comparisons and user reviews on the Gaggia Baby Dose Red

Summary

Size: 24.5 cm X 40 cm X 26.5 cm
Weight: 7.5 KG
Up to 20 cups per day
Professional coffee handle
15 Bar water pressure
1.6 Liter water container
Aluminum boiler
Pannarello milk steaming system
Dosing system

Gaggia Baby Nero Traditional Coffee Machine

admin — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 14:32:18 +0000

This coffee handle type espresso machine is another one of the new generation coffee makers from Gaggia. The Gaggia Baby Nero has a black design and will look great at home or a small office. It has a 1.6 Liter removable water container, but is recommended for no more than 20 cups a day.

Gaggia Baby Nero

It differs from the other “Baby” products in its control panel type and color, and is also a little lighter.

Check out price comparisons and user reviews on the Gaggia Baby Nero

Coffee Machine Summary

Size: 24.5 cm X 40 cm X 26.5 cm
Weight: 6 KG
Up to 20 cups per day
Professional coffee handle
15 Bar water pressure
1.6 Liter water container
Aluminum boiler
Pannarello milk steaming system