You find $50 on the street. You carefully weigh your options and conclude now is the time to upgrade your coffee making skills. What do you purchase?
- A shiny new coffee maker
- A shiny new coffee grinder
It may be unexpected, but having a coffee grinder will be more satisfying than replacing your coffee machine. I understand that it is the coffee maker that produces the coffee, but can I get a chance to explain?
A superb coffee grinder will drastically improve your coffee enjoyment from start to finish. Your coffee will be more flavorful and delicious. You will be able to discern the taste and intensity of your coffee. You’ll be able to make coffee that can compete with your favorite café.
No matter your familiarity with good coffee, having a powerful coffee grinder is a must for creating the best cup.
Let me show you why.
Reason # 1: Freshly Ground Coffee Is The Best Coffee
Would you buy stale coffee? Not intentionally, but you might and not realize it. If you’ve ever purchased coffee that has already been ground up (which most people do at least once), then you have procured a product that is no longer fresh.
Stale coffee lacks any flavor. It’s more bitter than it has to be. It feels thin across your tongue. Pre-ground coffee is pre-staled.
Do you believe that all coffee has the same flavor profile: chocolate, nuts, or ash? You’re in for a tasty surprise.
Coffee that has been recently ground (cultivated and roasted to perfection) can have some very extraordinary and untamed tastes. The flavor profile you can experience in some freshly brewed coffees only begins with the combination of blueberries, cinnamon, brown sugar, and apples.
Read: Why Fresh Coffee Is The Best Coffee
All food items such as bread, apples, cookies, and coffee experience the same result when exposed to oxygen: a gradual deterioration of organic molecules which causes their delicious flavors and textures to deteriorate. This process is called oxidation.
With coffee, oxidation also causes aromatic oils to evaporate. Some of the most remarkable flavors associated with coffee are due to these oils, including those that are sweet, fruity, and even floral.
The delicious and lively flavors of coffee are attributed to the presence of intact organic molecules and aromatic oils. Unfortunately, neither one stands a chance against being pre-ground.
Always keep in mind that oxygen is effective in breaking down tiny bits of food quicker than large ones. Bigger particles are hefty and have fewer surface area, making it take more time for oxygen to go about its business. This applies to coffee perfectly.
Pre-ground coffee goes stale long before whole bean coffee.
It is commonly accepted that coffee only stays fresh for a half hour after it has been ground. Coffee beans that haven’t been ground can maintain their optimal level of freshness for two weeks or even longer after being roasted.
It would be a waste of your valuable time to drink old coffee. You want the best.
You must have a trustworthy burr coffee grinder to get the full-bodied and delicious coffee experience you desire. Once you start using pre-ground coffee, you will never want to go back to regular coffee.
Reason #2: Use Any Coffee Brewer You Want
I understand the feeling of habitually drinking coffee. Pre-ground coffee goes into the basket. Water goes into the pot. Sad, bitter coffee comes out. You drink it – sadly.
Life’s too short to be dissatisfied with bad coffee.
You don’t have enough time in your life to only use one kind of coffee maker.
Pre-ground coffee comes as a single grind size: fine. Very few coffee makers out there, besides from other programmable cone filters, perform well when the beans are ground to a small-sized granularity.
Using a coarse grind is ideal for producing outstanding coffee with French press brewing. The size of the coffee grinds used in a French press are advantageous, whereas a finer grind may block the metal filter and create an undesirable cup of coffee.
Listed below are coffee makers along with the suggested grind size to suit them.
- Turkish Coffee – Super Fine
- Espresso – Super Fine
- Moka Pot– Fine
- Auto Drip – Fine (Pre-ground coffee is here)
- Pour Over – Coarse to Fine
- Aeropress – Medium to Fine
- French Press – Coarse
- Cold Brew Coffee – Coarse
Don’t let being without a grinder limit your potential. Life’s too short for that.
You’ll be able to adjust the particle size of your grounds when using a burr coffee grinder so that it works with whichever brewing device you are using.
Want to make a french press? Just adjust the grinder to a coarse setting. You should get an espresso and settle down in a nice spot. End your coffee break by brewing a basic pot with the drip machine? Set the grind size to fine.
Try doing all of that with pre-ground coffee.
The Power To Brew Better Coffee
Having your own coffee grinder can give you the opportunity to make tastier coffee each time. If you produce a cup which is not satisfactory, you have the means to rectify it.
Tasting your coffee with attention and then adjusting the grind size slightly for the next brew will enable you to refine your coffee over time. If the alteration is correct, your following beverage will be enhanced.
It all has to do with controlling coffee extraction.
The end product of water interacting with ground coffee beans is brewed coffee. The liquid penetrates the coffee cells and draws out many substances. Some of these things are dissolved, some aren’t.
The first liquid extracted from the water is vivid in taste, however it is also tangy and acidic. As the process of taking out continues, the harsh components are balanced out by peaceful, smooth tastes.
The last steps of the extraction process bring out the more subtle tastes like cocoa and peanuts. At a distinct threshold (which varies by cup of coffee), only unpleasant tannins are able to be drawn out.
How To Control Extraction With A Coffee Grinder
It takes some time for large coffee particles to be infiltrated by water, but small particles are quickly saturated. One can decide on the speed of this process by changing the size of the coffee grounds.
If you make a cup of coffee which has a sour taste like a tart candy, and it doesn’t have a fully developed flavour, then you haven’t brewed it properly and haven’t extracted enough of the coffee. The objective is to gain a higher yield in the future, so you may adjust the grinder to a finer setting to expedite the extraction process.
If you make a cup of coffee and detect faint flavors and an unpleasant harshness that hurts the throat, it means you have gone too far and let it brew for too long. The objective is now to take out less; a rougher grind setting will assist you in attaining that.
This approach is useful for all types of coffee makers, whether it be espresso machines, drip coffee makers, or French presses. If you concentrate and make a few minor adjustments to how you prepare your coffee, you can become an expert in the art of coffee making.
Manual machines, or the purity of espresso perfection
These days, coffee lovers can be quite content. There is an amazing selection of ground coffee available which can enable one to make incredible coffee drinks right in their own homes. Those who are passionate about coffee generally opt for manual devices, as they make it possible to make the most of their choice of beverage.
This drink is prepared through a series of steps, such as keeping an eye on the water quality when it is put into the device, adjusting the heat, picking the right ground beans, and finally, extracting the liquid. Making sure that all of these components are accurately regulated will guarantee a superior mug of coffee.
Coffee aficionados favor lever machines because they feel that if the extraction process is perfected, there is no equal to having a top-notch espresso for which you have ultimate control, from squeezing with care to the preparation of the beverage.
It’s essential to look at other components besides performance when considering manual machines; such as their appearance and influence on kitchen layout.
The look of these machines is unparalleled: they are more visually attractive and more practical to use in a kitchen. Top-notch machines are crafted from stainless steel, crafted to avoid corrosion and maintain their original appearance, making every piece of machinery unique and reliable.
How to choose the manual coffee machine
If you are aiming to make coffee at home that has the same delicious flavour as you’d find in a cafe, then the manual coffee machine can be of help. It’s a machine which allows you to prepare a tasty beverage that can be personalised to your taste buds.
Professional coffee machines come in a variety of configurations, and many factors must be considered before making a purchase:
- Materials used for construction: The manual machine should be made of sturdy and high-quality raw materials such as steel or brass. To avoid failures, both the interiors and exteriors must pay equal attention to materials. The price usually reflects the equipment’s quality. A machine made of inferior materials will cost less, but it will almost definitely last less.
- Technical support: The greatest brands have their professionals ready to fix any form of problem or breakdown. Furthermore, spare parts must be considered, which in some cases are unavailable, forcing the owner to purchase a brand new coffee machine in case of breakdowns.
- Pump pressure: it is important to ensure the right density of the espresso; 15 bar is the best because it allows you to extract all of the mixture’s aromatic characteristics and, although 15 bar is ideal, it is critical that it is not less than 12 bar.
- Boiler: a device that heats water to the desired temperature. Those made of steel are more resistant to heat and limescale but they need few more minutes to reach the ideal temperature. They generally require very little maintenance. Aluminum boilers, on the other hand, heat water more quickly but are less durable than steel boilers.
- Filters and filter holders: used to control how much coffee is dispensed. They can be both pressurized and classic. The pressurized ones can provide the coffee the proper consistency on their own. However, with traditional filter holders, a little precision is required to dose the amount of coffee, press the coffee, and pay attention to grain selection.
- Tank capacity: you can figure out how big the tank should be based on how much coffee you plan to prepare. You won’t have to top up the water that often if you have a large tank, but you shouldn’t let it stand too long.
- Cappuccino maker: it is the fundamental tool for preparing a delicious cappuccino.
No kitchen coffee corner would be complete without certain accessories, and many of the best brands include a coffee maker with additional filters, pods, a holder for warming cups, a tamper, a measuring vessel, and a funnel with the purchase.
Think about a small-sized machine, one that is designed to match your home coffee bar, that you can buy depending on the size of the space you have.
The cost of manual espresso makers can differ depending on materials, capabilities, attachments, and name.
Manual machine, pros and cons of this choice:
Pros:
- you have total control of the extraction phase;
- Aesthetics that are both fine and classic;
- You get a sense of accomplishment from manually extracting the coffee;
- Allows you to use many customizable gadgets;
- Make each and every step count, and your morning coffee will become a ritual.
Cons:
- You have to practice learning how to use it well;
- Once you have achieved manual skills it will be difficult to drink other coffees.
Pontevecchio’s manual coffee machines
Pontevecchio has been producing manual coffee machines for close to twenty years. The people we employ as artisans have extensive expertise in building and putting together lever machines, as well as with all the individual parts.
We offer three types of espresso machines: Export, Lusso I, and Lusso II, each ideal for different purposes.
The composition and quantity of brewing components vary from one model to another.
The Export manual coffee machine is ideal for either domestic or business purposes. This appliance occupies very little space and can brew two cups of coffee at once.
You can get the Lusso model with either one or two groupheads, enabling you to brew coffee for a maximum of four people simultaneously. Equipment tailored for hosting businesses, like hotels, eateries, bed and breakfasts, and farmhouses, are developed to grant superb espresso to their patrons.