Which To Go for – Traditional Espresso Machine Or a Pod-Based System?
It used to be the case that if you wanted to make real coffee at home, the choice of machines open to you was very restricted.
Home coffee machines were similar to those found in coffee bars and bistros and used loose coffee, either beans or ground. You had to follow a set procedure:-
1. It was important to be sure that the coffee was perfectly ground. Not fine enough and the coffee was weak – and you didn’t get the characteristic crema that is so essential on a decent espresso. Overground coffee meant that the water would not flow easily through the grounds. And an even grinding was vital to extract the maximum flavour. To get the best results, you had to get a good quality coffee grinder, preferably of the burr-grinder sort.
2. The coffee had to be precisely measured and then correctly tamped down into the holder. If you didn’t do this perfectly, the water would flow through any loosely-tamped areas and give you a insipid brew.
3. Hot water, at the right temperature and pressure was then forced through the coffee to give you your espresso.
4. If you wanted frothed milk for a cappuccino, there was a steam wand attached.
5. Cleaning was essential, as coffee can easily be spoiled by old grounds or other residue left in the machine.
However, there’s little doubt that the espresso you ended up with was the best, as long as you took time to become skilled at how best to use the machine.
A bean-to-cup machine goes a long way to removing some of the inconvenience. You put whole beans into the machine’s container. The measured amount of coffee is added automatically to the hopper and tamped down properly for you. The results from a good quality machine are remarkable, but you will pay a good amount, and they do take up quite a bit of room on the worktop.
Against this, the advantages of a pod-based machine are clear:-
1. Ready-ground and measured coffee is supplied in handy pods.
2. So you just put the pod into the machine – no grinding and measuring.
3. Press a switch and the machine does the rest – the right quantity of water is forced through the coffee in the pod and the coffee flows out of the outlet.
4. Because the coffee is contained, there is no cleaning to do – just take out the used pod and throw it away.
5. You can generally buy a wide range of different coffee pods – and not just coffee. The same machine can make tea or hot chocolate for example.
It can be argued that the results are not in actual fact as good as from a conventional espresso maker; that may be so. You don’t get properly frothed milk of course, as the foam for your cappuccino comes from a milk pod, which may not taste quite so good.
But set against the ease of operation, these considerations are maybe not important. I think that many espresso machines lie unused because of the hassle of operating and cleaning them – a pod machine will be used on a regular basis. Along with the adaptability they offer, their appeal is obvious.
You can read more about the Bosch Tassimo pod-based coffee machines and compare them with say, the Gaggia Brera at Tern Kitchen Reviews.
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