Semi Automatic Coffee Machines

Semi Automatic Coffee Machines

A semi automatic espresso machine gives you a portafilter, a pump and a steam wand, and leaves the shot in your hands. The machine controls water temperature and pressure; you control the grind, the dose, the tamp and when to stop the extraction. That is the whole appeal, and it is also why this is the format with a following: the same machine and the same beans will give a poor espresso in week one and a very good one in week four, because the variable that changed is you. Expect that learning curve and it is enjoyable; expect instant results and it is frustrating. What to look for. A steam wand rather than an automatic frother, if milk texture matters to you, since a wand is how you get proper microfoam for a cappuccino or a flat white. A portafilter of a sensible size, because 58mm is the cafe standard and baskets and tampers for it are easy to find. Pressurised or dual wall baskets, which are far more forgiving of an inconsistent grind and are what most machines ship with, and non-pressurised baskets for when you want to push further. And a grinder: if the machine does not have one built in, budget for a burr grinder separately, because a blade grinder will hold back any espresso machine at any price. Some machines here bridge the gap, grinding and dosing for you while leaving the tamp and the shot manual. Others are straight pump espresso machines designed around pre-ground coffee or a separate grinder, which keeps the footprint small in a tight kitchen.

Delonghi covers most of this range, from the compact Stilosa in black, cream and green through the Dedica Duo in stainless steel and white to the Dedica Maestro Plus and the New Dedica Arte. Sage supplies the Barista Express and Barista Express Impress, which pair an integrated grinder with a manual portafilter, and the Oracle range above them. Ninja brings the Luxe Cafe Pro, Premier and Mini Plus, Smeg the 50s Retro pump espresso machines for anyone buying on looks as well as coffee, and Russell Hobbs the Everyday espresso machine that takes both ground coffee and pods. If you would rather the machine did the work, see bean to cup and automatic coffee machines.