How to choose a carob coffee maker for your home. Buying Tips

We have prepared important criteria for choosing the best carob coffee maker according to experts and customer reviews. We have compiled a rating of the 2021 and 2021 models. Horn coffee makers or espresso machines prepare espresso by passing water under pressure through finely ground beans placed in the so-called “horn”. This is a large class of devices that has many subtypes. You can use them to make any espresso-based drinks, such as lattes, cappuccinos or macchiatos, which is the reason why they are so popular. Carob coffee makers for ground coffee for home come in different prices, above 100,000 rubles, for example Lelit PL62, or De'Longhi ECP 33.21 for 10,000 rubles.

The nuances of brewing coffee in an espresso coffee maker, how to prepare it

A carob coffee maker is different from a coffee machine. An espresso coffee maker involves, as it were, manual preparation: you must grind the coffee beans, pour them into a horn and turn on the hot water supply. In the case of a regular coffee machine, you just need to pour in the beans, the machine itself will grind them and pour the required amount of drink.

Need to know! To get the best result, before preparing the drink, you need to warm up the coffee maker and prepare “idle” coffee, that is, simply run hot water through the horn. After this, you can start preparing the drink.

Models with automatic cappuccino maker

The best models with an automatic cappuccino maker according to customer reviews and ratings.

REDMOND RCM-1511

An advanced device with intuitive controls and automatic programs for preparing drinks.

The machine has a convenient and intuitive control panel with nine mechanical buttons. All of them are covered with a solid rubber lining, pleasant to the touch. There is a milk container made of transparent plastic.

The device allows you to adjust the volume of the drink and prepare two servings of coffee at once. If the device is not used for 30 minutes, it automatically turns off. The drip tray has a full indicator.

Specifications:

• weighs – 4.2 kg;
• dimensions – 24x31x26 cm;
• tank volume – 1.4 l;
• the machine can prepare espresso, Americano, cappuccino and latte macchiato;
• power – 1000 W.

Advantages

• advanced functionality at an affordable price;
• capacious liquid reservoir;
• convenient control panel;
• automatic shutdown;
• built-in cooking programs;
• almost no noise.

Flaws

• no display;
• There is no automatic shutdown after preparing a portion of coffee.

VITEK VT-1517

A simple, inexpensive model with low noise levels.

The device has a reasonable price for the segment of coffee makers with an automatic cappuccino maker. It is easy to maintain and has a clear mechanical control panel with buttons. There is almost no noise during operation. Prepares both espresso and cappuccino with latte.

Makes good foam. It has a high-quality assembly, the body is made of plastic. You can prepare drinks either fully automatically or with independent participation in adjusting the strength and volume.

Specifications:

• weighs – 5.4 kg;
• dimensions – 32x27.2x22.4 cm;
• tank volume – 1.65 l;
• the machine can prepare espresso, cappuccino and latte;
• power – 1300 W.

Advantages

• affordable price;
• spacious water tank;
• convenient control;
• can work in automatic mode;
• Automatically turns off when not in use;
• quiet.

Flaws

• no display;
• There is no automatic shutdown after preparing a portion of coffee.

VITEK VT-1514

Convenient device with self-cleaning function.

The device has a heating panel to warm the cups before filling them. There is an automatic decalcification function that eliminates the need for the user to clean the device.

The cappuccino tube can be adjusted depending on the height of the cup. There is a milk foam level regulator. The milk container is closed with a lid and it does not splash during the cooking process.

Specifications:

• weighs – 4.7 kg;
• dimensions – 29x22x28 cm;
• tank volume – 1.5 l;
• the machine can prepare espresso, cappuccino and latte;
• power – 1650 W.

Advantages

• self-cleaning;
• spacious tank;
• simple controls;
• convenient cappuccino maker;
• large and thick foam;
• automatic shutdown.

Flaws

• no display;
• no auto-shutdown after finishing preparing the drink;
• noisy operation of the cappuccino maker.

De'Longhi EC 850 M

An advanced model with a water filter and energy saving function.

The device has a metal body and a stylish appearance. There is an option for hot water supply. The device can prepare both ground coffee and pods. There is an automatic shutdown function when not used for a long time.

You can warm the cups before filling and make two servings at once. The device produces thick milk foam and works quite quickly. There are convenient control buttons on the body.

Specifications:

• weighs – 5.4 kg;
• dimensions – 28x31x32 cm;
• tank volume – 1 l;
• the machine can prepare espresso, Americano, cappuccino, latte and latte macchiato;
• power – 1450 W.

Advantages

• durable metal case;
• high power;
• saving electricity consumption;
• preparing thick foam;
• large selection of drinks.

Flaws

• no display;
• no auto-shutdown after finishing preparing the drink;
• price;
• Doesn't fit large cups.

Polaris PCM 1535E Adore Cappuccino

Semi-automatic model with a metal body and a large water tank.

The machine has a fairly spacious water tank – 1.8 liters. You can prepare up to five servings of coffee in a row. The body is made of metal and has a modern appearance. Control is carried out using a panel with touch buttons.

Prepares all the main popular drinks - espresso, cappuccino and latte. You can adjust the volume of hot water supply. It is possible to make two servings of the drink at a time.

Specifications:

• weighs – 4.5 kg;
• dimensions – 31.5 x 20.5 x 27cm;
• tank volume – 1.8 l;
• the machine can prepare espresso, cappuccino and latte;
• power – 1400 W.

Advantages

• acceptable price;
• metal body;
• large water tank;
• prepares several servings of coffee in a row;
• ergonomics.

Flaws

• no display;
• The touchpad may freeze.

Who are carob coffee makers suitable for?

Carob coffee makers are suitable for people who prefer espresso and drinks based on it. If you are a Turkish coffee lover, then a carob coffee maker will not meet your expectations. You are unlikely to be able to get out of it anything close to what you love.

However, if you are a fan of drinks like cappuccino or latte, then an espresso machine is undoubtedly the best choice for you. With its help, you can prepare all these drinks, since that is exactly what it is intended for.

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Which coffee maker is better, carob or drip?

A carob coffee maker is the optimal solution for making delicious coffee at home. Compared to drip analogues, it provides processing of ground grains with greater pressure, which allows you to “extract” the maximum taste and aroma. The result is a rich, strong, tart drink. As mentioned above, you can prepare cappuccino, macchiato, latte, and Americano in a carob maker.

A drip coffee maker (also called a lazy coffee maker) prepares only one type of coffee – Americano. This is such a highly diluted espresso. This type of coffee is drunk in large mugs at lunch. A bit like instant coffee. The strength is low. There is no bitterness. The taste of the grains is revealed by 50-65%.

Drip ones are half the price of carob ones.

The disadvantage of carob is the smaller volume of the drink at the exit. In a drip tank, this could be a one-liter jug.

Which coffee maker is better: carob or geyser?

First, let's look at the resulting drinks. We already know about carob - classic espresso, latte, cappuccino. The taste of the grains is revealed 100%. Espresso turns out tart if the beans are robusta, and slightly sour if it is arabica. Cooking time 1.5 – 2 minutes. It's fast.

In a geyser coffee maker there is not so much pressure, and the taste of the beans is revealed by 80 percent. The drink obtained is very close to espresso from a carob coffee maker. Cooking time 5 – 8 minutes. You need to monitor the cooking process. Coffee may splash onto the stove.

We previously wrote about the 12 Best geyser coffee makers

Geyser ones are three times cheaper than carob ones.

Conclusion

The carob coffee maker is designed for those who love real ground coffee, but are not averse to experimenting with flavors, regardless of the financial costs. For this, the carob coffee maker will “reward” its owners with the opportunity to save coffee powder, as it will use it as efficiently as possible.

The owner of such a coffee maker should be able to devote his time to preparing coffee: if you are in a hurry in the morning, get used to preparing the machine in advance (load coffee, add water in the evening).

How to choose a carob coffee maker?

Choosing a carob coffee maker is a responsible process; it is necessary to take into account a lot of technical nuances and subtleties.
In order not to buy a bad model, you should be guided by reviews from marketplaces, reviews, and expert opinions. We also included OEM models, many of which are produced under domestic brands, in the TOP. Of course, professionals and experts do not recommend buying them, but due to the increased prices, it is advisable to consider the best of these. Of course, it’s better to add a few thousand rubles (often 1-3 thousand) and get a device from a reputable company that cares about its reputation for producing quality products. Secondary factors when selecting a coffee maker are design, body materials, control principles, and the volume of the water tank. These are subjective points that do not affect the performance and quality of the drink. Often, inexpensive coffee makers are made of plastic, expensive ones are made of metal, but inside there are similar pumps, heating and operating elements.

On average, an entry-level model that allows you to brew delicious coffee will cost about 10 thousand rubles. The downside of such a purchase is the impossibility of “professional growth”; it will not allow you to experiment with the astringency and strength of the drink; preparation is carried out according to a standard algorithm. Further development is only possible with the help of an advanced device, costing about 25-30 thousand. The presence of a modified brewing group increases the indicated amount by about another 15 thousand rubles, and a coffee grinder – by another 10.

Pump and pressure

It is the pressure generated by the pump that allows you to obtain tart and rich espresso. The classic cooking recipe assumes a pressure of 8-9 bar. Many coffee makers, even in the budget segment, indicate a limit of 15 bar, but you should not believe in these numbers. This is the peak pressure directly at the outlet of the pump; in the horn it is already lower, about 8. Carob coffee makers without a boiler and pump cannot be recommended for purchase; their pressure is only about three bar, which is not at all enough for a good drink.

The pumps themselves come in several types:

• Vibrating . Installed in devices of the junior group. A small minus is the instability of pressure, which, however, has little effect on the taste of the drink;
• Rotary . Pumps for professional coffee makers. The pressure is stable, but the mechanism is more expensive, structurally more complex, more massive;
• Levered . Manual pumps where the pressure is 100% controlled by the barista. Found only in serious coffee shops.

How is water heated?

The boiler is as important a component of the coffee maker as the pump. The quality of espresso is determined not only by pressure, but also by temperature; the more accurately it matches the recipe, the tastier the drink. Heating is provided by a flow-type temperature block or a storage tank with a heating element.

The advantages and disadvantages of the options are as follows:

• Thermoblock . There is no need to preheat the water, it is immediately supplied in the required quantities, but the temperature is unstable;
• Small boiler . A compact device that supplies small volumes of “ideally” heated water. The downside is the volume, after each mug you will have to wait for it to warm up again. Small boilers are most often found in models aimed at home use;
• Large boiler . A large volume of water at the optimal temperature is immediately available, so you can prepare several cups of the drink at a time. The disadvantage is the considerable time required (20-30 minutes) required for heating, for example, after a long period of non-use;
• Heat exchanger . A network of pipes with circulating water located inside the boiler chamber. The liquid is heated as it passes through this network. The temperature is stable, but it takes time to heat up.

Some devices are equipped with a pair of heaters at once, the first is used to generate steam, the second – for coffee.

Brew group and horn

Contact of ground grains with water supplied under pressure, squeezing out aromatic substances occurs in the brewing group. It is formed by a horn, a filter and additional components. Inexpensive horns are made of polymers, advanced models are made of metal. It is better to choose a metal horn.

The quality of the finished drink is largely determined by the filter. The simplest option is a mesh with small cells. To get a decent result, you need to correctly select the degree of grinding and form a coffee “tablet” of suitable density. This requires experience and qualifications, so many manufacturers equip brewing groups with “improvers” that allow even a beginner to brew good espresso without extra effort and hassle. There are many options here - filters with different meshes, spring mechanisms that open the supply of the drink only after the pressure in the cone has reached the desired level. “Improvers” really help a beginner and eliminate the possibility of mistakes, but for an experienced coffee drinker they are excesses that do not allow them to fully realize their skills.

When choosing a filter, you need to focus on models made without polymer, elastic components; they wear out quickly due to constant temperature fluctuations. Double-bottom filters are quite difficult to clean; finely ground coffee gets stuck in the gap. However, all filters, including single ones, need cleaning, so this is more of a drawback.

The rule for selecting the diameter of the horn is as simple as possible: the larger the better. Professionals use horns with a diameter of 5.8 centimeters; it is easy to select additional accessories and filters for it. Home devices often have 5 and 5.4 centimeter horns installed; finding auxiliary accessories for them is quite difficult.

Coffee grinder: is it necessary?

The better the coffee maker, the more “picky” it is about quality and degree of grinding. Even middle-class devices simply will not be able to unlock the potential of the grains if they are ground incorrectly, too coarsely or too finely. Simply put, those who own a good coffee maker definitely need an appropriate coffee grinder.

Precise grinding control is possible with millstone-type devices. Rotary analogues, with a rotating knife, are not suitable for coffee, as are pseudo-millstone devices, which differ in working elements with recognizable teeth. They do not grind the grains; processing is based more on crushing and breaking. Budget burr coffee grinders are suitable for simple tasks, but are not capable of grinding beans into a fine powder. If your budget is limited, purchasing them is a rational decision.

The best option for precise control of the degree of grinding and realizing the potential of the coffee maker is to buy an expensive burr coffee grinder. Their price is about 16 thousand rubles. It would seem like a large amount, but if you pay attention to professional models, they are characterized by much higher values.

We previously wrote about

• 11 Best Electric Coffee Grinders
• 11 Best coffee machines with cappuccino maker for home

Main selection criteria

You need to know the main characteristics of carob coffee makers in order to make the right choice when purchasing one.

Horn material and size

When choosing, it is very important to pay attention to the material and size of the horn. It can be made of plastic or metal.

• A metal cone has a higher cost, but it is also more preferable due to the fact that the drink is thicker and richer. In addition, the metal horn has an almost unlimited service life.

• The plastic horn may break over time as it is more fragile. At the same time, coffee with a plastic horn turns out to be more watery. Also, with such a horn it is almost impossible to make cappuccino foam.
• The size of the horn is also important. The larger its diameter, the better the quality of coffee. But real gourmets will also have to fork out money for filters, the price of which directly depends on the size. The horns themselves can be from 50 mm in diameter. Professional devices have a horn with a diameter of 57-58 mm.

  
  Plastic horn

  
  Metal

Steam pressure

Steam pressure is one of the most important indicators, as it is responsible for the quality and speed of coffee preparation. The pressure can vary from 3.5 to 15 bar. A coffee maker with a pressure of up to 5 bar prepares the drink for a long time. In terms of strength, it is significantly weaker than the same coffee, but prepared in a coffee maker with a pressure of 15 bar. The higher this indicator, the faster and better quality the coffee will be prepared.

Advice! For home use, you can consider options with a pressure of 8 to 10 bar. This indicator is considered the norm for preparing high-quality espresso.

Device power and water tank

The power of the device affects the speed of preparation of the drink. For example, coffee makers with a power of 1000 W can brew one cup in 2-3 minutes. More powerful options with power up to 1500 W prepare espresso in just 30-40 seconds.

The volume of the water tank varies from 0.2 to 1.2 liters. Models with a large tank are not recommended for purchase, since the coffee maker is designed for only a few cups of coffee.

Additional functions

Modern models of carob coffee makers include many additional functions. Many of them are really useful and convenient, some are just a marketing ploy to attract customers.

• Not all models have a cappuccino maker. Its presence allows you to make espresso coffee with milk foam. The presence of this function will allow you to prepare cappuccino in its classic form. The cappuccino maker can be mechanical or automatic. The mechanical version works as follows: a tube is lowered into the glass, through which steam passes, making foam.

Automatic cappuccino makers completely automate the process. All you need to do is activate the cappuccino mode on the control panel. Many models have a function that allows you to adjust the thickness of the foam.

• Adjusting the bowl feed will help you find the optimal bowl position. This feature allows experienced baristas to vary the foam density and height.

• Additional functions also include heating the drink. The functionality of the device may be accompanied by light indicators.

• Any coffee maker is equipped with a removable tray for collecting drips. This is necessary so that after making coffee, the surface does not get dirty.

• The power-on indication indicates that the device is in working condition.

Advice! Before purchasing, you should familiarize yourself with all the additional functions and choose from the list those that will definitely be useful in your case.

Rating of carob coffee makers without pump

These coffee makers do not have a device that increases water pressure. Pressure is created by steam, which appears during the boiling process of water in the boiler. The maximum pressure in such devices is 2-4 bar, because of this the coffee turns out less rich and becomes similar to a strong Americano, but there are specimens with a pressure of 15 bar, for example Delonghi ECO 31.

1

Polaris PCM 4008AL

Rating:5.0

• for ground coffee
• pressure 4 bar
• making cappuccino
• metal case

Average price: RUB 4,775

Compact espresso machine from Polaris. The design is slightly different, since the Thermoblock system is replaced with a boiler, so the characteristics are worse than those of previously reviewed models - power 800 W and pressure 4 bar. It can only make ground coffee, it doesn't brew two cups at once, and it doesn't have many other features, but in its price range, this coffee maker is the best.

Peculiarities:

• boiler room;
• power 800 W;
• pressure 4 bar.

Rating of the TOP 10 best carob coffee machines with cappuccino maker