Which espresso maker

Both companies have reliable top-rated coffee-makers, but at some point, you have to choose between the two of them. This in-depth look at Breville and DeLonghi is meant to help you decide which is best for your needs. DeLonghi is an Italian company with a tradition that goes back more than years. The company is a big name in the world of home appliances and, over the last few decades, has built a solid reputation and gained an important share in the coffee-makers market.

Although they had been making coffee makers for quite some time, the company started getting noticed in , the year that their espresso machines really became popular. DeLonghi now makes almost all kinds of coffee and espresso makers from the manual types to the semi-automatic and fully automatic models. And they have also partnered with other companies like Nespresso to manufacture capsule-based espresso machines.

The two founders combined their names to come up with the company name Breville. Breville is credited for making the original sandwich toaster which was a huge success when it was launched in They later went on to make several other home appliances, like vacuum cleaners. In the early s, the company started to get some attention with its line of home espresso makers, which are now considered among the best in the world. Today they produce everything from manual espresso makers to automatic espresso machines , as well as pod-based machines for Nespresso.

Espresso lovers often compare DeLonghi and Breville as both have outstanding machines with top-notch technology that come with great features and have the capability to produce great-tasting espresso. If you love everything espresso you can easily become a barista yourself, at the touch of a button. Coffee machine companies know you all dream of a coffee-shop experience in your kitchen and the products they offer come with the promise you will be able to enjoy the most delicious espresso-based drinks in the world.

Any coffee lover knows that the secret to a perfect brew is freshly-ground coffee. If you want to make the most of all the flavors in your beans you have to grind just before brewing. You might find this annoying, but both Breville Barista Touch and DeLonghi La Specialista come with built-in conical burr grinders, which are the best grinders on the market.

The Barista allows you to choose the grind size, but the DeLonghi machine uses a sensor-based technology to ensure the optimal dose every time. Another important factor when it comes to making good espresso is the pressure the machine uses to extract the coffee. However, most experts say 15 bar is a good enough pressure for a rich espresso with a velvety layer of crema on top of it. Many say DeLonghi is best for special espresso-based drinks. First of all, La Specialista comes with two boilers, a feature that guarantees the ideal temperature so you can have an optimal coffee extraction and milk frothing at the same time.

Oh, and their Pannarello milk-frothing wand is the perfect tool for latte art. Both types of machines offer the automatic milk frothing feature, but you can also play with the settings. In this respect, the Barista Touch offers you more control. All Delonghi coffee machines, including the Barista Touch model, have a strong capacity and a quick heating system, so you can get an espresso quickly.

On average, a DeLonghi machine takes 20 seconds to produce a shot of espresso and roughly 40 seconds for one cappuccino. Breville coffee makers have the same brewing time, 20 seconds for a single shot of espresso and maybe 25 seconds for an espresso doppio, or a double shot. If the parts of the machine are cold, this will affect the flavor of your coffee — and this applies to both DeLonghi and Breville.

Tip: Turn the espresso machine as soon as you get up in the morning, take a quick shower, and come back to the kitchen in minutes when the coffee maker is all warmed. Now you can press the button and have that smooth espresso ready in 20 seconds. Better yet, run a cycle of hot water to also warm up your cup, dump the water and then press the button. Both DeLonghi and Breville coffee makers are very user-friendly which large and intuitive button displays. If you buy super-automatic coffee makers from either of the companies, you are likely to get a machine with a color touch display that should be super easy to use.

For the other models, you will have to go through a trial and error phase to decide which grind size and what coffee settings make your cup perfect. However, DeLonghi requires fewer skills and you can pretty much use the programmable system that allows the machine to do its part. Breville machines are favored by coffee enthusiasts who like to experiment.

Their button interfaces allow the user more control over their espresso. Nobody wants a coffee machine that requires a lot of attention, particularly if you buy an automatic coffee maker that is supposed to do everything on its own.

The water reservoir size for both Breville and DeLonghi machines will depend on the particular model you are buying given that both companies have different capacity coffee makers.

Below, we rounded up some automatic, semi-automatic and capsule espresso machines based on expert recommendations across various price points. The experts we consulted advised against home brewers buying steam-driven and manual lever-driven machines due to the lower pressure and complexity, respectively, but if you want to explore that route, here are some guides to check out from Coffee Brewing Methods on steam machines and Coffee or Bust on manual lever-driven machines.

Both Peeples and Phillips highlighted Breville as one of the best espresso machine brands on the market. The machine allows you to control the volume of each of your pours, plus it has digital PID temperature control and a pressure gauge that helps you optimize your extraction.

Another good machine from Breville is the Barista Pro. This semi-automatic machine has a rapid heating boiler, 3-way solenoid valve and millimeter chrome-plated brass portafilter. It also has a built-in commercial steam wand to produce foamy, frothy milk. With the La Marzocco app , you can turn the machine on or off, set the boiler temperature, enable pre-brewing and more.

The Rocket Espresso Appartmento is still certainly an investment but this semi-automatic machine features a heat exchange boiler and a heated group head to help heat the water in your machine to the optimal temperature and steam milk while you pull your espresso.

With the PID temperature control on this machine, you can also control the temperature of your espresso in one-degree increments. Espresso machines are composed of several parts, all of which determine the temperature, flavor profile, strength and consistency of your coffee.

Here are some of the things the experts we consulted said to look for while shopping for your espresso maker:. The portafilter is the spoon-like device that holds the coffee grounds. Most espresso machines are either powered by a single boiler or dual boilers.

All of the experts we spoke to said that a good machine will have a stable temperature. Many higher-end espresso machines use PIDs — or Proportional, Integral, Derivative controllers — to allow you to control the temperature of your espresso down to the degree. IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Follow Select. By Morgan Greenwald. Shopping Why I recommend everyone keep a French press on hand.

Shopping How to brew a great cup of coffee at home, according to experts. Williams Sonoma.