The Affetto is on the expensive side and can be problematic as an automatic. Just make sure it is filled with water and beans and clean the spent soil container regularly and it will work like a dream.
The most convenient, easiest cleaning
We love this machine. It’s the best Keurig we’ve used (8/10, WIRED recommends) and has the best frother of any machine tested for this guide. Despite the fact that Cafe K doesn’t technically make espresso shots (the kick cup system doesn’t pressurize its grounds), it still makes a delicious 2-ounce “espresso-style” shot that can taste pretty much the same. . Strong, though without the creaminess you might want.
The real magic is foaming. It has three settings for cold, latte and cappuccino, and it froths the milk completely by pressing a button. When you’re done, simply pour your milk through the side spout. The pitcher is made of stainless steel, and the plastic swivel comes off immediately, making cleanup as easy as a quick run under the faucet. It was so easy to use and clean that even when I used other machines to make espresso, I sometimes frothed milk with it. I liked it so much, I didn’t even think the squeegee opening was designed for right-handed people. This leftist was happy to adapt.
While Keurig’s disposable coffee pods were difficult for recycling systems in the past, they are now 100 percent recyclable. Unfortunately, the world’s recycling infrastructure is a bit critical, so for guilt-free drinking, you’re better off using Keurig’s reusable coffee filters. We suggest sticking to branded brands as we’ve found cheaper dupes to be unreliable.
The best manual milk producer
Sometimes making a perfect latte or cappuccino using an automatic machine can take a long time. Not to mention, sometimes All you really want Milk is frothy. This is where milk frothers come in. These machines beat air into milk or milk substitutes to achieve a nice creamy foam.
Most frothers make a stiff foam that sits on top of the milk, which isn’t great for a latte or cappuccino. Milk with the right texture is creamy, light, airy and never hard or separated. That’s why our current favorite is Subminimal Nanofoam.
A Kickstarter darling, Nanofoam is now a real product. It looks like a very tiny immersion blender, which is more or less what it is. It has two distinct plates that fit on the blade: one for fine-textured milk and one for very fine-textured milk. The difference is subtle, but a good filter produces milk that is a bit More bubbly than a microfilter The filters allow the nanofoamer to do what baristas do with steam sticks: it Textures Your milk for that perfect, creamy topping.
Questions and answers
Photo: Jeffrey Van Camp
How we tested each device
The key here is automation. We wanted to test devices that make you a cup of coffee with one touch, or as close as possible. Therefore, the products in this list are more automatic and semi-automatic types. You fill them in and they do all the hard work – or most of it anyway.
Start-up and clean-up, particularly durability, were important. The whole point of a machine like this is to save time and energy and/or produce a higher quality drink than you could get without it, so we don’t recommend any product that doesn’t produce great tasting espresso. and Save time
Which beans should you buy?
Even if you don’t make espresso, the first and best thing you can do to dramatically improve your morning coffee is to buy locally roasted beans. Plug in your city or region and “locally roasted coffee beans” into Google and you’ll be happy. The reason your locally roasted coffee will taste worlds better than anything you buy from a big coffee roaster (like Starbucks, Ily, or Jualia) is simple: Coffee is only grown in a few areas of the world and is starting to disappear. Season it the moment it’s roasted.
Try to avoid brands that advertise their European origin. Coffee is not grown in Italy or France or any other part of Europe, so you will always be buying roasted beans thousands of miles away that have spent an unknown amount of time in transit before reaching you. Even if you order (and roast) a bag of killer coffee beans from a coffee-producing region of the world, it won’t arrive before the flavors change. Trust me, buy from a local roaster. You won’t regret it Check out our roundup of the best coffee subscription services for some of our favorite mail order brands.
What else do you need?
Ground coffee: If you’ve never made espresso before and don’t have access to a coffee grinder, we still recommend buying locally roasted beans. Just ask your barista for a fine grind (espresso). We tried many pre-ground espresso blends from popular companies like Lavazza, Gevalia and Café Bustelo. They were all very dark and very bitter, in part because they are all either imported or roasted in large batches and shipped around the world. Grinding coffee is another thing that causes it to deteriorate. Use your freshly ground and locally roasted beans within two weeks or you’ll end up with dark, bitter, acidic, funky coffee. Our roundup of the best coffee grinders can also provide some guidance here.
distributor and tap: Many machines come with a plastic clip, but few have a proper distributor and clip. You’ll need to check the size of your portafilter (it will tell you in your machine’s manual), but this dispenser and tap combo is a good choice for most machines.
