The Affetto is expensive, and as an automatic machine it can be finicky. Just make sure it’s filled with water and beans, and that you clean the spent grounds container regularly, and it will work like a dream.
Most convenient, easiest to clean
We love this machine. It’s the best Keurig machine we’ve used (8/10, WIRED recommends) and has the best foam of any machine tested for this guide. Despite the fact that the K-Café doesn’t technically make espresso shots (the K-Cup system doesn’t put the ground coffee under any pressure), it still makes a delicious 2-ounce espresso shot that can taste almost as strong, even though… Of the lack of cream that you might want.
The real magic is the foam. It has three settings – cold, latte, and cappuccino – and froths milk to perfection with the touch of a button. When finished, simply pour the milk using the spout on the side. The carafe is made of stainless steel, and the plastic rotor unscrews instantly, making cleaning as easy as a quick run under the faucet. It was so easy to use and clean that I sometimes froth milk with it even when I use other espresso machines. I liked it so much, I didn’t even mind that the tap on the foam was designed for right-handed people. This leftist was happy to adapt.
While Keurig’s single-use coffee pods used to be difficult for recycling systems, they are now 100% recyclable. Unfortunately, the world’s recycling infrastructure is in a bit of a crisis, so for a guilt-free drink, it’s best to stick to Keurig’s Reusable coffee filters; We suggest sticking to branded products, as we’ve found the cheaper dupes to be unreliable.
The best portable milk frother
Sometimes, making a full latte or cappuccino using an automatic machine can be time consuming. Not to mention sometimes Whatever you want really It is frothed milk. This is where milk frothers come into play. These machines beat air into the milk, or milk substitute, to get that nice, creamy foam.
Most frothers create a solid, frothy foam that sits on top of the milk, which is not suitable for lattes or cappuccinos. Milk of the right consistency is creamy, light and airy and is never hard or separated. That’s why our current favorite is the Nanofoamer from Subminimal.
The nanofoam material, which became a darling on Kickstarter, is now a real product. It looks like a very small immersion blender, which is more or less what it is. It has two distinct screens that fit over the blade: one for smooth-textured milk and one for very smooth-textured milk. The difference is subtle, but the fine filter produces milk a little More bubbles than the ultrafine filter. The filters allow the Nanofoamer to do what coffee makers do with a steam wand: it Texture Your milk for the perfect creamy top.
Questions and Answers
Photo: Jeffrey Van Camp
How we tested each machine
The key here is automation. We wanted to test machines that bring you a cup of coffee with one touch, or as close to that as possible. So the products on this list are mostly of the automatic and semi-automatic type. You fill them in and they do all the hard work – or most of it, anyway.
Preparation and cleaning were especially important, as was durability. The primary goal of a device like this is to save time and energy and/or produce a drink of a higher quality than could be made without it, so we don’t recommend any products that don’t produce delicious 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 purchase locally roasted beans. Plug your city or region and “locally roasted coffee beans” into Google and you’ll be glad you did. The reason your locally roasted coffee will taste better in the world than anything you buy from a major coffee roaster (like Starbucks, Illy, or Gevalia) is simple: coffee grows in only a few areas of the world, and they start to lose ground. Flavor of the moment of roasting.
Try to avoid brands that advertise their European origins. Coffee doesn’t grow in Italy, France, or any other part of Europe, so you’ll always be buying beans roasted thousands of miles away that spent an unknown amount of time in transit before reaching you. Even if you order a bag of killer coffee beans from (and roasted in) a coffee-producing region of the world, it won’t arrive before those flavors start to transform. Trust me, buy from a local roaster. You won’t regret it. For some of our favorite mail-order brands, check out our roundup of the best coffee subscription services.
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 purchasing locally roasted beans. Just ask your coffee maker for a fine grind (espresso). We’ve tried a lot of ground espresso blends from popular companies like Lavazza, Gevaliaand Bustelo Cafe. They were all very dark and very bitter, partly because they were either imported or roasted in large batches and shipped all over the world. Grinding the coffee is another thing that makes it start to break down. Use your freshly ground, locally roasted beans within two weeks or you will drink dark, bitter, acidic, funky coffee. Our round-up of the best coffee grinders can also provide some guidance here.
Distributor and filler: Many machines come with a plastic gasket, but few come with a proper dispenser and gasket. You’ll need to check the size of your portafilter (it will be stated in your machine’s instruction manual), but that’s it Joint distributor and filler It is a good choice for most machines.