espressomachineWith so many types of Espresso makers available on the market today it really seems to be a problem for a person to decide which model to choose. Some of the various models are piston driven, steam driven or pump driven. Also, there are manual and automatic models. Speaking about automatic, they can be semi-automatic, automatic and super-automatic Espresso machines. In order to find the most appropriate Espresso machine you are recommended to check what the main differences between all these models are.

Steam Driven Espresso Machine Makers

As the name suggests, the steam driven Espresso machine uses steam so as to create enough pressure to send hot water through coffee grinds to produce a good Espresso coffee. Looking into the past, the very first coffee makers were steam driven. They contained a boiler that was piped through four group heads so that the machine could brew different types of Espresso at a time. However, some of the low-cost consumer espresso models are designed that way. The good part about it is that this design does not require moving parts, so they hardly ever break down. It means that, even if something does break down, the repair costs will be very small.

Piston Driven Espresso Machine Makers

This model of espresso maker was invented by the Italian Achille Gaggia in 1945. Some of you may be familiar with this name as Mr. Gaggia is the founder of Gaggia Espresso makers. Piston driven coffee maker uses a lever, which is pumped by the operator to pressurize hot water and send it through the coffee grinds. When the water is hot enough, the operator can pull a handle to produce a shot of Espresso.

Nowadays, there are some companies that still produce espresso machines with levers. However, this type of espresso machine includes also manual piston and spring piston machines. The manual type has the operator that directly pushes the water through the grinds. Then, the operator puts tension on the spring, thus making enough pressure to deliver the best Espresso it can. Most often, the pressure is 8 to 10 bar.

Pump Driven Espresso Machine Makers

With the pump driven coffee machine there is no need to apply manually as the pump is driven by a motor. In commercial applications, these machines are often attached to the plumbing of the building where the coffee maker resides.

Espresso Machine Automaticity

Automatic coffee makers include pumps, valves, grinders and sensors. All of these features are used to help automate the Espresso brewing process.  As already said, there are three types of automatic espresso machines: semi-automatic, automatic, and super automatic. Semi-automatic- they use a pump to deliver water. Remaining brew pressure is dissipated using a three way valve.

Automatic- these machines have a flowmeter through which a programmed amount of water flows. After that, the pump automatically shuts down. The brew pressure is released through a solenoid valve.

Super-automatic- with this type everything is automated meaning that the coffee is ground, tamped and extracted. The only thing the operator has to do is to fill the bean hopper. In the case where the machine uses a water reservoir, it is necessary to be refilled frequently.

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Filed under: Espresso machines

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