Gaggia Baby Twin Espresso Machine, Superb Semi Automatic

Gaggia Baby Twin

Gaggia Baby Twin

When Gaggia conceived the Gaggia Baby Twin they gave birth to an excellent espresso machine for the price point.  Not only does the Gaggia Baby Twin espresso machine deliver on value it also delivers on quality.

The Twin has a dual thermoblock boiler which is great because now you don’t have to wait for your machine to warm up in order to steam your milk for making wonderful espresso specialty drinks.  An added feature of the double boiler on the Gaggia Baby Twin espresso is a three way solenoid valve.

This 3 way solenoid allows the machine to relieve the pressure from brewing and to divert it and the extra water in the portafilter to the drip tray.  This way you no longer will have the mushy leftover coffee grounds but instead you will get a solid puck.

Speaking of the puck you will enjoy knocking it into your knockbox because you will be hard-pressed to find a better quality portafilter handle for the price than on the Gaggia baby twin.  It rivals more expensive commercial lines in that it is heavy duty chrome plated brass that weighs in at around a pound…it definitely has a bit of heft to it.

If you like stainless steel then the Gaggia baby twin espresso machine is the unit for you.  It sports a stainless steel case, steam wand and drip tray.  A lot of other machines will only have the stainless on the front panel.

Now don’t forget that the Gaggia baby twin is a semi automatic machine but don’t worry you will master steaming and foaming milk in no time because the twin makes it easy with its’ Turbo Frother wand, oh and the steam wand is mounted on a ball joint so you have a wide range of movement.

Lastly there are just a couple of last items to mention about the Gaggia Twin first, it is ESE pod compatible and secondly if you have a regular drink routine you can program the brew buttons to aid in your daily ritual.

Now the Gaggia Twin Espresso Machine is an Italian made machine however to get the best deal with free shipping and a discount, or to learn more including the specs click through to our recommended source:  Gaggia Baby Twin Espresso Machine

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Here Are A Few Specialty Drink Recipes To Make Using Your Espresso Machine:

After Dinner delight

Pour 1 oz. Crème de cacao Syrup,

1 oz. Tiramisu syrup.

Fill with foamed/steamed milk

Afri-Cola

Over ice, pour 1oz. Irish cream Syrup.

Add 2 shots espresso,

3 oz. Half and Half and stir

Alexander

Pour 2 oz. Crème de Cacao Syrup

Add espresso

Add ice

Fill with half and half

Top with whipped cream

Almond Cinnamon Coffee

Pour one half oz. Almond Syrup

Add 1t sugar

Add espresso and 6 oz. hot milk

Stir and finish with a cinnamon stick

Almond Fudge iced Coffee

Pour 1 oz. each of Almond, Chocolate Fudge syrup

Add espresso and ice

Finish filling with cold water

Almond Iced Coffee

Pour 1 and one half oz almond syrup, one half oz. vanilla syrup

Add espresso and ice

Fill with cold milk

Almond Joy

Pour one quarter oz each of chocolate, coconut and almond syrup

Add espresso

Fill with foamed/steamed milk

Top with whipped cream

Almond Latte

Pour three quarter oz. almond syrup

Add espresso

Fill with foamed/steamed milk

Almond Mocha

Pour three quarter thick chocolate syrup, one half oz. almond syrup

Add espresso and stir

Fill with foamed/steamed milk

Top with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles

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Gaggia Platinum Vision Espresso Machine – The Machine With A Lift

Gaggia Platinum Vision

Gaggia Platinum Vision

The Platinum Vision espresso machine by Gaggia will not only give you a lift by consuming the excellent espresso beverages you will make with it but it also has a cup lift so you can adjust the height of the drip tray with the push of a button.  This feature is great for accommodating different sizes of cups.

The Gaggia Platinum Vision is one of Gaggia’s super automatic machines and built with Gaggia quality.

The digital touch screen on the Gaggia Platinum Vision espresso machine is black and white and is used to display programming info and alerts for different items on the espresso maker such as:

Operating the cup warmer

Using the timer and energy saving mode

Descaling and cleaning

Setting the brewing amounts

Setting the water temp and more….

The Gaggia Platinum Vision provides 15 BAR water pump pressure, and contains a professional ceramic adjustable burr grinder.  This espresso maker also can dose coffee from 7-10.5 grams, has an 8.8 ounce sealable bean hopper, and contains a removable 57 oz. water container.

The front of the platinum vision espresso machine is stainless steel. The boiler is also stainless steel to aid in quick warming times.

The last item that is featured with the gaggia platinum vision is the milk island.  This feature will aid you by perfectly steaming and frothing milk for superb cappuccinos and lattes.

For a savings of just about $1200 on this espresso maker and free shipping use our favorite retailer by clicking through:  Gaggia Platinum Vision Espresso Machine

This retailer offers excellent discounts, free shipping, an A+ BBB rating and a secure payment system.  Also at the time of this posting they are offering 90 day with no payments and no interest (subject to credit approval of course).

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Jura Capresso ENA 5 Cherry Red 13420 – A Few Things To Know

Jura Capresso ENA 5

Jura Capresso ENA 5

The first thing you should know about the Jura Capresso ENA 5 is that if you are looking for an espresso machine that doesn’t take up a lot of space then this one might be for you.

The Jura Capresso ENA is very narrow its width only commands around 9 inches.  Coming in at 14 inches high it also will fit underneath most kitchen cabinets, however it is worth mentioning that it is a bit deep in dimension coming in at around 17 inches although this is comparable to other machines.

The Jura Capresso ENA5 is pretty much a fully automatic machine sporting an impressive 18 bars of pressure and a professional conical burr grinder.  In less than one minute the Jura ENA5 will grind, tamp, brew, and my favorite thing of all, clean itself.

This sleek machine comes in a few different colors to suit your décor, blossom white, ristretto black, and my favorite, coffee cherry red.  Just in case you want to look further into the ena 5 cherry red, the model number is 13420.

The Jura Capresso ENA 5 is the deluxe version of the ENA line.  It comes standard with the frothXpress system, which will automatically siphon your milk from the container and delivers it to your cup for either great cappuccinos or lattes. You can even control the temp of the steamed and frothed milk.

One other item on the Jura Capresso ENA that stood out to me was the zero energy button.  For those of us who are increasingly energy aware and are concerned with appliance “ghosting” (the energy consumed by appliances when not in use just to have them plugged in i.e. digital displays) this feature in the off position will be just as if the machine was unplugged.

A few of the other highlights of the jura capresso ena5 are:

-The ENA Clearyl water care system.  This filtration system eliminates the need to decalcify the machine.

-The ability to grind 5-16 grams of coffee varying from mild to strong.

-Stainless steel lined thermo block for quick heating and low wait times.

-Cool 3-color display that is easy to understand.  Green means good to go, yellow means wait, and red means that some sort of action is needed.

-Lastly the jura capresso ena5 has an adjustable coffee spout, and a pre-infusion cycle to pre-moisten the coffee.

To learn more about the ENA 5 cherry red model of this machine and receive a great price, with free shipping, click through:  Jura Capresso ENA 5 Right now as I am writing this post this retailer who is BBB A+ rated by the way,  is offering this machine at a $400 savings.

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Gaggia Titanium Coffee Machine 90500

Stop looking after you discover the Gaggia Titanium Coffee Machine 90500.  The Gaggia Titanium espresso maker is the end all be all of super automatic espresso machines.

Gaggia Titanium Coffee Machine 90500

Gaggia Titanium Coffee Machine 90500

Gaggia has been the number 1 selling home espresso machine in Italy for years and with good reason.  Their machines are quality.  I know that there are a number of Gaggia Titanium espresso machine reviews out there but still, I am going to add mine to the masses.

Some of the highlights of the Gaggia Titanium ss espresso machine are as follows:

Automatic espresso and coffee brewing just press the brew button and your done.

The machine will grind, tamp, brew, and clean up in less then 30 seconds.

Programmable cup sizes and dosing amounts, you can use the 3 preset cup sizes or program your own.  In addition the Gaggia Titanium coffee machine allows you to choose dosing quantities from 6-9 grams for each of the 3 coffee amount presets.  This way you can pick the strength of your coffee regardless of the size of your cup.

Steel housing with a stainless steel front panel, gives the Gaggia Titanium ss espresso machine unmatched durability and a great look.

Cobalt blue digital display, allows you to note the status of the machine.  It tells you when you are out of beans, low on water, when the machine needs cleaning and more.

Bean hopper and bypass, the hopper will hold up to one half pound of whole beans and the bypass will do just that, bypass the hopper if you would like to use ground coffee instead, for instance if somebody wants a cup of decaf.

Internal dump box holds 40 cups of spent coffee grounds.  The box easily removes for cleaning.

Built in 60-ounce water tank, can be filled on or off of the machine.

Burr grinder built in, with 18 settings.  The cone shaped grinding wheel turns slowly so it grinds the beans without burning to exactly the grind that it is set at.

Two boilers, stainless steel lined that provide almost no wait time for steam.  You are ready to go in around 10 seconds.

Auto frothier, insures that you can attain the perfect foam for your latte even if it is your first time making one.

Swivel base, it might seem trivial but this feature is my favorite feature on the Gaggia Titanium coffee machine 90500.  It makes it easy to clean and refill even if you place the machine in a corner.

You can order your own Gaggia Titanium ss espresso machine 90500 from our vendor of choice everyespressomachine.com they are an accredited business with the BBB with a rating of A+ as of 6/2010.  They have excellent prices, free shipping, and if you check their site sometimes they offer extra discounts.

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DeLonghi BCO130T Combination Coffee Espresso Machine – Great Product

DeLonghi did it again, the DeLonghi BCO130tT combination coffee espresso machine is yet one more quality unit in Delonghi’s extensive product line.

The highlights of the Delonghi bco130t combination coffee espresso machine are as follows:

DeLonghi BCO130T Combination Coffee Espresso Machine

DeLonghi BCO130T Combination Coffee Espresso Machine

Of course the simultaneous coffee and espresso brewing capability

Programmable brew time

Drip interrupt

Warming plate

Dual glass carafes

Gold tone filter

Adjustable steam and safety cup

Removable drip tray

Instant froth dispenser- this patented froth dispenser included with the Delonghi bco130t combi machine pulls milk from a milk reservoir in the machine and froths and steams it and then delivers it into your cup. Basically with a push of a button your milk is perfectly processed for your specialty drinks.

Vario System- the Delonghi bco130t comes with the ability to control the taste and strength of your espresso.  You can choose from light to strong or even a preset cappuccino setting.

Accuflavor System- this system is similar to the Vario system but is used to control the strength of your coffee not espresso much the same way i.e. light to strong.

The Delonghi combo espresso coffee maker BCO130T is a great machine with a terrific price point.  Click through to pick up your Delonghi BCO130T combination coffee espresso machine from my favorite vendor www.EveryEspressoMachine.com they are BBB accredited with an A+ rating as of 6/28/2010.  Be sure to check their site additional discounts. They offer different deals periodically.

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Four Terms to Describe Espresso

Four terms that won’t really come up too often while just enjoying an espresso but, are common among espresso connoisseurs are smooth, sweet, bitter, and bittersweet.

You can describe a smooth espresso as being easily consumed without the addition of much sugar or any milk whatsoever.  The flavor should be primarily sweet rather than that of acid or bitter tones with a heavy body.

Using sweet to describe an espresso relates more to the heavy body, balanced flavor of the dark brown not black beans.  It does not mean that the espresso is literally sugary but rather smooth and rich with heaviness in the cup.  In countries where espresso is consumed without milk like Italy, this is important.

A bitter tasting espresso can be likened to a dry wine.  The acidity creates an astringent sensation in the rear of the palate.  This bitterness is achieved by dark roasting the beans.

Another term that you don’t see used very often is bittersweet.  Bittersweet can be used to describe a dark roast espresso that is bitter yet has the sweet sensations also.  This is not to be confused with a strong flavor.  For instance you can brew a really acidic bean to a light or medium roast and it will be just as  “strong” tasting as any dark roast coffee.  The use of “strong” really deals with the flavoring agents and solids in the brewed coffee.

Well there you have four terms that you can use to professionally describe different espresso.

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Breville XX800ESXL Refurbished, Die Cast Espresso Machine

You can save a bit of cash by purchasing the Breville XX800ESXL refurbished machine rather than a brand spankin new one.  A Breville xx800esxl refurbished unit is still a quality die cast espresso machine just with less of a price tag.

A Breville XX800ESXL espresso machine will turn your kitchen into a coffee house.

Breville Die Cast 800esxl Espresso Machine

Breville Die Cast 800esxl Espresso Machine Refurbished

Your Breville xx800esxl unit will provide you with excellent espresso using Breville’s crema technology, which they call the dual wall crema technology.

Both of the filters that come with the Breville 800esxl refurbished machine include beneath the first wall a second wall with only one exit hole for the liquid.  What this does is create back pressure, which in turn extracts more flavor.

Another cool thing about the Breville die cast 800esxl espresso machine is that before extraction the 15 bar Italian made pump gives out 3 bursts of hot water into the head.  This helps the machine to extract more crema and a better resulting espresso.

Some other features of the Breville xx800esxl refurbished espresso machine are:

Removable water tank

Cup warming tray

Froth enhancer on the swivel steam wand

Hidden storage compartment

Tamping tool

Cleaning tool

Stainless steel pitcher for frothing

Espresso filter for use with pods

1 and 2 cup dual wall stainless steel filters

The Breville die cast 800esxl espresso machine new or refurbished will make a great addition to your kitchen.

You can pick up your Breville 800esxl refurbished unit here.

Breville XX800ESXL Refurbished, Die Cast Espresso Machine
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DeLonghi Caffé Nero BCO264B – the Right Combo for Different Tastes

The DeLonghi Caffe Nero BCO264B is the machine for you if you and your significant other have different coffee tastes.  You see the Delonghi Caffe Nero BCO264B is a three in one combination espresso machine.

The DeLonghi Caffe Nero combination espresso machine comes with a 10 cup normal drip coffee pot on one side and on the other side it features a powerful 15 BAR pump driven espresso / cappuccino maker.

The 15 BAR pump that is contained within the DeLonghi Caffe Nero BCO264B has a stainless steel boiler system for heating.  This system provides enough pressure to produce a “real” cup of great tasting espresso with a very short recovery time between cups.

One other cool thing about the espresso side of the DeLonghi Caffe Nero BCO264B is that the porta filter and 2 filter sieves that come with it can also be used for E.S.E. pods.  The filter sieves are super at delivering a beautiful crema on your espressos.

DeLonghi Caffe Nero BCO264B

DeLonghi Caffe Nero Combination Espresso Machine

Of course the DeLonghi Caffe Nero combination espresso machine wouldn’t be complete without the frothing wand, which easily produces double in volume frothy milk.  The wand also tucks away when not in use.

On the drip coffee side of the DeLonghi Caffe Nero combination espresso machine is an easy to fill water tank which is removable along with a gold toned removable filter basket and of course the 10 cup glass carafe.  The coffee brewing side has a 24-hour clock timer so you can set it and forget it to brew for the next morning.

Just in case you are picky about your drip coffee you can also adjust the 1-5 cup option to improve the flavor and help stop any overheating of smaller pots.  There is also the normal drip stop feature and nonstick warning plate.

If you are looking to pick up an easy to use, quality combination espresso/coffee maker then the DeLonghi Caffe Nero BCO264B is the right machine.  DeLonghi products are known for their function convenience and quality.

You can purchase your DeLonghi Caffe Nero combination espresso machine here.

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Home Espresso machines – The 4 Types

When you consider purchasing a home espresso machine you might think that the choices are very overwhelming.  However if you break the machines down into four categories it will make your decision much simpler.  The 4 types of home espresso machines are as follows:

1- The old “Moka Maker” or the stovetop model.  You have probably seen these simple stove top devices at second hand stores.  These were popular after WWII.  The best selling shape is an the hour glass model which contains the water in the bottom portion and works somewhat like an old percolator coffee pot.

The biggest issue with this type of espresso maker is that it doesn’t make true espresso with crema but rather produce an over extracted coffee, which is very bitter.  Also there is no way to froth milk for making other drinks.

2- The second type is the countertop electric steam espresso machine.  This type works somewhat on the same principle as the type 1 to make espresso.  It has a heating element in the boiler, which builds pressure as the water nears the boil, forcing low-pressure extraction through the brewing chamber.  This again cannot produce an authentic straight espresso.

Most of these espresso makers do however have a steam valve and wand, which with some practice can produce accecptable, frothed milk drinks.

3- Electric piston lever is the third type to consider.  This machine is the first home espresso machine that we’ve discussed that despite its antiquated appearance actually makes a great true espresso, crema and all.

This type uses a hand lever to force water, which has been heated by an electric element in the boiler through the ground coffee.  Using the hand lever does take a bit a practice to control the extraction.  Lever type espresso makers generally have a good milk steaming capability.

4- The last type is the electric pump – pump boiler/pump thermal block.

The pump boiler home espresso machine is similar to a commercial quality machine because it has the water pumped from the reservoir into the boiler, which is heated by an electric element.  The espresso is extracted with the aid of the pump.  These machines should have two thermostats one for the extraction temp of 195 degrees and the other for the steam of 260 degrees F.  The draw back of the pump boiler is that it can take up to 10 min. for the water to warm up.

Pump thermal block espresso makers on the other hand can warm up the water in as fast as 30 seconds because they utilize a radiator type of heating coil so the water is almost instantly heated to the correct temp.

So when it comes to choosing a home espresso machine it is best to upgrade to at least a pump thermal block machine so you can create coffee house quality beverages at home.

One other thing to consider is that today there are some great quality brands of home and commercial espresso machines on the market that will provide many years of great drinks at home.  Check out the brands listed on our site.

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