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Make your home espresso maker last

There's one thing you can do that will extend the life of your home espresso machine, and that is always use distilled water.

All tap water contains dissolved lime to a greater or lesser extent. "Hard water" is the term used to describe water on the high end of mineral content. The harder your water, the more lime in the water.

Even "soft water" has some mineral content. When heated, lime solidifies as "scale" on contact surfaces. If you boil water in a kettle at home, you will no doubt have already noticed this buildup on the sides and bottom of the kettle.

This same buildup of scale happens inside the plumbing of your espresso machine. It might be "out of sight", but it won't be "out of mind" for long if you don't take action to either remove it after it's accumulated, or take steps to prevent it happening at all in the first place.

Just think of those narrow plumbing tubes inside your machine as your arteries, and the lime content in the water as bad cholesterol in your blood. Overtime, the arteries of your beloved espresso machine become blocked, its blood pressure rises, and before you know it your machine is in bad shape and setup for a "heart attack".

It is recommended that you regularly "descale" your machine with a product such as Cleancaf. By regularly, that means at minimum once a month, and more depending on how frequently you are using your machine. It's a time-consuming process, and never completely removes all the lime buildup.

An even easier and more effective method is to avoid the buildup of scale in the first place. The only way to do that is to use distilled water. Yes, it adds to your cost, but it will honestly extend the life of your machine by years, and save you valuable time by not having to do the regular descaling. The more expensive your machine, the more using distlilled water makes sense.

You could of course buy distilled water, but a cheaper option is to make your own at home. I personally use one of these Countertop Water Distillers which I have had for about 5 years now, and it's still going strong.

Anyhow, give it some serious consideration. There's nothing like preserving the life of your espresso machine, while at the same time eliminating an extra cleaning duty from your weekend list of chores.

How to Make a Cappuccino

I like to think of Cappuccino as the Marge Simpson of espresso drinks, with foamy milk piled high on top of the espresso just like a beehive hair-do.

As with all espresso-based drinks, start by turning your espresso machine on and giving it plenty of time to warm up. Place your cup(s) on the warming area on top of the espresso machine, or heat them with hot water just prior to making your drink.

Because of the large volume of milk foam used in making a cappuccino, a large open cup is best.

Cappuccino is made by using mostly the very foamy milk formed when steaming the milk and which floats at the top of the milk in the pitcher (jug).

Immediately after steaming your milk, extract a double shot of espresso directly into your cup.

Start out by pouring milk into the cup from the pitcher until about one third of the space above the espresso has been used, then using a spoon, pull the foamy milk from the top of the pitcher into the cup. Finally, heap on top some of the very light and airy foam from the very top of the milk. Place enough of this fluffy foam on top that it comes up above the sides of the cup.

In many countries, a cappuccino is finished off with a sprnkle on top of either  ground cinnamon or chocolate powder. In New Zealand and Australia, a cappuccino is commonly served with a chocolate candy on the saucer, such as a "chocolate fish" which is traditional New Zealand treat of chocolate covered pink marshmallow. Perhaps as a "double-fix", you could accompany your cappuccino with Chocolate Espresso Bean Blend - White, Milk & Dark Chocolate. You can have all the white and milk chocolate ones provided you save the dark chocolate ones for me.


Espresso Machine Review: Breville Dual Boiler BES900XL

Update as of December 2016: 

It appears that the Breville Dual Boiler BES900XL that is the subject of my below review has been replaced with the "" and only used models of the original 900XL are available at Amazon. The new 870XL espresso machine includes an in-built conical burr grinder and currently sells at Amazon for $599.95, which is definitely great value in my opinion. I haven't used or reviewed this machine, but because of my positive experience with my Breville 900XL espresso machine and Breville Smart Grinder, I believe it would be worth your while reading reviews at Amazon and considering the 870XL for your purchase,

Review of the Breville Dual Boiler BES900XL Espresso Machine

It didn't start out that I was going to buy a Breville "Dual Boiler". I have been happily pumping out espresso shots with a Gaggia Evolution for about the last 5 years (original Gaggia Evolution review here). Five years is a long time to keep a domestic espresso machine running in the home, but something that can be achieved by only ever using distilled water like I have all this time. (I distill my own water using this Water Distiller.) However, it was a matter of either having the Gaggia serviced (I suspect is needed a new gasket around the group head there was a small stream of water coming out of the center of the filter basket as I extracted the espresso. So off I went to Amazon to check out was was up the the Gaggia Evolution these days. Just like what happened a few months ago when I went looking to replace my grinder a couple of months ago, one review led to another and I end up on the page for Breville's new "the Dual Boiler" BES900XL machine. I read all the reviews at Amazon and also searched the web to see what I could find and everything seemed to agree that this was a well-designed machine that would only make my shots better than my old Gaggia machine. And what's more, it had a double boiler which would allow for steaming milk if I so desired.

I've now lived with my new machine for almost 3 weeks and I have not one regret about this purchase.


Here's what's to love about the Breville "Dual Boiler" BES900XL
  • Most important of all, it turns out the most amazing crema-rich espresso shots I could only imagine getting by being back behind the espresso bar in my old barista days working with a commercial machine, and it turns them out without fail every time
  • As its branding name suggests, it is a "double boiler" machine. This means it has a tank for storing and heating the water that will be used for making the espresso, and another that will be used for steaming the milk. This is important because the water temperature for making steam for foaming the milk has to be near boiling point, which is way too hot for making espresso. Most domestic-grade espresso makers are single boiler machines, and this is problematic for making both espresso shots and steam, and is the reason why I have always recommended that if you have a single boiler machine, you foam your milk using an Aerolatte whisk. (Read my post about foaming milk - includes a video of using an Aerolatte whisk). The steam coming out of this machine's steam wand is as good as any you'll see on a commercial machine at your local coffee shop. It's awesome!
  • Pressure used for extraction is generated with a 15 bar Italian pump, but extraction pressure in the group-head is controlled to 9 bars by an over-pressure valve (OPV). A dial on the face of the machine displays the pressure in bars as the extraction takes place
  • Water temperature for extraction is controlled with PID. PID is a controller that continuously monitors a set value and adjusts up and down to maintain the set value. An example of PID that we can all understand is cruise control in our cars. In the Breville BES900XL, the extraction temperature is set (you can change it yourself within a range) and the PID controller ensures that that temperature is maintained. (I have mine set to 200F/93C). Even the group head itself is heated separately to ensure constant temperature at all points.
  • Extraction can be done using the pre-set timed single or double shot buttons, or to your own judgement by using the "Manual" button. You can easily set the extraction timings to something different from the factory settings for the single and double shot buttons!
  • Pre-infusion is part of the deal. Rather than the coffee puck being slammed hard with full pressure at the beginning of the extraction, preinfusion allows water to enter the coffee puck at a controlled lower pressure for a controlled time before the pressure is raised to the full 9 bars of pressure. This allows the coffee grinds to become saturated and for any cracks in the puck that were not removed by tamping the coffee to fill in before applying full pressure. This helps prevent chanelling of the water through cracks in the puck resulting in a poor extraction. Pre-infusion is designed to all but eliminate bad extractions. And I can tell you I have not had even one poor extraction from this machine.

Cool Design Details



Apart from all the excellent technical details listed above, here is a list of the exceptional design features of the machine that I love:
  • No need to worry about the weight of the machine; when you need to move it, there's a dial under the easily-removed drip tray that lifts the machine onto three wheels, two at the front and one at the back), rendering the machine totally maneuverable on the wheels. By the way, the weight of the machine means there's no sliding of the machine when you lock the portafilter into place.
  • There's a compartment under the machine that is accessible by removing the drip tray. Here you can store the three of the four filter screens not in use at any one time
  • The overall design is chique, with a brushed stainless-steel finish, and smart back-lit buttons and read-out displays
  • Auto-power on: You can set the machine to turn itself on at a predetermined time every day so that your machine is warmed up and ready to go as soon as you are in the morning
  • Auto-power off: Machine turns off when idle for more than 4 hours. No need to sit at the office worrying if you turn your machine off.
  • The machine has a hot water dispenser, perfect for making Americanos, or quickly heating a cup.
  • A back-lit water level indicator viewable from the front of the machine so that you know when it's getting to be time to distill some more water.
  • The water tank is fillable from the top front of the machine, or from the back of the machine. Who would use the back of the machine option when you have access to fill from the top front?
  • The steam wand connects to the machine with a ball connector meaning you can move it any which way you like.
  • There's a nice silicon finger ring attached to the steam wand that allows you to marry your machine, I mean, move it without burning yourself.
  • The steam lever is variable through a quarter turn, so that you can control the steam pressure as much as you like with ease.
  • All the settings behind the automatic single and double-shot buttons are able to be customized to values you prefer including: pre-infusion pressure and duration, overall extraction time, and extraction temperature.
  • There's a large cup-warming surface on top of the machine

Two caveats
  • The machine is reasonably large and tall. You will need more counter space than with many domestic machines, and no less than 15in/38cm of overhead clearance to sit the machine underneath your kitchen cabinets, and note that that doesn't allow for placing cups on the cup warmer.
  • You'll fall in love with this machine, so be prepared for resulting domestic strife as your spouse, partner, significant-other, cat or dog vies for attention! Also, you might find your friends are dropping in at your place for your latte (how to make a latte) or flat-white (how to make a flat-white) rather than at their favorite but expensive coffee shop. Start charging now!

The down-and-dirty
This is a "prosumer" espresso machine. In other words, you are really stepping up into the role of pro-home-barista with this machine. But I'm here to help with that will all my step-by-step guidelines on how to make espresso like a pro at home. This machine will cost you a bit more than many other domestic machines, but believe me; it's worth it! If this is your passion and you have the budget (did I hear a shout out of "Coffee Snob"?) then don't go past this machine.

If you're a coffee snob and aspiring home-barista but don't have this kind of money to spend at this time, then go for either the Gaggia Evolution or Gaggia Classic (Gaggia reviewed here). Both served me very well over the last 7 years. Whatever machine you use, stretch your budget by investing in a water distiller and use only distilled water to avoid the build up of lime in the internal plumbing of your machine. Do that, and whatever machine you buy, it will last for many years longer than if you use water straight from the tap or fridge dispenser. This way, over time you will get your money back compared to buying your favorite cup of expensively-priced coffee everyday at wherever. Cheers!

Is the Breville Dual Boiler espresso maker out of your price range? Then consider the Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine. I have not used this machine, but it has 4.5 out of 5 stars from user reviews at Amazon, and is available for about half the price of the Breville Dual Boiler BES900XL that I recommend in this post. Be sure to read a few of the reviews at Amazon to help guide your decision.


Video: How to Foam Milk with an Aerolatte Whisk

My post the other day about foaming milk for espresso-based drinks at home using an Aerolatte whisk which was prompted by a reader's email finally lead me to take the plunge and make my first video. It's kind of a cringe to see and hear myself "in the movies" but I understand how seeing a demonstration for some people is a lot more useful than reading about what to do. So please go easy on me and don't laugh. Here it is, my first video at Youtube; how to foam milk with an Aerolatte whisk.

Click to tweet this page: http://clicktotweet.com/4dqcb

Frothing Milk with an Aeorlatte Whisk - Reader Question


I got an email yesterday with the following question for a reader, and thought I'd share my thoughts here in case other readers are having the same difficulty frothing their milk with an Aerolatte whisk.

Hi John, I enjoy your blog. I have traveled to Australia a few times, and am looking for ways to re-create the perfect flat white. Although I'm new to espresso machines, I have no trouble pulling great double shots (same Gaggia espresso maker and Breville bean grinder that you have, using Victrola Triborough [beans]), but I'm finding the milk frothing to be difficult using the whisk method. What I'm finding is that I can get the proper 2x volumetric expansion with lots of foam (looks just like the picture of the milk in your glass, how to make milk for espresso drinks), but after I swirl the flask for ~20 seconds and try to fold the foam into the milk with a spoon, and pour off the milk into the cup, the milk from the bottom of the flask seems thin and normal rather than the velvety characteristic of flat whites. The result is something more like a cappuccino or an au lait--the espresso turns to cream-colored coffee rather than velvety throughout. For some reason, the foam doesn't seem to be mixing well with the more liquidity milk on the bottom. Any suggestions on how to make the poured milk more consistently velvety? Thanks, PC

Thanks for your question, PC. I have experienced the same problem myself in the past, and essentially it's because you haven't actually created enough foam, or haven't sufficiently blended the foam on the top into the milk at the bottom. The milk from the bottom that goes into a flat white isn't totally foam-free. Mixing the milk at the bottom into the foam on the top is best done, I find, by using a large teaspoon, rather than swirling the milk. Lift the milk from the bottom up into the foam, and push the foam from the top down into the milk at the bottom in a circular motion. If normal stirring can be considered to be stirring in a horizontal plane, then what I'm trying to describe is like stirring in a vertical plane. Hopefully you get what I mean.

Here are a few tips of things I have discovered over time that have helped me produce plenty of foam in the milk using an Aerolatte. Hopefully these will resolve this issue for you:
  • Standard AA batteries are rated at 1500 milliamps (mAh) maximum. I discovered long ago that fresh batteries with a higher milliamp rating make a huge difference as the whisk runs faster. I changed to rechargeable batteries with a high 2000 mAh rating some time ago now and now get a lot more wizz for my buck. (I use Sanyo eneloop AA 2000mAh rechargeable, but any rechargeable 2000 mAh batteries you can get for a good price will do you well). Recharge the batteries as soon as you detect any slow down in the speed of the whisk. I find the "eneloops" last for a month or more before detecting any slowdown. The higher amperage also appears not to have done any damage to my Aerolatte as the one I am using currently is already over 2 years old and going strong.
  • Use no-fat or 1% milk - the lower the fat content, the better for foaming
  •  Another thing that I found is that lactose-free milk, for whatever reason, produces a lot more foam. You could try using that. Personally I find it actually produces too much foam for a flat-white, though. It is perfect milk to use if you're making cappuccinos, however.
  • When whisking the milk, move the whisk slowly around the mug in the opposite direction of the circular motion of the milk. This adds additional resistance and helps creates more foam. 
  • One other thing to check is that you stop the whisk before you take it out of the milk. If you are lifting it out and turning it off at the same time, you will end up with large air bubbles on top of your milk, which is something you want to avoid.
Hopefully these tips will help you out. In a nutshell, get as much foam as possible, mix it into the milk at the bottom by stirring vertically, pour what should be slightly-foamed milk from the bottom of your mug into your espresso at one side (not the center), holding back the lighter foam at the top with your large teaspoon. All going well you should be able to re-live your "flat white" experience from Downunder. Once again, thanks for your question and for following ECS.

For other readers who want to try foaming their milk for lattes, cappuccinos, or flat-whites, see how to make milk for espresso drinks.
    Here are links to the Aerolatte foaming whisk and Sanyo eneloop AA 2000mAh batteries at Amazon.com.

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