Manual Coffee Machines

The manual machines are the more traditional machine which has been popular for years, advancing with a number of options available to even the precise coffee enthusiast. However, all manual coffee machines use the same method of creating water pressure and forcing the water through tightly packed coffee in the handle. This elevated pressure extracts more of the coffee granules, allowing for a richer, fuller and stronger cup of coffee. Manual machines are perfect for anyone wanting barista coffee at home, made to your own taste.

Just like with a semi automatic espresso machine, a manual machine allows you to control how much water is used overall in the shot output. Automatic machines do too, but once you program it, it always uses the same amount, until you change the programming.

With a manual machine, you get to control not only how much water flows through the bed of coffee, but when you want to introduce the extra water. Manual machines, both the spring and direct lever types, have a cavity in the grouphead that fills up with brewing water once you’ve fully engaged the lever (known as cocking the spring on the spring piston machines). What happens is at some point in the lever push (or pull), a valve opens up between the boiler and grouphead, and brewing water moves over to the grouphead. thanks to the boiler’s slightly elevated pressure. You can’t really change this initial volume, except with a little tweaking on how long you preinfuse.

Automatic/ Semi Automatic Coffee Machines

Automatic machines are the ultimate in-home coffee makers. They have pre-set features for brewing the coffee, and some super automatic machine takes care of the entire coffee-making process, from grinding to brewing and frothing the milk. Some machines have the option of making cappuccinos at the touch of a button (check out our vending machine range). They are perfect for anyone wanting their ideal coffee at the press of a button, and great when entertaining as they make coffees quickly.

Semi-Automatic have use the best of both worlds. These feature an automated pump, automated temperature controls for the boiler, and activation switches to engage and disengage the pump. The switches on the machine means that you can decide when to turn the pump on and off.