Leading the list of types of espresso makers is the "super automatic espresso machine". They should rename the category the "super-awesome super automatic espresso machine" because that more accurately describes these wonderful dispensers of caffeinated deliciousness.

One Touch Ease of Operation

Once you have filled the water reservoir and placed your favorite roasted whole coffee beans in the hopper there's not much more to do but push a button and Voila! your machine does the rest--automatically. It will grind your choice of fresh-roasted coffee beans; it'll place the exact amount of coffee grounds within the brew group--based on your taste and strength preferences; it'll perfectly tamp down the ground coffee; it heats the water to the temperature that you have pre-programmed; it'll brew the coffee utilizing the quantity of water that you have programmed; and then it will brew a ideal cup of espresso or coffee--just the way you like it. Wait--there's more: the used coffee grounds will then be moved into the used grounds dump box! All automatically!

Become an At-Home Barista!

More and more espresso-drink lovers are becoming progressively conscientious of the cost of paying for their daily fix (sometimes 2X everyday) and are selecting to become do-it-yourself espresso makers. While espresso lovers increasingly desire to conserve cash on their daily caffeine habit, they are not willing to abandon their preferred local coffee bars for any homemade espresso drink that's only an imitation of the actual thing. Dilemma? Not at all. Today's high tech, superbly engineered, and well-crafted European espresso machines give the DIY home barista the tools that they need to create espresso beverages each and every bit as good--no better!--than what they used to pay $4 or more for.

You will find lots and lots of super automatic espresso machines on the market these days, made by many various businesses, but quality and cost differ quite a bit. This could result in a bit of confusion whenever you are attempting to choose the best machine for your spending budget and for your personal requirements.

Here is a list of features that you could anticipate to find on an espresso machine that falls into the "completely automatic" class:

Water Measurement Control

This is a feature which allows you to choose and control the amount of water that is used to brew each drink.

Pre-Grinding

This programmable function eliminates the wait around time for more beans to be ground before you could make your next shot of espresso by grinding beans and placing them in the brew group while you're still making your first shot.

Pre-Brew Moistening of the Ground Coffee

This function will slightly pre-moisten the grounds just prior to brewing. This enables the aromatic and flavorful oils to begin leaching from the coffee.

Temperature Control

If you like your coffee piping hot then you can get it piping hot! You're able to manage the temperature to brew at whatever temp pleases you.

Adjustable Dosing

With this feature you can control the amount of ground coffee beans which are used for every shot which allows you to refine the flavor and strength of your coffee.

Cup Warmer

Espresso is best when brewed directly into a warm cup. Espresso coffee is brewed at a lower temperature than the temperatures at which drip devices brew. If you brew an espresso right into a cold cup your espresso may be too cool to appreciate.

Water Filter Systems

This is a nice function merely because the removal of minerals and chlorine from your water will make your coffee taste better. The only manufacturer that provides a built-in water filtration system is Jura-Capresso.

Grinder Settings

You will be able to customize the taste of your coffee by adjusting the how fine or how coarse your coffee beans are ground. Should you grind too fine your coffee will be bitter; not grinding it sufficiently and leaving it coarse will give you a weak cup of coffee.

Bypass Doser

This handy feature makes it simple to brew a cup of coffee using different coffee than is in the hopper. If, for instance, you really feel like a cup of decaf in the evening you could make one by pouring pre-ground decaf beans into the bypass doser. This way you don't have to turn your machine upside-down to empty the bean hopper to put in different beans.

Double Boiler System

This feature eliminates the typical wait around time in between brewing and frothing (which enables your just brewed espresso to cool off) that occurs with single boiler machines. With two boilers at the ready you can begin frothing your milk instantly following your brewing, without waiting. You'll by no means need to settle for drinking a cooled off cappuccino again!

Digital or Liquid crystal display Display

The digital or LCD displays will show you in plain english what is going on with the machine, as well as what needs to be carried out, like adding water, adding beans, or emptying the dump box.

You'll Get What You Pay For

Some, but definitely not every super automatic espresso machine includes all of these features. Typically, the more features that a machine provides, the higher the cost of the machine will most likely be. Lower priced machines that appear to be feature rich are frequently of lower quality. More frequently than not they're poorly designed, cheaply made, and really don't make a quality shot of espresso. Purchasing a less expensive, lesser quality machine usually ends up costing you much more in the long run, and also you will not be enjoying espresso drinks like you should be.