How to get the best coffee from an automatic coffee machine

EVEN WITH AN AUTOMATIC COFFEE MACHINE, YOU CAN PREPARE YOUR OWN COFFEE

Of course, if you want to be in control of your coffee preparation you will primarily look for a lever coffee machine. Do you want to save time, prepare your coffee without complicated operation, even with just one button? Then an automatic coffee machine is the right choice.

However, many people live under the assumption that all you can do with a coffee machine is just press that one button. That's not entirely true. Even on an automatic coffee machine, you can set the coffee to brew exactly the way you want it, and then the next time you'll only have to press that one button. How do I adjust the coarseness of the grind, the dosage and the size of the drink? All this is possible with an automatic coffee machine.

THE BASIS IS QUALITY FILTERED WATER

Since coffee, specifically espresso for example, is roughly 96% water, it should be the first thing you start with if you want to get the best out of your machine.

If you have a small automatic coffee machine whose water supply works on a reservoir basis, afilter kettleis the solution for you. Other options are filter cartridges designed directly into the water reservoir. And the Nivona brand, for example, produces a bespokewater filter for its coffee machines . Large professional machines get their water through the water supply, in which case you need to use filter cartridges for good water quality .

GOOD COFFEE BEANS FOR MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE OF THE AUTOMATIC COFFEE MACHINE

Thecoffee is also needed for good quality water, so I can't leave out the fact that if you pour poor quality over-roasted beans into the machine, you will never get great coffee out of it, soyou need to put emphasis on the choice of coffee beans as well. In addition, very dark roasted beans with an oily surface will build up a lot of sediment in your coffee machine very quickly, which will not only affect your cup of coffee, but also the life of the machine.

Although the coffee trays in automatic coffee machines are quite bulky, filling them with an entire half-pound packet of coffee is best avoided. This is because the tray does not completely insulate the coffee and is not the right way to store it. It is better to pour smaller quantities into the coffee machine more often. Source.

GRINDING COARSENESS SETTING ON AN AUTOMATIC COFFEE MACHINE

An automatic coffee maker will do almost everything for you, even grind the coffee, but that doesn't mean you can't control it and enjoy your coffee to your liking. The right grinding coarseness is just as important with automatic coffee machines as it is with any other coffee brewing method. To adjust the coarseness, try to find a wheel or button with a large and small bean, with small being the finest coarseness and large being the coarsest. On coffee machines with a digital display, you set the coarseness on the appropriate scale.

Don't expect to set one coarseness and have it fit you, you'll have to play with it a bit. So the ideal choice is to start on a finer grind, if you find the coffee too bitter, then set the grind a little coarser for your next drink. If you start at the very finest grind, you may risk jamming the grinder and making really bitter coffee.

If your espresso comes out in 3 seconds you don't even need to taste it, because something is wrong.

BALANCED ESPRESSO THANKS TO THE CORRECT COFFEE TO WATER RATIO AND TEMPERATURE SETTING ON THE AUTOMATIC MACHINE

Before you press the button for your favourite drink, there are a few things you need to set on the machine, namely the temperature of the drink and the amount of water used. Then, when you find out which setting makes your coffee taste the best, you've won.

As well as the coarseness, you can also adjust the amount of water on your automatic coffee maker. Which is similar to choosing how much water to let run through your coffee in a Chemex, or how much water to use in a Moka pot. So you determine how strong, bitter, or watery your espresso will be. You set the amount of water through the volumeoption , which is how many milliliters your espresso will have.

Similarly, you can also adjust the amount of coffee per batch, which you can usually find under the serving sizequantity . Volume and coffee quantity go hand in hand, so don't be afraid to experiment and figure out your favorite ratio. The standard ratio is 1:2, so roughly 14g of coffee to 28ml of water. Keep in mind that even small adjustments in grams or milliliters can affect the taste of your coffee. In addition, sometimes the solution may not be to reduce the volume, for example, but to adjust the coarseness. In some coffee makers, you can find this feature under the option of how strong or aromatic you want your coffee.

For example:

I like the coffee, but I want a larger portion of espresso →I add the amount of water, but also the coffee. I don't adjust the coarseness.
The coffee is too watery and acidic → I set a finer grind and add the amount of coffee.

You can also adjust the water temperature. However, it should be around 96 °C. Too hot of water would burn the coffee and not get all the flavours and aromas that may be in your cup. On the other hand, if it's too low, you won't extract the coffee enough and you won't get all the aromas and flavours out of it.

CAPPUCCINO OR LATTE FROM AN AUTOMATIC COFFEE MACHINE

Is your favourite button on your coffee machine the one that says cappuccino or caffe latte? Yes? Then let's find out how you can also adjust the dosage or the milk temperature and enjoy a delicious cappuccino.

With some coffee machines you can only make espresso or lungo, but there are not so many of those. Most coffee machines also have a milk reservoir. But in all cases this is routed through a separate tube, whether the reservoir is visible next to the machine or located inside. In professional, but also a few home machines, we can also encounter a separate nozzle, as we know from lever coffee machines. One of them, for example, is the Gaggia Magenta Plus.

The key is to use chilled milk, as you literally cannot adjust the temperature of the milk, there are several factors you can use to influence the taste of the milk. Many coffee makers don't heat the milk to a certain temperature, but for a certain amount of time. So if your milk is already warm to begin with, there's a greater chance that it will burn in the machine. As with coffee made with a lever coffee maker, don't underestimate the milk selection with an automatic coffee maker. So ideally reach for whole or plant milk with barista added.

Similar to the amount of water, you should adjust the amount of milk in the serving size section, depending on how much milk you like in your coffee. A standard cappuccino size is roughly 140-150 ml of milk and 30 ml of coffee.

A CLEAN AUTOMATIC COFFEE MACHINE AS THE BASIS FOR GOOD COFFEE

You can put the best beans in your coffee machine, have it set up perfectly, but if it's dirty, it's unlikely to make good coffee.

Automatic coffee machines also have automatic cleaning, but that doesn't mean you don't have to worry about it at all. You'll use the program primarily to clean the milkways. For cleaning coffee grounds, for example , you'll find theCafetto S15tablets useful .

Our video with the Sencor SES 9010 and SES 9020 can also show you what cleaning an automatic coffee machine is like.

COFFEE FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR BED THANKS TO THE MOBILE APP

Starting coffee preparation from your bed is no longer science fiction, it's a reality. If you want to enjoy your coffee from anywhere, you shouldn't miss out on automatic coffee machines that you can control with an app. In our range of automatic coffee machines, focus your attention on Nivona coffee machines. Thanks to Bluetooth connectivity, the coffee maker allows you to see, for example ,how much coffee is in the hopper or whether themachine needs to be cleaned, in addition to selecting your coffee .

Who doesn't like the idea of getting up with the help of your mobile phone to turn on your coffee brewing? This is no longer a distant future, but a reality that you can indulge in thanks to Nivona's automatic coffee machines. Source.