Many of our top espresso machines also have steam wands that you can use to make steamed and frothed milk to add a creamy texture to your coffee drinks. With products of varying capacities and price points, you can find cappuccino machines for any establishment, ranging from a casual bakery to an upscale coffee shop. Coffee® Steam Espresso and Cappuccino Maker. 3.5 out of 5 Customer Rating. Coffee® One-Touch CoffeeHouse Espresso and Cappuccino Machine.
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If you often drive into coffee shops for coffee, espresso, cappuccino, and lattes, a combination coffee/espresso machine might be a worthy purchase. These are multifunction appliances that bring a coffee shop into your kitchen.
The common consensus is that coffee and espresso makers are exorbitantly expensive and sophisticated to use. While this is true to some degree, some models are actually very affordable and easy to use, too, as you’ll find out in these reviews.
🌟 Our Top Pick: De’Longhi BCO430BM Combination Coffee and Espresso Maker
Product award: Best For Versatility
Highlights:
- 15 bar system
- Independent coffee maker and espresso
- Front-loading design
- Brew Pause feature
- 24-hour timer
The De’Longhi BCO430BM is what you’d call a true coffee and espresso maker combo. This manufacturer literally combined 2 machines into one unit for optimum performance.
You see, in a bid to make the machine compact and relatively affordable, most manufacturers utilize a single brewing system to serve 2 purposes in typical combos. While they succeed in making the maker somewhat compact, one of the functions often tends to be a hit or miss.
This BCO430BM eliminates this by offering you 2 independently controlled machines with separate water reservoirs, thereby assuring you the best of each world.
Perhaps the best part of this concept is the ability to brew a pot of Java while creating an espresso shot at the same time.
The unique combo design of this 15-bar model is complemented by a fantastic frother that creates exceptionally thick foam for evenly textured drinks.
Commercial Coffee Cappuccino Espresso Maker
The other features that attracted us to this model include a 24-hour time, a brew-pause function, and a built-in advanced charcoal filter for better-tasting espresso and coffee.
This coffee/espresso combo measures 11.02″ wide, 14.52″ deep, and 12.79″ high. While it’s wider than most of our recommendations here, its height fits nicely in most kitchens with low-sitting cabinets.
Pros 👍
✔ Brew coffee and espresso concurrently
✔ Front-loading convenience
✔ Has brew-pause feature
✔ Frother works well
Cons 👎
✘ It’s bulky
✘ No brew sizes for espresso and cappuccino
EspressoWorks Espresso Machine & Cappuccino Maker
Product award: Best Professional Combo Machine
Highlights:
- 19 bar pressure pump
- 47-ounce water reservoir
- 17-ounce milk reservoir
- 4 brew options
- Thermoblock heating system
For coffee lovers who are enthusiastic about Italian espressos, we recommend you to check out the EspressoWorks.
Aptly named, this coffee maker has advanced technology to make single and double coffee shots, cappuccino, and latte. This dual coffee maker offers all these functions while maintaining a very clean control interface for straightforward use.
The standout feature of this coffee and espresso maker combo is its 19 bar pump pressure system. In case you don’t know, creating an authentic Italian espresso shot requires a machine with at least 9 pressure bars.
This maker’s high-pressure system means that you’ll be pulling a great shot of espresso after another. You only require quality beans.
On this note, this espresso machine also comes with an electric grinder. This is a powerful and easy-to-use model that only takes 20-30 seconds to grind your beans. This means that you’ll always get your espresso, latte, and cappuccinos with all the flavors and aromas intact.
The EspressoWorks features a 47-ounce water tank that offers up to 19 shots of espresso. What’s more exciting here, though, is the built-in 17-ounce milk reservoir and the accompanying frother.
Pros 👍
✔ Comes with lots of accessories
✔ High-pressure bar system
✔ Built-in, detachable milk reservoir
✔ Free electric coffee grinder included
Cons 👎
✘ Can be loud
✘ Lacks carafe or mug brew sizes
View EspressoWorks Espresso & Coffee Combo on Amazon
Nespresso by De’Longhi VertuoLine ENV135SAE
Product award: Best For Pod-Based Espresso
Highlights:
- 54oz water tank
- 17-count used capsule container
- 9-minute auto shut off
- 1350 watts
The Nespresso Vertuoline solely uses coffee and espresso pods. It might interest coffee and espresso lovers who appreciate barista-style coffee drinks but would prefer eliminating the hassle of grinding and measuring coffee grounds.
This coffee and espresso maker is centered on optimum ease of use. To make espresso, for instance, simply take the smaller pod and insert it in the brewing chamber. Next, lock the pod in using the large knob at the top and touch the only button on the head- the machine will do the rest.
The Vertuoline uses an automatic blend recognition that reads a barcode on the pod to automatically detect its ideal brew. This means that there’ll be no settings to fiddle around with. It also ensures that you get consistent drinks each time.
For the price, the package will also include a separate Aeroccino milk frother. While we prefer a built-in one, the key advantage of this standalone frother is that you can prepare your milk as your espresso brews.
This model measures 12.2’’ by 12.3’’ and has a 54-ounce water reservoir. Uniquely, it also boasts another bin that holds up to 17 used capsules.
Pros 👍
✔ Very easy to use
✔ Has an impressive separate frother
✔ Imparts crema foam on regular coffee
✔ No settings required & Auto-off function
Cons 👎
✘ Does not use ground beans
✘ Supports Vertuoline pods only
✘ Brews at slightly below 195 F
DELONGHI ESAM3300 Super-Automatic Espresso/Coffee Machine
Product award: Best Super-Automatic Combo Coffee Maker
Highlights:
- 8.8oz built-in grinder
- Single and Double espresso
- 60oz water reservoir
- Manual steam wand
- Heat time ~75 seconds
This Delonghi coffee and espresso maker has been around for close to 2 decades. The fact that it’s still among the top-rated models today speaks volumes about its quality and reliability.
First things first, this model isn’t the most compact at 15.25’’ x 11’’ x 14.38’’. However, the manufacturer has put all the stops to ensure that you can fit it even in the tightest places.
Its 60-ounce water reservoir, for instance, slides out of the front-right side. This is unlike in other models where the tank is located either at the top or at the back. Also, all the control buttons are at the front for easy access.
Compared to other machines on this list, what’s unique about the ESAM3300 is its all-in-one concept. This model combines the coffee grinder, coffee machine, and a frother into one solidly built unit.
This machine also puts all the controls in your hands, so you can pull out coffee and espresso shots that perfectly meet your needs. The control buttons allow you to choose from 3 cup sizes and 8 different dose settings. You can also choose between a single and a double.
Pros 👍
✔ Incredible reliability
✔ Excellent consistency
✔ Simple user interface
Cons 👎
✘ No digital display
✘ Grinder can be noisy
✘ Water tank needs refilling often
Krups 985-42 Il Caffe Duomo Coffee and Espresso Machine
Product award: Best For Beginners
Highlights:
- 20-second brew-pause
- Steam nozzle
- 40-ounce coffee carafe
- 8-ounce espresso carafe
If you are in the market for Krups coffee and espresso maker, we give you the 985-42 Caffe Duomo. Similar to the De’Longhi, the Krups Duomo combines an independently controlled espresso machine and a coffee maker.
On this note, the 2 power buttons at the front bottom of this machine are the only controls that you are going to find here. This means that you need almost zero coffee-brewing and espresso-making skills to use it. This is what makes it a perfect combo for pretty much anyone who wants a coffee shop-style cup of espresso or coffee, without necessarily being a skilled barista.
This coffee maker uses coffee grounds and a conical filter. It also has a front-loaded water reservoir capable of making up to eight 5-ounce cups. There are no optional coffee brew sizes on this machine. However, lifting the glass carafe from the heating plate pauses the brewing function for 25 seconds- just enough for you to grab a cup.
The espresso system, on the other hand, makes 4 cups of espresso before the need to refill the tank. Impressively, you can brew into the included carafe, or 2 espresso cups using an adapter.
This dual-purpose machine also has a rotating steam nozzle for your Caffe lattes and cappuccino fix.
Pros 👍
✔ Great coffee and espresso quality
✔ Very easy to use
✔ You can use the 2 systems simultaneously
✔ Has a heating plate
✔ Has a brew-pause feature
Cons 👎
✘ Not programmable
✘ Relatively small water reservoirs
✘ Bulky
Our Coffee Maker & Espresso Combo Verdict
The De’Longhi BCO430BM is our clear winner on this list for a couple of reasons. We appreciate its independent espresso and coffee brews and the fact that these 2 functions can be used concurrently. Although the Krups Duomo offers this versatility too, the De’Longhi has the upper hand in terms of convenient features, including programmability and auto on/off. Albeit being wider in size, this model is notably shorter and will fit in most kitchen spaces with low-sitting cabinets.
How to Buy a Coffee and Espresso Maker Machine
Coffee Cappuccino Latte Espresso Maker
What is a coffee and espresso maker combo?
Just as the name suggests, this refers to a machine that lets you make regular coffee and shots of espresso. This is a 2-in-1 machine that offers both of these functionalities.
Why do I need a coffee and espresso maker combo?
Well, there are a couple of reasons why you’d want one of these combination machines. First, if you like both black and milk/coffee mixes, then this machine will let you brew your shots at home without having to spend a penny at the coffee shop. This actually saves you money in the long run.
Secondly, if you are a real coffee aficionado, this device offers you an opportunity to try out new tricks and come up with your customized shots.
How does coffee and espresso combo machine work?
Depending on the operating mode, this combination machine works just like a regular coffee or an espresso machine.
When making regular coffee, the machine draws water from the reservoir and heats it before pouring it over a coffee bed or pod. As the water drips through the coffee, it extracts aroma and oil from the coffee, thereby creating your favorite cup of Joe.
The coffee maker works in a pretty much similar manner when it’s on espresso mode. The significant difference, though, is that it now uses highly pressurized water to extract the aroma from the compacted coffee.
How to Choose a Coffee and Espresso Maker
Buying a coffee and espresso combo machine takes a little more consideration than purchasing a regular coffee machine. It gets much easier if you know what matters most, though.
Brew Size
These dual-function machines differ significantly on the amount of coffee that you can brew at once. Some of them have a drip function that lets you brew directly into a carafe, a traveling mug, or even a cup. However, keep in mind that in espresso mode, most machines offer a single-serve only.
So, your choice here will heavily depend on your personality. If you are a heavy black coffee drinker, but you often appreciate a shot of espresso, you might want to go with a drip design coffee and espresso machine.
On the other hand, if you are considering this machine purposely for espresso and cappuccino, any single-serve model will fit the bill.
Pods vs. Ground Coffee Combo Machine- which one should you buy?
In our opinion, the choice between pods and ground coffee boils down to personal opinion. If you prefer a quick shot of espresso or a hot cup of java without having to measure coffee grounds or clean up messes, a pod machine might be your go-to option.
However, while coffee pods don’t always equate to bad coffee, their quality isn’t any closer to that of freshly ground beans. So, if you are a real purist and don’t mind grinding your beans first, you might want to get a model that primarily uses grounds.
Milk frother/Steamer
This is one of the main features that separates an espresso machine from a regular coffee maker. Your beautiful cup of espresso is only perfect if it has nicely heated and steamed milk.
So, ensure that your target combination coffee/espresso maker has this function. If not so, consider buying a good quality standalone frother separately.
Size vs. Available Space
The size of the machine might not be an issue if your kitchen has ample space already. However, if you are managing with a small kitchen, you want to work with the available counter space to get the most compact coffee maker. Worth mentioning, most of these units can be as tall as 15’’. Keep that into consideration, especially if you have low-sitting kitchen shelves.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are combo coffee and espresso makers worth it?
If you enjoy coffee just as an energy booster, and you’re not a fan of espresso, cappuccino, and the likes, these combination machines might not make a lot of sense. On the other hand, if you want to cut down on what you spend on store-bought coffee and espresso-based drinks, then it’s worth it. Be sure to get a good model, though.
Are combination coffee/espresso machines hard to operate?Generally, ease of use correlates with the number of options. Some machines require you to press/touch just a single button, and they’ll do the rest. The compromise here is that you don’t have lots of control over brew quality.
Machines that are regarded as hard to use often allow a reasonable degree of customization. This is a valuable aspect if you want your coffee/espresso to meet your exact needs.
A good shot of coffee or espresso requires clean water without odors and bad tastes. Some of these machines come already fitted with a filter. For those that lack one, it pays to use filtered faucet water or bottled water. This not only impacts your brew’s taste, but it also prolongs your machine’s life by preventing scale build-up.
Best Use Tips
- For ground machines, always keep the portafilter clean. Otherwise, it might make your future coffee bitter.
- Consider grinding your beans only before making your coffee or espresso to ensure a full-bodied brew.
- Serve promptly- after around 15 minutes, your brew will start breaking down, thereby losing its true flavor.
- Use filtered or distilled bottled water- it enhances your brew’s taste besides protecting the machine’s waterways from clogging up with the scale.
- Play around with the grind to get the size that makes your perfect shot. Ideally, the espresso grind should fall between the size of flour and sugar.
If you’ve been up to coffee, you can hardly resist a supremely delicious cup of cappuccino, can you?
We already guessed the answer right- it’s a YES!
You know, cappuccino had been quite an ancient diversification of espresso coffee. And still, it had kept it’s appeal up. In 2019, we can’t manage to have those hand-grinded beans to prepare a cup of energizing cappuccino. But what has instead is an espresso machine, and it’s no less effective at all.
In this post today, we’ll take you through the most actionable and in-depth steps to prepare a cup of cappuccino with an espresso machine.
Stay along, and let’s amaze ourselves-
How to Make A Cappuccino Using An Espresso Machine In 2020
Contents
- 1 How to Make A Cappuccino Using An Espresso Machine In 2020
Types Of Espresso Coffee
Many of us have a misconception that espresso coffee is just a dark and flavored roast of coffee.
But that’s almost a biased concept, we must say.
Rather, espresso is a method of coffee preparation, where coffee beans are blended from several roasts. While blended, it creates a bold flavored and that’s what people recognize as espresso coffee worldwide.
However, before heading into the steps of preparing espresso with a coffee machine, let’s do some homework on the types of espresso you can find around-
Type 1: Pure Espresso
Pure espresso is served in comparative small demitasse-styled cups, and it’s more popular in European countries. Because of the intense flavor, they say that the Americans are rather ‘scared’ to try pure espresso coffees.
However, we did not have a chance to verify that statement yet. But for now, let’s have a look at how many types of servings pure espresso coffee can be prepared-
- Single Shot Pure Espresso: It’s just an ounce of hot, bold espresso that you can intake for a quick re-energizing session.
- Double Shot: Instead of merely 1 ounce of coffee, you’ll get to have two ounces here.
- Ristretto: It’s even a shorter shot, where you’ll have the only 3/4th of an ounce. It comes with extraction, and many call it the absolutely perfect espresso for this reason.
- Lungo: It’s also known as the long shot, and the name pretty much explains itself. In each of these shots, you get o to have 1-1/2 ounces of it.
Type 2: Espresso Macchiato
Because of the massive popularity in Starbucks, the name ‘Macchiate’ had been quite famous for years now. Although many think that it’s a brand name, it’s merely a simple espresso preparation.
You’ll get it with the treatment of chocolate along with a flavor of caramel. Starting from restaurant to ice cream parlor, it had its own demand among coffee lovers.
Pro tips- The flavor of Macchiato can be taken to the next level with a layer of foamed milk on it.
Type 3: Café Breve Espresso
It’s a unique kind of espresso shot, where a shot of espresso is steamed well with something light a light cream. On the layer of single shot espresso, you have this layer of foamed milk or light-flavored cream etc.
Type 4: Cappuccino
We bet on the fact that- if you’ve not heard(and tasted) cappuccino, you’re not a coffee lover at all. But the sad part it, this massively popular drink is full of misconceptions.
The name comes from the similarity to the robes of Capuchin monks. Many think that is quite a secret and different formula apart from other forms of espresso.
Truth being said, it’s just a shot of espresso with the fulfilment of wet milk, steamed milk and a frothy foam for enhancing the flavor.
However, we’re going to talk about preparing a cappuccino with an espresso machine. So keep an eye on that.
Type 5: Cafe Latte
Across America, probably this is the most applauded version of espresso coffee. Because it’s sweet and a mellow in taste, it’s on the top chart of taste lovers as well. In each shot of the coffee, 6-8 ounces of steamed milk and foam is used in preparing it.
There are a few variations of Cafe latte as well. Some examples- Cafe con Leche, Cafe Au Lait etc.
Apart from the 5 types of espresso that we’ve talked about, there are a few more of them. Cafe Americano, Ices Espresso, Flavored Espresso Drinks etc.- are some mention-worthy ones.
What Items Do You Need to Go with The Process?
Here are a list of items and kits that you need to go throughout the steps-
- An espresso machine.
- Steaming pitcher.
- Mocha pot.
- Aeropress filter.
- Milk Frother.
- Shamm mason jar with a whisk.
- Long stirring spoon.
- Cups to serve.
- Steaming pitcher.
Got all them by your hands? Let’s move on-
Steps of Making A Cappuccino with An Espresso Machine
Step 1: Grind your favorite beans
The process of making a cup of awesome cappuccino starts with preparing and grinding your favorite beans.
If you’re making espresso for one shot in a single serving, take around ¼ ounce of coffee beans, and prepare them by grinding.
In many modern coffee machines, there are coffee bean holders, where it grinds the beans automatically. If you’ve got such a machine, you might consider that for saving up some time.
If you’re looking for more than one-ounce shot, measure coffee beans accordingly, and put them in the grinder.
Step 2: Put the Grinds into the espresso machine
This is the part where we’ll be taking the shot of espresso from the machine. We’re taking it for granted that you’ve prepared the ground coffee beans before approaching to this step.
Follow the instructions on the manual of the espresso machine, and fill the portafilter with espresso grounds. Once done, insert it in the brew head.
Now, start the machine and let it prepare the shot of espresso. Based on the number of coffee grinds, you can select the cup size(one shot or two shot).
Take the coffee out in an espresso cup, and proceed to the next step.
Step 3: Prepare The milk
An essential part of the espresso coffee making is preparing the milk.
You can use almost any kind of milk, based on your preference But we recommend to go with the ‘whole milk’. Because they are super easy to create foam onto it.
From other milk, you can use skim milk, soy milk, rice milk or nut milk. These milk might steam in a little bit different way, but you can make that sure by being careful.
On a side note, if you’re willing to prepare mocha cappuccino, you may go for chocolate milk.
Step 4: Pour The milk
You will need the steaming chilled pitcher to pour the milk into it. While deciding the amount, pour more milk than what you want to serve with the coffee.
As an example, if you want to have one shot(4 ounces) of coffee, you should take 6-8 ounces of milk at this stage. If the shot is of 8 ounces, the amount of milk that you should pour is around 10-12 ounces.
What benefit it will give is- it will let the milk expect and make it super easy to pour.
Another tip is, try to pour the milk for enough time so that it comes with a smooth texture on it. This will enhance the taste of the coffee itself.
Step 5: Insert The Want Into The Milk
Now, you have to purge the steam wand into the milk. And before you do that, clean out the water on the wand. To do that, you should turn it on for a short timespan and clean out the water.
Once it starts to steam, turn it off and check for any water containment. If there is no water left, purge the milk into the steam wand and insert it into the pitcher or milk. And turn the wand back.
Now tilt the milk at an angle, and let the milk swirl and heat up. Remember that, the milk will continue to heat up before you storm steaming it. So it’s very important to know the time till when the milk steams up to the right temperature.
Pro-tip; Sometimes, people who are new to steaming milk, can end up with wrong timing and temperature. Not to so so, you should clip a thermometer inside the pitcher. In this way, you can check the temperature and the time in which the milk heats up.
Step 6: Get Done With Steaming The Milk
While continuing with the previous step, you will notice air building up on the milk surface, and that’s what will create foams onto it. And that’s likely to happen when the steam wand is close tot he surface of the milk.
When you see the foam to build up, you should stop steaming immediately. Otherwise, it may end up into nothing but a certain amount of dry foam, which is of no use.
In terms of temperature, this will happen when the temperature of the milk is around 150 to 160 degrees of Fahrenheit. When you notice this temperature, you should turn off the wand and remove the milk pitcher.
When you are finished with the step, remove the steam wand and clean it up with a clean, dry cloth. This will make it ready for going for another round of steam.
For this crucial step, here are some tips-
- Check whether the steamed milk had become gloss/smooth or not. If not, you should repeat the whole process.
- If you don’t have any thermometer to check out the temperature, take one of your hands on the side of the pitcher. If you see the heat to be at an intolerable level, it’s time to remove the steam wand.
- If the milk had become dry and lumpy, you have to repeat the process with another amount of milk.
- Make sure there is enough milk to go for a coffee shot at the exact amount you want it to.
Step 7: Heat Up The Milk Once Again
You want your cup of coffee to be super hot when served, right? In order to do that, you have to heat up the milk once again. And this time, you can do that with a microwave heater.
Sometimes, this can be used as an alternative of the steam wand as well. Especially when your espresso machine is a pretty basic one, and it doesn’t come with a built-in steam wand.
If you’ve to end up with heating the milk on the microwave, make sure you’re doing that not more than 30 seconds to 1 minute. When you see foams to build upon the top of milk, you’re done.
Step 8: Tap The Steamed Milk
Now, we are the stage where we have to blend up the milk with the coffee shot that we’ve prepared through the machine. To start with that, you need to gently tap the pitcher of steamed milk onto the surface you’re working on.
In this way, the bubbles that are inside, will pop up and vanish. As an end result, all you’ll have is smooth, glossy foam.
For even better result, swirl the pitcher for a while to keep the foam of the milk separated.
Step 9: Pour Up The Espresso With The Milk
Now, pour up the espresso shot with the milk. If you don’t want to pour up them directly, you may try a serving cup for the job. Many times, we prepare more than one shot of coffee throughout the machine and takes shots from it separately.
If you do so, make sure the serving cup is not cold enough to reduce the temperature of the coffee. This will keep the coffee warmer for a longer period of time.
If you want to serve a small shot of cappuccino, 1 shot of around 4 ounces should be enough. If you want to go for two shots at a time, double that amount.
Bottom Line
You still reading, right? Well, thanks for being through the entire post. And hopefully, you’ve educated yourself about the steps and tips of making a delicious shot of cappuccino by yourself.
Enjoy the restaurant-grade cappuccino, good luck!
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My name Is Stephane Carol. Founder and Senior Editor And Products Analyst Expert at http://tastycoffeemaker.store/. I found It Most probably November 2018. I love my kitty cat. Her name Is “LUPY” Read More