Italian coffee machines are in a league of their own. They are top-tier home coffee machines, putting a lot of power in your hands first thing in the morning. But if you’re new to the coffee world, you might be wondering, “How do I make use of all this caffeinated horsepower at my disposal?”
Fair question. The truth is, anyone can make great coffee at home. There are countless coffee-making methods that stretch back through time and place, making delicious brews possible. But if you’ve sourced yourself a coffee machine, then you’ve attained a higher order of thing. You’re approaching café-quality coffee in your kitchen at home, and that’s exciting.
So, let’s walk through how to get the most out of your Italian coffee machine at home. We’ll cover the essentials of pulling a great shot, then round things out with a few extra tips from the team at La Marzocco Australia’s Home division.
Get the balance (and the basics) right.
At the heart of every good coffee machine is a simple rhythm: grind, dose, tamp, brew. Once you understand the flow of this process, everything else becomes far easier. Fresh beans are the best place to start. Stale beans give you flat, dull flavours, while fresh beans bloom beautifully under pressure. Pair those beans with the right grind size, and you’re halfway there.
For most home coffee machines, you want a fine but not powdery grind. Too coarse and the water runs straight through; too fine and the machine struggles to push water through the puck.
From there, the best thing to think about is dosing. You want enough coffee to fill your basket without overpacking it. Level it off gently, then tamp with even pressure. You’re aiming for a puck that feels firm and flat, not slanted or cracked. Once the portafilter is locked in place, the machine takes over (although if you are using a manual or semi-manual model, you might participate in this step as well).
This is the golden moment for espresso, when water pushes through the puck at high pressure and extracts all those flavours you’re chasing. Home coffee machines run for between 25 and 30 seconds, which is the sweet spot for a delicious cup of coffee.
It’s natural for this balance to take a few tries, or even more than a few. But once you learn the feel of your machine, it quickly becomes second nature (which is good, because half the time you’ll be doing this process half asleep).
Sort out your milk; it makes all the difference.
Our Italian coffee machines come equipped with steam wands, which means you are in for a real treat. Steaming milk is often the place where beginners feel most intimidated, but with a little practice, you can quickly become somewhat of a steam savant.
The golden rule? Always start with cold milk and a clean jug. Once you’ve got those, you can submerge the tip just under the surface to introduce air, then lower the jug slightly. Once you hear that soft, controlled hissing sound, you’ve hit paydirt.
Once you’ve incorporated enough air, raise the jug so that the milk rolls in a silky whirlpool. You’re aiming for a uniform texture, not giant bubbles.
When you get it right, your home coffee machine will be providing you with milk that looks glossy and pours like wet paint. That texture is what makes your at-home latte closer to café-quality.
Keep your machine clean.
One of the biggest secrets behind café-quality coffee at home is a clean home coffee machine. Italian coffee machines are often hindered by the beans that build up over time, which can make your coffee taste muddy. A quick flush of the group head, a regular wipe-down, and the occasional backflush will keep your espresso tasting bright and fresh.
These good habits help quite a lot with keeping your machine humming for years and years, which is a big part of what makes Italian coffee machines such a worthwhile investment.
Go that extra mile.
Fresh beans, clean equipment, and patience will get you most of the way there. That said, the following the below will ensure you get the most out of your home espresso machines:
- Always use filtered water instead of tap water to reduce scale buildup and improve the taste of the espresso. This is also a requirement for your warranty of our machines. Read more here.
- Keep your beans in an airtight container, away from heat and light.
- Pick up a set of coffee accessories to upgrade and maintain your machine.
- Give yourself time to grow into your machine, rather than expecting yourself to understand all of the features right away.
The number one thing we invite you to do is enjoy the learning curve. Making delicious coffee at home is one of those rituals that becomes baked into our everyday lives, so why not enjoy your journey to mastery with your machine?
Get more out of your setup with a La Marzocco machine.
Our range of Italian coffee machines combines generations of brewing mastery with modern engineering, so you can be sure your machine is worth the counter space it takes up.
If you are ready to upgrade your home coffee machine or jump on the train, browse the La Marzocco range today.
