1,Introduction to coffee machines

People applied electronic technology to the coffee machine to achieve automatic control of the whole process of brewing coffee such as grinding, pressing, loading, brewing and removing residues, creating the coffee machine. The coffee polished by the coffee machine can make people really enjoy the aroma and taste of coffee, that is the original coffee.

2,Coffee machine working principle

1).Automatic coffee machine working principle

By automatically grinding the beans, automatically pressing the powder and automatically brewing, the machine uses the pressure of the water pump to instantly press the hot water in the heating pot through the brewing chamber to extract the inner essence of the coffee instantly, giving the coffee a rich aroma and forming a thick layer of fine foam on the surface.

2).Semi-automatic coffee machine working principle

The semi-automatic coffee machine has a high pressure chamber, when the water starts to generate a large amount of steam can not be released through a small hole, so that the pressure in the high pressure chamber is greater than the atmospheric pressure, so the water rises along the water pipe and flows into the coffee filter under the action of the steam pressure generated in the chamber, and the coffee seeping out from the bottom flows into the coffee cup. There is a safety valve at the top of the high-pressure chamber (to ensure safety). Alternatively, the steam can be applied to froth the milk by opening the bleeder valve.

3).How the drip coffee machine works

When the power is switched on and the switch is turned on, the indicator light comes on and the heating tube starts to work. When the water tank is empty, the temperature rises and when it reaches a certain temperature, the thermostat is disconnected and the heating tube stops working. When the temperature starts to decrease, the thermostat resumes and the heating tube continues to work, thus achieving insulation.

4).High pressure steam type coffee machine working principle

The coffee maker has a high pressure chamber. When the water starts to generate a large amount of steam that cannot be released through a small hole, the pressure inside the high pressure chamber is greater than the atmospheric pressure, so the water rises along the water pipe and flows into the coffee filter under the pressure of the steam generated in the chamber, and the coffee that seeps out from the bottom flows into the coffee cup. There is a safety valve at the top of the high-pressure chamber (to ensure safety). Alternatively, the steam can be used to froth the milk by opening the bleeder valve.

3.What are the different types of coffee machines? Characteristics of the different types of coffee machines

1).Siphon coffee makers

Features: more technical, as well as more tedious procedures, suitable for coffee enthusiasts.

Brewed coffee characteristics: the coffee tastes clean, pure and original.

2).Filter press pot

Characteristics: Economical and practical (can also be used to make tea).

Brewed coffee characteristics: light taste, coffee easily cloudy.

3).Filter coffee machine

Features: A large pot at a time is very convenient and suitable for many people.

The coffee brewing characteristics: bland taste, if the holding time is too long, usually more than 30 minutes, the coffee will start to turn sour and bitter.

4).Filter cup

Features: economical, very difficult to brew, requires considerable experience, kung fu work!

The coffee is clean, pure and original in flavour.

5).Moka pot (recommended!)

Features: economical and beautiful, suitable for personal use.

Brewed coffee characteristics: it does not produce enough pressure, the extraction is not enough flavor

6).Automatic espresso machine (recommended if economic conditions allow!) (Sub-pump coffee machine, steam coffee machine)

Features: expensive, but easy to operate and can produce perfect coffee.

Brewed coffee characteristics: rich foam, aromatic .

4.How to use a coffee machine? How to use the various types of coffee machines?

How to operate a Turkish coffee maker?

First of all, we need to explain what it means to “brew” coffee. Boiling – putting something in water and bringing it to the boil over a fire. But the “boiling” of coffee is the process of “washing” the flavours out of the coffee with water at 92-96 degrees. This is why many people misunderstand this word. If you really put the coffee into the water to “boil” it, the drink you get will no longer be a cup of coffee, but a cup of burnt, bitter water (because the temperature of the water has reached 96 degrees or more), the temperature of 96 degrees or more can destroy the oil in the coffee, the taste is pungent and astringent.

1).The coarseness of the coffee grind is determined by the coffee equipment you choose. Because different coffee making methods require different grindings.

2).Use 92-96 degree water.

3).Different methods require different brewing times.

Turkish Coffee Turkish Coffee is perhaps the most difficult coffee to make. True Turkish coffee can only be obtained through a complex process. Each cup requires two tablespoons of coffee and a spoonful of sugar (if required). (You should use a small cup for Turkish coffee). Add the coffee and sugar to the Turkish coffee pot “Ibrik” (Jezva) with your spoon to measure the water, adding as many cups as you need. The coffee pot should only be half full, because when the water is about to boil it will create a lot of foam. When the coffee has come to the boil, remove the coffee pot from the heat and allow the foam to disappear. Repeat the above procedure twice, then slowly add the coffee to the small cup. If you are careful, most of the coffee particles should remain in the coffee pot. True connoisseurs of Turkish coffee are able to add a little foam to each guest’s cup, but this can also be done with a spoon.

How to operate a French press pot?

The French Press Coffee (also known as a tea brewer or press pot) is a traditional immersion method where the ground coffee and the brewed liquid are in the same container, a method that allows you to taste the advantages and disadvantages of coffee.

How to do it: Put the coffee powder of the right coarseness for the press pot in the amount of (8?0g) cups, but not more than the limit of what the pot can brew. Pour 91-96 degrees C water into the pot up to the top of the metal rack on the outside of the coffee pot, place the filter rod, steep for 3 minutes and push the filter to the bottom, a good pot of coffee is brewed.

How to operate a siphon pot?

Features: good aroma and mellowness of the coffee brewed.

Corresponding coffee beans: Non-heavily roasted single coffee beans and comprehensive coffee beans, e.g. Blue Mountain, Colombia, Brazil, etc.

Suitable for: people who seek coffee quality, who are not afraid of the trouble of washing pots and who are rich in the spirit of constant exploration.

Preparation materials.

1).An appropriate amount of pure water; you can use the kind of pure water used in household water dispensers or filtered tap water.

2).A few coffee beans/ground coffee.

3).A siphon pot has 110 ml of water for a cup of coffee (but the amount of water will be reduced by about a fifth after cooking), which corresponds to about 15 g of coffee powder.

If available, it is best to use coffee beans that are within 10 days of leaving the factory and to grind them into coffee powder before brewing the coffee.

The fineness of the coffee powder can be compared to the thickness of commercially available “extra fine grain” sugar.

4).A siphon coffee pot set (Hario TCA-3 is used here), including: top lid, top seat, bottom seat, siphon pot holder, filter, alcohol lamp (using 95% industrial alcohol) and alcohol lamp windscreen. Because it is difficult to adjust the flame of the alcohol lamp during use, it should be adjusted down a little (the cotton wick just slightly leaks out of the top 2 to 3 mm).

5).A 10g coffee measuring spoon.

6).A bamboo stirrer.

7).A filter cloth or filter paper for the siphon pot; the cloth should be scalded with hot water before the first use to remove any odour.

8).A damp rag.

9).A clock with hands for timing.

 

Brewing steps.

1).Add an appropriate amount of pure water to the lower seat of the siphon pot (you can use heated pure water to shorten the boiling time. In this operation, the amount of water added is 2.5 cups, i.e. about 280 ml, two cups of water is for guests/friends, the extra half cup is for the brewer to taste beforehand, if you feel that the taste is unusual, don’t give it to the guests, huh?

2).Light the alcohol lamp with sufficient fuel in it and place it directly under the lower seat of the siphon jug.

3).Attach the filter cloth/filter paper to the top of the siphon pot and make sure that the filter is positioned in the centre (if it is out of position, use a bamboo stirrer to adjust it).

4).Pour the appropriate amount of coffee powder (2.5 cups of water corresponds to about 37g of coffee powder, adjust to suit your taste) into the siphon pot. Shake the top holder horizontally a few times to evenly cover the filter with the coffee powder.

5). Insert the upper seat of the siphon pot diagonally into the lower seat, but not tightly (if the upper seat is inserted after the water has boiled, the boiling hot water may suddenly spurt out, which is quite dangerous, remember! ；

6).When the water in the lower holder is fully boiling, move the alcohol lamp away temporarily for about 10 seconds and then move it back, but do not place it directly under the lower holder, it should be slightly off-centre. This serves two purposes: one is to bring the water temperature down to the optimum temperature – around 95 degrees; the second is to reduce the fire power of the alcohol lamp (as mentioned earlier, it is not very convenient to adjust the fire power of the alcohol lamp, which is why some people will rotate the use of two alcohol lamps or use adjustable fire power of the gas stove).

7).Hold the upper base upright and insert it into the lower base (with a little force).

8).At this point the water in the lower base will flow into the upper base along the riser of the upper base due to the increased pressure from the heating. When only 1/3 of the water is left in the lower holder, pour the ground coffee powder into the upper holder and splash the wet coffee powder from all sides to the middle with a bamboo stirrer.

9).After the coffee powder has been completely wetted, start timing (do not stir the coffee mixture at this point, this stage is called “simmering”).

10).After about 45 seconds, use a bamboo stirrer to quickly stir the coffee solution. When a layer of foam appears on the surface of the liquid, stop stirring. Wait a few more seconds before removing the alcohol lamp and extinguishing it.

11). Wipe the base with a damp rag prepared in advance to cool it down; the order of wiping is to wipe the base first and then the surroundings, and do not stay in one position for too long to avoid uneven cooling and cracking of the base. If skilled, use one hand to hold the cloth to wipe the lower seat, with the other hand to take the stirring stick to stir the coffee solution to accelerate its cooling;.

12).When the lower seat is cooled, the internal pressure drops, causing the coffee solution in the upper seat to be sucked back into the lower seat (this is where the siphon pot gets its name).

13).Once the coffee solution has been sucked back into the upper holder, pull out the upper holder and pour the coffee solution from the lower holder into a pre-warmed coffee cup.

 

When the coffee solution in the upper holder is sucked into the lower holder, in the final stage, some foam will form above the liquid level of the lower holder. You can tell if the heat and extraction are appropriate by observing the shape of the foam: if there is a lot of fine foam, the heat is too high and the coffee will taste rather bitter; if it is a large bubble that disappears after a few seconds, the heat is ideal; if there is hardly any foam, the heat is insufficient. If you find that the heat is not right, you can adjust it later in the brewing process by increasing or decreasing the “simmering” time.

With all this said, this is only the basic use of a siphon pot (there is also the double brew method, the smell method, the viscosity method, etc.).

How to use a Belgian coffee pot?

First, open the lid of the alcohol lamp and fill it about six minutes full with alcohol (burning alcohol). Take out the attached filter cloth and place it in boiling water for about 12 minutes, then wash it with water before wrapping it around the filter. Before each use, please wash and wipe all the utensils once and simulate boiling once with boiling water in the water container to keep your food hygienic.

Operation 1: Please press the heat resistant silicone firmly into the water reservoir to make it airtight.

Operation 2: Place 5 level spoons of approximately 40g of coffee powder into the glass.

Operation 3: Turn the water reservoir stopper and fill with boiling water about 420cc~440cc, then close the water filler.

Operation 4: Press the balance lever down and allow the water reservoir to catch the open alcohol lamp lid, then finally light the alcohol lamp. When the boiling water reaches 100 degrees, the water will be sucked into the glass (siphon principle). When the weight of the balance lever is greater than the weight of the water reservoir, the water reservoir will be popped up and tilted upwards, while the alcohol lamp lid, which is stuck on the water reservoir at that time, will be automatically closed due to the popping up of the water reservoir (flame off).

Operation 5: When the coffee flows back into the water reservoir, turn the water reservoir plug slightly to allow air convection and turn on the tap to taste the delicious coffee.

 

How to operate a moka pot?

1). Pour hot water into the lower cup, not exceeding the height of the pressure relief valve.

2). Grind the coffee powder and pour it into the powder cup, you can pour some more. Use chopsticks or a bean spoon to smooth out the extra powder.

3). Dip the filter paper slightly in water and stick it to the top seat filter, screwing the top seat on. (Make sure the pressure is tight so it doesn’t leak out). Be careful not to apply pressure to the handle of the moka pot, as this can easily break the handle. If you add hot water, the base will get hot, so it is recommended to wrap a towel around it.

4). Heat the pot on high heat with a gas or alcohol burner. Turn the heat down to low when you see coffee coming out (do not let it come out quickly).

5).Coffee is then slowly brewed out until no more coffee comes out of the spout of the upper pot, turn off the heat and enjoy a cup of aromatic coffee.

Semi-automatic coffee machines

The espresso machine uses pressure to quickly pass the steam through the coffee powder to extract the best ingredients from the coffee, so the time the steam stays in the coffee powder directly affects the quality of the brewed coffee.

Step 1: Spoon the coffee powder into the coffee filter lid, visually check that the coffee is above the level of the lid and use a flat knife or spoon to trim off any excess coffee powder.

This is why the better espresso machines use a heavier metal for the coffee filter lid. This is why the better espresso machines use heavier metal for the lid, as other materials may not be able to withstand too many knocks.

Step 3: Press the coffee grounds in the filter lid with a press stick. It is best to take care to keep the surface of the coffee powder level when pressing it, otherwise the steam passing through will be uneven. It is best to use the muscle under the thumb to apply pressure, as it is easier to apply an even force. You can try a few more times to find out how much pressure you need. The important thing is to try the same batch of coffee powder several times so that you can get a good idea of how your press corresponds to the machine’s function.

Step 4: Knock the coffee powder off the edge of the surface that you have just pressed (drum horizontally) and repeat the process a few more times, turning your wrist flat at 90 degrees while pressing down. Then, clean up the coffee powder around the lid.

Step 5: Lock the filter lid, put the water in according to the machine’s instructions, press the switch and the steam starts to pass through the coffee powder.

How to use the automatic coffee machine?

 

1). Then add coffee beans in the coffee bean bin, fill the water tank with water, fill the chocolate bin with chocolate powder, turn on the power, turn on the machine and you are ready.

2). Milk can be placed directly in the milk box into the automatic inhalation tube.

3). After heating, press the OK button directly, according to the different designs of the coffee machine and the designated button: cappuccino, latte, Americano, espresso, chocolate coffee, single cup and double cup can be made.

4). Cleaning is easy and the dregs slot automatically displays when it is full.

5). Everything is very convenient. The advantages of fully automatic coffee machines save electricity, the quality of the products operated out of the product is stable, anyone can operate, truly reach the point of no one operating.

5,How to choose a home coffee machine?

Fully automatic coffee machines for home use

Automatic coffee machines are the mainstay of home coffee machines and can make a wide range of espresso, including Espresso, latte and cappuccino. From a functional point of view, home automatic coffee machines are divided into automatic frothing and manual frothing, automatic frothing is generally more expensive and the quality of the froth is poor, so it is not very recommended. To buy a fully automatic coffee machine, it is personally recommended to choose a Swiss or Italian brand, and try to choose some big brands, otherwise there may not even be any spare parts to repair the machine after it has broken down. The current market retail price in 3500 yuan to 8000 yuan more suitable for home use.

Semi-automatic coffee machines for home use

Home semi-automatic coffee machines are generally the first choice of coffee players, but because home coffee machines are generally heat exchange principle, so can not provide enough water temperature and steam, so compared with commercial semi-automatic coffee machines, the gap is still very obvious, but just play with their own pull or something, then buy a relatively high quality home semi-automatic coffee machine is undoubtedly a very economical solution. The range of coffees that can be made in a semi-automatic coffee machine for home use is a little wider than a fully automatic one, provided of course that you can do it. The main difference between a semi-automatic and fully automatic is that a semi-automatic is manually operated to extract espresso, whereas a fully automatic is done automatically. At the moment semi-automatic machines with a market price of around 1000 RMB are very popular.

The choice of how to choose a home machine is mainly a combination of the family’s coffee drinking habits and frequency, not the expensive, multi-functional ones are necessarily suitable.

Capsule coffee machines

The so-called capsule coffee machine is the manufacturer pre-packed coffee powder into a plastic capsule, and then filled with nitrogen to keep it fresh, we just need to put the capsule into the special machine when drinking coffee, you can quickly drink a cup of strong coffee. As the capsules are packaged in cups, it is better for families who consume coffee slowly to keep it fresh and to buy different flavours in small quantities. Capsule machines are cheap abroad, almost half sold and half given away, but in China the price has almost doubled and the coffee capsules are also more expensive, almost around 5 yuan a piece, probably because the domestic trade is relatively small.

Americano coffee machines

American-style coffee machines, also known as drip coffee machines, are readily available in the market due to their low price, usually only a few hundred yuan a piece, and their ease of use. American coffee machines do not come with a grinding function, so we may need to allocate an additional bean grinder, although we can indeed buy ready-made coffee powder, but the quality of freshly ground and non-freshly ground coffee is qualitatively different. In addition, an Americano machine can only be used to make Americano, which is a lighter black coffee, but often you can also use an Americano machine to make Hong Kong style milk tea if you know the right way to do it.

Nowadays, in addition to the expensive automatic coffee machines, you can also find coffee makers in home appliance stores. The price of a coffee maker is much lower than that of a coffee machine, costing around a few hundred dollars, so are coffee machines and coffee makers the same thing?

We’ve already covered coffee machines, but how does a coffee maker make coffee? Most coffee makers do not have a fine grinding and brewing function, the function is very simple, usually you just need to put the coffee powder into the filter, then after adding water, boiling, brewing and other processes to make coffee. There are two common types of coffee makers on the market: siphon and drip filter.

Advantages: Compared to instant coffee, coffee made in a coffee maker usually tastes better.

Disadvantages: As the coffee is brewed directly with ground coffee, no milk, sugar or other spices can be added, and in terms of workmanship, the materials and temperature control of an ordinary coffee maker cannot be compared to that of a professional coffee machine. Depending on the milk ration and grinding time settings, specific flavours such as cappuccino can easily be made using a coffee machine, and in this respect, coffee makers are clearly not comparable.

The most important thing is to choose a brand and after-sales service for your coffee machine. As many coffee companies in China are actually still very limited in scale, so very often it may be difficult for us to get a perfect after-sales service. Choosing a coffee machine supplier with the strength to provide after-sales service or buying from a more formal channel can more or less avoid the risk of not getting an after-sales service.

6.Coffee machine cleaning and maintenance

1). The coffee machine should be placed on a horizontal, stable table or countertop, to avoid the phenomenon of tipping.

2). The coffee machine should be placed away from children and the elderly who are not mobile, to avoid the risk of burns.

3). As new machines have a plastic material taste, harmful to the human body, so the electric coffee maker should boil two pots of boiling water before the first use to remove the bad taste.

4). The coffee machine to add water to the right amount, too much water is likely to cause the phenomenon of overflow, laying a safety hazard.

5). After each use of the coffee machine should be promptly cut off the power, and the coffee machine cleanable part of a simple cleaning.

6). Coffee makers are regularly descaled, 2-5 times a year depending on the use. The specific method is to add 2 cups of water to the water tank, then add 50ml of vinegar, drip a cup of coffee according to the brewing procedure, leave it for 20 minutes, then start to make all the water in the tank leak tax net, turn off the machine for 5 minutes, then use water to operate again 1-2 times.

7). After cleaning the coffee machine, use a soft dry cloth to dry the excess water and place the machine in a dry, ventilated environment.

7.How to maintain/clean a semi-automatic coffee machine?

Cleaning and maintenance of semi-automatic coffee machines

A. Daily cleaning and maintenance work

1). Coffee machine body cleaning: wipe the machine body with a wet rag every day before turning on the machine, if you need to use cleaning agent, please choose a mild non-corrosive cleaner and spray it on a wet rag before wiping the machine body (note that the rag should not be too wet, and the cleaner should not be sprayed directly on the machine body to prevent excess water and cleaning agent from penetrating the circuit system and eroding the wires causing a short circuit).

2). Steaming head outlet: Remove the handle after each production and press the cleaning button to rinse off the coffee grounds left in the steaming head and on the filter, then embed the handle in the base (note: do not embed the handle tightly at this time) and press the cleaning button and shake the handle from side to side to rinse the coffee grounds from the steaming head pad area and the inside of the steaming head.

3). Steam wand: After using the steam wand to make milk froth, wipe the steam wand with a clean damp cloth and turn on the steam switch again to clean the residual milk Mian scale in the jet hole with the impulse and high temperature of the steam itself to maintain the smooth flow of the jet hole; if there are residual milk crystals on the steam wand, soak the steam wand in a steel cup filled with an eighth of hot water to soften the crystals in the jet hole and on the steam wand. After twenty minutes remove the steel cup and repeat the operation in the first paragraph above.

4). Boiler: in order to extend the service life of the boiler, if the machine is not used for a long time, please turn off the power and turn on the steam switch, the pressure in the boiler is completely released, to be boiler pressure gauge indicates zero, steam is no longer emitted before cleaning the water pan and drainage tank (Note: do not turn off the steam switch at this time, and then turn off the steam wand after the next day when there is hot water dripping out to balance the pressure inside and outside the boiler).

5). Water tray: Before opening the shop or before use, remove the water tray and scrub it with a clean cloth, then put it back on after it is dry.

6). Drain: remove the water tray and use a damp rag or napkin to remove the sediment from the drain, then rinse with hot water to keep the drain open, if the drainage is poor, pour a small spoonful of cleaning powder into the drain and rinse with hot water to dissolve the coffee residue oil in the drain.

7). Filter cup and handle: Wash the handle with hot water at least once a day to dissolve any residual coffee oil and sediment on the handle to avoid the flow of oil and sediment into the coffee during the steaming process, which may affect the quality of the coffee.

8). Brewing system and filter cup handle: remove the filter cup with either handle and replace it with a non-porous filter cup for cleaning and sterilisation; place a small spoonful of cleaning powder (2-3 g) into the filter cup; insert the filter cup handle into the holder and check that it fits perfectly; press the cleaning button for about 2-3 seconds and then stop the button, repeat this several times and then relax the handle, sweep the cleaning button and shake the handle from side to side to rinse the brew head gasket and the brew head. After cleaning, remove the cleaning button from the handle to allow the residual cleaning powder to flow out of the brewing system, and press the button to stop after about 1 minute. Test brew a cup of coffee to remove any odour after cleaning. If there are multiple spouts. Repeat the above steps for other spouts.

B. Weekly cleaning and maintenance work.

1). Spout: Remove the copper head and net from the spout (if the machine has just been used, please note that it is hot), soak (1000ml of hot water mixed with three tsp of powder) for one day, rinse all the coffee oil residue and blockages from the copper head filter hole with water and wipe with a clean, soft, wet rag; check if the copper head filter is all clear, if there is any blockage, please use a fine wire or needle to clear it carefully; put back all the accessories.

2). Filter cups and handles: soak the filter cups and handles in cleaning solution (500ml hot water mixed with 3 tsp cleaning powder) for one day to dissolve the residual coffee oil residue (note: the plastic part of the handle should not be soaked in cleaning solution to prevent the plastic surface of the handle from being dissolved by the cleaning solution; rinse all accessories with clean water and wipe with a clean, soft, damp cloth; return all accessories.

C.Monthly and quarterly cleaning and maintenance work.

1). Water filter: check and replace the first and second water filter cores, it is recommended to replace them once a month.

2). Water softener: inspect and replace the third water softener, steps are as follows.

Turn off the water supply; remove and clean the third water softener and soak it in 10% salt water.