Italy has always been famous for its delectable espressos and no one seems to make espresso better than the Italians. With the availability of ready-to-use coffee beans or pods and automatic espresso machines however, just about anyone can now prepare the perfect espresso.

There really is nothing like the perfect espresso. Dark roasted and finely ground, that potent aroma of coffee fills your senses and truly perks up your day. In Italy, ordering a coffee of course means that you are ordering an espresso. Italians may walk into their local bar a couple of times a day for that perfect Italian cup of espresso. In the US, it used to be so hard to find true espresso like the Italians make them. Now with coffee pods and espresso machines, the confusion has been taken out of espresso preparation at cafes or even at home.

Because espressos are the standard for coffee making in Italy, most Italians are not really acquainted with our version of the coffee maker. They use a “machinetta” which looks sort of like a metal pitcher that has two sections. The bottom portion is where the coffee grinds go, after which tap water is poured into it. The machinetta is put on top of the stove and heated to boiling. Water then percolates towards the top section, pressing through the coffee grinds. The word espresso means “expressed” and the pressure between the two sections presses the coffee to get as much flavor from the grinds as possible. Milk is heated and whipped separately. With the intricate and precise steps required, it is easy to err in manual espresso preparation. You can err on the amount of water or coffee, turn the heat on too strong or just not get the right timing.

The popularity of espresso has gone beyond Italian borders and out into the rest of world. People everywhere want to have espresso coffee in their homes. For a simple yet perfect espresso every time you may consider buying a machine that uses coffee pods. Pods are pre-measured coffee grinds packed into filters or capsules. They come in various sizes, including single-serve capsules manufactured specially for espresso types. Simply place a pod into the machine’s receptacle and push a button. No need to clean up messy grinds afterwards as you simply throw away the pod when the espresso is done. No mistakes, too, on getting the correct amount of grinds needed for a cup.

One major factor when choosing your automatic espresso machine would be its versatility. Some machines only take an exclusive brand of coffee pods, while others are more flexible with different pod brands. A few even give you the option of using loose coffee grinds. The flexibility to use either pods or loose coffee means you can use it even if you don’t have access to a steady supply of pods. Since this type of machine is relatively new in the market, it will take while before the pods to be available at the supermarket shelves. Until then you may need to order them from the manufacturer or a local distributor. So having the choice lets you experiment with other roasts or flavors to further satiate your coffee pleasures.

Author Bio: Jana spent several years in the corporate IT industry and is currently applying her invaluable experience as she runs her cyber-business from home. She loves the challenge of internet marketing and is having great fun exploring a wide variety of interests in that arena. Check out her interesting niche site at: Espresso Machine Scout

Category: Food and Drinks
Keywords: espresso coffee pods,home espresso machine,espresso coffee machine,espresso coffee maker