Before purchasing equipment for preparing coffee drinks, it is important to familiarize yourself with the advantages of different types of machines and decide which type meets your expectations.
Modern stores offer a wide range of goods, and it is easy for an unprepared buyer to get confused in this variety.
If a cup of fresh coffee is not just a way to cheer you up in the morning, but a real ritual, a carob coffee maker would be an excellent choice.
Its device allows you to prepare various types of drinks, preserving the bright taste and aroma of coffee beans. Below we will look in detail at how to properly brew the drink.
Page navigation:
What is a carob coffee maker?
This type of device got its name thanks to a special device that is not found in other types of designs - a horn. The holder (another name for this part) ensures rapid passage of steam through the coffee grounds . Externally, a working carob coffee maker can be distinguished by the presence of a protruding handle.
Holders can be made of metal or plastic.
When purchasing, you should give preference to a stainless steel horn .
This material heats up much better, and coffee from coffee machines with a plastic horn often has an unpleasant sour taste and watery consistency. There are models with the ability to use two horns simultaneously. These coffee makers are suitable for offices or small coffee shops where you need to quickly prepare several cups of drink. A good addition would be the presence of a tamper - a special pestle that allows you to better compact the coffee inside the cone.
When purchasing, you can choose a device equipped with additional options . These include:
- ability to select temperature and pressure;
- indicators of the cooking process and water availability;
- emergency stop button;
- automatic shutdown to prevent device overheating;
- removable drip tray;
- maintaining a certain temperature of the drink;
- warming cups.
Depending on the number of functions, the price of the coffee maker varies. A high-quality model makes it possible to prepare various types of coffee and has virtually no disadvantages.
Additives for cappuccino
Sweeteners and spices can diversify and enrich the taste of your favorite cappuccino from a coffee machine. They are added during the preparation process so as not to stir the finished drink and not destroy the delicate foam:
- spices are placed along with ground coffee directly into the holder. The better the cloves, cinnamon or nutmeg are crushed, the more flavor they will impart to the drink;
- sugar or syrup is added to an empty cup and then filled with espresso. After stirring the coffee, place a milk “cap” on top of it;
- to impart a vanilla flavor to the foam, you need to heat a few grains of this exquisite seasoning in milk or dissolve a spoonful of vanilla sugar in it;
- The finished drink can be sprinkled with cinnamon, cocoa or grated chocolate on top. The drawing can last up to 20 minutes.
Principle of operation
Unlike most mechanisms in which coffee is mixed with water, a carob coffee machine has a completely different operating principle.
In devices of this type, hot water or steam under pressure passes through compressed ground coffee, absorbing maximum taste and aroma, after which it condenses in a special chamber, turning into a drink.
There are two types of such coffee makers:
- Pump-action . It heats the water to 95 degrees, after which it is forced through a coffee horn under a pressure of 15 bar. This method allows you to preserve the nutrients and aroma of coffee. The device handles one cup of coffee in about a minute and a half.
- Steam . It differs from the pump type in the degree of heating, pressure and method of water supply. Water in a closed tank is heated to boiling and steam formation. When the pressure in the tank reaches 4 bar, the valve opens and steam flows through the coffee in the cone. Coffee prepared this way may have a less pronounced aroma, but contains more caffeine, which gives it an invigorating effect. The preparation time for the drink is two minutes.
The result is coffee without any added grounds. This method allows you to prepare a drink while preserving the original taste of the beans. Another significant advantage of the method is the speed of preparing coffee.
This is why carob devices are practically indispensable both in the office and at home, where you don’t want to waste precious morning moments on a long cooking process.
At first glance, the process of making coffee using a holder may seem more complicated compared to a drip-type device. But the finished drink from a drip coffee maker is significantly inferior to coffee prepared in a carob in terms of taste characteristics and richness of aroma.
Useful tips
To brew a delicious drink, you need not only to know the stages of this process, but also to take into account some nuances:
- To prepare coffee, you must use only filtered water without impurities, otherwise the drink will be bitter or have an unpleasant aftertaste.
- Before using the coffee maker for the first time, you must carefully read the instructions to protect yourself from incorrect actions.
- Before brewing the first portion of the drink, you need to clean the device. To do this, water is poured into the reservoir, but coffee is not added. After completing the work, the water needs to be drained and then you can brew the drink.
How to use?
Pay attention to the quality of the water used to brew coffee. To avoid scale formation, use purified water from a filter.
Important! Regular tap water can negatively affect both the mechanism of the coffee maker and the taste of the finished drink.
How to use it correctly - step-by-step instructions . To prepare coffee using a coffee maker, follow these steps:
- Prepare ground coffee . Some models of coffee machines have a built-in grinding function, but in most cases, when using a carob coffee maker, you will have to take care of grinding the beans first.
- Pour coffee into the cone . Press it as tightly as possible until it becomes a hard “tablet.” Make sure that dust does not clog into the threads of the device.
- Place the horn in place to form a working chamber.
- Start the machine and wait for the drink to be prepared .
- Some models of carob coffee makers are equipped with a cappuccino maker - a special tube for producing milk froth. Pour the milk into a special container (pitcher), immerse the spout of the cappuccino maker in the liquid and whisk until liquid foam forms .
- For the final stage of preparing cappuccino, pour milk into the finished espresso and carefully add foam on top.
- Coffee in a horn is only suitable for one-time preparation , so after use, the tablet should be thrown away and the holder should be rinsed with water.
Coffee Recipes
Moccaccino
Let's talk about how to make moccacino - a type of coffee with the addition of chocolate.
To prepare moccacino according to the classic recipe, take:
- 1 tbsp. l. crushed grains;
- 130 ml milk;
- 20 ml chocolate syrup.
Pour the syrup into a 200 ml cup. Prepare 40 ml of espresso in any type of coffee maker. Add it to the syrup and stir.
Pour 50 ml of cold milk into a tin mug. Whisk it with the built-in cappuccino maker. If the device does not have this function, use a mini whisk to whip up foam.
Sweeten and add whipped milk.
Garnish with whipped cream and sprinkle the foam with cinnamon or chopped walnuts.
Interesting! How to clean a copper pot well at home
According to the European recipe, instead of chocolate syrup, it is allowed to use melted chocolate - 30 ml per 200 ml of liquid.
Latte
Let's figure out how to make a latte correctly. It comes in two types: layers and mixed. Brew 100 ml espresso in any coffee maker. Heat 300 ml of milk with 3.2% fat content to 60 degrees. Whip until thick foam.
Next, pour milk into a glass, add sugar to taste and spoon foam on top.
Slowly add espresso down the center. We recommend pouring it along the blade of a knife to achieve a thin stream.
The coffee will seep through the foam and end up above the layer of milk. You will get a three-layer drink.
Baristas prepare latte in a tall transparent glass - an Irish glass. So that the layers are visible: milk, coffee and a foam cap.
There is another latte option with the addition of chocolate syrup.
First, pour 20 ml of syrup. The remaining layers are added in the same order, but they are mixed together.
Experienced baristas master the latte art technique. Patterns are drawn on the top layer of foam.
Preparing coffee: grinding and its features
Preparing a drink in a carob coffee maker requires proper grinding of the beans . This is one of the most important parameters affecting the taste of coffee.
Note! Pay attention to the grains before grinding. They must be fresh, fried and dry. Wet beans produce a low quality drink. In case of accidental contact with water, dry the grains in the oven.
Coarse grinding with too large particles gives the drink a sour taste. Grinding that is too fine, in which the grains are reduced to almost the state of flour, is only suitable for drip coffee makers and Turkish coffee makers. It is better not to use it in a carob coffee maker.
Most often,
medium grinding, with a particle size of about 1 mm, is used .
This size will not allow the grounds to seep through the filter and will saturate the coffee with a bright taste. You should not grind grains in a hurry, since the device can cope with the task most effectively only with the same particle size. In order to achieve a uniform consistency, use an automatic coffee grinder with a choice of grain sizes.
TLDR - Procedure for brewing delicious coffee
- Turn on the coffee maker.
- Pour fresh water.
- Spill a little water: without inserting the portafilter, keep it under the stream.
- Drain the portafilter and wipe it dry with a napkin or dry cloth.
- Grind the coffee.
- Pour coffee into the portafilter.
- Perform grooming - evenly distribute the coffee.
- Tamp and remove any remaining coffee from the rim.
- Insert the portafilter into the coffee maker.
- Turn on pre-flow for a couple of seconds. Wait a few seconds.
- Turn on the water supply.
- Monitor the coffee being served. Turn off when the color changes to pale.
- Rate the drink and foam. Consider whether you need to change the grinding or grooming with a tamper.
Preparing coffee and milk aperitifs
Manufacturers equip carob coffee makers with a cappuccino maker - a tube with a paranello nozzle. There are models with pitchers - jugs for milk and cream, in which it is convenient to make thick milk foam.
Recommendations for whipping foam:
- take milk with medium fat content - 2.5%;
- if there is no pitcher, use a larger container - the foam increases in volume;
- When whipping, hold the container at an angle, slightly immersing the tip of the cappuccino maker in the milk.
Upon completion of all actions, do not forget to clean - rinse the cone and cappuccino maker manually or using the automatic cleaning function.
Common coffee making mistakes
Caramelized, flavored beans cannot be used in coffee machines. Additives coat the coffee grinder millstones with a film, and the grinding suffers. They are difficult to clean; often you have to disassemble the entire assembly. It is also undesirable to use ground coffee with additives.
A typical mistake is incorrectly setting the grinding degree in a coffee machine for a specific roast of beans. Dark prefers coarser grinding and vice versa. The universal solution remains medium settings.
Bottled mineralized water with added calcium, fluorine, and iodine has a bad effect on the quality. Take simple filtered water without chlorine, color, or odor.
How to brew coffee in a drip coffee maker
Drip coffee makers are very popular among consumers. They are also called American by another name. To get the drink you will need ground coffee mass. You can buy it ready-made in the store. You can also grind the beans yourself if you have a coffee grinder. One cup requires no more than three teaspoons of ground coffee.
How strong, aromatic and rich the coffee will be depends directly on how much powder you add. If you have a drip coffee maker, it is recommended to follow these instructions:
- pour water into the container provided for this purpose;
- fill the special reservoir with ground coffee;
- then check how tightly the model is closed and turn it on;
- wait until the signal sounds, indicating that the coffee is ready.
These recommendations for making coffee apply to simple models of drip coffee makers. But now there are a variety of options with a range of additional features that may include:
- Drink strength regulator.
- Built-in coffee bean grinding function.
- Automatic heating function. With its help, you can keep the coffee at a high temperature after it has been prepared for some time. As a rule, no more than 30 minutes.
If such functions are available in the selected model, you can configure it so that the prepared drinks best suit your taste preferences.
What real espresso should be like
How many spoons of coffee should be put into the coffee maker, what proportions of coffee and water should be observed to get the right espresso, like in a restaurant or cafe. There are several factors to consider here:
- Grain variety. You won't be able to make delicious, strong espresso from cheap coffee.
- Water quality. For drinks, purified, sometimes distilled liquid is used.
- Coffee maker device.
Real Italian espresso should be thick, strong, dark, aromatic, and there should be foam on top, at least 3 mm high.
You can make other drinks based on espresso - cappuccino, latte, iced glass. The better the base, the tastier the final drink will be.
Possible failures
The most important thing in a cappuccino is the milk cap. But it does not always turn out dense and stable. There is no need to despair if you didn’t succeed in making cappuccino foam in a coffee machine the first time. You can increase the chances of proper cooking in different ways:
- It is worth experimenting with the fat content of the product. You can use full-fat (6%) milk – it whips easier. The calorie content of cappuccino will increase significantly, but the foam is guaranteed to be dense.
- Try milk from another manufacturer. In some stores you can find a product with a high protein content (3%) specifically for cappuccino, which is indicated on the packaging. True, the price is higher.
- Monitor the temperature of the milk to avoid overheating. Boiled food does not whip at all.
- Remove the milk from the refrigerator immediately before whipping or even place it in the freezer for a few minutes. The optimal temperature to start whipping is 2-4 °C. Cool the pitcher too.
Each coffee machine has its own “character”, you need to get used to it, practice several times, so that the cappuccino turns out no worse than that of real baristas.
