Miele

We live in a fast-paced society; every day brings new goals to achieve and adventures to experience. If you are like most of us, then many of those achievements and adventures are fueled by espresso. Your friendly neighborhood barista is always there to make you that triple espresso latte that gets you through the day. Unfortunately, those daily coffee shop stops add up, both in time and money. Wouldn’t it be nice to have the convenience of the barista in your own kitchen? Well, with Miele’s espresso machines, you can do just that. Your super-automatic Miele will not be able to greet you with a friendly smile, but it will be able to brew your favorite specialty coffees with the touch of a single button.

Miele has been designing and building household appliances for over 100 years. They specialize in consumer convenience and that shows in their espresso machines. One thing that you are guaranteed to find on every Miele home espresso machine is customizable options. No matter which Miele you choose, chances are you will have more options than you know what to do with, at least initially.
Now, if you are researching espresso machines, it is probably safe to assume that you are a coffee lover and you know your stuff. But, just in case you want to brush up on your coffee knowledge, here is a quick overview of espresso and why Miele machines are ultra-customizable.

Grinding coffee is somewhat of an art. Every coffee lover knows that fresh ground beans make better, more flavorful coffee. What every coffee lover may not know is that the way you store and grind your beans also affects your coffee. Coffee beans should always be stored in an airtight container and it is best not to grind them until you are ready to use them. When you do grind them, be careful not to overdo it. If the grounds are too fine, your coffee will be too bitter. On the other hand, if you do not grind them enough, the water will rush through the bigger grounds too quickly and your coffee will be weak. A good policy is to start by grinding the beans until they are approximately the consistency of sugar. Then experiment a little to see what your preference is. Thankfully, each Miele espresso maker with a built-in grinder, also comes with grind options, so you always get what you like.

Quick Tip: Do not use oily or flavored coffee beans in your built-in grinder. Oily beans can gum up the works, as can flavored beans because of the sugars in them. The best policy is to have a separate grinder for your favorite flavored beans.

Espresso is made when highly pressurized hot water is forced through tightly packed coffee grounds. Some people may think that the hotter the better, but that is not true. If your water is too hot, you can burn your grounds, losing that silky smoothness of a good espresso. The trick is to keep the water temperature between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit. This sounds simple enough, but here is where your taste comes in. Every degree makes a difference in the flavor, the hotter it is, the richer the flavor. Again you will have to experiment a little to discover how much heat your beans can handle.

Quick Tip: If you make your espresso on the hottest setting and it still does not seem flavorful enough, do not increase the heat and risk burning your beans. Instead, choose the pre-infusion option available on most Miele machines. Pre-infusion is where the grounds are pre-moistened before pressurized brewing. Pre-infusion will bring out more flavor without the risk.

Who doesn’t love the crema? You may not know that you love it, but you do. Crema is that lovely silky foam on the top of freshly brewed espresso. It comes from the pressurization process creating tiny bubbles in the natural oils in the coffee grounds. Crema helps give espresso that full rich flavor and it adds to the aftertaste of your beverage. Although many people think that super-automatic coffee machines are hopeless when it comes crema, that’s not the case. Miele machines provide just the right grind and temperature settings to create beautiful frothy crema, just try it and see.

Quick Tip: If you want to improve the crema on your espresso, try using a warm cup. Also, make sure that the dispenser is as close to the cup as possible. This will not only improve the crema but your entire espresso experience as well because your brew will stay warmer longer, which helps with flavor.

Miele’s philosophy for all of their designs is ‘Immer Besser’, which simply means, ‘Forever Better’. They are forever trying to better their designs for home appliances, including their espresso machines. Miele offers super-automatic espresso makers that still provide customizable options. You have control over every step of the process, simply choose the options that are best for you. With a programmable machine, you only have to choose those options once, save them, and you can have your favorites every day with just the touch of a button. What more could you ask for?