necessary paraphernalia

Browse the espresso accessories that will help you make a better shot. Actually, they most of them are necessary.

Tamps

come in different sizes and materials. A posh one may even cost you 100 USD but you really don’t need to spend that much. A good tamper needs to be reasonably heavy, very flat at the bottom and it has to be the right size (so it fits your portafilter). Hollow ones usually do not have enough weight and, while you can surely argue for it, a concave shaped tamper will remain unorthodox to most coffee-lovers. Have a look at the last item too, the most unexpected among these espresso accessories for newcomers: it is a calibrated force feedback tamper. This device will click when you have exerted enough pressure, which is 30 pounds in this case.

Espresso glasses

provide part of the enjoyment when drinking your shots. Double walled glasses give you the illusion that the liquid is floating inside the glass. Even if that visual trickery does not appeal to you, double walled glasses are safe and sturdy. You can use plain shot glasses too, but make sure they can withstand the heat. Cup warmer is a common feature but not all of the coffee makers have it. Just preheat the glasses immersing them in lukewarm, mildly hot water.

Miscellania

Get two pitchers and they should be different sizes (12 and 20 oz, for example). Use the deeper one for milk frothing because if the angle is not right the milk will easily spray out while frothing. The second pitcher is needed to run the rinsing water pull between shots and you can also use it to drain excess water. The drip tray is often too small and a pitcher is easier to empty. Different sizes are also good so you can differentiate between them more easily.

You really need to keep your eyes on the temperature while frothing. Sagas speak of folks experienced enough to tell the temperature by just looking at the texture of the milk – but lets stay on the safe side there. Make sure you get a thermometer that can measure large temperature range (also over 180 C ).

Well, a latter art set. Use it when you want to be kind to someone who is impressible by latter art. Just kills time at parties – and it is a great conversation starter in the right situation.

Obligatory brushing. You really need to keep these machines clean, it will definitely prolong the life-cycle of the parts and the machine as a whole. Disassemble and clean them at times. You can use a toothbrush too if you must.

And just to scare off those who got this far. Here are two industrial grade water softeners because limescale is an evil enemy of the precious brass boilers. As an alternative, use reverse-osmosis water