All posts tagged: Espresso

De’Longhi’s PrimaDonna Aromatic is a super-automatic espresso machine that learns about you and your beans

De’Longhi’s PrimaDonna Aromatic is a super-automatic espresso machine that learns about you and your beans

Published by Jenni Sidey

Sign Up For Goods 🛍️ Product news, reviews, and must-have deals. Anyone can pull an espresso shot. Pulling a good one, however, can be a lifelong pursuit. Every new bag of beans is a new problem to solve. You have to accommodate a different roast, a different density, a different age, all of which mean a different grind size, dose, and temperature if you want the shot to actually taste good. The process can literally feel like working in a laboratory, which can be cool, but not when you’re bleary eyed and trying to get caffeinated. The trial and error of dialing in your espresso isn’t always a joyous pursuit. The De’Longhi PrimaDonna Aromatic is the first home machine I’ve tested that genuinely alleviates that learning curve. Its new Bean Adapt and Adaptive Grinding technologies do the thing every super-automatic has claimed to do for a decade but has never really delivered: they read the beans you put in, set the machine up for them, and then keep adjusting as the shots come out. This …

Mathematicians figured out the perfect espresso

Mathematicians figured out the perfect espresso

Published by Jenni Sidey

Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. People love a good cup of coffee, but how do you get a perfect brew? Barring philosophical deep dives into the nature of perfection, an international team of mathematicians and environmental scientists believe that it’s entirely possible to calculate the ideal espresso. Not only that, but they now have the formulas to back it up. The math detailed in their study published in the journal Royal Society Open Science is dense. But the short answer is that’s all about puck size. Picture the typical espresso machine at your favorite cafe. The small dish into which your friendly barista tamps coffee grounds is called the puck. After inserting it into the machine, hot water flows through the receptacle and molecularly absorbs the beans’ flavor, hue, and (most importantly) caffeine.  The quality of the final espresso depends on many aspects, including how the grounds are packed, how long water passes through the coffee, and the size of the grounds themselves. It’s …

Espresso machine deal: Save up to 0 on KitchenAid automatic models

Espresso machine deal: Save up to $200 on KitchenAid automatic models

Published by skeptic

SAVE UP TO $200: As of April 2, the KitchenAid KF6 fully automatic espresso machine is on sale at Amazon for $1,049.99 (reg. $1,199.99). For a step up, the KitchenAid KF8 espresso machine is also on sale for $1,799.99 (reg. $1,999.99) — a saving of $200. $1,049.99 at Amazon $1,199.99 Save $150   $1,799.99 at Amazon $1,999.99 Save $200   If your morning routine begins with endless cups of regular old coffee, it might be time for an upgrade. With an at-home espresso machine, you can start your day with barista-quality specialty drinks without stepping out of your kitchen. While it’s not the cheapest investment, it’ll certainly put a new pep in your step. Plus, two fully automatic models from KitchenAid are currently on sale for up to $200 off if you’re not looking to pay full price. As of April 2, the KitchenAid KF6 fully automatic espresso machine is on sale at Amazon for $1,049.99. That’s 13% or $150 off the list price of $1,199.99. The even more powerful KitchenAid KF8 espresso machine is …

8 Best Espresso Machines for Home (2026), Tested by Coffee Pros

8 Best Espresso Machines for Home (2026), Tested by Coffee Pros

Published by skeptic

Compare the Top 8 Espresso Machines Frequently Asked Questions How Do I Test Espresso Machines? AccordionItemContainerButton Over the past decade, WIRED has tested dozens of espresso makers to find our favorites. The process, in part, is simple. We brew a whole lot of coffee. I’ve written about coffee for more than a decade on both the East and West Coasts, including my hometown coffee mecca of Portland, Oregon. Other current and past WIRED espresso testers—who include former baristas and longtime coffee writers—include Jaina Grey, Jeffrey Van Camp, Kat Merck, Tyler Shane, Pete Cottell, and Scott Gilbertson. On each machine that’s capable, I make and assess at least four styles of drink, on multiple roasts and beans: a basic 2:1 espresso, an Americano, a latte, and a cappuccino. On machines that advertise a wacky array of drinks, I test each one. This includes any newfangled coldspresso and head-scratching variations on a “long.” It also includes, if science dictates, espresso martinis. And I test to see whether a machine can be dialed to both dark roasts and …

These editor-approved De’Longhi espresso machines are 20 to 33% off at Amazon’s Big Spring Sale

These editor-approved De’Longhi espresso machines are 20 to 33% off at Amazon’s Big Spring Sale

Published by Jenni Sidey

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more › Sign Up For Goods 🛍️ Product news, reviews, and must-have deals. De’Longhi is discounting its espresso machines ahead of Amazon’s Big Spring Sale, with prices cut 20 to 33 percent across the lineup. That ranges from the entry-level Stilosa at $100 all the way up to the fully automatic Rivelia at $1,200. De’Longhi machines tend to hold their prices well, so these are some of the better deals we’ve seen on them — particularly the La Specialista models in the mid-range. De’Longhi Stilosa $100 (was $150) See It The De’Longhi Stilosa is $100, down from $150. It’s a manual espresso machine with a 15-bar pump and a steam wand for frothing milk — nothing fancy, but it pulls a decent shot and it’s the cheapest way to stop spending $6 a day at a coffee shop. It doesn’t have a built-in grinder, so you’ll need to grind separately or buy pre-ground espresso. De’Longhi semi-automatic espresso machines …

Good Espresso Requires Precision. Here’s How Much Coffee Goes in Every Shot

Good Espresso Requires Precision. Here’s How Much Coffee Goes in Every Shot

Published by skeptic

Espresso is one of coffee’s fussier forms, but advocates for the pressure-brewed beverage know that it’s worth every bit of effort to get that creamy, flavorful result. Coffee professionals tout the golden ratio for making perfect American-style drip coffee. Espresso has its own measurements, and getting them right is key to making coffee-house-quality shots at home. You don’t need a wildly expensive espresso machine, either, since espresso is largely about technique. If you hone your measurements and brewing skills, you can pull high-quality shots, even with a basic model.  When it dawned on me that I’d been winging it or simply relying on factory presets for espresso measurements, I decided to task an expert about the nuances of brewing espresso at home. And, specifically, exactly how much espresso should go in a single shot. Kaleena Teoh is a coffee educator and the co-founder of Coffee Project New York. She generously shared her thoughts, tips, and common mistakes to watch out for when packing pucks and brewing espresso. Espresso basics Splurged on an espresso machine? Make sure you’re getting …

Pulling Espresso by Hand Is More Fun Than Pushing a Button

Pulling Espresso by Hand Is More Fun Than Pushing a Button

Published by skeptic

Coffee is the original biohack and the nation’s most popular productivity tool. As we adjust to the changeover to daylight saving time, the caffeine-addicted WIRED Reviews team is writing about our favorite coffee brewing routines and devices. Today, contributor Brad Bourque pays homage to his manual espresso maker. Look out for other Java.Base stories about other WIRED writers’ favorite brewing methods. For me, coffee is as much a nerdy obsession as it is a practical necessity. I dislike maintenance, and I prefer simplicity, but I also need my coffee to be bold and interesting. For years, I used a kettle and Aeropress, which were easy to keep clean and tucked away in a crowded cabinet. My roommates at the time really appreciated that. But when I got a place of my own, I wanted something more substantial, if also still dead simple. The Flair Signature, a manual espresso maker, seemed like an obvious choice. It still sits proudly on my counter in all its stainless steel glory, occupying a permanent spot by my sink. Where …

Your Espresso Machine Doesn’t Have to Be Fancy to Make Good Coffee

Your Espresso Machine Doesn’t Have to Be Fancy to Make Good Coffee

Published by skeptic

Coffee is the original biohack and the nation’s most popular productivity tool. As we adjust to the changeover to daylight saving time, the caffeine-addicted WIRED Reviews team is writing about our favorite coffee brewing routines and devices. Today, reviewer Peter Cottell expounds on why espresso machines don’t have to be any fancier than a Casabrews 5700. Look out for other Java.Base stories about other WIRED writers’ favorite brewing methods. There’s a slogan in the guitar world that claims “tone is stored in the fingers.” It’s a reductive notion that’s meant to urge upstart shredders to journey within for an ideal guitar sound that suits them best rather than spend a lifetime and tens of thousands of dollars on expensive pedals, amps, and a high-end guitar with a boomer’s signature engraved on the headstock. The irony of this phrase is that it’s usually muttered by the very geezers who can afford such gear; think Joe Bonamassa, John Mayer, and James Dolan, whom the guitar world refers to as “blues lawyers.” Fancy coffee gear can get you …

8 Best Espresso Machines for Home (2026), Tested by Coffee Pros

Fellow Series 1 Espresso Machine Review (2026): Excellent, but a Work in Progress

Published by skeptic

Another big innovation for the Series 1 is its patented heating system. Most espresso machines use either boilers or thermoblocks to heat up the water that goes into espresso. Boilers have admirable stability, but take forever to get hot. Thermoblocks are near instant, but less stable. Fellow’s heating system falls somewhere in between, with a boiler supplemented by a thermoblock that heats water before it enters the boiler, and a heated group head that helps stabilize temperature at the portafilter. This theoretically offers the best of both worlds: greater temperature stability across an espresso shot, without the cold starts and hot finishes that can plague some home thermoblock machines. The water tank is a capacious 2 liters, and is removable for easy filling, with one caveat: The tank can only be removed from the machine straight upward. And so if you’ve placed this machine under your cabinets, you may have a hard time removing the water tank—a minor kvetch that may be quite meaningful depending on your kitchen setup. Shot Selection Video: Matthew Korfhage OK, …

Best Coffee Grinders For Espresso and Drip, Machine-Tested (2026)

Best Coffee Grinders For Espresso and Drip, Machine-Tested (2026)

Published by skeptic

Compare Our Top 5 Grinders Best Budget Coffee Grinders As mentioned above, the best bang for your buck will always be a hand grinder like my favorite, the Kingrinder K6 manual coffee grinder ($100). A precisely machined manual coffee grinder can rival coffee grinders many hundreds of dollars more expensive, both in precision and durability. And so the best manual coffee grinder will also be the budget option that’ll lead to the best coffee. I’ve personally come to love the routine, and the control. But I get it. You’ll happily grind your pepper with the best pepper grinder, but you draw the line at grinding coffee. Mornings are hard. Electricity helps. These are the budgetiest of budget electric coffee grinder options for each style of brew, all blessedly hands-off. None of these will lead to the clarity of flavors or sweetness or delicacy of our top picks. But they’re the absolute lowest-cost devices we recommend for each category of brew. Best Budget Coffee Grinder for Drip Coffee Photograph: Matthew Korfhage Oxo Compact Conical Burr Grinder …