traditional espresso equipment

When we say ‘traditional’ we are referring to how espresso has, in principal, been brewed since the first ‘espresso’ machine was innovated in 1945. That is to say, the extraction is controlled by a person and the machine exists to dose water on the espresso and steam on the milk, but controlled by the barista. Over the years some automation, in the form of a pump to increase pressure or a scale & flow meter to control output volume, have been added but the crafted process is still all overseen by the barista responsible for making amazing espresso.

fully Manual equipment

Fully manual equipment puts control of the water volume and pressure for espresso brewing directly into the hands of the barista. Equipment is designed with as much flow rate and temperature stability as more automatic machines but puts control over the variables that affect shot flavor in the direct control of the user. Milk steaming is also manual and controlled by the barista. Equipment comes in sizes to meet quiet to more high-volume cafe demands. This is where espresso began, with the invention of the spring powered piston lever espresso machine in 1945 by Achille Gaggia (Milan, Italy)

semi-automatic equipment

Like their lever or more manually brewed espresso equipment cousins semi-automatic espresso machines put the control over critical brewing variables in the hands of the barista for each shot. With semi-automatic equipment we have the addition of an electronic pump, not a mechanical spring-driven lever to create the high pressures required to make espresso. This provides for a more precise pressure and controlled temperature for brewing. Some semi-automatic equipment also allows the user to manipulate the pressure of the water while it is brewing the espresso over the course of the shot.

automatic/volumetric equipment

Automatic equipment gives the barista the ability to program specific parameters for the espresso shot brewing. Automatic equipment focuses on controlling the output of the volume of the espresso shot. This is realized in two ways, through flow meters (volumetrics) and scales (gravimetrics). There are also automatic controls for pressure. These come in the form of pre-infusion control or low pressure brewing as well as flow rate control. While these variables can be manipulated they can be programmed to be automatically executed; freeing the barista up to focus on hospitality and efficiency, while allowing repeatability. Many of these machines also feature programming parameters that allow for semi-automatic control.