Sorry, very silly question for people that have an espresso/cappuccino makers.
After a trip to Rome my partner decided she would get an espresso/cappuccino maker so that we could enjoy the fantastic coffee that seems to be the norm over there every day! :roll:

Problem is my attempt at cappuccino is far from perfect and the machine we bought (quite a good one) did not come with very explicit instructions.

Any top tips?
I don't think I get the water/frothy milk ratio right.
Should I not be using skimmed milk??

Thanks for any suggestions
Sorry about the silly thread :roll: I'm sure it will be on page 5 in 15 minutes

 

water? wtf are you doing with water?

this is how i do it:

warm up the machine. once it is hot, run some boiling water through the coffee holder thing. now pack the cofee holder thing with finely ground 100% arabica coffee. tamp it down so it's very compacted. clamp the holder firmly onto the machine and run the pressurised water through until the liquid coming out starts to lighten in colour.

now steam some milk in a stainless steel jug. i use semi-skimmed. my machine had a funny nozzle on the end of the steam jet, but i took this off as it didn't seem to help. you need to move the jug aroiund to get the milk really swirling and bubbling with the steam. once it's really foamy, pour on top of the coffee (which should basically be a double espresso).

A shot of grappa is optional.

 

i have one of these.
just come back from italy

so much easier than a coffee machine, put in the water, pack down the coffee, put on the stove, wait till done, then put in a cup, drink then walk around all day and night with eyes dry and wide open.

 

I have looked into this problem and talked to lots of professionnals (I live 10 miles from Italy and love the espresso there, wel, in most places). Everybody agrees that it isnt possible to get the same quality coffee or cappucino at home. For 2 main reasons:
- coffee quality (you COULD get the same coffee as they use, though)
- the coffee machines. Home espresso machines work with a maximum pressure of 15 bars, a lot less than the ones in bars. That's why home espresso is less foamy and smooth.

I've tried DeLonghi machines, Krupps machines, and other espresso machines. Funnily, the one with the best results was the Krupps machine At the moment, I have a DeLonghi machine that leaks (from new) and that I need to get rid of for something better.

Regarding coffee quality, the best tasting widely available ground coffee is the ground (machinato) Illy.

 

There was a programme on the box about it. They said there were several different types of machines in the way they operated, they were all pretty expensive too. Probably all to do with the pressure they work at I suppose.

Les

 

I've got a Gaggia Classic which does the job.
As Charlie says, it's vital to get the coffee holder really hot first.
Proper Italian coffee is also essential.
Lavazza, Segafredo, Illy or Bei & Nannini all do good espresso coffee.