How Does An Espresso Machine Work?

In the past decade, espresso has become more common than ever. People all over the world are switching from getting their espresso to go every day, to making their own cup at home when they wake up! All that has become possible because of espresso machines.


Espresso machines have made it possible to make a great cup of espresso at home without any of the hard work, the machine does it all for you! But have you ever wondered just how the machine does it all? Well, that’s exactly what we’re here to discuss!


In this post, we’ll be taking a closer look at the makings of an espresso machine and how exactly they work! So let’s jump right into it!

Everything That Comes Together to Make a Great Cup of Espresso

Below are all of the major parts and aspects of an espresso machine that come together to create a great cup of espresso! 

Reservoir 

While you might think that the coffee beans are the most important part of making the espresso, they can’t do what they need to without an adequate water supply. Small, countertop espresso machines have a reservoir that holds a couple of cups of water. Larger, commercial machines have a direct connection that works for an infinite number of coffee cups! 

Pressure Pump 

The water can’t make it to the beans and get through them on its own. It needs to be pushed through. That is the job of the pressure pump. These start working from the second the machine is turned on. With the pressure pump’s help, the water moves out of the reservoir, through the machine, into the group head, and then the cup. Not only that, but the pressure pump also works with the Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) to keep the temperature of the water exactly at the level that’s needed to make that cup of espresso!

Boiler 

Although the pressure pump does work with PID to figure out where it needs to keep the temperature, it’s the boiler that actually changes the temperature. It brings the water up to a boil so it’s totally ready to be pushed through the beans to end it all in the cup! The temperature of the water is crucial here because if it’s not just right, the espresso will taste totally different from the taste you were trying to achieve.


There might also be a dual boiler where one heats up the water, and the other heats up milk! This is especially helpful when you need to heat both ingredients differently, so they can both be ready at once.

Grinder

There are lots of espresso machines out there that don’t come with their own grinder, but the great ones do! The grinder instantly grinds the coffee beans to the right size so they can be ready for the next step!

Frother

The machines that don’t have a dual boiler have a frother instead. These might also be called steam wands. Regardless of what they’re called, these are great to instantly froth up the milk so it can be added to the espresso as soon as it’s done brewing!

Group Head

This is the part of the machine that the water goes through before it turns into espresso! The gridded beans sit in the group head densely packed. The water makes it through the coffee and ends up becoming espresso, instantly.


Not all group heads are the same. The final cup will still depend on the type of group head you’re working with, how it works, and the right way to load it up, so there are no issues when the cup is poured.

Material

Finally, while all of the parts above are equally important, it’s essential that the machine is of the right material and of the right quality. The machines that really put in the work for the right cup of espresso are usually made out of metal, so the temperatures can be kept just right without an issue. Machines that use less plastic are often also okay at keeping things functioning well, but there’s only so much plastic can do. So most espresso machines that use metal are the best ones to make espresso with.

Team Work Makes the Dream Work

Getting that perfect cup of espresso might seem easy, but without the perfect machine, it’s very hard work! That’s why it’s important to get a machine, like the Casabrews 5700GENSE Espresso Machine, that ticks all the boxes and does everything right. Only then, will it be able to make espresso exactly the way you want it! For us, it’s just a press of a button, but for the machine, it’s a whole team of parts that come together to make a cup that will give you that early morning boost you’ve been waiting for!