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Question: Home coffee machine versus professional ratchet machine?

(Posted by: Steve O on 2010-03-05 05:58:08)

Is the coffee produced from a professional ratchet coffee machine any better to that produced by a quality home machine which grinds beans to your preset fineness, tamps them down, prebrews them, then forces water through at a full 15 bar? I fully understand the differences between the machines and that a commercial machine will last longer and be of higher capacity, the question is, is the coffee any better and if so why? Thanks!

Posted by: singletrack65 on 2010-03-05, 07:26:02

From your description, I'm guessing you're inquiring about espresso machines. There are three types of espresso machines: Manual (you pull on a lever - what I think you mean by 'ratchet'), semi-automatic (you grind & tamp), and super-automatic (pretty much a push button system). The semi-automatics are generally the best for the money (imho) because manuals are almost impossible to get consistent results since your arm has to put the exact amount of pressure every time. This is hard enough to do, but every different blend batch of beans requires a slight adjustment, making it even harder. Semi-automatics often have advantages (like dual boilers) as you spend more, but as long as you get a quality machine & put in the proper effort, they'll have the potential for an excellent shot. The super-automatics are big, expensive, more likely to need service, and usually can't tamp the grounds with the same force an arm can. Their advantage is that they require the least amount of knowledge or effort. The quality of the espresso is usually (but not always) tied to how much it costs. Commercial machines are just bigger & heavier duty for constant work. They still follow the same rules as their home versions.

Posted by: jen on 2010-03-05, 07:55:58

I think it has something to do with the heat of the water. commercial machines have better heating elements...