Capsule coffee machines: everything you want to know

Coffee machines, and in particular capsule machines for home use, have now conquered the Italian market. More and more homes are where we find them and, as a result, the types of models to choose from have also increased by leaps and bounds.

They vary in functionality and features to the point that we could say there really is something for everyone. This, however, sometimes makes the task of choosing the one best suited to one's needs arduous. Let's see, then, how they work and how to distinguish capsule coffee machines.

Manual or automatic?

The first distinction regarding the various models of capsule coffee machines concerns the mechanism provided for loading and unloading the capsule. Thus, there are:

1. Manual machines that come with a specific filter holder arm that must be loaded and unloaded entirely by hand.
2. Semi-automatic machines in which the capsule is inserted manually and, then, loaded and unloaded with the movement of a lever actuating the foreign ejector mechanism.
3. Automatic machines that autonomously unload the capsule into a special tray that we must, simply, remember to empty once full.

If the former are now almost completely out of the market, the third type of capsule coffee machine is certainly the easiest and most intuitive to use. A few more problems can create the second category, and it is this one that needs to be explored in depth.

Types of semiautomatic coffee machines

There are two different types of semiautomatic coffee machines: those with direct insertion and those with a brewing group.

Direct-insertion machines are characterized by the fact that the capsule is introduced directly into contact with the machine's brewing unit, either through simple manual insertion or through the use of a special drawer. The used capsule is ejected when a new one is inserted.

As is often the case, operation is more complicated said than done since this is a very simple machine to use and appreciated for its solidity, also determined by the components. The limitation is the ejection mechanism: it can happen that the two capsules get stuck and it is not the best, from a hygienic point of view, that the used remains in the machine until the next coffee.

The alternative is the capsule coffee machine with a brewing unit. The capsule, in this case, is placed in a special housing and is loaded, as well as unloaded, by the action of a hand-operated lever. This simple mechanism represents the main advantage of this type of instrument which is, however, more expensive than the direct insertion one and the first coffee is brewed at a lower temperature since there is no contact between the capsule and the brewing unit.

It is precisely this last element, together with the pressure pumps, that represents another crucial element for the proper functioning of a coffee machine, which must be known in order to make an informed choice.

Heating units and pressure pumps: what are they?

The heat needed to prepare a cup of espresso coffee, when we use a domestic machine, is provided by the presence of so-called "thermal groups," which can be either boilers or heat exchangers.

Boilers are metal containers of varying capacities: water is heated through a heating element that is either immersed in the water or fused into the container material. This is an inexpensive solution that offers the opportunity to also obtain steam from the same boiler by simply adding a thermostat and a switch. There are greater risks of leakage, however, and since this is a pressurized vessel, safety valves need to be adopted and checked and monitored on a regular basis.

Heat exchangers also have the same purpose, but different structure. In fact, they are a block of material, usually aluminum or brass, that inside has a heating element crossed by a spiral path inside which water flows and, instantaneously, heats up. Very compact and low leakage risk, heat exchangers are more expensive than boilers and require an electronic board that partializes the pump flow rate to generate steam.

We come, then, to the importance of pressure pumps. Those at 15 or 20 bar pressure are always used. If the coffee machine needs to pierce the capsule, then it will have a need for a 20-bar pump, which, in fact, is the most widely used standard on the market today.

Pressure is not an end in itself because it also affects taste. The higher the level, the more intense and richer the aroma of the coffee. Just as another criterion we can take into account, less technical, but functional to the needs of each family, is the extra features included. Today's capsule coffee machines, in fact, can be accessorized with an aeroccino for whipping milk, hot or cold, to prepare a homemade cappuccino; with a drawer or cylinder capsule holder; custom shaped cups, suitable and coordinated with the machine itself.

It should not be underestimated, if we decide to buy this product, the maintenance of the coffee machine , which, although with less expertise than that required for the professional ones at the bar, should be carried out regularly and following the instructions of the parent company, relying, if necessary, also on products such as PKSan sanitizers, optimized solutions for the cleaning and hygiene of coffee machines, also, in capsules. Are you familiar with them?