Espresso Machines

Gaggia is the #1 selling home espresso machine manufacturer in Italy. Founded by the father of the modern espresso machine, Achille Gaggia, Gaggia S.p.A. has been a leader in the industry since 1947. World-renowned not only for their commercial quality components and beautiful design, Gaggia espresso machines and grinders are also celebrated for their unique combination of old-world style with modern technology. With their line of feature-packed super automatic espresso machines, perfected semi-automatics and traditional piston-style manual machines, Gaggia embodies the history and the future of espresso culture.

With a Gaggia espresso machine in your kitchen, you have the power to make all of your favorite café-style drinks right in your own home. Gaggia offers a range of semi-automatic, super automatic, and manual machines to meet any espresso lover’s taste and budget. Each features high quality brewing components, elegant Italian style, and straightforward operation.

Here is condensed article we came across on how to make an Great Espresso.

Things You’ll Need:

• Demitasse Cups
• Espresso Machine
• Espresso Grinder
• Espresso beans
• Spring or Filtered Waters

• Pour cold, clear water into your espresso machine’s water chamber and make sure the boiler cap is secured. One shot of espresso is about 1 ounce. For a double shot, use two ounces. Some machines let you make as many as four shots at once.
• Place the coffee basket in the filter holder and lightly pack in the ground coffee. Your filter should have a measure for how much espresso you are making.
• Brush off any grounds on the sides and top of the filter and place the filter holder in the machine.
• Place the provided glass carafe (if your machine comes with one) under the spout and turn on the espresso machine. The machine will heat the water to the proper temperature and force the water through the coffee grounds. Use a cup if your machine doesn’t come with a carafe.
• When the coffee starts to flow into the cup, it should have brown foam, or “crema,” on its top. When the foam becomes almost white in color, the good-tasting liquid is no longer flowing. Remove the cup immediately.

 Compliments of eHow Food & Drink Editor

Steamed coffee is also known as stovetop espresso, and is more robust than coffee made in a drip coffeemaker but less so than true espresso. It’s the standard breakfast beverage in Italy and is made with special brewers called mokas (Stovetop espresso maker).

Things You’ll Need:

• Moka pot
• Water
• Espresso grounds
• Sugar
• Spoon or whip
• Demitasse cups

Steaming the Coffee

• Fill the bottom of the moka with water to the fill line or to the safety valve. Overfilling will allow the water to touch the coffee grounds, which will ruin the taste.
• Fill the strainer to the top with espresso grounds, taking care not to tamp them down. Clean off any grounds that have touched the edges of the filter, then place it over the water.
• Screw the top of the moka onto the bottom. Don’t use the handle to tighten the pot, because it may break.
• Place the moka on the stove and turn it on.

Mixing the Drinks

• Use the mixing container that comes with the moka to prepare the coffee for serving.
• Add sugar to the container, about 1 tsp. for every cup (demitasse size) of coffee the moka will brew.
• Add a little coffee as soon it begins to brew and stir vigorously, using a spoon or a whip, to make a thick, foamy slurry.
• Remove the moka from the stove as soon as it begins to gurgle and add it to the mixing container.
• Pour your stovetop espresso into warmed cups. Scoop some foam into each cup and serve.