The Best Coffee Making Tools

Best Espresso Machine For Under $100

2012-03-14T06:39:00.000-07:00

De'Longhi EC155 15 BAR Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Maker

This was my first Espresso machine and holds a very fond place in my heart.

It is a fairly compact little unit, measuring 8x10x11 inches and weighing in at around 9 pounds, but still allowing enough room to be able to hold enough water for about 10 shots, this little guy punches well above his weight.

This machine takes your ground espresso or custom made pods, but I honestly never tried it with the pods. I didn't need to. This baby produces a beautiful smooth coffee quickly. Seriously quickly. As in it heats up and is ready to go in under a minute.

If you are an Americano or Long Black drinker like myself you will adore the crema that this machine produces. It is quite easily on par with what a cafe or coffee shop can or should produce.

The only drawbacks revolve around the units compact nature. The milk frothing spout is a little too low to the bench for normal cups. You also will need espresso cups as normal mugs wont fit under the spout.

All in all this is a fantastic unit for the price that is paid for it. I had mine for quite a few years, and I am certain that with a little more care taken it would have lasted even longer.

De'Longhi EC155 15 BAR Pump $82

The Best Grinder for under $20

2012-03-10T20:26:00.000-08:00

Krups 203 Electric Coffee and Spice Grinder with Stainless-Steel Blades

Krups 203-42 Electric Coffee Grinder

This thing is a monster when it comes to value per dollar. I personally have been using this bad boy for over two years and it works as perfectly now as it did on day one.

A heavy duty grinder that can easily grind frozen beans, it produces a delicately fine grind that is just perfect for paper filters.
My current morning ritual has me using this grind with a Delonghi espresso machine with a permanent metal filter and it works beautifully.

It is really quiet, so I'm not afraid of using it in the morning before my partner wakes up.
Its specs are

Grinds up to 3 ounces of coffee beans at a time
Electric grinder with 200-watt motor provides fast grinding
Oval shape and stainless-steel blades ensure perfect uniform grinding
Also can easily be used for spices, nuts, and grains
Measures 6 by 3-1/6 by 3-5/9 inches; 1-year limited warranty

$19.99 BUY NOW

Coffee Porn

2012-03-02T21:36:00.001-08:00

Best Cheap Hand Grinder

2012-02-23T00:03:00.000-08:00

Kyocera Ceramic Coffee Grinder

A friend recommended this baby to me and I have never looked back!

Kyocera Ceramic Coffee Grinder

For $50 this is a very very good hand grinder. Why would you want a hand grinder when you can get a fancy electric one you ask. Easy

French Press.

If you have a French Press then you really need a hand grinder. Yes we have an electric grinder in our kitchen, but it rarely gets used compared to this baby for two reason really.

Hand Grinding gives you a far superior amount of control over the grinding of your beans.
It is actually fun to do! Call me crazy if you will but there is something intensely soothing about starting the morning out grinding your own beans. Coffee Zen my hubby calls it.

Anyways, the one drawback to this is that it can be slightly unwieldy to hold down while you are grinding, so my Mother who has arthritis cannot do it. Apart from that though it is a fantastic unit for the price. It is easy to clean which sadly cannot be said about most things in my kitchen (I should stop mentioning my husband shouldn't I?)

It is just perfect for grinding my beans for my French Press.

The Best French Press Grinder for under $100

2012-02-10T22:47:00.001-08:00

Bodum Bistro Electric Burr Coffee Grinder

Burr Coffee Grinder $99.95

This Beast right here is what we have for when we break out the French Press.

Using a French Press means that you want a course blend, with uniform large particles, so that the dust sized particles will not go through your filter and into your coffee creating an undrinkable sludge or simply accumulate and block up your filter.

Blade Grinders will create loads of dust sized particles, which is why for a French Press, you want a burr grinder.

Burr Grinders have little wheels that spin at high speed to crush the beans to a consistent size. The one drawback to burr grinders is that they can easily burn the coffee grinds if it is run for too long. That is why this grinder has an automatic timer that guts out after 20 seconds, creating a consistent, non-bunt blend every time.

LIME GREEN LIKE A LIME

We have had this for a while in lovely Lime Green and I absolutely adore it. The One drawback is that after it grinds a blend, it locks you out of grinding another blend for a few minutes. But for home use, that has never really been an issue for us.

This is a solidly built machine (The first thing my partner did when unwrapping it from the box was to drop it to the kitchen floor) with the following technical spec's:

Continuously adjustable with over 14 grind settings from coarse to fine
Borosilicate glass catcher reduces static that causes jumping coffee grounds
Proven as the best way to grind coffee, the burr grinder is adjustable to deliver the proper grind for your favorite brewing method
Timed grinding feature and quick grind button let you set the exactly the amount of time you need to grind the proper amount of coffee
Available in black, orange, red, lime green, and white

Buy Now $99.95