Specialty espresso machines for home use can fetch very high prices from SGD500 onwards to a few thousands for a high-end one. Fret not, there are more affordable ones in the market right now such as Dolce Gusto from Nescafe, CBTL from Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf or Nespresso. These machines have different range of pump pressure in making your cup of espresso. Of course, each machine will come with their own set of advantages and disadvantages.
Well, we are not going into the technical comparisons here but just to shine a little light that it is possible to get a decent espresso machine without burning a huge hole in your wallet. Since I have a Dolce Gusto, we shall take a dip into their Intenso Espresso capsule.
Don’t dismiss this capsule due to it’s small size because it sure does packs a punch. This devil allows you to make a shot of 50ml espresso based on the guideline on the box. So we did the best we could to gauge the amount of water being pumped through the capsule since our Dolce Gusto Circolo is a manual operated one.
Looks cool eh? The bluish light glowing as you see your coffee being pumped out. But the heart of this machine lies within the pump pressure of 15-bar. That’s the measure of the machine to force hot water through the ground coffee in the capsule. Some might say that the optimum pressure would be at least 15-bar to get a good ‘crema’ or foam from your espresso. We shall see how the Intenso Espresso fares when it reaches our palates.
The Coffee Review:
Aroma: Smokey and burnt. As expected from espresso grounds as the beans tend to be roasted till dark brown or even black.
Acidity: A healthy level of liveliness in it. Like I said, it does packs a punch.
Body: Full-bodied.
Flavour: There was a slight bitter taste to it with woody tones. It has some lemon sourness as well. A very complex blend indeed.
Aftertaste: It left a dryness to the mouth and some tobacco-like aftermath.
Overall: 4/5. The liveliness of the coffee with tobacco-like taste suggest that it’s a great after dinner beverage. It gives a tender touch to the digestive system after a meal and was able to keep the night conversation going.
So there you have it, a simple machine that doesn’t disappoint the tastebud. In fact, the crema present on the espresso was enough to give that creamy start even though oil is barely present due to the dark roast. Do look around the coffee machine section in malls and I’m pretty sure you’ll find some affordable espresso machines – even below SGD200. Happy hunting!