The earthy aroma of the ground coffee beans and the sexy sophisticated image that the marketing men of the multinationals have bestowed upon the art of espresso coffee drinking has translated into the area of domestic consumption. Naturally, Wega leads the field of fully automatic espresso machine makers.
Leaving to one side the individual makers so enamoured of espresso and cappuccino that they invest in a commercial piece of kit, it is safe to say that the average punter is not going to be interested in the finer points of the semi-automatic lever models on the machine or even the merits of volumetric electronic dosing functions and how it relates to the perfect espresso.
In short, the aim is to produce a reasonably authentic version of what is served in the average Italian coffee bar. Now, along with pizza and fish’n’chip makers, coffee never really tastes the same when drinking it at home from an old, basic machine. Even if it’s fully automatic.
For those interested in the minimal amount of effort, there are a number of Wega models that incorporate an electric pump that will automatically force the water through the ground coffee and into the cup. Why wouldn’t you want everything to be fully automatic? Then again, some would-be baristas swear by the manual pump machines as the best espresso makers. With Wega, you can be a barista at home or at a coffee shop.
The unit plugs in to power the heating element within the water cylinder before the large lever at the top of the machine is pulled down manually to force through the water. A valve on the side of the Wega espresso machine makers can be opened in order to inject heat and air into a jug of milk when cappuccino coffee is desired.
Both fully automatic and manual Wega coffee machines are available in a variety of price brackets, but if budget is a key element when it comes to choosing a machine, there is no cheaper, and indeed more traditional, way to make espresso at home than opting for a fully automatic Wega Gemini.
View Gemini Espresso Machine Brochure
