Coffee is still a booming business in the UK, with sales continually growing each year. The coffee connoisseur, thirsting for a higher-quality bean, is shifting their cash into the finest ground coffee. As more people have started enjoying top-tier espressos, lattes, and cappuccinos, many are trying to imitate the coffee shop experience in their Ultimate Kitchens.
High Street Expresso in your Ultimate Kitchen
We have many high street brands of espresso machines to choose from including Braun, Breville, DeLonghi, Nespresso and Starbucks. These are available in shops or online with prices ranging from less than £30 to £1,000 or more.
Espresso machines run the range, from straight forward counter top models (similar to those in an Italian restaurants Ultimate Kitchen), to steam machines (steam pressure produced, forces hot water through the ground coffee) or an electrically operated pump version (these produce the best tasting coffee but tend to have a high price tag). Depending on the type of pump selected, you’ll find entirely manual versions, which you control the complete cycle. There are fully automatic options, these grind the beans, brew the coffee and collect the spent coffee grounds in a unit that has to be emptied infrequently. Others, regularly referred to as semi-automatic, fall in between both, this refers to how much work they will do for you.
It is worth noting, that when selecting a suitable machine for your Ultimate Kitchen, some 
of the versions available use a simple capsule or pod — these are pre-ground, pre-measured portions of ground coffee that simplify the brewing process. There is no need to measure, fill and tamp (press) the ground coffee. Some machines available in the shops, take either pods or capsules exclusively; others can use either traditional ground coffee methods or the pods, depending on personal preference.
You should note that some models, including the Nespresso machines, will only use their own manufacturer’s pods or capsules. This means the company controls the selling price for the capsule or pod and that you can’t just buy any brand/ non-brand.
How to select your Ultimate Kitchen model
A popular type of coffee, Espresso, is prepared by forcing hot water under pressure through tamped (tightly packed), finely ground coffee. The end result is a little (about 1.25 ounces) cup, or commonly described as a shot, of very concentrated coffee. Usually this will have a layer of foam, known as crema, on the top. It is best to think that your dedication is an art of coffee, making a first-rate cup with a manually operated pump takes some technical knowledge and plenty of practice. To become a barista, you’ll need to know which beans to select, how to grind and store them properly. You will also need to know how much coffee ground to use per shot or cup and how to deliver the hot water at the optimum temperature and correct pressure. Once you figure this out, the final result will be worth it in terms of flavour and price.
You can reduce the effects of method, but not necessarily the creative process through choosing an automatic machine instead of a manual version for your Ultimate Kitchen. The completely automated pump model will grind the coffee beans as well, but still allow for you to adjust the type of grind, quantity of coffee and volume of water to your personal preference. For the mainstream consumers, automatic machines allow enough cycle control over the brewing process, while taking out some of the complexity.
The automatic coffee machines that use either a pod or capsule are the easiest of all to use, but obviously more expensive to make the coffee this way than to buy and grind the coffee beans yourself. The capsules from Nespresso cost about 75p per cup, but you could reduce the cost to about 20p per cup by purchasing a bag of beans, enough to give about 30 shots in your Ultimate Kitchen espresso machine.
It is also worth noting, an espresso machine capable of integrating a grinder, tends to be heavy and take up more worktop space. Another major issue is to highlight the cleaning; the espresso makers can get very involved, particularly with manual machines where you tamp (tightly pack the coffee grounds into a metal filter). Some machines, complete with their integrated capsule design have an automated cleaning program, these are the easiest to clean.
If you want to inject a bit of flavour into your tired old kitchen then at Ultimate Kitchens you can choose from the best modern kitchen designs or contemporary kitchen designs available to add a bit of flare to your home. We offer a full design service and offer a free design planning meeting where you can discuss your styling preferences and what tailor made features from kitchen appliance packs, granite worktops or even marble, through to the best kitchen lighting to suit your new ultimate kitchen.
See the main site and book your free design planning meeting for a time to suit you….
