Automatic cappuccino maker or manual – which is better? Operating principle and care. Advantages and disadvantages of models

Modern coffee machines are purchased more and more functionsnecessary for high-quality preparation of various types of coffee. Many of them are prepared with the main participation of milk foam. For example, such types as: cappuccino, latte, mocha. That is why one of the important criteria today is a well-chosen cappuccino maker. With its help, preparing drinks that require whipping delicious milk foam will not take much effort. Below we compare the main types.

Operating principle of built-in machines

Automatic cappuccino maker or milk frother - what is it for: to prepare cappuccino, latte, macchiato or other traditional drinks, mostly invented by Italians, but which are known all over the world.

The operating principle of an automatic cappuccino maker is based on the difference in pressure, under the influence of which milk from the outside flows into the coffee machine through a plastic tube. There it foams and moves into the mug through the spout of the coffee maker.

Most often, coffee makers with automatic milk frothing function have double boilers to provide enough power and speed to brew espresso and generate steam.

Such machines are more expensive; they are bought to serve cafes in order to speed up the process of preparing drinks for visitors. For home use, a good machine with one heating element is sufficient.

How to use

It doesn’t matter in what order you perform the operations - brew coffee and froth milk. In powerful units this is done simultaneously, but in ordinary units the machine must cool down a little after generating steam, so you can speed up the process like this: first brew espresso, then immediately whip up milk foam.

How does a cappuccino maker work in a coffee machine and how to use it correctly:

• Place the silicone tube in a bag of milk.

• Press the automatic foam preparation button (or another type of process control).

• The liquid will flow through the tube into the unit.

• After a while it will pour into the cup.

Immediately after cooking, you need to rinse the tube and milk group with hot water so that the fat does not dry out inside.

Video: Homemade cappuccino maker

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages of an automatic device:

• Fast process of obtaining milk foam.

• You can leave everything to chance - the machine will prepare the drink itself.

Flaws:

• After whipping the foam, it is necessary to rinse automatic cappuccino makers.

• For daily use, once a week, be sure to completely disassemble and wash all parts of the cappuccino maker. The milk fat inside will emit an unpleasant odor if it is not removed in a timely manner.

To wash built-in milk units, manufacturers produce special tablets that destroy residual fat and eliminate odors.

Automatic cappuccino maker - pros and cons

Of the three types of milk blocks, the most expensive, but the most convenient, is the automatic one. He takes care of all the manipulations for preparing high-quality foam of different densities.

A coffee machine with automatic cappuccino and latte preparation has a number of advantages:

• control on the display is easy to set up using buttons;
• selection of several coffee recipes;
• memory function for selected recipes;
• function of remembering settings of different users;
• timer that selects the on time;
• automatic shutdown.

This coffee machine is selected taking into account the following characteristics:

1. High-quality interface with a convenient display in which the Russian language is available.
2. The ability to program automatic modes, simplifying the process of preparing cappuccino from turning on the machine with a timer to finally cleaning the machine.
3. Factory warranty available from 1 to 2 years.
4. Availability of a network of specialized service centers that provide warranty service.
5. Possibility of obtaining operational information via a hotline.

The three most popular models of coffee machines with an automatic milk block in terms of quality and price were determined by consumers themselves.

Cappuccino coffee maker De'Longhi Nespresso Latissima Touch

Price from 16,000 rub.

Main characteristics:

• works on Nespresso capsules;
• power 1400 W;
• water container volume - 0.9 l;
• touch control;
• waste container;
• the presence of a removable tray for collecting drops;
• there is a compartment for storing the cord;
• regulates the portions of hot water;
• notifies you when descaling is necessary;
• excellent build quality;
• ease of use.

Attention ! It is possible to make operation more budget-friendly by using alternative Nespresso coffee capsules.

Coffee machine Philips HD 8828

Price from 23,000 rub.

Main characteristics:

• works on grain and ground coffee;
• built-in coffee grinder;
• pressure 15 bar;
• power 1850 W;
• water container 1.8 l;
• self-cleaning function;
• The degree of grinding of the beans, strength and volume of the drink are regulated.

Cons: no timer, no auto-off and no cup warming.

Coffee machine Melitta Caffeo Barista T

Price from 76,000 rub.

A cappuccino coffee machine that provides everything for the convenience of a coffee lover - a real home barista. The number of functions that the system provides justifies the high price.

Main characteristics:

• power 1450 W;
• works on grain and ground coffee;
• water container volume - 1.8 l;
• pressure 15 bar;
• 18 built-in coffee recipes;
• automatic decalcification;
• regulates water hardness and temperature;
• pre-hydrates coffee;
• automatic shutdown;
• possibility of preparing 2 cups of drink at once;
• heating cups;
• built-in coffee grinder;
• display with settings and backlight;
• waste container;
• removable tray for collecting drips;
• compartment in the housing for storing the cord;
• storing coffee recipes for 4 different users.

The downside is the lack of Wi-Fi connection.

Operating principle of a semi-automatic device

How to use a manual cappuccino maker and what this means in a coffee machine: the steam tube, if you put a nozzle with holes on it, turns into a panarello - a device for forming milk foam.

Steam is generated in the boiler and then enters the tube. The milk is gradually heated and frothed to the desired degree. Which one is controlled by the user.

How to use

A manual cappuccino maker in a coffee machine is more difficult to use - you need to get used to it. The temperature at which the best foam is obtained is 60 - 70 degrees. If you overdo it, you will get the taste of boiled milk, which not everyone likes.

The process step by step on how to use the cappuccino maker:

• Pour milk into the pitcher. Release a little steam before whipping.

• Place a container under the nozzle 5 - 8 mm and turn on the steam supply.

• Adjust the angle of the tube so that a funnel is formed in the liquid.

• When the volume has doubled, the nozzle is lowered deeper to warm up all the liquid.

• Turn off steam.

Helpful Tips:

• It is better to whip the foam in a special stainless steel pitcher, as it is easier to control the temperature. If it is impossible to touch, then the liquid inside has reached the required temperature.

• In the first couple of times, whisking the milk, you get very large air bubbles. You can eliminate them by lightly tapping the bottom of the pitcher on the table. This will make the bubbles the same size.

• The foam is immediately poured into the espresso mug (or vice versa) before it loses its structure.

You can usually prepare the foam well the second or third time.

Advantages and disadvantages

A manual device is easier to clean and control milk fat residues - this is the main advantage over automatic preparation. Coffee machines with a manual frother are cheaper, but the result is the same. It may not be worth overpaying if the machine will work at home.

The disadvantage can be considered the longer process of preparing milk coffee drinks, although if you have 5 minutes of time this is not a problem.

How to care

After whipping the foam, wipe the nozzle with a wet, clean cloth or wash under the tap. You need to pass a small amount of steam and hot water through the tube to wash away the fat remaining inside the pannarello.

Useful tips from the barista

• If there are a few large bubbles remaining on the surface of the milk foam, tap the bottom of the carafe on the table several times, rocking the carafe in a circular motion.
• Do not fill the jug more than half full with milk.
• After making milk foam, pour it into the cup immediately, otherwise the consistency of the foam will collapse.
• Clean your cappuccino maker after each use as it is an excellent breeding ground for lactic acid bacteria. To do this, simply fill the carafe with water and turn on the steam generator, like frothing milk.

Electric foamer

There are devices operating from the electrical network, intended exclusively for milk. The principle of their operation is to work independently from the coffee machine.

If you don’t have a coffee maker at home, and espresso is prepared in a geyser device, you can whip up the foam by pouring milk into a separate electric container. With the help of a rotating whisk, after 2 minutes you get a fluffy, dense consistency that is no different from that prepared in a coffee machine.

The disadvantage of such a device is its high cost - about 150 - 200 dollars if you buy the original model from European manufacturers.

Story

The name “cappuccino” comes from the Capuchin Order, as the color of the drink resembles the beige-brown robes of the holy brothers. The very word cappucio (Latin: Caputium) is translated from Italian as “hood” - an indispensable attribute of the daily attire of the servants of the order.

Capuchin in a hood drinks cappuccino

The term “cappuccino” first appeared in Italian in 1930, but a similar drink, Kapuziner, existed in Austria back in the 18th century. Then it consisted of coffee, sugar, cream and egg yolks (although it is not known in what proportions). At that time, Italy was under Austrian rule; during the division of countries, cappuccino “changed his citizenship” to Italian.

Manual model - how to use

A hand mixer also works well with milk. This device runs on batteries or is connected to the network. Consists of a long nozzle and a handle with a start button.

At the end there is a metal nozzle in the form of a spirally twisted wire. It is this that ensures the increase in milk foam volume. There are devices with a heating function. Without heating it is suitable for those people who prefer cold coffee drinks.

To get a high, fluffy foam, it is advisable to use whole homemade milk with a fat content of 4.5 - 5%. If someone restricts themselves in calories, the effect of cappuccino will be less pronounced, but the taste will not change.

Cold milk froths better, so do not heat it on the stove before making cappuccino.

Option! The foam can be made with a French press by pouring milk into it and pulling the upper moving part - the piston - several times. The result is an effect no worse than that of an automatic machine.

Nuances when choosing

What should you pay attention to when choosing an automatic coffee maker with a “fast steam” system for the office? After all, their main functions are almost the same

It is necessary to pay attention to the material of the case. Models with a metal body are more durable and reliable. Based on the number of employees, the capacity of the water tank is selected; the more users, the larger the tank should be.

The device should be easy to operate so that every employee can easily prepare a cup of coffee or cappuccino. For large enterprises, it is worth considering models with the ability to connect to a water supply.

The “fast steam” system is needed in those offices where cappuccino will be in demand, otherwise you should not overpay for this function, since its presence makes the coffee machine significantly more expensive.

What is better to choose home

To decide which cappuccino maker is better - a built-in automatic, a manual one with batteries, or a panarello in a coffee machine, it is recommended to watch how cappuccino is prepared in a cafe. There you can find all types of devices designed for this purpose.

It's also worth considering:

• How many cups per day are prepared using milk. If there are more than three, then a semi-automatic machine or, if you have the funds, an automatic coffee maker with a built-in milk unit will do.

• Where will the unit operate - at home, in a restaurant or cafe. If there are a lot of visitors, then the higher the speed of preparing drinks, the better. In this case, you need to buy a professional model with two boilers - for espresso and cappuccino.

• How important it is to save time at home in the morning. If you have 5–10 minutes in the morning to brew coffee and whip up foam, you shouldn’t overpay for an automatic machine.

• You can try a manual cappuccino maker if you don’t have a coffee maker at home, and buying a good device is not financially profitable.

Saving on household appliances is not profitable, but how to choose a milk cappuccino maker if all high-quality appliances are expensive. Most often, cheap models do not satisfy the taste of espresso itself, so you need to focus primarily on coffee.

According to customer reviews, having bought a budget coffee maker, they stopped preparing beans in it, but continued to use the semi-automatic cappuccino maker. The taste of cappuccino consists of two components - milk and coffee. If one of them does not meet all the parameters, it is not worth spending the money. Ratings of the best cappuccino makers are of little help for several reasons:

• People praise what they bought. They may not realize that there is something better.

• There are a lot of models of coffee machines - it’s impossible to try all the cappuccinos to choose.

Which cappuccino maker is better – the one that you will enjoy using and will be easy to clean.

Comparison, differences

Built-in (automatic) cappuccino makers provide for the connection of milk and steam in the inside of the device. This makes whipping more efficient. When the work is completed, a ready-made drink comes into the cup, which does not require additional manipulation . Significant disadvantages include:

• High price.
• The need for difficult maintenance (cleaning, checking parts, etc.).
• There is no possibility of temperature control.

Speaking about manual models, we can highlight several main advantages. First of all, the device has a lower price and provides the opportunity to purchase a more modern model . You can also take autonomous devices with you. This makes cleaning the mechanism much easier. Disadvantages of this type:

• Before use, milk must be heated.
• Shorter service life.
• You need to get used to the device, as the process requires constant monitoring.
• Constant control over the process.

Ground cappuccino coffee for a coffee maker: which one to choose?

How cappuccino coffee is prepared is already clear. But not all drink lovers know which coffee to choose for preparing the drink in a coffee maker. Lovers of rich taste and aroma can use Arabica beans for this. There are a number of producers who successfully sell coffee, further details:

• Coffee beans from Guatemala El Chapina are famous for their honey aroma and sweetish taste.
• In Honduras, the grains have a particularly pronounced taste and sourness.
• In Peru, Arabica has a special creamy taste.
• Ethiopian beans are mild in taste and have a citrusy aroma.
• In India, Arabica beans have a bitter taste (Planation AA).
• In Santos, Brazil, the beans have a sweet aftertaste.
• The beans produced in Colombia (in the city of Supremo) have a caramel aroma.
• In Tarrazu (Costa Rica), coffee beans are grown without any aftertaste or unnecessary aromas.

I would also like to highlight Espresso Exclusive, it contains a blend of 4 varieties of coffee beans. For lovers of not too rich varieties of coffee beans, we can recommend Coffee Cubano Fidel, which contains 30% Robusta and 70% Arabica.

Ground coffee

Which types of coffee beans are best for you to choose. Fortunately, there are now no problems with the variety of this product.

2.2. The best milk frothers, in my opinion, are those with a magnetic whisk drive

Delonghi Distinta EMFI – standard from Delonghi

High-quality workmanship and materials, matte steel body, on which dirt is not visible, stylish appearance, different colors for every taste (I know, at a minimum, black EMFI.BK, white EMFI.W, bronze EMFI.BZ and copper-like color "EMFI.CP). Capacity 280 ml for heating and 140 ml for foaming, power 500 W. Can froth and heat milk, can only froth (for cold cocktails) or only heat. Good in absolutely everything, except for the price and the fact that there are few places where it is sold:

Philips Milk Twister CA6500

A branded milk frother from the second famous manufacturer of coffee equipment - Philips. Total capacity 250 ml for heating and 120 ml for foaming. Power 500 W, operating time before auto shutdown is just over two minutes. In principle, these are the same eggs as DeLonghi, but there is a caveat - it cannot heat milk without frothing. Few people need it, but nevertheless, the applicability is a little narrower.

Plus a small ergonomic disadvantage - the lack of a handle. Still, it is more convenient to pour milk foam when there is something to properly hold the device. Here is the base stand, why is it so much larger than the glass itself? Well, that's nitpicking. Foams in quality similar to Delonghi's cappuccino makers. Current prices for the Philips CA6500 Milk Twister:

It would seem like a great idea; the upper aluminum bowl for milk (total capacity up to 250 ml) is removable, and it is convenient to wash it entirely under the tap, without fear of flooding the engine compartment. But this is the case when a particular product for Xiaomi is not produced by the best plant (products for Xiaomi are made by dozens of different subcontractors). The quality of workmanship is at the level of Uncle Liao's basement factories - the handle sometimes falls off on the third day, the bottom of the bowl is scratched by its own whisk, failures are frequent after a month or two without any reason.

And this is in addition to the fact that this milk frother is produced only for the domestic Chinese market and all versions that we sell have a Chinese plug. In general, for the sake of completeness, I added it to the review, but in fact this is more of a warning, otherwise many fans of the brand with a blue eye believe that Xiaomi has excellent things without exception. Prices for the Xiaomi Scishare Wishing Milk S3101 cappuccino maker today:

Melitta Cremio

There are two versions of Cremio and Cremio II. The essence and principle, excellent quality of materials and excellent final result are similar. Differences in size: the first holds up to 400 ml of milk for heating and 200 ml for whipping, the second version is 250 and 130 ml, respectively. The first is more powerful – 600 W, the second – 450 W. And most importantly, the first Cremio comes with three nozzles for hot milk, cappuccino and latte macchiato - which affects the height of the milk foam. But it is also more expensive, starting from about 5,000 rubles, while the second Melitta Cremio can be found from 4,000. And this is almost the most affordable magnetic milk frother on the Russian market, it’s a pity that it is becoming more difficult to find on sale.

The prices on my website are collected by a robot, so in the table below they are lumped together; he could not separate these two versions:

CASO Fomini Jet

A very successful form factor, in my opinion. Previously, there were many clones in such a case, for example, Vitek VT-5000 or Oursson MF 2500, but now there is only one Caso left on sale, apparently. Capacity 250 ml for heating and 130 ml for foaming, power 500 W.

Which coffee machine is suitable?

Saeco Lirika One Touch Cappuccino

Saeco Lirika One Touch Cappuccino has a large water tank and a corresponding compartment for beans, 2 programs for milk drinks and coffee, and a ceramic coffee grinder. The user may not like the noisy operation of grinding grains. With small volumes of use, the poured water may become rotten, the grains may lose their aroma ( 31-48 thousand rubles for 2020 ).

Bosch TIS 30129 RW VeroCup 100

Bosch TIS 30129 RW VeroCup 100 is capable of brewing a coffee drink with 5 different strengths, partially warms the cup, reveals the aroma and taste of the beans due to direct grinding before preparation, and can simultaneously pour into 2 cups . This is not to say that making cappuccino with this cappuccino maker is a pleasure - the frother should be wiped after each use ( 22 thousand rubles ).

Delonghi ECAM 22.360

Delonghi ECAM 22.360. The model has a number of advantages: changes in the amount of foam are available, partial heating of the glass, double espresso once, high-quality production, 5-year . The downside is the lack of custom settings ( 38-55 thousand rubles ).