Cappuccino machines: is it worth the extra cost?

Preparation

What makes a good cappuccino? Well, the most important feature of a cappuccino, and what sets it apart from other styles of coffee, is the foam topping. While this keeps the coffee hot longer and can add a unique flavor to it, it is traditionally quite difficult to prepare. If you only have a filter coffee maker, the only real way to prepare the foam would be to do it with a hand steamer, but this can be quite inconvenient and may not always produce the desired results. This is really only an option if cappuccino is something you rarely drink. Most cappuccino machines have the facility to prepare the topping at the same time as the coffee, which makes life a little easier. If you choose a fully automatic cappuccino machine, then it’s even easier, as the machine will take care of everything, including the froth topping, all at the push of a button.

sacrificial choice

While you may think you have to sacrifice drinking other styles of coffee if you get a cappuccino machine, this isn’t necessarily the case. Many cappuccino maker models that are currently available on the market recognize that people probably don’t want to drink cappuccino all the time. Italians traditionally only drink cappuccino and other milk-based coffees in the morning, sticking to espresso later in the day. So it makes sense that you can make the same decisions when making coffee at home. Many models now offer the possibility to create different styles of coffee with a combination machine, without sacrificing the quality of any of the drinks. The way this is done is similar to the process a real barista uses. These combo machines are essentially espresso machines with an expanded range of capacities. Each different drink starts out like an espresso, with different discs or capsules that are then added to the machine to create the desired finish. So, to produce a cappuccino, an espresso is made and then a separate milk disc or capsule is added to the machine to create the foam topping as a second step.

Price

While you may have had to invest in a proper commercial machine in the past to get great cappuccinos, this is no longer the case. There are now mass-produced cappuccino machines that have been designed specifically for the home market and at a much lower cost than commercial machines. In fact, many of these machines cost no more than a good quality filter coffee machine. When you consider how much you use your machine, if you’re a regular cappuccino drinker, then it’ll probably only cost you a few extra pennies per drink over the life of the machine.