As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Most espresso machines come with a milk pitcher, and it's usually the wrong one for a cortado. It's often a 20 oz jug, built for lattes. A cortado needs about 60 ml of milk. Pour that into a big pitcher and it barely covers the bottom. The steam wand tip can't stay under the surface, and you get loud, bubbly, dry foam … [Read more...] about Milk Pitcher Size for a Cortado: A 12 oz Jug Beats a 20 oz One for Small Drinks
Buying Guide
DF64 Single-Dose Grinder: 64mm Flat Burrs and Near-Zero Retention for Under $400
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. A few years ago, flat-burr single-dose grinders were expensive and rare. The DF64 changed that. Made by G-iota and sold in the US under the Turin brand, it put 64mm flat burrs on the counter for well under $400, and it became one of the most talked-about home grinders around. What Single Dosing Means A normal grinder … [Read more...] about DF64 Single-Dose Grinder: 64mm Flat Burrs and Near-Zero Retention for Under $400
Rancilio Silvia V6: A Single-Boiler Machine With No PID That Still Teaches Home Espresso Best
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The Rancilio Silvia looks almost old-fashioned next to newer machines. No screen. No temperature setting. No pre-infusion. It costs about $1,000 in the US, and it's still one of the machines enthusiasts recommend most often to people who want to learn espresso properly. Clive Coffee calls it the best introduction to home … [Read more...] about Rancilio Silvia V6: A Single-Boiler Machine With No PID That Still Teaches Home Espresso Best
Baratza Encore ESP: A $200 Grinder With 20 Espresso Steps, and What the 2025 ESP Pro Adds
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Ask what grinder to buy with a first espresso machine and the Baratza Encore ESP comes up more than any other. It's small, it's around $200, and unlike most grinders at that price it was built with espresso in mind. The Trick: Two Ranges on One Dial The Encore ESP has 40 settings, but they aren't spread evenly. … [Read more...] about Baratza Encore ESP: A $200 Grinder With 20 Espresso Steps, and What the 2025 ESP Pro Adds
Bottomless Portafilters: A 58mm Handle Won’t Fit Every 58mm Machine
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. A bottomless portafilter is a handle with the bottom cut away. No spouts, no metal underneath the basket. You watch the espresso come straight out of the coffee bed and into the cup. That sounds like a gimmick. It isn't. It's the cheapest way to see what your puck prep is really doing. What You See On a good shot, … [Read more...] about Bottomless Portafilters: A 58mm Handle Won’t Fit Every 58mm Machine
Bialetti Brikka: The Moka Pot With a Pressure Valve Makes a Stronger, Foamier Cup for Milk
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The classic Moka Express lets coffee trickle up into the top chamber as soon as there's enough steam pressure to push it. The Brikka holds it back. A valve on top of the column stays shut until the pressure builds, then the coffee comes out in one quick, foamy rush. The result is shorter, stronger and topped with a … [Read more...] about Bialetti Brikka: The Moka Pot With a Pressure Valve Makes a Stronger, Foamier Cup for Milk
Cortado Glasses: The 4.5 oz Libbey Gibraltar, the 130 ml Duralex Picardie and Their Rivals
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. A cortado is a double shot and about the same amount of warm milk. That comes to 4 to 4.5 oz, roughly 120 to 135 ml. Put it in a mug and it disappears at the bottom and goes cold. Put it in an espresso cup and it overflows. The drink has its own size, and a few glasses have become its standard. Libbey Gibraltar, 4.5 … [Read more...] about Cortado Glasses: The 4.5 oz Libbey Gibraltar, the 130 ml Duralex Picardie and Their Rivals
Hand Grinders for Espresso: Microns per Click Matter More Than Burr Size
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Good espresso grinders are expensive, loud and big. A good hand grinder is none of those. For one or two shots a day, it can grind as well as an electric grinder that costs twice as much. The price you pay is half a minute of cranking. But not every good hand grinder is a good espresso grinder. The spec that decides it … [Read more...] about Hand Grinders for Espresso: Microns per Click Matter More Than Burr Size
Barista Oat Milk: Added Oil and a Phosphate Buffer Are Why Barista Editions Steam Without Splitting
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Steam a carton of ordinary oat milk and you'll probably get thin, bubbly foam that collapses in a minute. Pour it into hot espresso and it may split into flecks. Barista editions exist to fix both problems, and the fix is on the ingredients list. What's Different in a Barista Edition Two things, mostly. Added oil, … [Read more...] about Barista Oat Milk: Added Oil and a Phosphate Buffer Are Why Barista Editions Steam Without Splitting
Breville Bambino vs De’Longhi Dedica Arte: The Bambino Wins on Heat Control, the Dedica on Width
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. These two machines end up on the same shortlist again and again. Both are small, both cost a few hundred dollars, and both have a manual steam wand that can make real milk texture. Which one is better depends on one question first: how much counter space do you have? Side by Side Breville Bambino (BES450)De'Longhi … [Read more...] about Breville Bambino vs De’Longhi Dedica Arte: The Bambino Wins on Heat Control, the Dedica on Width