In today's market, there is a wide array of coffee equipment available, making it challenging for beginners to choose the right tools. Many coffee novices find themselves overwhelmed by the variety of coffee gadgets, unsure of what to select and how to use them. In this situation, we recommend:
"Don't choose expensive things, don't choose fancy things, just choose practical things."
For coffee beginners, the equipment you choose doesn't need to have complex functions; it just needs to be regular, ordinary, and practical. While there are many ways to extract coffee, only two methods are common and easy to operate: pressure extraction (such as espresso machines and moka pots) and drip extraction (such as hand-brewed coffee and drip coffee machines).
Choosing an Espresso Machine
Generally, I don't recommend buying an espresso machine right away for beginners. People consider purchasing an espresso machine because it is easy to operate, has a fast extraction time, produces rich-tasting coffee, and allows for customization with dairy or other beverages. Additionally, it offers the opportunity to learn latte art. However, many small espresso machines on the market do not reach the 9-bar extraction pressure needed, resulting in a thin taste and watery coffee that lacks the richness and golden crema found in coffee shops.
Whether you're purchasing an all-in-one semi-automatic espresso machine (with built-in grinder) or a semi-automatic coffee machine with a separate grinder, you typically need a budget of over 7,000 yuan to get a good and affordable product.
Choosing a Moka Pot
If you want strong coffee and have a limited budget, a moka pot is more suitable. It is small, convenient, and can be heated and extracted as long as there is a heat source. After extraction, you can adjust the coffee by adding other ingredients according to your taste preferences.
When choosing a moka pot brand, I recommend Bilodi. The quality of this established brand is trustworthy. Although the price is slightly higher, with proper cleaning, drying, and storage, a moka pot can last for generations. There are single-valve and double-valve moka pots on the market. The main difference is at the outlet; a double-valve moka pot has a booster valve requiring greater pressure to open, resulting in richer espresso.
However, for beginners, it's recommended to choose a single-valve moka pot. The double-valve moka pot is more challenging to use, requiring precise details and parameters. Without a good understanding of the extraction principle, beginners may find it easy to fail with a double-valve moka pot.
Selecting Hand-Brewed Coffee Equipment
If your budget for a coffee grinder is limited, it's advisable to use a hand grinder from a well-known domestic brand. There are many types of hand grinders on the market, and generally, you get what you pay for. For a durable grinder, choose one priced over 700 to 800 yuan. If you don't use it frequently, a 500 to 600 yuan model will suffice. Grinders priced between 100 and 400 yuan are not recommended due to poor usability and higher replacement costs.
A Hairo V60 resin coffee dripper is sufficient. It is lightweight, inexpensive, durable, and highly flexible! No. 1 is for 1-2 servings of coffee, and No. 2 is for 2-3 servings. Its 60-degree cone design extends the contact time between water and coffee. The large-aperture filter design at the bottom allows you to control the coffee's flavor extraction time by adjusting the water volume, making it very beginner-friendly!
For a hand-brewing kettle, choose a gooseneck kettle with a lid and a capacity of 500-600ml. You don't need a temperature-controlled kettle; a regular one will do. Then, buy a quick-display thermometer to measure the water temperature. The capacity of the kettle determines the center of gravity during brewing, which in turn affects the stability of the water flow. A kettle with too small a capacity will lack a center of gravity and float when pouring water.
When buying coffee filter paper, check the model of the filter cup and choose the same model. It's recommended to choose white filter paper. Well-known brands (such as Hario and Kono) use advanced enzyme bleaching for their coffee filter paper. Unlike traditional chemical bleaching, enzyme bleaching uses biologically active enzymes, resulting in no odor or paper smell and is widely used in the medical field.
An ordinary kitchen household electronic scale can be used, and you can use your mobile phone for timing. If you find it troublesome, you can opt for a fast-display electronic scale with a timing function, without choosing one that's too expensive.
When choosing a coffee sharing pot, check whether the pot itself is heat-resistant and can withstand large temperature differences! Some poor-quality sharing pots have low heat points when brewing coffee, which can easily cause them to burst; or when making iced hand-brewed coffee, the combination of cold and heat can easily cause them to break.
Choosing a Coffee Drip Machine
If you want to drink stable, clean-tasting coffee, choosing a coffee drip machine is very convenient! You don’t need to worry about the water injection method and temperature affecting the coffee's taste. The coffee drip machine brews coffee by using hot water to extract coffee grounds and then filters it. It is very similar to hand-brewed coffee, except that the machine replaces manual operation, so the drip-filtered coffee is very similar in appearance to hand-brewed coffee.
However, unlike hand-brewed coffee, American drip machines do not pay much attention to the dripping method. The dripping mode is completely set by the manufacturer, so the playability is low, but it is really very convenient. Many well-known brands have launched coffee drip machines, and the price difference is not too significant, so you can choose with confidence.