Choosing
What actually differs between two machines, before you spend.
Buying guide / pick
Hand grinder: what matters for espresso vs filter
A hand grinder for espresso and one for filter coffee are not asked the same things: adjustment, uniformity, time and e…
Buying guide / pick
Bialetti induction moka pots: which to choose between Fiammetta, Octagonal and Brikka
Our catalogue has eleven Bialetti moka pots, and three have "Induction" in the name. Here is what they cost at list pri…
Buying guide / pick
Sage Bambino, Barista Express or Barista Touch: which to choose
In the CoffeeSpecs catalog the Sage thermocoil machines run from just over €500 to almost €1,300 list price. Here you c…
Buying guide / pick
How to choose a filter coffee machine
ECBC and SCA are not the same certification, even though they get cited as if they were interchangeable. Knowing who de…
Buying guide / pick
How to choose a milk frother
A standalone milk frother is not the steam wand of an espresso machine, nor the cappuccinatore of a bean-to-cup machine…
Buying guide / pick
How to choose a bean-to-cup machine
The number of drinks on the display is the thing that matters least. What will decide whether you still use it in three…
Buying guide / pick
How to choose a coffee grinder
It is the appliance that decides more than any other what comes out of the machine, and it is almost always the one tho…
Buying guide / pick
Bean-to-cup or portafilter machine
It is not a question of cup quality but of where your time goes: one decides for you and has to be cleaned, the other l…
Buying guide / pick
Single boiler, heat exchanger or dual boiler
Three ways of solving the same problem: espresso wants water at one temperature, steam wants it at another. How a machi…