Top Coffee Machines for Crafting Delicious Macchiatos

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Macchiato is a nice treat to meet your caffeinated dose. The iced flavors are a great cool-down drink for summertime and one of the most popular beverages across coffee chains.

It’s not possible to visit the shops all the time to get the energy-fix from macchiato so why not prepare the coffee at your place?

Short Answer: Personally, I think the coffee machines Breville Barista Express, DeLonghi Magnifica, and VertuoPlus would be perfect for making yourself a delicious cup of macchiato.

Selecting a good machine for your coffee, will make the preparing process super-efficient and give you more scope of versatility. It’s important to choose the best option for your drink since nowadays there are a lot of machines with distinctive features and technologies.

In this article, I will be listing three of the most popular consumer’s choices of machines for preparing your macchiato. Give a read for the points and go for the one that serves you the best.

What makes a coffee macchiato?

Macchiato is different from the regular brewed coffee varieties. I have an entire article dedicated to it if you’re interested.

It is a unique fusion between steamed milk and espresso shots. The flavor is usually much stronger than most coffee varieties.

It has got two shots of espresso over the steamed milk. The surface has a thin layer of milk foam that gives a smooth texture.

The double espresso shots make the drink a bit bitter and have a higher caffeine content than regular varieties. There are several popular varieties of macchiato. The most common ones are Lattee Macchiato, Espresso Macchiato, and Caramel Macchiato. The main differences among the varieties stem from the variations in taste and ingredients.

Nowadays cafes are coming up with a new version of macchiato every day. The espresso macchiato is probably the closest variety to the basic macchiato drink.

Iced caramel macchiato over a wooden table.
Iced caramel macchiato is undoubtedly one of the most popular coffee varieties.

Let’s have a look over the differences between the macchiato variation:

ContentLatte MacchiatoEspresso MacchiatoCaramel Macchiato
Milk content100-120ml regular milk20 ml 2% Milk Foam8 ounces or 2% milk
Caffeine85 mg per serving150 mg per serving150 mg serving
Sugar/Syrup/Sweeteneroptionaloptionalvanilla syrup and caramel
Served inshort glasstall glasstall glass
Different variations of macchiato.

What machine do I need to make a macchiato?

You need an espresso machine for preparing macchiato.

Macchiato contains double shots of espresso with steamed milk at the base. The end product of the espresso that we call ‘shot’ needs to have a rich and creamy flavor. These shots are also thicker in consistency than regular filter coffees. This is why regular coffee makers can’t give you the ultimate experience of the classic macchiato.

The main difference between espresso machines and coffee makers all comes from the variations in the brewing method.

Espresso roasts are usually much darker than filter coffee beans. This creates the intense flavor that espresso is famous for. Also, espresso machines tend to use finely grounded powder-like coffee grinds conversely to the coarse and thick grind used by coffee makers.

Espresso machines take lesser time to brew and pour. It also uses high pressure to force water through coffee whereas coffee makers rely on the power of gravity.

This doesn’t mean coffee makers aren’t useful though. It’s just that espresso machines are specially built to create the bold shot texture so for espresso-based varieties espresso machines are the savior.

While making your macchiato, the espresso machine will allow you to select the coffee texture depending on your mood, taste, and desired strength. A coffee enthusiast will prefer the rich macchiato offered by the espresso machines.

How do you make a macchiato with a machine?

The recipe for making macchiato with a machine is seemingly simple.

First of all, you need to brew the espresso by using an espresso machine, or a manual espresso maker.

Heat the milk on the stovetop and then froth the milk. The ideal temperature is 150 degrees Fahrenheit. You can use any of your desired methods like milk frother, French press, or a whisk.

Lastly, use a spoon to remove the top of the foam. The foam should float right on the surface.

The preparation time of macchiato is like 10 minutes and the diet is vegetarian so what are you waiting for?

Check out this easy recipe to try out.

What are the factors that you should consider before buying an espresso machine?

an espresso machine

While going through shops or websites, how would you know which brand or model of espresso machine is the best for you?

For that, you need to look for some factors in the key features that include:

  • Preparation time
  • Installation requirements
  • Drinks you want to prepare with it
  • Brand name
  • Country of production
  • Espresso quality
  • Built-in features

Best machines for a macchiato

Several espresso machines are available to purchase depending on the price, your convenience, and the features you want in it.

In this article, I have listed down three best options for you if you intend to buy one for your daily dose of macchiato.

The espresso machines that you’re going to see here are three different kinds which are automatic, semi-automatic, and pod-style.

Breville Barista Express

This is a semi-automatic espresso machine.

The key features are listed below:

  1. Have built-in grinder
  2. Have size selector
  3. Have a milk frother
  4. Have hot water dispenser
  5. Includes tamper
  6. Includes portafilter
  7. Does shut off automatically

Breville Barista Express is a good choice for everyone who intends to take their macchiato experience to the prowess level.

It is mid-priced, got excellent features, and most important beginner-friendly. These machines can offer the best value for a semi-automatic machine of the same kind and makes your work a lot easier.

A semi-automatic machine requires you to brew the espresso shot so you have greater control over the blend of the macchiato you’re desiring.

If you’re a novice, you’ll still be able to pull a great espresso shot for your macchiato as you can control the pressure, dose control, and grind size control.

DeLonghi Magnifica

DeLonghi is an automatic espresso machine.

The key features include:

  1. Have a milk frother
  2. Have a bean grinder
  3. Got a reservoir for 60 oz water
  4. Auto-shutoff

This is an entry-level automatic machine. The boy might not be as elegant as a stainless one but its plastic exterior is well built.

This machine is an excellent choice for hot-water reliant beverages. It has got indicator lights to show the time when the tank needs to be filled in. It has thermoblock boilers and ensures a decent time between brewing and steaming.

However, DeLonghi is a minimalistic compact machine and won’t serve other varieties.

VertuoPlus

VertuoPlus is a pod-style espresso machine.

The key features include:

  1. Suitable for large size of drinks
  2. Uses VertuoLine pods
  3. Got different kinds of extraction (gran lungo, double espresso, etc)

The VertuoPlus line is excellent for a quick jolt of caffeine. The espresso shots are dispensed quickly and the taste of your macchiato will be more defined than with the original pod system.

This is a smart way of making your macchiato. If you can come with the experience of capsule-based espresso then this one is recommended.

However, coffee is all about taste and preference. No matter how good the macchiato taste, it won’t give you the bud-flick same as the one prepared with an automatic or semi-automatic machine.

How much do the espresso machines cost?

The Breville Barista Express that I mentioned cost about $650-700 dollars depending on the seller you’re purchasing from. The DeLonghi one cost about $620-$630 and the VertuoPlus about 155 dollars.

Espresso machines do have a wide range of pricing depending on the features of the maker. The question is difficult to answer since the machines got a wide selection. The basic ones cost about $100 and they can go up by tens of thousands of dollars.

Before getting into the nitty-gritty price details, you need to make sure you have listed down the features you’re looking for in your macchiato machine.

For beginners, an entry-level espresso machine for about $150-$200 might be enough. The macchiato from this machine will taste good enough but definitely, not like the one you’re getting from Starbucks!

Mr. Coffee Cafe Barista is quite a budget-friendly one.

My pick is a moderate-priced one with high-quality features and better-quality materials. These sorts of machines work for a longer period and level up the brewing skill.

Breville is one of the best picks among the consumers, It has got the advanced feature, customizable setting, and a well-performing steam wand that gives the ultimate experience for the drinker.

Can you make a macchiato without a machine?

a glass of latte macchiato

Yes, you can. You don’t need an espresso maker with a steamer to make the amazing macchiato.

Macchiato is the go-to drink for many of us, including me. However, not always you can afford to buy multiple cups from the shops since it was a luxury for the rainy days.

I feel making your coffee curbs the unnecessary strain on the budget and can have a better coffee experience.

If you don’t have an espresso machine, even then you can prepare your drink. However, it may not taste as rich as the cafe’s one but it will still taste good.

Preparation of the espresso is the longest thing you need to do in the process. Let’s say you are going to prepare the iced-caramel one. Have you tried that before?

Ingredients that you will be needing:

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla coffee syrup
  • 8 oz cold milk
  • 3-5 ice cubes
  • 2 oz espresso
  • 1 teaspoon caramel sauce

Add vanilla syrup at first into your glass. After that, pour in the milk that I have mentioned. You can use milk of your choice. For covering the bitterness of espresso, 8 ounces of milk will be adequate. For regularly brewed coffee, 4-5 ounces would go.

Put the ice cubes into the glass. It’s better to keep the cubes within 5. Too many cubes might tone down the liquid.

The most tricky step might be using the espresso shots since you got no machine. If you don’t have a machine, use half of the milk and top off the drink with strongly brewed coffee that can be regular.

Lastly, drizzle the top of the glass with the caramel sauce. Any kind of caramel sauce would do and I love the thick one.

Final Thoughts

There are lots of good machines in the market that may serve multiple purposes. In my opinion, the coffee machines Breville Barista Express, DeLonghi Magnifica, and VertuoPlus are the best when it comes to making a cup of macchiato.

Buying a coffee machine is an investment for a coffee lover. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to put into thousands of dollars for a machine.

There are several mid-priced coffee makers or espresso machines that can work best for fixing your caffeine dose. Look for the key features before selecting one.

Also, look for the adjustments that the espresso machine offers since the more the control, the more the preference. The espresso shot of macchiato is the main kick of the drink so make sure your machine is preserving the aroma and flavor of the shots the best.

Don’t forget to look for online reviews from the customers before visiting the showroom or ordering online.

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