San Marino - Espresso Machine Review - A New Look at the Timeless Classic

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The Italian country side of the Northeast is picturesque in November. Autumn has arrived, and whilst many of the days are characterised by blue skies that contrast with the yellowing leaves on the grapevines, the evenings are chilly, clean and brisk.

About 45 minutes north of the canal city of Venice, is the small village of Susegana. This town is right on the slopes that begin to climb away from the coastal plains up into the mountains behind. Susegana is in the area called Treviso, famous for its Prosecco wines, the HQ of Benetton, being the Ryan Air stopover point for Venice and perhaps most importantly for being the home of CMA- the makers of San Marino Espresso Machines.

The espresso machine company, started by Mr Nello Del Tio, is still run by the family. Up until last year the machines were manufactured in several buildings spread across one of the main roads into town. All the machines were 100% hand made, lovingly assembled on trolleys that were lined up on small rail tracks around the complex. In January of 2007, the factories were consolidated into a new ultra modern complex, still in Susegana. The new complex brought assembly under 1 roof- and added space for advanced training facilities as well as more area for the technical people. The factory still hand assembles a lot of the machines, but there has been some incorporation of computers for logistics, dispatch and testing/quality control.

One of the most popular lines of machine is the classic San Marino Lisa. This machine has the curves, the stainless steel finish and of course the quality in producing perfect steam pressure and shot quality that has made it a fast favourite in New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, Asia and the Middle East. The machine can be seen in cafes in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Auckland, Jakarta, Bangkok and Dubai. It is the workhorse behind such names as Black Canyon Coffee and Costa Coffee.

The San Marino Lisa has recently been modernised slightly and re-launched under the name "San Marino 'R'" The R stands for redesigned but the machines keep the shape and curves, but take on such modern necessities as raised groups, new pre-infusion group designs, and in the case of the SME electronic models- temperature controls for the boiler, automatic latte maker, auto foamer and a variety of shot controls (up to 6 per group, excluding the auto selector which can add a further 6 options through 1 of the groups).

The semi-automatic model retains most of the classic features, with the updating confined to the groups, the rocker switches being replaced with sturdy buttons and of course some change in the bodywork.

The machine options available to a café owner are endless. The Semi-auto (SMAT) and the auto (SME) come in 1-4 groups. On special request bigger units can be built. On departure at Rome airport, a beautiful 4 group classic SMAT, with copper trim, serves elegant coffee at the Tazza d'orro café. To many tourists this is their last memory of Italy- a fantastic espresso served from a classic, timeless machine. Perfect.

(c) Alun Evans, Merdeka Coffee, 2007

Drinking Coffee - Creating the Perfect Brew and Buying the Best Espresso Maker

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Selecting the blend is important when making espresso drinks, as it is for any kind of coffee drinks. The factors to concentrate on are sweetness, aromatics and smoothness. Also, the type of grinder used is important. The best choice is a conical burr grinder. This will produce a consistent grind (the particles will all be the right size), and will also make sure that the coffee does not overheat as it is ground (this would spoil the aroma).

Beans are grown in Asia, Africa, South America and a variety of other places. Although you can purchase coffee beans already ground, the best cup of coffee comes from freshly roasted beans. The Arabica coffee plant produces one of the most popular coffee beans in the world.

When it comes to life, you get what you give and, when it comes to coffee, you pour what you percolate. These coffee brewing suggestions guarantee a stimulating drink. By taking the extra steps to perk up the quality of your coffee, there will be a marked improvement in taste, eliminating the need to splurge on pricier specialty drinks. Indulge yourself in caffeinated luxury by brewing up the best of both worlds, a small coffee cost with a big coffee taste.

It should be noted that caffeine is an addictive agent. So be careful and drink your coffee in moderation. There are some healthy advantages to drinking coffee. Drinking coffee in moderation can help prevent some types of cancers: colon, bladder and even cirrhosis of the liver. Although there are benefits to drinking coffee, be sure to note that coffee is by no means a replacement for other medication or supplements that help provide nutrition to the body.

Coming up with new inventions from the espresso maker has become an art. I recently purchased a Gaggia Espresso Machine and it's completely amazing!

If you strip coffee down to the basics, what you are left with is water and ground coffee beans. The higher the quality of these two ingredients, the better your finished product will taste. The key is to start with fresh, cold water. You want to enhance the coffee while letting its desired natural properties shine through. Water that is hot or stale can produce a bitter taste. Depending on the mineral content of your tap water, you may prefer using bottled water for a purer coffee flavor.