Tall, dark and flavoursome: Start your morning right with a perfectly brewed coffee

THE morning coffee, just ain’t coffee, unless you’re brewing it right, writes Catherine Nikas-Boulos.

THERE’S definitely no “go” in the morning unless you’ve had your coffee. Aficionados wouldn’t dream of leaving the house before indulging in this pick-me-up and most will walk a mile to track down a quality barista.

But not all coffee is equal, and neither are all coffee machines. Philips Saeco Australia senior marketing manager Erik van Houten says consumers mostly want a fully automatic coffee machine with a barista-like experience in their own home.

“Consumers who are paying a premium for a more authentic experience will want to know that daily use will be practical, convenient and easy,” he says.

“Therefore, the set-up, choosing their preferred coffee and maintaining the machine should be stress-free.”

Beans versus pods

The popularity of modern coffee machines with pods has grown exponentially, with George Clooney’s successful partnership with Nespresso championing the cause.

Erik says the popularity of capsule machines has certainly introduced more people to coffee-making at home, but these machines target a different coffee drinker.

“We’ve found that as people become more educated about coffee they also seek greater control and a more consistent result with every cup — there’s a very notable difference in using freshly roasted beans over capsules.”

On trend

When it comes to buying a coffee machine, design and use win over colour every time.

“The broader design of a coffee machine is more important for consumers,” says Erik.

“High-quality automatic coffee machines won’t be tucked away in cupboards, but instead be proudly positioned on display within the kitchen or living space.”

Erik says consumers may initially be impressed with all the bells and whistles, but realistically not all the functions will be used.

“As with any home appliance there will be features or settings that aren’t used much because the individual preferences can vary greatly, but it’s about giving people a choice.”

Erik says a short black is his coffee preference, which is a very European trend.

“I’ve grown up with it, whereas milk plays a bigger role here in Australia.

“There’s such a wonderful coffee culture and an amazing array of fresh beans available in Australia that it’s so easy to find new bean blends or milk-to-coffee ratios to enjoy.”

Words Catherine Nikas-Boulos

More Saeco saeco.com.au

Express yourself With over 200 million units sold, the Bialetti Moka Express is a classic. The three-cup stovetop espresso maker has a polished aluminium finish. Bialetti Moka Express, $54.90, from The Design Gift Shop, thedesigngiftshop.com

The Bialetti Moka Express is a classic.

Red hotPower, speed and crema precision is what this machine promises. This sleek machine features independent dual boilers that brew espresso and steam milk simultaneously. KitchenAid Artisan Espresso Machine, $1999, from kitchenaid.com.au

The Unplugged coffee machine.

KitchenAid Artisan Espresso Machine.

Ancient art Great coffee can still be brewed by hand. The Unplugged coffee machine has a filter, ground beans and water. Used filters and grounds are composted. Unplugged coffee machine by Koziol, $59.95, from Optoco, optocoonline.com

Colour me happy Great coffee should be enjoyed in a beautiful cup and saucer. Graphique Maze Mug range from Maxwell & Williams. Set of four, $19.95, from zanui.com.au

Graphique Maze Mug range from Maxwell & Williams.

Ooh la la The Handpresso Wild Hybrid is the latest version of the small French-designed portable espresso machine, now for the use of either ground coffee or pods. The eco-friendly machine doesn’t need electricity, just muscles. Handpresso, $184.90, from handpresso.com

The Handpresso Wild Hybrid.

Italian made Made from brass and stainless steel, this is a lever-driven espresso coffee machine which functions at a temperature of 120 degrees Celsius. Zacconi Espresso, $949, from Bon Trading Co, bontradingco.com.au

GranBaristo Black.

Lever-driven espresso coffee machine.

Grand daddy of machines GranBaristo Black has one pre-set coffee profile and five programmable user profiles. Saeco GranBaristo automatic espresso machine, $2299, from Harvey Norman, philips.com.au

BEAN THERE, DONE THAT

IN the know with all things men’s fashion, style and design, managing editor of online site D’Marge, Luc Wiesman, is keen on his coffee.

The style blog dmarge.com is a guy’s wonderland of what’s on-trend here and around the world. Luc says coffee helps him get through his day.

Luc Wiesman, is keen on his coffee.

How many cups of coffee would you consume per day?

One, on a good day, two on a bad day. Three on a catastrophic day. Possibly four if I found out my girlfriend was pregnant.

What’s your coffee of choice?

A soy latte, straight up will do me nicely. Preferably with Bonsoy.

Do you have a go-to coffee haunt locally that you frequent?

I have a few. There’s no shortage of good coffee in Melbourne, so I have three or four places nearby that serve a great latte.

At home, do you drink instant, coffee pod or grind your own coffee?

I have a coffee machine which I bought four years ago. It’s still in the box. It’s never been used.