12 days of Christmas: Day 3 is Breville Espresso machine

We’re covering some great gifts on our 12 Days of Christmas, one for each of the days leading up to when Jolly Old Saint Nick pays his visit. For day 3, it’s a Breville espresso machine.

Why choose a Breville Espresso Machine?

Whether you’re a coffee lover, you want to experiment with your hot beverages, or you just love the idea of making your own lattes at home, the Breville Espresso maker is for you.

With my single-cup coffeemaker on the fritz of late, and my penchant for a cup of java at least twice a day, I’d love seeing one of these under my tree this year. Since I work from home, I don’t make it out to a local coffee shop for a fancy latte or cappuccino every day like many who work from offices do.

Coffee is my daily fuel! We also entertain often, and after-dinner coffee with dessert is always a must.

How an espresso maker works

Espresso brewing requires high pressure to provide a strong “shot” of coffee, complete with a white layer of delicious froth on top, called crema.

It should taste strong and robust, but not bitter. Making good espresso, especially at home, is an art. There is a great selection of Breville espresso machine to make it simple for anyone to get barista-quality java right in your kitchen.

Automatic brewing in an espresso machine

Using machines like the Breville Barista Express, you can get delicious espresso in under a minute. It’s not a complicated process that will take a ton of time.

The built-in grinder grinds the coffee beans for you, and you can control how fine you want them to be. You can also control the steam and temperature to get a personalized cup every time.

For example, I love my coffee piping hot, while my husband likes to let his cool down a bit before taking a sip. Some machines also allow you to choose between single or double shots as desired.

If you are like me, and a newbie to fancy espresso machines, there are fully automatic (like the Breville Barista Touch Automatic Espresso Machine) and semi-automatic (like the aforementioned Barista Express) models that will essentially do everything for you.

You can look like a barista even if you’re nothing more than a coffee-lover and button-presser!

Some machines come with a host of accessories included so you can get going on complex drink creations from the start, or work your way up once you familiarize yourself with how it works. The Touch Automatic machine mentioned above, for example, comes with a frother, coffee grinder, automatic steam wand, and espresso portafilter.

You can make more than espressos

With machines like the Breville Cafe Roma Pump Espresso Machine, you can make other drinks, too, like cappuccinos and lattes, getting just the right amount of crema to satisfy your desire for a piping hot cup of goodness.

This model even comes with a stainless steel frothing jug. You can also use models like the Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine to make a cup of Americano. Every coffee drinker has his own preference.

You might even be in the mood for a single shot of espresso (perfect with an indulgent piece of cheesecake!), other times, you might be more in a latte mood (nice with a delicious Christmas sugar cookie). These machines give you that choice.

Essentially, you can grind pretty much any type of coffee bean in an espresso machine, bringing out its full flavour. Use accessories like steam wands and milk frothers to make everything from cappuccinos to macchiatos, and experiment with different strengths, temperatures, and beans.

Espresso machines come in all shapes and sizes

I was so upset when I saw that the Instant Pot now comes in red. I don’t like to have too many small appliances on my countertop, but I love having the ones in view match.

Both my stand mixer and my immersion blender, which sit side-by-side on one side of my kitchen counter, are finished in a beautiful empire red. While most Breville espresso machines come in silver stainless steel, there is a version of the Barista Express that comes in a bold cranberry red, which I love; and the Infuser Espresso Machine comes in both cranberry red and black to match different kitchen decors.

Size-wise, if you have a smaller kitchen and don’t have the room for a large machine, there are models like the Bambino Plus Manual Espresso Machine, which is not as wide as many others.

Get creative with cooking using espresso and coffee

Coffee isn’t just something you drink. You can use the coffee you brew through these machines in cooking and baking, too.

Shelly Wutke offers some great recipe ideas, ranging from coffee beef stew that requires five tablespoons of espresso to grilled filet with a chocolate coffee BBQ sauce (dark roast needed). There’s also delicious, dessert-friendly coffee brownies. (My mouth is watering just thinking about these!)

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that any of these, and other coffee/espresso-related recipes you might dig up, can become infinitely better when using freshly ground coffee beans and brewed coffee creations.

Check out the Breville Espresso Machine on Best Buy right now, and be sure to come back tomorrow for Day 4 of our 12 days of Christmas.