The Tools
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Posted: December 22, 2021Categories: The Tools
Read more »Just like how every baker needs bakeware and every artisan needs tools, every home barista needs certain accessories to pull that perfect cup of espresso in a smooth, mess-free and stress-free workflow. Whether you’re a budding barista or a coffee enthusiast learning to brew your own cafe-quality espresso at home, here are eight coffee tools that we recommend getting to help you understand the techniques of coffee-making and perfect your skills.
1. Burr Grinder
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Opt for a Burr grinder over a blade grinder for your coffee beans if you're ready to upgrade your coffee-making game. Photo by De’Longhi.[/caption] A burr grinder crushes beans between a moving grinder wheel and a stationary plate. The wheel typically has serrated edges while the plate has jagged edges—both work together to give you a consistent and uniform sized ground coffee. In contrast, a blade grinder looks more like a blender. While they’re cheaper, the grind size is typically not consistent. A coffee connoisseur may be able to spot the inconsistent flavour in your espresso from the different tastes produced by finely and coarsely ground coffee. The De’Longhi Burr Grinder lets you enjoy precise control of your brewing process when you get to choose from 16 grind settings. It comes with a user-friendly soft-touch interface, making grinding almost effortless. Shop the De’Longhi Burr Coffee Grinder at SGD 99 or
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Posted: December 15, 2021Categories: The Tools
Read more »To extend your espresso machine’s lifespan and keep it in tip-top working condition, you want to ABC: Always Be Cleaning. By “always”, we mean after every use—reasonable for a loved kitchen appliance, we hope! After brewing your cup of delicious espresso, the more immediately you clean the used parts of your coffee machine, the easier the cleaning task becomes. Over time, any excess coffee or milk will dry up as stains and require more elbow grease before they come off ultimately. As with all appliances, besides cleaning them regularly, using the proper method is also very important to prevent spoilage. Here are eight tricks to keep your coffee machine in tip-top condition so that they not only work longer but work better too.
1. Remove Used Coffee Grounds Immediately
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Use a Coffee Knock Box to remove coffee grounds from your portafilter safely and efficiently, without making a tremendous din. Photo from De’Longhi.[/caption] Once the machine has brewed your cup of espresso, empty the used coffee grounds from the machine or the portafilter immediately. Leaving them in for a long time may result in the coffee grounds or their natural oils sticking, making it harder to clean your machine. Worse, the oils attached to the machine will turn sour and rancid, leaving you with unfavourable espresso. If your machine uses a portafilter, you
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Posted: December 01, 2021Categories: The Tools
Read more »If you’ve been browsing through coffee machines, you probably would have come across the term “pump espresso machine”. What is a pump espresso machine, and how does it work? Read on as we introduce you to the wonderful world of pump espresso machines.
Pump Espresso Machines 101
Before we dive deep into what a pump espresso machine is and how it helps you brew aromatic cups of coffee, it is essential to understand what espresso is.
An espresso is a type of strong, black coffee made by pushing hot water through coffee beans ground into a powdery form. In the strictest sense, a pump espresso machine uses a pump mechanism to deliver high pressure, which helps in extracting top-quality espresso out of your ground coffee. You can also make espresso using a non-pump machine, such as putting a mako pot on a stovetop, which creates steam pressure to extract the espresso. [caption id="attachment_20669" align="aligncenter" width="986"]
Brewing coffee using a moka pot on a stovetop. Photo from Eric BARBEAU.[/caption] However, most non-pump espresso machines can only give you a
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Posted: November 17, 2021Categories: The Tools
Read more »With Christmas coming up, it’s time to start your festive shopping. Choosing the right gift doesn’t have to be stressful. Instead of focusing on the “perfect” present, an idea would be to start from what your recipient likes, then think of how your gift can add to that. If you have a coffee lover in mind who can’t get enough of coffee, here are 10 festive gift ideas for coffee lovers with a coffee machine that you can use to put a smile on their faces this Christmas. We’ve arranged our list in ascending order in terms of price. Get ready to spread a merry cheer, but with coffee!
1. Whole Beans from JJ Royal Coffee
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Toraja Coffee is JJ Royal Coffee’s best-selling beans. Bold and full-bodied, Toraja coffee packs a punch of dark cocoa nibs and caramel notes with hints of muted grapefruit. Photo from JJ Coffee Royal.[/caption] Part of the joy of brewing homemade coffee is getting to try out different types of coffee beans. Our partner roaster, JJ Royal Coffee, sources high-quality coffee beans from all over Indonesia. They offer many exciting single-origin beans, starting from SGD 11.50 a pack. Grab your friend or loved one a bag (or more) to try. Nothing ventured, nothing gained! Shop all Roasted Coffee Beans from JJ Royal Coffee beans today.
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Posted: October 13, 2021Categories: The Tools
Read more »Enjoy a dense creamy froth for all your milk-based beverages with a fully automatic coffee machine. Featuring the De’Longhi Dinamica Plus. Photo from De’Longhi.[/caption] Can’t decide between a steam wand and a milk frother? You can still get your milk-based coffee creations easily. Just pick from De'Longhi's fully automatic coffee machines selection, such as the Magnifica S Smart, the Dinamica Plus, the PrimaDonna Elite, and the Maestosa. You get perfectly frothed milk each time, no skills required and completely fuss-free. Ready to shop for an espresso machine? Enjoy 5% off the De'Longhi eShop when you sign up for De'Longhi Rewards today.
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Posted: October 06, 2021Categories: The Tools
Read more »People often say the kitchen is the heart of a home. And if you love coffee, it’s essential to choose the right coffee machine to make your kitchen an even more agreeable living space. No matter the size or style of your kitchen, we have suggestions on which statement coffee machine to pick. Conveniently enjoy access to delicious, homemade coffee, which you can share with your family and friends whenever they come over. Check out our top recommendations below based on your kitchen type.
Small Kitchen, No Problem
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Compact, stylish, and functional - the Dedica Style is perfect for small kitchens, saving space for other kitchen equipments. Photo from De’Longhi.[/caption] Got a small kitchen? It doesn’t mean having to write off having a coffee machine. Your kitchen real estate is precious, so you’ll want a compact but high-performance machine. Check out the Dedica Style—it’s a pump espresso machine that is only 15cm wide, yet it packs a punch. Pump espresso machines work by using an electronic pump to drive right-temperature water through the brew chamber and into a bed of coffee. With an electronic pump, you can expect consistent 15 bar pressure that gives you an espresso with a rich aroma and nut-coloured crema on top. Perfection.
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Posted: August 18, 2021Categories: The Tools
Read more »Does the idea of having different types of coffee readily available at your convenience appeal to you? Love the concept of being your very own barista and experimenting with all sorts of recipes? Well, De'Longhi's Dinamica Plus might be the dream machine for you, especially if you’re a lover of brews who desires more control when it comes to coffee machines.
What is it?
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You name it, the Dinamica Plus has it - brew all your favourite coffee beverages with this smart and versatile coffee machine.[/caption] The Dinamica Plus is a premium, fully automatic, bean-to-cup coffee maker, with a two-cup capacity. This all-in-one combination coffee machine has one-touch selections for all your favourite drinks, including lattes, macchiatos, and espressos – to name a few. It also features a built-in milk tank, water tank, and coffee grinder, making it super easy for you to make different types of java creations, including pure black coffee and milk coffees. What makes it so great?
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Posted: July 14, 2021Categories: The Tools
Read more »Like everything else out there, from cheese to wine and even furniture, there isn’t just one type of coffee. The beans they’re made from vary greatly, and more often than not, with great variation, comes decision fatigue. With an overwhelming amount of choices out there in the market, we get that a seemingly simple decision like choosing a type of bean to use for your machine might turn out to be rather daunting. Where do you begin with your De’Longhi bean-to-cup coffee maker?
Look at the Colour of the Roast
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The colour of a roast is a good indicator of qualities like oiliness, which matters depending on the coffee machine you’re using. Photo from Jakub Kapusnak.[/caption] Roasting coffee beans at a high temperature is a process (well, some say an art) that helps develop and boost aromas. If you don’t get this step right, the beans may lose their aromas and specificity. Here are some general guidelines: if the roast is very dark, the beans will be too bitter. If the roast is not dark enough, the coffee beans may end up tasting a little too acidic. A light roast is mostly best suited for filter coffee extraction. This is also known as a longer extraction aka slow coffee. With this filter method, what you’ll get is a fruitier coffee that’s more acidic. A medium/dark roast is ideal for espresso machines, and not so much bean-to-cup machines, otherwise, you’ll end up with coffee that’s, again, way too
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Posted: May 19, 2021Categories: The Tools
Read more »A coffee machine is one of the best investments a coffee lover can make. With proper care and maintenance, your coffee machine can continue to perform at its peak to give you quality coffee each time. Here are four tips on how to maximise the lifespan of your coffee machine.
1. Set Up Your Machine Properly and Study It
The first step to ensuring your coffee machine lasts is to start right. Setting up your coffee machine properly can help make sure you won’t get caught in a tight spot later. While some coffee machines are plug and play devices, others may require a bit more fine-tuning. It also helps to know how to operate your coffee machine correctly. You can do this by reading the manual, or if you prefer a more hands-on approach, by engaging the help of De’Longhi’s live coffee advisor who will guide you through the set-up and functions of your coffee machine via live video conferencing. Requesting assistance from the De’Longhi live coffee expert is easy — simply book your time slot, indicate your machine model, and wait for your session. During your session, the coffee advisor will not only answer all your questions on setting up and the various functions, but also give you tips on how to get the best out of your coffee machine. The video below shows what you can expect from your session. https://youtu.be/5ccPPSm6oDc2. Clean Your Milk Carafe Regularly
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Posted: March 17, 2021Categories: The Tools
Read more »Your daily caffeine fix can add up to be an expensive habit, especially if you’ve been getting yours from your favourite café. Perhaps you’ve considered getting a coffee machine at home but are still on the fence about it. We bust four common myths about owning and using a coffee machine.
Myth 1: A Coffee Machine Is More Expensive than Buying Coffee
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Your daily coffee run costs can add up before you know it. Photo from Ben Yang.[/caption] Truth: Some automatic coffee machines may come with heavy price tags but have you ever thought about how much you are really spending per year if you’ve been buying your daily coffee from a café? On average, a regular cup of coffee from your favourite joint can cost you around SGD$4.50/RM10. Multiply that by two coffees a day for every day of the year and you would have spent SGD$3,285/RM7300 on just coffee alone! If cost is a concern, you’ll be happy to know that there are options for every type of budget. More importantly, price isn’t a measure of performance and quality. On top of that, a good quality machine should last you about five to eight years. If you add up the cost of the machine (and how long it will last), coffee beans, milk (if you drink yours white), and maintenance per year, it will still be less than buying your coffee from a café daily. Myth 2: It Will Be Too Complicated to Operate
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