Espresso machine Espresa Plus tested by blogger “ella’s table”

An espresso, please! Coffee culture has now also arrived here. Small cafés are springing up like mushrooms and coffee roasters have their hands full. No wonder. Because a few freshly ground beans and a fragrant coffee simply make the hearts of coffee lovers beat faster. And you don't even have to go to a coffee bar anymore. You can also make your own delicious coffee from your favorite coffee bean at home. Just like in a good coffee bar. The SEVERIN Espresa Plus portafilter machine brings the pleasure of coffee directly into your coffee cup at home.

Simple and compact

The Espresa Plus cuts a really slim figure. Compact and space-saving, the machine easily finds a place in my kitchen. It even fits into the smallest corner and yet its appearance immediately catches the eye. The brushed stainless steel surface has a very elegant look and the accessories also stand out with their high-quality workmanship. Whether it’s the tamper, the inserts, the milk jug or the portafilter, the starter set for coffee connoisseurs really is perfectly coordinated.

How to turn a bean into really good coffee

40 seconds – that’s how quickly the Espresa Plus can heat up. In the meantime, you can take care of the coffee beans. You can grind the beans beforehand or use directly ground coffee. As a coffee drinker, I recommend freshly grinding the beans with a coffee grinder shortly before use. This preserves the coffee aroma.

The ground coffee is then poured into the portafilter insert that you previously inserted into the portafilter. Here you can choose between 1 cup, 2 cups or an insert for ESE pods. The coffee is then pressed down a little using the tamper.

The portafilter is now placed in the device and moved to the right. When the handle is pointing forwards, you have reached the correct position. Now you can start the brewing process at the touch of a button. To do this, press the button with the cup and wait until the coffee has run through. A powerful pump provides the necessary pressure. This should be around 9 bar. The pressure gauge makes it easy to check the correct pressure.

Your girlfriend is visiting? No problem. Simply place 2 cups under the spout and press the button with the 2-cup symbol. The removable water tank also has a large capacity of 1.1 liters. Perfect for a small coffee party with aromatic espresso.

And some milk foam to go with it

If you like drinking cappuccino, you can of course also make your own fine milk foam. The preparation is similarly simple. Pour about 100 ml of milk into the jug. Then press the milk foam button, wait until the appliance has heated up and hold the nozzle in the milk. Now turn the rotary switch to foam mode and froth the milk. After a few seconds, the milk foam is ready and can be poured into the warm espresso.

So there are no limits to the various coffee specialties.

What else the Espresa Plus can do

The Espresa Plus has 4 illuminated buttons. Various button combinations can be used to set the temperature and quantity of espresso, for example, as well as the degree of water hardness.
The portafilter machine is of course not only suitable for ground coffee, but also for ESE pods. These can be placed in a specially designed insert.
There is also a passive cup warmer on the Espresa Plus. This ensures that your coffee stays at the right temperature.
In addition to great milk foam, you can also simply get hot water from the Espresa Plus.

Cleaning

The be-all and end-all for coffee machines is, of course, cleaning. Whether coffee residue or limescale, even a portafilter machine can quickly become dirty. To ensure that you can enjoy your coffee machine for a long time, it should be cleaned regularly.

This is not really a problem with the Espresa Plus. The individual parts are quickly removed and rinsed under clear water. As the accessories have hardly any hidden grooves or edges, the portafilter is easy to clean. The metal attachment of the milk frothing nozzle, the stainless steel drip plate and the drip tray are also easy to remove and wash.

You can use normal vinegar essence for descaling. Another plus point, as you can save on expensive descaling products.

After you enjoy your coffee is before you enjoy your coffee. That’s why the surface should shine again for the next round of espresso. The appliance can be easily wiped and polished with a soft cloth.

Recipe for a sweet espresso cream

Preparation: 5 min. Preparation: 10 min.

Ingredients for 4 portions

40 ml espresso
160 ml water
100 ml milk
100 ml whipped cream
5 tsp cornflour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean sugar
Optional 2-3 cookies of your choice

Preparation

Put the espresso, water, milk and sugar in a pan. Bring everything to the boil.
Meanwhile, mix the cornflour with a little milk.
Remove the liquid from the heat and stir in the cornflour with a whisk. Then return to the heat and stir over a moderate heat until thickened.
Leave to cool in a cold water bath, stirring occasionally.
Whip the cream with 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean sugar and set aside 4 teaspoons. Fold the remaining cream into the cooled espresso cream.
Pour the espresso cream into small glasses and top with whipped cream.
Optionally, a few crumbled cookies can be added on top.

Conclusion: For more coffee enjoyment

The Espresa Plus is a great way to easily make your own barista-style coffee at home. As a coffee connoisseur, I really appreciate the preparation method with the portafilter machine. This is because the coffee preparation can be optimized manually. As the Espresa Plus from SEVERIN is very easy to use, even beginners can enjoy professionally prepared coffee. Small, compact and powerful – the Espresa Plus as a barista starter set really does make good coffee.