{Photograph}: Pete Cottell
The milk frother surpassed expectations as effectively. The unit has just one boiler, which implies you may’t froth your milk when you pull a shot, however the means to do all of this in your kitchen makes up for the additional minute it takes for the steam wand to heat up while you flip the dial on the correct aspect of the machine from “Off” to “Steam Ready.” As soon as the white mild on the dial stops flashing, you’re prepared to begin steaming your milk.
There’s a six-second delay between the flip of the knob to the steam setting and the onset of the particular steam, and it took a mean of 55 seconds to lift 6 ounces of entire milk from 45 to 145 levels Fahrenheit with some mild frothing motion. My latte-art abilities are rusty since leaving the espresso world behind in 2022, however the texture of the frothed milk was completely malleable and as much as snuff for a primary leaf or rosetta sample.
No BS
A deeper dive into the settings menu on the Casabrews reveals only a few adjustable parameters moreover the aforementioned grind time for every shot sort, in addition to the output temperature for the recent water, which makes use of a obscure three-point “Hotter” and “Cooler” scale. A flush characteristic shortly pumps out no matter liquid stays saved within the grouphead and the steam wand, and a descale cycle that’s advisable on a month-to-month foundation to maintain the unit gunk-free.
I by no means thought of myself a consummate skilled within the bustling espresso business of the Pacific Northwest, however I knew sufficient in regards to the craft to make a top quality, no-frills product with as little nonsense as doable. The Casabrews 5700PRO aligns completely with my allergy to bullshit, nevertheless it’s onerous to disregard the preponderance of bells and whistles supplied by comparable machines from extra well-known manufacturers inside this value vary.
Ninja, for instance, just lately entered the house with the $500 ES601 unit. It consists of useful storage orifices for its equipment, in addition to all types of visible hand-holding for individuals who know nothing in regards to the science behind extraction however adore it when their home equipment sing just a little ditty when the factor they’re making is prepared.
I might a lot somewhat spend a number of weeks studying the ins and outs of a well-made machine that does the factor it’s imagined to do and little else. I could at some point determine that I want (Tim Allen voice) extra energy in my espresso machine, however till then I’ll get pleasure from pulling pictures in my kitchen—with or with out pants—because of the Casabrews 5700PRO.
