Road-test: KitchenAid KES 2102 espresso machine

You can spend a long time figuring out which espresso machine to buy, but if you opt for a manual machine like the new KitchenAid KES 2102, what's really going to affect the taste of the coffee are your barista skills: choosing the right blend, dosing, grinding and tamping.

The KitchenAid has the features you'd expect in a $1999 machine: separate boilers for making coffee and texturing milk; a commercial-size chrome-plated brass portafilter with baskets for single and double shots; a solid die-cast metal build; and dials that tell you when water temperature and steam pressure are up in the latte zone.

The package includes a tamper, plastic measuring spoon and a stainless-steel milk jug, and lovely KitchenAid retro styling in a smarty candy apple red finish.

The first pour with a traditional espresso blend from a local specialty roaster came in a quick, black stream that filled an espresso cup in less than 20 seconds and tasted like a passable stovetop brew.

The second, with a too-fine grind and a too-tight tamp, was a short, viscous drizzle; after quite a bit of pumping, the KitchenAid sputtered out 14 grams of coffee in two cups: a home barista super-ristretto.

But with some practice and fiddling with the grind and tamp over a couple of weeks, the machine produced a stream of espresso that started dark, ran in characteristic mouse-tails, and blonded – turned pale – just a little early (blonding should happen in the last third of the shot, says the Home Barista website). But 29 grams of espresso extracted in 30 seconds was textbook, and it tasted nice, with a rich mouthfeel and a dense crema.

A preground Illy espresso blend also delivered success, but a lighter-roast seasonal blend from a local specialty roaster made a thin, sour cup with very little crema. The home barista's world is filled with both #success and #fail.

Texturing milk, it turns out, is harder than pulling shots; a cappuccino-style froth rather than the creamy microfoam Melburnians look for in a flat white was the result, even after a couple of weeks. That might have something to do with the plastic thingy on the end of the steam wand, or maybe we just need more practice.

And when it came to making a long black, dispensing hot water through the steam wand (rather than a separate hot water tap) was a bit hairy-steamy.

But if you want a machine where you have to do more than just push a button and wait, the KitchenAid is worth considering.

kitchenaid.com.au