[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":238},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-\u002Fbrewcraft\u002Fdocs\u002Fmachine-types":3},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"description":230,"extension":231,"meta":232,"navigation":233,"path":234,"seo":235,"stem":236,"__hash__":237},"docs\u002Fdocs\u002Fmachine-types.md","Espresso Machine Types",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":221},"minimark",[9,13,17,22,30,53,57,72,83,87,94,105,109,112,123,127,203],[10,11,5],"h1",{"id":12},"espresso-machine-types",[14,15,16],"p",{},"The way a machine heats and manages water shapes everything about how it brews and steams. Most pump machines fall into three boiler architectures, with the manual lever standing apart as a mechanical category.",[18,19,21],"h2",{"id":20},"single-boiler","Single boiler",[14,23,24,25,29],{},"One boiler heats water for ",[26,27,28],"strong",{},"both"," brewing and steaming. Because espresso wants roughly 90-96°C and steam wants ~130°C+, you cannot do both at once: you brew, flip to steam mode, and wait 60-90 seconds for the boiler to climb before frothing milk. It's the cheapest and most compact approach, and perfectly fine if you drink mostly straight espresso and only occasionally steam milk.",[31,32,33,44],"ul",{},[34,35,36,43],"li",{},[26,37,38],{},[39,40,42],"a",{"href":41},"\u002Fbrewcraft\u002Fproducts\u002Fpico-machine","Pico"," — entry single-thermoblock, no PID, pressurized baskets. Brew-then-steam.",[34,45,46,52],{},[26,47,48],{},[39,49,51],{"href":50},"\u002Fbrewcraft\u002Fproducts\u002Fsolo-machine","Solo"," — single boiler with PID for stable brew temperature, 58mm. Brew, then wait 60-90s to steam.",[18,54,56],{"id":55},"heat-exchanger-hx","Heat exchanger (HX)",[14,58,59,60,63,64,67,68,71],{},"A single boiler is held at steam temperature, and cool brew water is drawn on demand through a heat-exchanger tube passing ",[26,61,62],{},"inside"," that boiler. This lets you brew and steam ",[26,65,66],{},"simultaneously"," with strong steam power. The trade-off: brew-water temperature drifts upward as the machine idles, so you pull a short ",[26,69,70],{},"cooling flush"," (2-4s) to reset it before the first shot. Brew temperature is less precise than a PID boiler.",[31,73,74],{},[34,75,76,82],{},[26,77,78],{},[39,79,81],{"href":80},"\u002Fbrewcraft\u002Fproducts\u002Fflux-machine","Flux"," — HX design; simultaneous brew and steam, mid price.",[18,84,86],{"id":85},"dual-boiler","Dual boiler",[14,88,89,90,93],{},"Two independent boilers, each PID-controlled: one for brew, one for steam. You get simultaneous brew and steam ",[26,91,92],{},"and"," precise, adjustable brew temperature with no cooling flush. It's the most capable and most expensive pump architecture.",[31,95,96],{},[34,97,98,104],{},[26,99,100],{},[39,101,103],{"href":102},"\u002Fbrewcraft\u002Fproducts\u002Fduo-machine","Duo"," — dual PID boilers, adjustable brew temp.",[18,106,108],{"id":107},"lever-mechanical","Lever (mechanical)",[14,110,111],{},"A separate category. A manual spring lever generates pressure — no electric pump. Pulling the lever compresses a spring that delivers natural pre-infusion followed by a declining pressure profile. Steam-capable and deeply hands-on.",[31,113,114],{},[34,115,116,122],{},[26,117,118],{},[39,119,121],{"href":120},"\u002Fbrewcraft\u002Fproducts\u002Flever-machine","Lever"," — spring-lever machine for the enthusiast.",[18,124,126],{"id":125},"comparison","Comparison",[128,129,130,149],"table",{},[131,132,133],"thead",{},[134,135,136,140,143,146],"tr",{},[137,138,139],"th",{},"Type",[137,141,142],{},"Simultaneous brew + steam?",[137,144,145],{},"Brew temp precision",[137,147,148],{},"Price tier",[150,151,152,166,180,192],"tbody",{},[134,153,154,157,160,163],{},[155,156,21],"td",{},[155,158,159],{},"No (mode switch, 60-90s)",[155,161,162],{},"Low-Mid (PID on Solo)",[155,164,165],{},"$",[134,167,168,171,174,177],{},[155,169,170],{},"Heat exchanger",[155,172,173],{},"Yes",[155,175,176],{},"Mid (needs cooling flush)",[155,178,179],{},"$$",[134,181,182,184,186,189],{},[155,183,86],{},[155,185,173],{},[155,187,188],{},"High (adjustable)",[155,190,191],{},"$$$",[134,193,194,196,198,201],{},[155,195,121],{},[155,197,173],{},[155,199,200],{},"Mechanical \u002F hands-on",[155,202,191],{},[14,204,205,206,210,211,215,216,220],{},"Ready to pick? See the ",[39,207,209],{"href":208},"\u002Fbrewcraft\u002Fdocs\u002Fbuying-guide-machines","machine buying guide",", review ",[39,212,214],{"href":213},"\u002Fbrewcraft\u002Fdocs\u002Fespresso-fundamentals","espresso fundamentals",", and check ",[39,217,219],{"href":218},"\u002Fbrewcraft\u002Fdocs\u002Fcompatibility","accessory compatibility",".",{"title":222,"searchDepth":223,"depth":223,"links":224},"",2,[225,226,227,228,229],{"id":20,"depth":223,"text":21},{"id":55,"depth":223,"text":56},{"id":85,"depth":223,"text":86},{"id":107,"depth":223,"text":108},{"id":125,"depth":223,"text":126},"How single boiler, heat exchanger, dual boiler, and lever machines differ, mapped to the BrewCraft range.","md",{},true,"\u002Fdocs\u002Fmachine-types",{"title":5,"description":230},"docs\u002Fmachine-types","fWrAYE4lKohEIBQWI4DqdqUz9Y3D2Qdu2DrhfVUrvI0",1784149344449]