I’ve talked pretty extensively about coffee here on Rave & Review over the last 18+ years. You’ve followed along on my journey as I went from casual café coffee drinker to finally owning a single serve coffee maker. Then you followed along as I graduated from the single serve model and I got my first coffee pot. And, then you saw as I reviewed a travel espresso maker for camping and more. So, the next logical step? The Cowsar 20-Bar Compact Espresso Machine, a small and budget-friendly countertop espresso maker that can make any home feel like the coziest coffee shop.
And honestly, it makes some of the best coffee I’ve ever tasted. I’ve tried fancy machines, all sorts of different coffee makers, and I’ve frequented many a coffee shop, but I still prefer the COWSAR. It produces rich, well-extracted espresso with a consistent crema and it tastes so much smoother than other espresso machines I’ve tried in the past. The visual pressure gauge is useful for dialing in shots to match your preferred strength and flavor and the smooth microfoam milk makes amazing lattes, cappuccinos, macchiatos and more.
Introducing the COWSAR 20-Bar Compact Espresso Machine
The COWSAR Espresso Machine can make anyone feel like a barista. It has a nice and sleek stainless-steel appearance just like the professional café machines, but this one is small and lightweight which makes it perfect for home or office use. The 20-Bar professional Italian pump and 1350 W powerful boiler provides rich aroma and full-bodied espresso that is silky smooth for sipping. The visual pressure gauge shows the exact pressure, helping you adjust extraction according to your personal taste preference. The heated metal plate on the top of the espresso machine preheats the cup to keep the coffee at the right temperature, improving taste and definitely adding to that café-like experience.
I love that the COWSAR 20-Bar Compact Espresso Machine can replace multiple coffee makers in your home so everyone can use one machine. You can use espresso ground coffee for a traditional espresso brew using the included single and double filters. You can add hot water to make an americano which can replace your drip coffee machine. Or you can use the included capsule funnel and larger portafilter so you can use aluminum single-serve pods to replace your capsule machine.
It has a large 47oz removable water tank that is big enough to reduce refilling frequency, but still small enough to keep the footprint of the machine compact {11.8″D x 5.1″W x 16.1″H}. I appreciate the fact that it is removable so I don’t have to keep a separate pitcher just for filling the coffee maker, and that will make cleaning so much easier when that time comes. Speaking of cleaning, I also love that it has easy cleaning and auto descaling. It has a simple one-button descaling process that flushes the brew head and steam wand.
Pre-Infusion for Better Flavor
If you ever get really into coffee, you will find that it is half science, half art. The COWSAR excels at both. The low-pressure pre-infusion system gradually increases the pressure at the beginning, producing a superior cup of coffee. It does this by wetting the coffee grounds with a small amount of water before extraction, reducing the bubbles produced, and improving the extraction rate of coffee. This ensures that the coffee flavor is evenly extracted during brewing, giving you the best tasting cup of coffee possible. And it does all of this in record time, taking approximately 25-40 seconds per brew.
Powerful Steam Wand for Micro-Foam
If you prefer a latte, you will love the integrated milk frothing steam system. The powerful steam wand of the Cowsar makes creamy and rich micro-foamed milk for adding to the coffee or for making steamed milks for the kiddos. For a truly premium café experience you can practice your hand at some milk foam art for topping your drinks. But, even if you don’t excel at milk arts, you can still get a creamy, textured milk to take your drinks to the next level. I’m nowhere near ready to take my milk foam art public, but I do like making a random foam heart for the kids now and then.
The COWSAR 20-Bar Compact Espresso Machine has a 360° adjustable wand for ease of use, but the one thing I wish is that it came with a stainless-steel milk frothing pitcher. Our pitcher that we already had was not a great fit for the COWSAR machine, which meant that we had to hold it at an awkward angle the entire time it was frothing. We’re going to try a few others for size, but it would be nice to know how tall of a pitcher they recommend based on the height and angle of the wand.
What’s in the box?
The COWSAR 20-Bar Compact Espresso Machine with Milk Frother & Pressure Gauge, 47oz removable water tank, one-shot filter basket, two-shot filter basket, handle with capsule funnel, tamper with spoon, and instruction manual.
You can find the COWSAR 20-Bar Compact Espresso Machine for $159.99 on Amazon – and be sure to check out the entire COWSAR store.
