First, thank you to Ikape Espresso for the invitation. Anyone who follows my Story or IG Reels may already have seen part of my experience with the set. I have used it for one to two weeks so far and would like to share what I learned during those two weeks. To be clear from the outset, I will simply say exactly what I think. With that, let us begin. Anyone who regularly follows my IG will know that my experience with milk-based coffee has never been particularly good. The main reason is that I rarely make milk-based coffee and do not know how to create latte art, so I have never been especially interested in it.
As for whether I like drinking it, I think I prefer Black coffee because I enjoy its clean character. But would I buy a milk-based coffee when I am out? Yes, I would!
A suitable set of espresso tools is important
When I first received the invitation from the brand, to be honest, I was not as interested as I would have been in pour-over equipment. However, I had always wanted to succeed at latte art. I had previously bought some accessories to try, but they never felt right. They looked very convenient to use, but in practice they were not as convenient as everyone might imagine. For that reason, I rarely shared information about milk-based coffee. Yet when I received this set from the brand, it unexpectedly increased my interest considerably. It provides all of the accessories, they genuinely work quite well, and the value is acceptable.
An entry-level brand offering good value
I believe many people would like to make milk-based coffee at home, but beyond having enough space, I also find the entry cost relatively high. Excluding the espresso machine itself, a complete set of branded accessories—including a distributor, tamper, needle tool and a box for storing the accessories—will easily cost several thousand or more.
When I first began making milk-based coffee, I genuinely did not expect the initial budget threshold to be so high. Then there is the cleaning afterwards and the time needed to make the drink. Even after buying a machine, you may gradually stop wanting to use it. If you are not familiar with the process, whether you can make the drink successfully is another issue. I think many people will eventually prefer to buy milk-based coffee outside, saving both money and time.
This is the problem mentioned most often by the friends I have spoken with, and the same applies to me. Washing the complete set of accessories once takes half an hour. If I had to prepare everything in the morning before work, I think I would hesitate. I have therefore always wanted accessories that are convenient to pick up and use, and, most importantly, easy to maintain. I think this brand achieves that.
My experience with Ikape Espresso
To be clear, I very rarely make milk-based coffee, so I cannot explain many of the principles in great detail. I am also too lazy to read manuals or large amounts of technical guidance. I buy most things and put them straight into practice: if they work well, they work well; if they do not, they do not.
I find this Espresso accessory set increasingly easier to use than I expected. The other accessories do not stand out greatly, but one made a particularly strong impression on me. The first is the self-adjusting gravity distributor, which is genuinely very useful. You do not need to press it down. When you place it on the grounds, its heavy metal construction applies an appropriate amount of force according to the thickness of the coffee bed, distributing the grounds. You no longer need to worry about applying too much or too little force each time. Somehow, the force is always just right, and that deserves praise. It works far better than the one I used before.
Place it on the grounds and turn it a few times—that is all it takes!
The other accessories also feel quite useful so far. I will share more detail after using them for a while. For now, this set has encouraged me to practise latte art more often in the evenings.
I hope I genuinely succeed at latte art this month. I will use the set for a little longer before sharing a more detailed account. The end!
