Coffee machines

How to choose a coffee machine

The right coffee machine depends on what you drink in the morning and how much time you give it: one-touch cappuccino, hand-pulled espresso or a jug of filter coffee for the family.

For a deeper guide with cost-per-cup maths, Estonian water hardness and the best time to buy, see how to choose a coffee machine.

• Type. A bean-to-cup automatic grinds fresh beans for every cup and does it all itself. An espresso machine (with a pump) gives café quality, but you grind and tamp. A capsule machine is fastest and cleanest, but the cup costs more. A filter machine brews 10–15 cups at once.
• Pressure. Real espresso needs 9 bar at the filter; a 15–20 bar pump has headroom. Capsule machines run 15–19 bar; a filter machine has no pressure and brews a milder cup.
• Milk frother. A steam wand takes practice but gives barista foam. An automatic milk system (Philips LatteGo, Nespresso Lattissima, Cecotec Latte) makes cappuccino and latte at a touch and rinses itself.
• Grinder and settings. A ceramic grinder is quieter and does not heat the beans; 10–12 grind settings plus adjustable strength and temperature tune the machine to your beans. The left-hand filter picks out models with a grinder and a milk frother.
• Maintenance. An automatic needs descaling every 2–3 months and a removable brew group rinsed weekly; a water filter stretches the interval. A capsule machine needs only descaling.
• Capacity. A 1.0–1.8 l tank and a 250–300 g bean hopper do for one or two people; an office needs a bigger tank.

Coffee machines in our range

The largest group is bean-to-cup automatics: Philips Series 1200, 2200, 3300, 5400 and 5500 LatteGo, Saeco GranAroma, De'Longhi Magnifica S, Start and Evo, Dinamica Plus and Rivelia, Siemens TE654, Cecotec Cremmaet and FreeStyle Latte, ETA Acorto. Espresso machines at 15–20 bar: De'Longhi Dedica EC685 and EC9155, Gaggia Classic E24, Cecotec Power Espresso 20, Camry CR 4414, ETA Storio and the budget Adler AD 4421. Capsule machines: Nespresso Pixie, EN167 and the milk-equipped Lattissima One, Dolce Gusto Piccolo XS, Genio S and Genio S Touch, plus the multi-system Tristar. Filter coffee makers of 1.2–1.5 l: Philips HD7411 and HD7544, Bosch MyMoment, Caso Duo Thermo with a thermal jug, the programmable Cecotec Coffee 66 and Philips HD7900 with a built-in grinder.

Brands

Philips has our widest choice of automatics: ceramic grinder, tube-free LatteGo and a removable brew group. De'Longhi spans the scale from the Dedica espresso machine to the Rivelia automatic. Gaggia Classic E24 is the Italian classic for the home barista, with a 58 mm portafilter. Cecotec packs in features for little money, Siemens and Bosch mean German precision and long life, Camry, Adler and Tristar are the cheapest way in.

Related products

An espresso machine calls for a coffee grinder — fresh grounds are half the flavour. For milk drinks see milk frothers, for tea kettles; all coffee-corner appliances are in coffee and drinks, and the full range in kitchen appliances. A compact machine ships to a parcel locker, an automatic by courier, in 1–2 working days.

Frequently asked questions

Automatic or capsule? If you drink two or more cups a day, an automatic pays for itself in 1–2 years on bean prices; a capsule machine suits occasional drinkers.

Is 15 or 19 bar better? No difference — espresso is extracted at 9 bar and either pump delivers that. Grind, temperature and tamping matter more.

How often should I descale? With Estonian tap water every 2–3 months or when the machine asks; less often with a filter. Use the maker's descaler — vinegar damages seals.

Can I use ground coffee in an automatic? Most have a separate chute for ground coffee — for decaf, say — one cup at a time.

Do other brands' capsules fit a capsule machine? Nespresso Original has plenty of compatible capsules; Dolce Gusto and Vertuo are more closed. Tristar Multi Capsule takes several.