Tell me about your coffee machines

[Beetie1]

I have some money that I can treat myself with and I have decided I would like a posh coffee machine. I'm not too keen on the ones that use pods (single use plastic and all that). I know nothing about what coffee machines are available so tell me about yours, if you like it, and any pros and cons.

another one with De' longhi bean to cup, which we love.
we get the beans from either Amazon, or oxfam online when they have their 20% off and free postage

I have a barista style one that’s built in that I inherited when I bought the house.
It makes good coffee but it’s very high up so I have to stand on a little step stool in order to comfortably steam the milk!

Melitta filter machine. About £30. I like the ease of cleaning. Just throw the paper filter in the compost and rinse the jug and filter holder or put in the dishwasher

I’d find paper filters too much faff!

Porlex coffee grinder. (Manual. Best part of the day.) Plus small coffee filter that doesn’t need paper inserts.

Coffee beans ordered as needed - pretty much freshly roasted. Unfortunately over the past few years this has ruined the taste of supermarket coffee for me. (Must say I’m astonished at those in possession of mega-dollar machines making do with random beans roasted year before last; or even worse, ready-ground ...) My coffee habit will bankrupt me.

I have this an love it!

www.amazon.co.uk/Sage-SES990BSS-Automatic-Espresso-Machine/dp/B079QFVWPR/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?psc=1&crid=361Z1ZI0PFI7P&keywords=sage+oracle+coffee+machine&sprefix=sage+oracle%2Caps%2C183&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzQ0dTMVNOWDZHMTQ1JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNDUxNjQ0MUNRUldaTVo1MzAyNCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMzY4MjE1MldKWTMwOVdGOUU2MiZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1583140702&sr=8-3-spons

Plus small coffee filter that doesn’t need paper inserts It's got a non paper filter you can use for it too but i don't use it as I find cleaning out the coffee too much faff. Paper ones much easier

CwtchesCuddles I have the same...for the same reason too. I love it and don't understand how they are not more popular here.

We have a De Longhi Prima Donna bean to cup. Cost about £700. The coffee is amazing, but omg the name is accurate. We live in the part of the country with the softest water, and it still has a meltdown every few weeks and says it needs descaling. It also has to have the insides cleaned out every month, which is incredibly fiddly and messy. Also we’re on our third- the first two broke down, and were replaced because they were still in the warranty period. But they’re definitely not robust, reliable or user friendly.

@FickleTickle and @CwtchesCuddles - I rather like the idea of the Senseo. (Have a Tassimo ATM and need to move to something more eco friendly.)
Most of the ones I have looked at (in the last 10 mins on Amazon) seem to have European 2 pin plugs. Have either of you found one wired for UK 3 pin systems?

I have a senseo that came with a 3 pin plug. I bought mine on Ebay it was an unwanted gift.

@BeansOnToast4T - thank you. Do you happen to know the model name or number of yours?

Also had a DeLonghi Prima Donna. PITA.

Now have a very cheap filter (drip) maker.
I spend the money on the coffee.
Unintended benefit was the lack of noise (bean to cup are very noisy - esp when you’re stood there making multiple cups).
Now just a gentle bubbling away.

Don’t store coffee in the fridge.
Freeze, or airtight container in a cool dark place.

I've had various machines over the years, but now rely solely on my fantastic aeropress - makes fantastic coffee. From start to finish it takes about 2 minues to make a really good espresso shot that I then top up with water from the kettle. Very easy to clean up - plunge grounds into compost bin and rinse under tap.

I have a Philips Senseo HD7814

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Philips-Senseo-Filter-Bag-Pods-Coffee-Maker-Machine-Model-HD7814-Black-Grey/333526628647?hash=item4da7bc7927:g:o2gAAOSw2xZeVQmu

I recommend getting the attachment that allows you to put 2 coffee pods in together (I do this for a large mug of coffee).

www.philips.co.uk/c-p/HD5010_01/philips-2-cup-podholder

Just to note that you can also use the Dedica with ESE pods, like tea bags and fully compostable. They're similar to the Senseo ones but smaller (I understand). You'd have to get them online though

This is mine - bean to cup - I hate pods. Best thing I own

I have a nespresso and use L'Or pods, but hate the fact that it's bad for the environment. I also would love a coffee steamer, but can't afford the more expensive machines with built in steamer. Using a whisk to froth up the milk just isn't the same. Any suggestions? Also I've seen reusable nespresso pods on Amazon, has anyone tried them? Any good?

I've gone back to a cafettiere from a pod machine. CAnt fault the coffee and cost me £20.

We have a delonghi bean to cup (magnifica)

I love it but it could also be better

1. the milk frother doesn’t get the milk very hot at all, certainly not hot enough for a hot chocolate
2. you have to press the two cup button to get a mugful of coffee, although you can program it to make longer coffees it still won’t make a mugs worth
3. it said it could make cappuccino/latte etc, but really it just froths the milk slightly more for a cappuccino
4. if it runs out of water part way through a cup it just stops. I wish you could top up the water tank and it would carry on where it left off rather than me ending up with part of a cup of coffee and having to make another one.
5. it never fully empties the water tank so I end up with part of a cup of coffee when there’s still water in the tank

But aside from that it’s really easy to use, easy to clean, makes great coffee (I buy beans online) and I wouldn’t be without it.

Although when this one dies I probably won’t pay the extra £100 for the one with the built in milk tank as it’s not as good as I thought it would be (see above) and we mostly just make a black coffee and add milk from the fridge now

I tried an aeropress, but couldn't use it, my hands are too weak and I couldn't press it.

Sorry .. posted too soon.

I also had a Dolce Gusto, but found the cappucino and latte pods pretty rank.

Interesting isnt it how we all love different bits of our machines.

I used to have a £££££ isomac that had to go away for a service. Have about six different size cafetières, insulated and not, three sizes of stove top espresso, aeropress at work.

I use the delonghi bean to cup because I love how it is a one push cup of coffee, no washing or rinsing. I don’t find it hard work at all and I ignore the descaling thing, I do it twice a year.

Is yours the same as mine Ratsel? I can make milk really frothy and really hot.

this one.

I have the de'longhi dedica and can't fault it really. Nice and compact on the worktop too which is good.

I have the one that @ShivaDestroyerOfEvil initially ordered this one and then cancelled. The milk container is fab, fill with milk, make cappucino, then turn the dial and it cleans itself. Put back into fridge ready for next cappucino. It gets cleaned out weekly but is very easy.

@ratsel you can program it to make a full cup although Dh sometimes prefers to have 2 shots of espresso in it so we numbered the buttons L-R and called them 1-4 so that the children know which coffee to make Dh. So 1 is just an espresso shot and fits in an espresso cup, 2 gives us a slightly bigger cup, 3 is 3/4 of a full normal cup (like Next sell) and 4 fills an oversized cup. When he wants a stronger coffee he asks for a 2 and a 3.

I agree the milk doesn't get heated up as well as if you steamed it yourself but the fact that the machine is very easy to clean and maintain outweighs that. We have had it 5 years and it is used several times daily.

@Giroscoper, thanks, I have programmed it to make a longer coffee than the default but it’s still not a mug full. Most of the time it’s fine using the two cup button but sometimes it would be handy to be able to use the two cup button to actually make two at once.

@ratsel I know what you mean, I turn on the machine and then make myself a cup of tea which is made in the same amount of time as it takes the coffee machine to make one coffee. So for a second "shot" of coffee it takes longer but not too long as it doesn't have to do the warm up and clean thing it does when you first switch it on.

I should point out I don't have a kettle but an instant hot water tap so no waiting for a kettle to boil, hence a fast tea!

It was Dh's 40th birthday present, and man did he do a lot of research. He tinkered with the grind setting and always has the same beans now. He has to have decaf beans and knows a bloke from work who gets them for him at a discount.