Coffee machine purchase

[Fink]

I’m looking to buy a coffee machine for a birthday present. Can’t decide between pods or a bean to cup, or maybe even a manual espresso machine (if the cleaning process isn’t too much of a drag).

We don’t have a particular budget in mind as we could get a couple of other family members to come in with us or just the two of us buy it. I’d say probably not over £500 ish. If we can get good quality for cheaper then so much the better.

The other two people in the household mainly drink cappuccino, so it has to have a milk frother. I drink americano.

Does anyone have a coffee machine they really like and willing to share which one? There’s so much choice out there that we’re finding it difficult to choose! Only stipulation is I won’t buy Nestlé.

TIA for any suggestions.

We've got a DeLonghi bean to cup, love it. I buy Aldi or Lidl beans mostly and it makes delicious coffee. I have mine black but DC & DP use the milk frother.

I have a De'Longhi Dedica like this

www.amazon.co.uk/DeLonghi-Dedica-Traditional-Espresso-Machine/dp/B06WD7Z8GD/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&crid=3TM4ZW1B705XT&keywords=delonghi+dedica&sprefix=Delonghi+de%2Caps%2C151&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1599147557&sr=8-1

I guess it's an espresso machine and it takes ground coffee. It has a nice small footprint, is easy to clean and has a steam outlet on the side to froth milk (although I don't use it).

Thanks both. How hard are the manual and bean to cup machines that you have to learn to use? When I've seen the bean to cup in particular they do look quite intimidating with all the settings. Is it a bit like the washing machine where we pretty much end up using the same wash for almost everything even though there are 4 dials and several dozen choices? Or do you have to be quite tech savvy to get on with them? One of the users will be my Mum, who is not great with new technology.

Delonghi bean to cup for sure. I'm sure they owe me commission by now.

You have to play around with the settings a bit to get it to how you like it, but once you're done you can leave it where it is.

Mine has space for beans on the top left and ground coffee top middle. On the right of the actual machine theres a water tank to fill up. Coffee obviously comes out of the front. Grounds collect to the left of that. There's also a milk frother on the machine but I don't bother with it.

I have two dials - one for intensity/strength, the other for how much water you want to come out. There are settings for one or two cups. I have 2 x 2 cup setting but lots of water to make what is basically an Americano.

My manual one is so easy even my teen DSs have managed not to forget how to use it 😂

I think that a bean to cup is the one for proper coffee aficionados but, if you're happy with ground, it might be a bit OTT. I think it would be wasted on me for example - the one I have delivers coffee that I am perfectly happy with.

I microwave a mug of milk first and then put in a double shot of espresso. The machine is easy enough to use - fill the holder thing with a scoop of coffee, press it down, put it onto the machine and press a button (not forgetting to put your mug underneath 😂). To clean it, I have a "knock box" to knock the used coffee into and then just rinse the holder. There is a descaling cycle to run every so often.

Another for DeLonghi bean to cup. On mine you set the cup size and the grind, find out how hard your water is and then you're done. After that you press the button for one cup or two, soak the brew head once a month and empty the grounds and fill the water when the light comes on. When it's decided that it needs descaling then you spend half an hour descaling it - on mine there is no negotiation, I'd love an option just to have one more coffee.

I put off getting one because of "all that cleaning" but really there isn't much. I heat milk in the microwave because I really want the coffee and not the froth.

Are you all one employee of De'Longhi name changing to make it look more popular? Looks like De'Longhi is the way forward, anyway.

It's funny you say that, SoupDragon. I'd thought of the manual machines as more for die-hard purists, mainly because they look most like the ones you get in cafés (albeit they also have a separate grinder for the beans) and the bean to cup as more of a compromise. I might be wrong though. I've never owned either.

Watching with interest. DH and I are buying ourselves one for Christmas this year so any tips welcome.

We have a De’Longhi bean to cup - it’s amazing. Better for the environment than a pod machine and really really easy to use.

We didn’t want to tamp every time we made a coffee but wanted bean to cup machine. We have the Siemens eq5, it’s wonderful.

@Fink

Are you all one employee of De'Longhi name changing to make it look more popular? Looks like De'Longhi is the way forward, anyway.

It's funny you say that, SoupDragon. I'd thought of the manual machines as more for die-hard purists, mainly because they look most like the ones you get in cafés (albeit they also have a separate grinder for the beans) and the bean to cup as more of a compromise. I might be wrong though. I've never owned either.

I think it's because I view the Bean to Cup ones as for people who want to grind their own beans whereas I am more than happy with ready ground (I do actually have a separate grinder for beans but I really can't be arsed!). Plus the cost I guess.

I suspect there is no right answer other than "not a pod machine"

Delonghi Caffe corso. It's one the cheaper bean to cup machines. So simple to use, beans in, water in and press button. The waste is pod shaped grounds that go into the recycling. If it died, I'd replace it immediately. It has a milk trigger but we don't use it.

For any of you who have the bean to cup De'Longhi, which actual model have you got? Just had a look on their website and even within our price range there's still a dozen or so to choose from!

Mine is an older version of this - amazon.co.uk/dp/B001EOMZ5E/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_HOsuFb0CH97BA]]

I've been doing research on espresso machines too and I'm planning on buying the Sage Bambino Plus. It's around £400, though often on offer somewhere. It doesn't come with an integrated grinder (having a separate grinder is preferable for me, and it comes with filter baskets which can handle pre ground coffee).

What I like about it is that it heats up incredibly quickly, has an automatic milk frother which cleans itself, and has a relatively small footprint. It doesn't produce hot water though, so for an Americano, you'd need to boil the kettle.

Caffe Corso here, it's five/six years old now and if it broke I'd have another on order before it cooled.

We also have a DeLonghi. It’s one of the ECAM series bean to cups (they’re often on offer half price so would be well within your budget).

Milk tank parts are dishwasher safe, it’s got all the settings under the sun and it’ll still let you make a drink even if it’s whining about descaling. Doesn’t take up a lot of counter space and looks smart.

I also don’t work for DL

I have a Tassimo, and just bought a Delonghi bean to cup when lockdown started (they will NEVER lock me down without decent coffee again ever ever ever). I may be caught periodically telling the bean to cup machine that I love it as I walk past in the kitchen.

Tassimo is OK - but doesn't make coffee tasting coffee - the kids still use it for hot chocolates though.

I personally prefer the look & build quality of sage compared to delonghi, they are less plasticky.

Delonghi are probably better if you want an automatic choose your coffee & press a button machine, but if you want to get involved in preparing your coffee then look at sage.

Tassimo machines don't pressurise the coffee enough - they are more of a beverage machine, though they do make nice hot chocolate.

De’Longhi for me as well, I think it’s Magnifica? We have had it 10 years, never had a problem. No plastic pod waste.

I have the delonghi dedica. Not bean to cup, just buy bags of ground espresso. Lovely and neat and makes a lovely cup of coffee. It's saved me a fortune in take aways!

I used to have a tassimo, which I thought was great. Then my husband bought me a Melitta that grinds coffee beans. There’s no comparison on the coffee, the Melitta is far far better and makes about 10 diff types of coffees.

I've just ordered a Melitta. There are a lot of articles out there. Siemens get good reviews but they aren't good looking.

I got mine last year it was an ESAM 2600 or 2800, can't remember which.