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Original poster

I am STILL confused by coffee machines.. please help!

63 replies

Coffeecoffeeinmytummy · 28/01/2023 23:10

i feel like I’m going mad. Please help me find a coffee machine that:

  • makes coffee either from pre-ground beans or whole beans (ie not from a pod)
  • makes an Americano WITHOUT having to top up with hot water ie has an actual Americano setting that doesn’t just make you a little espresso which you then have to add to. If I’m making a coffee with something that cost several hundred quid I don’t expect to have to boil the bloody kettle as well!
  • has a milk frother steamer thingy to make lattes/flat whites etc with the wand rather than a milk compartment which you have to refill and clean etc
  • doesn’t cost more than my mortgage

Thank you! Oh also if I can buy it at John Lewis that would be a bonus because I have some vouchers but it’s not a deal breaker.

OP posts:
AlisonDonut · 29/01/2023 08:11

£500 quid on a huge machine when you could just get an Aeropress and a frother?

Aeropresses are less than £30 and make fantastic coffee.

BirdCaughtCat · 29/01/2023 08:12

Just on the longevity front, we have had a DeLonghi Magnifica S ECAM 22.360 which does come with the separate milk container for 8 years and we use it around 5 times every day.

On the milk container front, you turn the dial to "clean" after making a cappuccino so it puts hot water through the decanting nozzle and you put the milk container back in the fridge. It is easy to clean too.

We chose that one after Dh did extensive research because he didn't want to be faffing around with cleaning the machine. You have to consider maintenance of the machine so cleaning, descaling etc.

With the machine you can set how much water you want. One short coffee is the espresso, then all the others we set to different cup sizes. Same with the cappuccino setting, you can tell it how much milk. Dh always puts an extra shot of espresso in his. Not sure why as we have decaff beans!

Just things to consider. Ours was £350 and considered half price at the time we bought it.

Buttalapasta · 29/01/2023 08:18

I like the look of the Sage. Tempting. Although I live above a coffee bar so just go downstairs for my coffee and the gossip. 😂

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ScorchBeastQueen · 29/01/2023 08:28

for people who want an Americano coffee but only have a coffee machine that does espresso. I found on my DS delongi that it has a button in the middle with 2 cups shown, I press that, then once it's finished press again then again, yeah it's hot water through the same grounds but it's better then boiling a kettle to top up and has more fuller flavour.

keely79 · 29/01/2023 08:39

Think that’s the model up from mine. Looking at curry’s, magnifica s is a bit cheaper www.currys.co.uk/products/delonghi-magnifica-s-ecam250.33.tb-bean-to-cup-coffee-machine-titanium-black-10237053.html

Blogdog · 29/01/2023 08:48

I have This Smeg machine. It does everything you’re looking for (you can programme in the americano) and doesn’t take up half my kitchen counter space.

Original poster
Coffeecoffeeinmytummy · 29/01/2023 08:54

@blogdog my brother has that one and he says he has to boil the kettle to make an Americano?

OP posts:
MindatWork · 29/01/2023 08:57

Another vote for the delonghi magnifica - like pp we’ve had ours since 2016 and it’s still going strong, having been used multiple time every day since purchase. You can get hot water out of the steam arm so it’s just a twist of a knob (oo-er) to turn your espresso into an Americano.

We keep waiting for it to die so we can upgrade but it just keeps going 🤣

Blogdog · 29/01/2023 09:05

@Coffeecoffeeinmytummy I have mine programmed so it dispenses enough coffee to fill my americano size cup. To programme it you just hold down the button while doing a test cup until you get the volume you like and after that it will automatically fill to that level.

If one person wants an espresso though you’d have to reset the programming which might be a bit of a faff. I’m the only person who drinks coffee in my house so I have it set just the way I like it.

101aga · 29/01/2023 09:24

i work in a coffee shop and the problem you have is an americano is by definition a shot of espresso filled with boiling water
if you want a machine to make an americano you will either need a separate hot water dispenser (which most at home coffee machines don’t have) or you will need to get the hot water from through the coffee filter (either with the filter in or not) if you run it with the filter still on you it is filtering through the dregs of your coffee and will usually taste bitter
the coffee machines which are preprogrammed (with Capp, latte etc) probably have an anericano setting but you sound like you don’t want a preprogrammed machine

101aga · 29/01/2023 09:25

Or you could run your espresso longer to make it “americano sized” but it wouldn’t be the best flavour

ErrolTheDragon · 29/01/2023 09:28

AlisonDonut · 29/01/2023 08:11

£500 quid on a huge machine when you could just get an Aeropress and a frother?

Aeropresses are less than £30 and make fantastic coffee.

Plus a decent grinder.
That's what we use, we don't bother with the frother very often because the coffee is so nice as it is.

An Aeropress and small hand grinder are great for taking on holiday.

CoffeeIsMyMiddleName · 29/01/2023 09:31

We are also coffee machine novices and have just bought this, though it’s now out of stock online at John Lewis. The instructions booklets suggest it’s more complicated than it actually is, but we love it!
www.johnlewis.com/delonghi-magnifica-ecam290-22-b-evo-fully-automatic-bean-to-cup-coffee-machine-black/p5795985

Happydays321 · 29/01/2023 09:37

We've got a sage barista pro, it has a hot water spout to make Americanos.
The quality of the coffee is, in my opinion, amazing.
We bought it after having coffee from the same machine at a friend's house.

Nocaloriesinchocolate · 29/01/2023 10:00

One word of advice - when you have refilled the beans container, please put on the lid before grinding beans. I’m not sure playing chase with coffee beans all over the floor was good for my cats!

Bimbleberries · 29/01/2023 10:08

Another deLonghi fan here!
I have the Authentica, which I think is similar to the Magnifica but possibly smaller footprint. It allows you to set how much water or milk or whatever to get the size drinks you want and has separate settings for various long drinks or cappucino or latte or whatever. It does have a milk container that you take off and put in the fridge, but I prefer that to the wand anyway - though I think some do come with a wand if you want that. The container is great though, it has the 'clean' setting for each time you use it, and then now and again I put it in the dishwasher. But you can fill it and refill it and keep it in the fridge in between times.

It does have an adjustment for bean grinding (size?) and also for strength. I have just left it on the standard setting it came with, but I'm interested to hear that people have changed that for the better and really noticed improvements. I am not sure what I'd notice or what I'd be looking for! I am not thoroughly happy with the taste of the coffee lately, and assumed that it was the beans that were the issue, so am trying various different brands now. But maybe I also need to do some adjustments - what did you do that was most helpful?

Bimbleberries · 29/01/2023 10:11

just checked and I think the main difference between Magnifica and Autentica (sorry, no 'h' in there as I wrote the first time) is the size and capacity. I live alone and have a small kitchen so I preferred the smaller footprint.

Also mine was expensive at full price, but about half the price on Amazon and then I had vouchers as well that I'd saved up. You can set up a price watch on amazon but often they have them on sale for hundreds off the regular price that they'd be at John Lewis etc. It's fine if it happens to be last year's model or something.

You do have to do faffy maintenance of replacing filters and descaling and so on about once a month - they are a bit 'needy', but I think that's true of all bean to cup machines.

sofarequired · 29/01/2023 10:11

We have this one. There are three buttons/icons to select coffee, espresso, coffee, double espresso. The one marked "coffee" makes a proper cup of Americano. The link is for Argos, we got ours at Costco. It's been great!

www.argos.co.uk/product/1123766

Krakenes · 29/01/2023 10:33

Melita solo. We’ve had for years and it’s great.

mrsbyers · 29/01/2023 10:34

Another vote for the magnifica , used daily for years and has not failed to produce great coffee

Baxdream · 29/01/2023 11:04

I'd buy from Lakeland if you can as their 3 year warranty is fab!

dew141 · 29/01/2023 12:42

We bought this (for around £400 at the time) from John Lewis. It makes espressos, Americanos and cappuccinos etc.

https://www.johnlewis.com/siemens-tq503gb1-eq-500-bean-to-cup-coffee-machine-black/p5075132?tmad=c&tmcampid=7&sshare=jlappioss_Y29tLmFwcGxlLlVJS2l0LmFjdGl2aXR5LkNvcHlUb1Bhc3RlYm9hcmQ=

We've been pleased with it. More expensive up front cost than a Nespresso machine but my husband was spending £150 a month on the capsules (which I know is ridiculous) so it's paid for itself.

Original poster
Coffeecoffeeinmytummy · 29/01/2023 12:56

Thanks all so much for the advice and recommendations. Going to have a thorough look through later tonight once I don’t have any small children hanging off me.
a couple of things I need to consider:

  • really don’t want to spend more than £400 if I can manage it… can I?!
  • some of these do like ginormous, we do have a fair bit of workspace but not loads
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