Which coffee machine?

[lauracobden]

It's my birthday soon and I want to buy myself a coffee machine. There are so many available, can anyone suggest a good one? I'd like to make lattes, cappuccinos etc.

Thanks

-------

Hello, this thread is a little old and some of the recommendations might be out of date. If you’re looking for up-to-date advice on the best coffee machine money can buy, take a look at our round-up of Mumsnetters’ favourites. MNHQ.

You can still get the jug style filter coffee makers so they aren't quite dinosaurs yet!

I changed from my old one as I am only ever making one mug at a time so a filter one was a faff.

I have a Senseo too.

I have a Nespresso machine, after years of having a Gaggia ground coffee machine. It's great although I would love a bean to cup machine one day, because I do think the flavour is improved by grinding just before making your coffee, and I only have a hand burr grinder which is a) a bit uneven and b) quite an effort to grind enough coffee for more than one cup.

But for now the nespresso plus a separate milk frother is perfect, unless you buy one of the high end ones there's no point getting a nespresso and aerocinno machine on a big plastic base because it's a waste of space. You can also buy decent milk frothers from amazon that are half the price of aeroccinos, if you want to.

Tbh there's not much in it as far as flavour goes, as long as you buy the highest strength pods (I prefer 9 strength minimum) you can make a lovely cappuccino or espresso. DH likes the 'lungo' ones but I prefer to use my aeropress or a cafetière. I don't like americanos anyway so it's a moot point.

Btw I'm saying there's not much difference between coffees made from pre-ground coffee or nespresso pods in my opinion. There is a BIG difference between both of these and coffee made from freshly ground beans.

I love my nespresso magimix, always get compliments from visitors and it's super quick and easy to use and clean

Squirrelsmum I have the Mukka Express. I used it daily and it did make a nice cappuccino with minimum fuss. However, there is no flexibility with it (you must use exactly the right amount of water, which depends on whether you are cooking on gas or electric), and the right quantity of milk. However, for me the biggest issue was that it needed to be meticulously cleaned after each use, and even then if I didn't clean it quite well enough my soya milk would curdle. That is why I bought my bean to cup, which is quicker and more flexible. However, I do still love the Mukka and I have one at work and one at my father's house. One note of caution - the special valve is made of something like bakelite - I have dropped and broken three of them, and the last time I could not buy a replacement in the UK - I had to get a sibling who lives abroad to get me one....

I have a delonghi icona (I think) it's a few years old now. I descale it regularly but have found that only a couple of brands of coffee 'work' in it now - the coffee comes out watery and slowly unless I stick to my usual purchases, even if I use 'espresso' coffee. Does anyone else get this? I know my mum has similar problems with her gaggia not liking lavazza espresso coffee. Is it age of machine? say yes so I can buy one of those lovely looking slimline machines upthread

Aeropress are the best ever. I've converted everyone that's ever tried one of ours. We have 2 of them at home (and one everywhere we visit).

The coffee is proper hot too so when you add your milk it's not tepid.

And they are very green option. No recycling to do.

Doesn't aero press taste more like filter coffee? As in, there is no crema?

RE: aeropress - I think they are more like filter coffee, yes, although I know people who use it to make espressos and rave about it. Doesn't work for me though, I need a crema for it to be a proper espresso.

I've also switched out the paper filters for a very fine mesh metal filter, which gives the coffee a little more texture. I found the paper filters made the coffee feel thin in the mouth, although the flavour was still great.

I have a Tassimo didn't think much of it.
I replaced it with Dualit milk frother, I just use normal coffee/hot chocolate and it's great, we use it everyday. The Tassimo pod were expensive and tasted fake where as the frother uses real milk and tastes a lot better.

Bog burglar - the slightly stale taste of old brewed coffee on a joy plate is really not nice. These nespressos (and others) literally take 15 seconds from switching on to having a scalding hot cup of fresh coffee. So much nicer!

Used to have a coffee machine, but since it died I've found I'm just as happy with an aeropress and a burr grinder, which was much cheaper.

It doesn't do espresso though, but will do you a strong short coffee. If you're adding any water or milk I'd say it doesn't matter.

Plus full flexibility with choice of beans, and will always be freshly-ground (though bean-to-cup will do this too).

Also handy for taking to work, camping etc (not the grinder, though you can get hand-grinders).

De Longhi magnifica s here too.
It's brilliant. There's an art to steaming the milk but once mastered, all coffee joy is available.

In answer to a previous poster, yes it likes all beans - aldi to specially imported and everything in between!

Ah, perhaps more research is needed then? I'm not actually the coffee drinker in the household so why I am trying to second guess DH caffeinated-beverage-preference I don't know possibly because am gadget lover

Would definitely want one that took coffee grounds or beans. DH coffee consumption would finish the planet off single handed if measured out in plastic pods!

Another one for Delonghi magnifica, bean to cup. But it takes ground coffee too.
I had a nespresso one and got bored of the expensive pods,I felt like a mug and the milk was disgusting. The Gaggia packed up and despite being fixed free of charge etc, I just didn't gel with it.
Now, I get beans from everywhere (including my travels) which is great. My favourite beans are Allpress and a mix I picked from a farm shop in Upstate NY. For me, being able to try whichever coffee bean/coffee I like and not being tied down to pods is great.
You can use any milk you like and I have used almond and soya too.
After about a year with the magnifica I got one for our holiday place from eBay for a fraction of the price (unwanted wedding present). If you decide for a bean to cup, stalk eBay for a while. You might get lucky.

We must be dinosaurs , still use a Bialetti stove top espresso maker.

Quite fancy a pod machine tho

DH is crazy about coffee. We have a gaggia, aeropress, cafetiere, and bialetti. The aeropress he uses most often purely because it is quick (and he can make a tea for me at the same time). I like using the bialetti if I'm up early during the weekend and I just pop it on the stove for him on the lowest heat so it takes its time and it sits there keeping nice and warm once it's bubbled up. We use the gaggia on the rare occasion when he wants milk in his coffee as the frother is amazing. The bialetti does great 'thick' coffee. The aeropress does great thin coffee. The gaggia takes a bit longer to heat up but has best crema. Cafetiere is fail safe and easiest for doing lots of coffee. DH doesn't like pods because the coffee doesn't have the taste of freshly ground beans and you can't try more special coffees and blends. Nespresso is just about bearable but he point blank refuses to drink tassimo.

I feel.like a complete Luddite with my spoon, cup and instant....(hangs head)

The DeLonghi Magnifica is Amazon's deal of the day today at £219 - says it's half price but I've got no idea how much they sell it for normally.

Magnifica Bean to Cup Coffee Machine Esam4000.b, 15 Bar - Black www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0036TDF6I/ref=cmswrcpapi_O3NuxbECWZ7YX

Argh, link doesn't work

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0036TDF6I/ref=cmswrcpapi_O3NuxbECWZ7YX

Since DH cut down his drinking he's become obsessed with coffee. We had a Delonghi Bean-To-Cup which lasted two-and-a-half years and the milk frother knob snapped, but we worked out that each cup we'd prepared cost about 15p. We then purchased a Delonghi grinder one, but it badly leaked and we ended up returning it to Amazon. We now own another Delonghi Bean-To-Cup and it's working well so far

As for beans, DH goes to The Camden Roastery in North London.

DeLonghi Magnifica plus, here. We don't regret it. Best coffee ever and all you need is a bag of beans and milk if you want lattes etc. easy peasy.