coffee machines

[flowertot]

Still on the hunt for an automatic coffee machine - anyone got one they recommend?

not sure how well this fits your brief, but I have one of these at work and one at home, and neither has let me down yet - Cheapy Argos filter machine .
There are various posher-looking ones in brushed steel etc (try John Lewis) if your kitchen is smarter than mine, but I'd definitely have a filter machine that takes normal ground coffee rather than one that needs pods etc.

I like my nespresso one - it uses pods - it means if you have guests - they can choose which type of coffee they want - they don't have to have the same as you. I like it cos I drink decaf and dh drinks strong stuff.
Only bug bear about mine is that I don't find it heats up really hot - but may be a fault with mine. I have to warm the milk in a cup in the mwave to keep it hot.

I am in two minds about pods.....can't imagine the coffee is as good. What I really want is one where I can do cappucino too, so has a frother. Also DH likes espresso so can make individual cups rather than one large jug. But its tough as there are so many

Try going to a good cook shop - they usually have Nespresso on display and working - you can get to try the coffee.
It has a frother on it - b tbh I usually bung the milk in the mwave and then froth it with the aerolatte thingy I got a tenner!
The coffee pods are fantastic tasting - have a look on their web site. I think they have about 30 different flavours and you can order 10 of each at a time. You can also buy a presentation case that looks like a big box of chocolates that u can offer to your guests to choose from!

I bought a great one in July. I decided against one that used pods, as I felt there was an awful lot of packaging waste, and also, comparitively, the pods were dear. I bought mine in John Lewis and it was half price because it was being discontinued. It has a large tank for water, and the coffee is really hot. We only use it for espresso, but you can steam milk too. here It's discontinued in this shop, too, but you might find it cheap on the net somewhere. I can thoroughly recommend it. HTH

Nespresso are made by Nestle - so that would have stoped me from buying it even if the coffee didn't taste likecrap (to my tastebuds).

My Xmas present last year was \link{http://www.gaggiatitanium.co.uk/this} which is truly amazing - perfect coffee and no farting about iwth grounds. It has a frother and also a cappucinatore - which means you can just put a tube into a bottle of milk and frothed milk comes out of the steamer, so you don't even have to have a jug. They are expensive, but if you kelkoo you can get one imprted from Italy at a huge discount to retail prices here (I think mine was £550). Thye are meant to last a lifetime - mine has been leaking recently and I sent it back to gaggia Uk and they fixed it for free (and paid for all the couriers) and didn' even ask how old it was or for proof of purchase.

Prufrock that was just what I wanted to hear!! I have been looking at the Titanium and the Synchrony Digital and on my first post people poo-pooed them as being too automatic, but that is actually what I want. Anything too much of a faff and we won't use it enough as we won't want to clean it out! Some people suggested the coffee taste was compromised but I don't believe that somehow. plus we are drinking instant at the moment so its going to be a great improvement. You have decided for me - Thank you! By the way is it easy enough to program?

Do you reckon I would be better buying it from Gaggia UK just in case anything goes wrong so its easier for any repairs? Its all very well to get a bargain from abroad but if there is no come back maybe its false economy?

If its got a Europe wide guarantee you can get it fixed in this country. I bought a camera in Andorra, and when I got sand in it, sent it off to be repaired here, under warranty

Thanks Mary BS. Will check on that. Seems fair enough - and will only buy from some reputable place then!

The coffee tastes wonderful. It is very easy to programme and so easy to use - so easy in fact that since Xmas we have drunk 1,547 cups!ting it from abroad is no problem - I got mine from Italy and when it was leaking i caled Gaggia UK and they simply arranged for a courier to pick it up. Didn't even ak how old it was o r where I had bought it. My problem was a faulty steam pipe, which they replaced and then sent back. unfortunatly when it arrived with me it had obviously been dropped by teh courier and the door was hanging off. I called them and the courier was back within the hour. Machine came back again 8 days later but still wouldn't work! So they picked it up again next day. This time it was debris in the feed pipe caused by the work they'd had to do 2nd time around. 5 days after sending it I got it back, and in the meantime a v. apologetic call from Gaggia. And no charge for anything.

Wow what service. Am going to have a look online later and order today. I am so excited! Thanks for your help

Don't rule out the coffee pod machines - the excellent Senseo in particular - for a couple of reaons.

First off, don't worry about packaging and coffee quality as you don't even need to use pods - you can buy a small plastic adapter called an Ecopad (buy from www.ecopad.nl, Ebay or Amazon) which you put ground coffee into.

I've got a grinder as well, and there's nothing like grinding a handful of beans and putting the grounds straight into the Senseo!

If you like a variety of coffees, you're in for a treat with this machine because pods have taken off in the US and France as well - I've brought back piles of exotic pods from French supermarkets - bonus being they have almost no weight!

You can also order off the web from the states - they have really nice flavours like maple, eggnog and gingerbread. Again shipping is cheap because of the weight.

My sister bought my Senseo for my Xmas, and it's been in constant use since. Hands down the nicest home-made coffee I've ever had.

We have a morphy richrads one which cost about £75. It makes excellent espresso and proths the milk for lattes and cappachinos.

It was last years xmas gift and I Love it!

I'm another Senseo fan, sitting here with a cup beside me. I LOVE the Kenya blend! And of course, the machine is only £36 on Amazon. Mine has been in constant use since I bought it. Friends make a point of coming round because they love the coffee.

BlokeDH - have you got a website you order from? Maple flavoured coffee sounds heavenly!

MaryBS - I have used baronetcoffee.com - even thought they are in the US, they ship to the UK and the price wasn't too extravagant for being in flavoured pods for months!

I had a look just now and they have Pumpkin Spice, Native Blueberry, French Toast & Creme Brulee - no Maple though, I'm beginning to think I made that one up !!

As a side note, Baronet coffee have posted, on their Pumpkin Spice coffee page, the following -

"Guaranteed to bring back warm memories of eating Grandmas pumpkin pie."

I have quite clear memories of my late grandmother and am quite sure she never made pumpkin pie - at least not for me. I'm therefore unsure that I want to buy a cofee that, whilst of delicious thematic flavour, brings forth either repressed or false memories.

To be fair, it doesn't say that it was my grandmother. It could well be that everyone on the planet has at some point eaten pumpkin pie prepared by a grandmother.

Thank you! I can say I've NEVER eaten pumpkin pie, made by my grandmother, or anyone else!

DH left his job last week and they gave him a tassimo as a leaving present. It's brilliant and you get the option of making hot chocolate, tea as well. Maybe slightly dearer than some of the others but a really good one.