Product test

A bird? An aeroplane? No, the Bezzera Matrix!

26.6.2019

Translation: machine translated

The Bezzera Matrix is probably the first LED-lit portafilter machine. Can it also make coffee or is it more illusion than reality?

The Bezzera Matrix is primarily a coffee machine. The facts: It is a portafilter with two boilers, which promises constant steam for frothing milk. Thanks to the rotary pump, it is fairly quiet and delivers continuous pressure. The Matrix is available in two editions: One with an E61 brew group, where you operate the coffee quantity manually with a lever in the classic way. The tested version with Bezzera brew group has programmable buttons for different coffees. So far, so normal.

Red or blue (LED) pill?

The special feature of the Matrix is the transparent Plexiglas side panelling. Bezzera has nothing to hide: You can see right inside the machine. Thanks to coloured LEDs, the Plexiglas lights up in different colour combinations. This is a matter of taste. Fortunately, the lighting can be deactivated. However, colleagues from the Digitec gaming PC faction are likely to have a lot of fun with this. You control the colours of the LEDs via the touch display. There you can also set various options such as the temperature of the boiler, how many seconds the machine pre-brews or when the timer preheats the matrix. You can set this individually for each day of the week. On Sunday, for example, the Matrix doesn't heat up until 10 a.m., while it is ready at 6 a.m. during the week.

Transparency: Bezzera has nothing to hide.

As is usual with machines of this type, the matrix takes a comparatively long time to heat up. In my test, I was able to make my first coffee after around 10 minutes. I only achieved really good results after 20 minutes. Logically, a portafilter with a boiler takes time.

Once heated up, you can extract liquid black gold from the machine using the 7 or 16 gram portafilter supplied. The rosewood handles on the portafilter are really stylish. Bezzera has saved money elsewhere.

Tamper tantrum

The tamper supplied by the Italian company with its machine, which costs almost 3,000 francs, is simply cheeky: it is a plumb plastic part that you are supposed to use to press your coffee into the portafilter. It's an almost impossible task. You have to invest money in a proper tamper. The competition does this better: Lelit supplies a tamper in the same rosewood look with the Bianca.

I also found little favour with the touchscreen. It's less precise to use than an SBB ticket machine. Fortunately, I only need the touchscreen for the basic settings. Once the machine has been set up, the screen is only used for information. It's great that the display shows the extraction time, which is essential for ambitious baristas. You no longer need to use a stopwatch to measure how long your espresso takes to flow into the cup.

Conclusion

The "Bezzera Matrix" is a special case in the portafilter landscape. While the competition favours the simplest possible appearance, Bezzera dares to take a step in the other direction. Even if I personally find the LEDs "too much", a breath of fresh air in portafilter design is desirable. Technically, I like the machine very much. Thanks to the temperature control, the two boilers and the rotary pump, it delivers consistently perfect results with a little practice. The display with extra information such as temperature or extraction time is great. It's a shame that Bezzera saved on the display and installed a very imprecise touch control. You can also throw the "tamper" straight into the bucket and get a real metal one.

Espresso machines

Bezzera Matrix Top DE

By the way, the Bezzera Matrix is also available LED-free. It is then called Bezzera Duo. It also only comes with a plastic tamper.

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Simon Balissat

Teamleader Editorial

Simon.Balissat@digitecgalaxus.ch

When I flew the family nest over 15 years ago, I suddenly had to cook for myself. But it wasn’t long until this necessity became a virtue. Today, rattling those pots and pans is a fundamental part of my life. I’m a true foodie and devour everything from junk food to star-awarded cuisine. Literally. I eat way too fast.

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