Guide

For lazy caffeine junkies: a comparison of fully automatic machines

22.8.2019

Translation: machine translated

Freshly ground coffee, consistent quality, energy-saving and environmentally friendly: fully automatic machines are all the rage. They are easy to use and offer you affordable coffee enjoyment.

Admittedly, they hardly win any beauty contests. But they are practical: fully automatic coffee machines heat up quickly and deliver espresso, coffee or hot water at the touch of a button. If you want a cappuccino or latte macchiato, more expensive machines also do this fully automatically. While you can adjust almost nothing on capsule machines, you can select the coffee strength and the grind of the beans yourself on a fully automatic machine.

The fully automatic machine is the perfect machine if you need to make coffee quickly in the morning or at a dinner party. Switch on the machine, heat it up briefly and the coffee is ready. You won't win the Barista World Cup with these machines, but you don't need to have studied rocket science to be able to use them. I recommend a fully automatic machine if you drink coffee several times a week and have previously relied on capsules. They are simply too expensive and produce a lot of waste. The fully automatic machine is also an "all-round carefree package".

The coffee-delivering tea milk sow

While fully automatic machines used to be reserved for office cafeterias and luxury villas due to their price, there are now entry-level models for around 300 francs. These are perfectly adequate for a morning coffee. If you pay a little more, there are displays, integrated milk frothers, two bean containers or even two coffee grinders, some of which are app-controlled. Instead of plastic, the more expensive machines use high-quality materials such as stainless steel. The grinders are also somewhat quieter and more efficient.

** The grinder **

In fully automatic machines, the coffee grinder is integrated directly into the machine. You set the grind once (usually somewhat awkwardly using a dial in the bean container) and then usually leave it at this setting. There are two different types of grinder. While the disc grinder is quieter, the cone grinder takes up less space in the machine and processes the coffee a little more gently. However, the differences are minimal.

Foaming: Most machines have the option of frothing milk.

** The milk foam **

If you drink a lot of cappuccino or latte macchiato, then an integrated milk frother is worthwhile. Among the most affordable models, the
Saeco Lirika offers you an automatic milk frother. You insert a small tube into the milk and the machine froths it for you. You then have to press a button to make the coffee. In the upper price segment, this is all fully automatic: press cappuccino, cappuccino comes out at the bottom. With the very expensive machines, you can even determine details such as the amount of milk and coffee thanks to the smartphone app and touchscreen.

** The cleaning process **

As easy as fully automatic machines make coffee at the touch of a button, they need thorough cleaning on a more or less regular basis. Water filters, descaling agents and cleaning tabs are part of the consumables. If you're an energy saver, you need to factor this into your operating costs. How easy or difficult cleaning is depends on the manufacturer and the appliance. This ranges from fully automatic cleaning to laborious unscrewing. When buying, therefore, pay attention to the description under 'Special features' and 'Cleaning' in our specifications. It states how easy the machine is to clean and how accessible the individual components are.

** The operation **

Fully automatic machines have arrived in the modern age. While the cheaper machines offer simple buttons, you can also control the expensive coffee machines via Wi-Fi using an app. For example, you can programme your cup size so that the coffee doesn't overflow. Of course, this also works with the cheaper machines, but it's less convenient. Personally, I don't see the point of touchscreens, app controls and LCD displays on coffee machines and like the feel of individual buttons. That's probably a matter of taste.

The most expensive machine is useless with bad beans.

** The coffee **

You can order the most expensive fully automatic machine - if the beans are bad, so is the coffee. I recommend that you always buy the same beans so that the result is consistent. The fresher the beans come from the roastery, the more flavourful they are. Coffee beans don't actually have an expiry date, but they lose their flavour surprisingly quickly. Instead of stockpiling beans by the kilo, buy your beans in smaller packs.

Budget

There are few frills here. These machines do what they are supposed to do: Make coffee automatically. And for little money. Because the machines are slightly smaller, they are also suitable for smaller kitchens and offices. All machines in this selection have the option of frothing milk, either directly with a milk tank or with a steam lance (with the De'Longhi model).

For lazy caffeine junkies: a comparison of fully automatic machines

The coffee-delivering tea milk sow

Budget

Mid-range

High-end

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