La Marzocco Linea Mini
La Marzocco is the brand that Blue Bottle uses in all of its stores, which is why Phillips called it the working baristas choice. The semi-automatic Linea Mini is modeled after La Marzoccos Linea Classic, which the brand says is popular among professional baristas. With the La Marzocco app, you can turn the machine on or off, set the boiler temperature, enable pre-brewing and more. Though this machine is substantially pricier, Phillips noted that the build quality is very high, it has stable temperature and pressure, looks great in a kitchen and just works. Suarez added that this machine provides professional-level quality espresso.
What Is Your Favorite Coffee Drink
There is no point in purchasing an automatic espresso machine with a fancy milk frothing system if you only care about pure dark espresso! Not only will it add additional cost to your desired machine, but this will also add an additional point of failure!
So before you make a purchase, think of the drink YOU drink daily. If you mostly drink espresso and Americanos, but very occasionally have a latte, it might make sense to skip on machines with milk frothing systems to save money, and instead go to your local coffee shop for the occasional latte.
The Best Automatic Espresso Machines For Ultimate Convenience
Updated: February 11, 2022 by Owen Richardson
You have probably tested all kinds of espresso out there, and if you are convinced no other shot is better than a barista-made one, you may be wrong. Get yourself the best automatic espresso machine and watch the magic happen right inside your kitchen.
Also, imagine the convenience of never having to line up or drive a couple of miles just to get your shot of espresso. Some clever automatic machines even offer way more than that. But you may never find out until you find the best one for you and give it a try.
Now, there are hundreds of them on the market today, and every year, I help coffee lovers like you get an option that wont disappoint them by narrowing my selection based on the mode of operation, programmability, design, capacity, and other factors.
Join me as I walk you through the best models on the market right now. I even show you how to select one!
TOP PICK
No other espresso machine has as good of a balance of features and is as well priced as the Breville BES870XL. In its category, it is unmatched primarily because of its brewing abilities. You can customize a drink and rest assured that the steam wand and integrated grinder will surpass your expectations. Thats why many coffee connoisseurs have fallen in love with it.
- 32-ounce bean hopper
- Manual steam wand
Pros
- Built-in grinder makes coffee ground dosing simple
- Easy to disassemble and clean
Cons
- Requires patience and a bit of effort to operate manually
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Best Espresso Machines For Small Offices
As we begin to welcome back our workforces to the office after the global Covid19 pandemic, now is the perfect time to invest in an office coffee machine.
There are plenty of great benefits to having an espresso machine in your office. Of course, when your employees can access a quality coffee when they need it most, theyll feel more awake, alert, and energised. Office coffee machines can also provide some great physical and mental health benefits that improve morale and boost productivity throughout the workplace!
But if your team is made up of tens rather than hundreds of employees, youll need to find the best espresso machine designed for smaller offices. Tastes and budgets can vary, so how do you know which is the right one for your office when there are so many competing on the market?
Thats where this article can help! First, well teach you everything you should consider when choosing a commercial espresso machine. Then, since some espresso machines are simply better than others, well set you on the right track with our pick of the 5 best espresso machines for small offices.
Jura Ena 8 Metropolitan Fully Automatic Coffee Machine
Material: Stainless Steel| color : Metropolitan Black |Capacity: 2.3 Pounds |
4.0 / 5 from 68 ratings
Price: $1,989.00
The Jura ENA 8 Metropolitan is the 100% best fully automatic espresso machine on the market. It features a cone-shaped burr grinder that produces a tight and smooth grind, making it perfect for all types of coffee. The Jura ENA 8 Metropolitan is also ECO friendly, meaning it doesnt produce any harmful chemicals that could harm your skin. Plus, its compact size makes it easy to take with you wherever you go.
Pros
-
A bit expensive compared to other coffee machines
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What To Look For In An Espresso Machine
While weve done our best to provide informed, well-researched recommendations of the best espresso machines on the market, determining the right choice for you is ultimately up to your personal preferences. There are many different types of espresso machines to select from, each of which come with their own sets of strengths and weaknesses. Some are easier to use while others are built for those with highly specific tastes, looking to brew the perfect espresso for their palates. Some are multifunctional, others are single-purpose.
Among the categories youll find online are manual, semi-automatic, automatic, super-automatic, and capsule espresso machines. We intentionally excluded capsule machines from this list due to their lack of personalized, full-bodied flavor, not to mention their harmful environmental impact. For the purposes of this list, were instead focused on conventional espresso machines that employ portafilters and baskets to dispense a powerful Coffea-based product, complete with a balanced crema consistency to get you through the workday.
How To Calibrate Each Component Of Your Super Automatic Espresso Machine
Now that Ive whet your appetite, lets dive into how to get the most out of your super automatic espresso machine.
Even though it almost goes without saying, Ill say it anyway: with highly automated appliances like these, the quality of your components not only will determine your machines life span and value, but also the quality of what you get in your cup.
The other half of the equation is settings. Otherwise, youre just chucking in beans, water and milk and hoping for the best.
For that reason, Im going to walk you through dialing in your machine. Ill weave in important insights about the components in question at the same time.
Before getting into that, Ive put together a list of must-haves based on my reviewing experiences. After all, fully automatic espresso machines are all about convenience with a capital C. These things go a long way to achieving that, so try and make sure your chosen model ticks as many of the boxes as possible:
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Type Of Espresso Machines
There are three different types of espresso machines, where you choose the amount of work to put in against the potential perfection you can get out with control.
Manual Espresso Machine
Manual machines are based on pressure. You have to pull a lever to create enough pressure to pull the shot.
Manual machines need the most input from you, which means theres a lot of work required. You have to measure, grind the coffee beans, tamp, and work the lever. However, you have complete control over the brewing process.
Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine
Semi-automatic espresso machines usually have a boiler, a portafilter, and a switch to start extraction. You also have to measure, grind, transfer the grinds to the filter basket, tamp, and then steam or froth the milk. Overall, theres a high learning curve if youre a beginner barista, but you can tweak the shot endlessly until it suits your preferences.
Most semi-automatic devices at this price point have a built-in grinder.
Super-Automatic Espresso Machine
Super-automatic machines do all or most of the work for you. These are also called bean to cup. You press a button and get a shot of espresso. A super-automatic device grinds, tamps, and pulls the shot automatically. Some of them even steam the milk.
There are several super-automatic espresso machines in this price range, such as the Philips LatteGo 3200 and Gaggia Anima Prestige.
How Long Do Automatic Espresso Machines Last
Provided it is taken good care of, an espresso machine will last up to twenty years. However, some will only serve you for five years, no matter how well you look after them. You may be wondering why the duration varies. Well, other factors come into play, such as frequency of use, brand, machine type, and quality of components, just to name a few.
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The Best Coffee Beans For Automatic Espresso Machines
Its time to spill the beans on the ones you like most.
Okay, so that was a total cop-out because flavor is very subjective. However, that doesnt mean any old beans will do. Not by a long shot.
Listen, its not my place to tell you how to live your life. Still, because I care, Id like to give you some advice on selecting coffee beans:
- Consider brewing with high-quality, fresh coffee beans.
- Whenever possible, buy whole bean coffee from small, independent roasters.
- Dont be seduced by cheap, mass-market coffee.
- Dare to experiment!
As a rule, slightly darker roasts are the best choice for automatic espresso machines. If you want more floral notes, though, pour-over drippers do a better job of teasing out that beautiful bouquet.
Be warned that espresso beans that are a knockout in your semi-automatic espresso machine wont necessarily lend themselves to a fully automatic espresso machine, which tends to under-extract. The results can be unpleasantly acidic.
At this point I should mention that Ive developed what I consider to be the best coffee beans for automatic espresso machines. This has been a passion project of mine for quite some time and Im really excited about the results. Sustainably sourced and of the highest possible quality, my Coffee for Fully Automatic Machines by Coffeeness will be available in North America really soon!
How Does Automatic Espresso Machine Work
The espresso machine works on the principle of double pumping. The first pump pressurizes the boiler or reservoir with hot water, and the second one is used to pressurize the steam wand that is connected to the espresso portafilter. The pressure in the boiler and steam wand are maintained by a spring mechanism.
Moreover, the espresso brewing process is based on the difference in pressure between the boiler and steam wand. Therefore, the lower pressure in the boiler would cause more water to flow out of it, and this would lead to lower pressure in the steam wand, which would result in a weaker coffee shot.
Besides, the selection of the type of espresso machine is based on the size of the boiler and steam wand. The larger boiler and steam wand will result in stronger coffee shots.
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Ninja Dualbrew Pro Specialty Coffee System Single
- Dimensions : 15.54 Inches x 9.13 Inches x 11.39 Inches
- Weight: 9.69 Pounds
- Features: Custom Brew Strength, Cup Size Selector, Frothing Wand, Hot Water Dispenser
- Cup Capacity: 12
| Lowest Price |
Product Details
Faster Brewing: Brew a K-Cup coffee pod faster than a leading Keurig coffee maker upon startup. Dual Coffee Maker: Grounds and pods coffee system with 9 grounds brew sizes in addition to 4 traditional pod brew sizes .
4 Brew Style Choices: Select Classic, Rich, Over Ice, Specialty for your grounds or K-Cup coffee pods. Specialty Brew: Brew a super-rich coffee concentrate that you can use to create delicious lattes, macchiatos, cappuccinos, and other coffeehouse-style drinks.
Independent Hot Water System: Separate from the coffee dispenser. 2 temperature settingshot and boilallow you to make instant soups, oatmeal, or hot cocoa. Built-In, Fold-Away Frother: Turns hot or cold milk or milk alternative into silky-smooth froth.
Removable for easy cleaning. 60-oz Multi-Position Water Reservoir: Allows you to position the reservoir on the side or rear of the machine to fit your space, plus it is removable for easy refilling. Size: 96 fl oz.
Color: Black.
| Paper |
Reviews From Real Customers
First of all, I highly recommend reading all of the instructions and troubleshooting in the manual before you leave a review. It not only helps yourself, but helps other people as well. Some of these bad reviews are things that couldve easily been fixed.
What Effects Does Coffee Have On Working Memory
According to an earlier study, caffeine may reduce the frequency and length of tip-of-the-tongue effects by enhancing short-term memory. However, more recent studies have revealed that phonological loop priming, rather than general “alertness effects,” is responsible for the performance boost that caffeine is said to provide.
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Cleaning The Drip Tray And Coffee Grounds Collection Container
This really isnt that big of an issue because most fully automatic espresso machines alert you when the dregs drawer and/or drip tray are full. Depending on the machine model, the job shouldnt take long at all.
Again, I clean these parts daily, even if the machine doesnt ask me. Now here, using detergents isnt a problem. So if you prefer that, go for it.
How We Tested Coffee Machines
The coffee machines featuring above were some of the best performing from within their category tests. Our reviews experts put products through their paces in controlled conditions and marked each against a set of core and contributing criteria. The average marks out of five across the following determined the overall star rating of each machine. Find our more about how we test products here.
For example, with espresso, we looked for a rich colour, bold aroma, intense flavour and a hazelnut coloured top of silky crema.
- Quality of materials
Coffee machines are big investments, so every element must be built to withstand daily use over a long period of time.
- Value for money
Overpriced? Cheap feel? The quality offered must feel like good return for the investment.
Coffee machines shouldn’t require an hour of studying a convoluted instruction manual. They also need to be simple enough to use when half asleep or in a rush.
- Ease of assembly and packaging
We scored on the protective quality of the packaging, quantity of single-use plastic used and how simple each was to put together.
The following secondary criteria also played into our decision-making
- Footprint on the countertop
- Aesthetic design
Coffee pod machines use single-shot pods so their versatility isn’t as broad as espresso machines that can make two cups at the same time. Espresso machines may have milk frothing wands so these should have enough oomph to heat and froth milk without literally running out of steam.
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Steam Wand And Milk Frothing
Best espresso machines under $1000 either have a manual or automatic milk frothing system. This means you have to froth the milk yourself on some espresso machines, such as the Breville Pro.
However, others, such as Breville Touch and Philips LatteGo 3200, have automatic frothing, where you get milk foam or steamed milk with a touch of a button.
One thing to consider is how strong the steam wand is and what kind of foam it can create. For example, Philips LatteGo 3200 can only create thick foam for cappuccinos but not microfoam for lattes. Gaggia Anima can produce microfoam, but only if you detach the plastic part.
Best Coffee Maker For Larger Offices
If you consider your workplace to be on a larger scale, with multiple teams of employees assembling eagerly for their morning cup of coffee, youre going to need bigger, better, and more robust brewing power.
Single-serve models are great when there are only a few. But if your breakroom is the hotspot for ten, twenty, or fifty employees every morning, youll want to find the best office coffee maker capable of producing that greater volume of brew.
More than volume alone, there are other unique features youll want to consider when shopping for the office coffee machine with lots of usage in mind. Youll want the flexibility to accommodate a variety of preferences, including coffees, teas, and hot cocoas.
Youll look for volume variations to avoid waste, like single-serve and carafe capabilities. And the larger capacity machines will still need to be easy to use for everyone. Only the best office coffee makers will be able to do it all.
Additionally, large office environments with groups of employees lining up to the coffee pot daily will need robust, commercial-grade equipment that can sustain the heavier usage. Lots of button pushing, extra spills, and heavy-duty brewing will require a coffee machine ready to handle the challenge.
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Hamilton Beach Flexbrew Trio 2
Another brand that often makes the list of best office coffee machines is Hamilton Beach. And if youre shopping around to find a perfect fit for your small office, the Hamilton Beach FlexBrew Trio 2-Way Coffee Maker is worth a look.
Flex is its middle name, as it offers traditional ground coffee brewing, K-Cup compatibility, and is capable of brewing 12 full cups. Its just as affordable as its Cuisinart rival, with a starting price of around $95.55.
Not everyone in your office may be a fan of coffee in the morning. But because you do have some that enjoy their morning cup of joe, you need a quality office coffee machine that is capable of producing smaller quantities of coffee.
Avoid wasting leftover brew with this Hamilton Beach model that allows for single-serve use. It also has a programmable feature for a traditional brew, so you can take advantage of the full pot of coffee for client meetings or long training days.