ᐅ Is a Built-In Fully Automatic Coffee Machine Recommended?

opalau schrieb:

Regularly remove the drip tray and wash it in the dishwasher

That’s the most annoying part. The message always appears at the worst possible time. Ideally, it would come before making coffee, but no, it shows up afterwards, just when you’re about to turn off the machine to enjoy your coffee.
Little trick: pull the tray out and push it back in fully.

It also depends on drinking habits. A good espresso definitely tastes best from a portafilter machine, provided the grind size, temperature, etc. are correct. For us, a "regular" coffee from the fully automatic machine tastes best; although we have a portafilter machine and grinder, they are not used.

Best regards,
Sabine

NicolasH schrieb:

Most machines take about 10 minutes to reach the right temperature.
In our case, the machine is connected to a timer switch and turns on automatically in the morning.

I have a portafilter espresso machine that takes no more than 1 minute to heat up. A simple but time-tested model. I think with coffee, it’s similar to wine and many other things—you find your own way. For example, I never liked built-in grinders in fully automatic machines because they were usually of mediocre quality.

Pinky0301 schrieb:

That is the most annoying thing. The notification always appears when you least need it. Ideally, it would show up before making coffee, but no, it comes after when you are just about to turn it off to enjoy your coffee.
A little trick: pull it out completely and push it back in fully

Will you continue to have a built-in coffee machine in the new kitchen in the house?

Bookstar schrieb:

There are now very good portafilter machines that almost completely take over the preparation process. These all-in-one devices grind, tamp, and froth the perfect milk. You basically only need to switch the portafilter once. Cleaning is much less work compared to a fully automatic coffee machine.
The only drawback is the investment of around 1500 euros and the need for good beans, costing at least 20 to 30 euros per kilogram (9 to 14 USD per 2.2 pounds). My beans come from Florence; I have never found better.

If simplicity is the priority and it doesn’t bring you joy, perhaps it’s better to look for a simpler solution.
I have read and heard the passage about beans costing 20 to 30 euros or more several times and would like to disagree with the claim that such beans are “required.” You can have them just like wine for 20 euros, olive oil for 30 euros, or mineral water for 5 euros per bottle.
It is well known—not just from consumer reports like Stiftung Warentest or Ökotest—that price does not always guarantee better quality; often, it is even the opposite. Supermarket brands regularly come out as test winners, while expensive brands fail spectacularly.
I understand that some people prefer to do it that way, but I have drunk enough coffee/espresso and especially cappuccino to know that the coffee bean is only ONE part of coffee enjoyment—just like the inexpensive machine compared to a luxury one.
The likelihood of quality increases with price, but as the price rises, so does the chance that you are simply paying a high margin without an increase in quality.
Therefore, I would always recommend trying both inexpensive and expensive products and deciding for yourself—ideally without knowing the brand or the price.
CEOs of various companies (mineral water, wine, coffee, etc.) have already been surprised when they picked the “budget product” as number one and placed their own further down the list.
It’s probably like French country wine, which tastes best locally on vacation.

Well, whenever I buy coffee beans other than our usual “Malabar beans,” there’s immediate complaining here. I don’t even bother to buy beans from discount stores because no one likes the taste.

Best regards
Sabine