Coffee for fully automatic machines: 7 tips for perfect results

Coffee from fully automatic machine in white cup

With a fully automatic coffee machine, you get coffee specialties just like in your favorite cafe – from classic cafe creme to espresso and cappuccino.

At least that is the promise of the manufacturers of these machines. However, it often turns out that it is not so easy to get really good coffee from a fully automatic coffee maker. In the following blog post we give you 7 tips on how to find the perfect coffee for your fully automatic machine.

Are you right on search for the right coffee for your fully automatic coffee maker, then click on the picture and you will go directly to our strong – chocolaty fully automatic coffee.

coffee for fully automatic machines

In this article we have all our knowledge summarized for you from our years of experience. We give you 7 tips so that you can get a reliably good coffee from the fully automatic machine from now on.

tips for coffee fully automatic machine

Tip 1: the right coffee for fully automatic machines

Many underestimate the quality differences in coffee. If you want to improve your coffee enjoyment, you can’t do without a high-quality selection of coffee beans.

no machine or setting can create a taste that is not present in the coffee. Even the most expensive vending machine bad coffee not a great coffee experience conjure up more.

But what is possible: well-tuned coffee beans forgive even small machine problems still good-naturedly.

Admittedly, it’s not exactly easy to get out of the a wide range of varieties and brands choose the right coffee. Especially in the supermarket it is difficult to find out who is behind it, what quality the beans are or what the coffee is best for.

Which coffee for fully automatic coffee machines?

As coffee for the fully automatic machine arabica and robusta beans are suitable with a medium roast depth. The right beans for the fully automatic coffee machine should be gently drum roast method being roasted.

Buy coffee

We recommend choosing your fully automatic coffee pay attention to the following 4 things:

A) the type of roasting
b) correct roasting depth
c) robusta content
d) balance between coffee vs. Espresso

Roasting coffee

A) the type of roast

If you want the best coffee from a fully automatic machine, make sure that the coffee beans you buy are handcrafted drum roast. The drum roasting method is mainly used by small roasters and also for all our earlybird coffees .

In the process, the beans at never more than 200 degrees comparatively long (15-20 minutes) roasted. By comparison: in modern, large industrial plants, coffee beans are heated for only a few minutes and at up to 600 degrees.

slow, gentle drum roasting has decisive advantages: coffee roasted in this way tends to be not only low acid and less bitter. It also develops its aroma better.

fully automatic earlybird coffee coffee good coffee better coffee bio fair

B) correct roasting depth

The roast depth describes how "light" the coffee is or "dark a coffee has been roasted. In the picture, you can see how the initially greenish raw bean in the course of roasting it changes more and more from a lighter brown to a really dark, dark chocolatey dark brown.

Depending on how light or dark the coffee ends up being, the roasting depth massive impact on the taste. Lighter roasted coffees are often dominated by fruity and citrusy flavor elements. Darker roasted coffees taste especially nutty or chocolaty. As the roasting depth increases, the proportion of roasted aromas becomes more pronounced, and with it the bitterness.

coffee roasted 4 different levels

We find that a good coffee for fully automatic machines definitely not too light roasted should be. The fruity notes tend to be perceived as sour in combination with the rather low brewing temperatures in fully automatic machines. However, a roast that is too dark is also not advantageous, because otherwise the bitterness dominates too strongly and the aroma decreases.

Our recommendation: find a coffee with a "medium" roast depth.

At earlybird coffee, we have many, many coffee tests with different roast degrees to determine the perfect roasting depth and to offer you a reliably good coffee for fully automatic coffee machines. The result is our earlybird fully automatic.

C) robusta content

coffees from different parts of our world have different characteristics and flavors. A skilled roaster puts these green coffees together in such a way that the result corresponds to a good combination of the individual, positive characteristics of the individual green coffees.

coffees from south america for example, are often low in acidity and rather chocolaty, whereas african coffees stand out for their acidity level and tanginess.

green coffee beans

Especially the differences in taste between arabica and robusta coffees play an important role in the choice of coffee a decisive role for fully automatic machines.

An arabica coffee often brings flavor and complexity to the cup. A robusta component is known for its reliable penetration into milk and for making the coffee intense and chocolaty.

Earlybird coffee tip: note that the coffee for your fully automatic machine also consists to a certain extent of robusta beans. Because with it you create not only an aromatic, black coffee, but also great coffee specialties with milk or plant-based drinks (e.g.B. oat, soy or almond drink).

With our earlybird fully automatic coffee maker we have chosen a robusta share From 30% decidedly. The result is that the coffee can be used universally and still retain the delicious chocolaty flavors that we all like so much :-)

D) balance between coffee vs. Espresso

The special challenge with most fully automatic coffee machines is that they both coffee drinks and espresso drinks produce. Many people usually want a large, mild, aromatic cup of coffee. The espresso, on the other hand, should be small, powerful and strong.

Do you own a fully automatic coffee machines with two bean compartments , the choice is quite simple: namely coffee and espresso beans for the respective subject. For us, that would be earlybird espresso and earlybird cafe crema .

Do you have a fully automatic machines with one bean compartment and if you drink both coffee and espresso, the choice of coffee is a bit more challenging.

We recommend, to start with our earlybird fully automatic machine. It is our reliable all-rounder. It produces both aromatic coffees and strong espressos that are ideal as a base for dairy drinks (also with vegetable alternatives).

Good to know : espresso beans and coffee beans actually only differ in the way they are roasted or ground. By the roasting depth. espresso beans are usually roasted much darker than coffee beans. For the taste, this tends to mean

Espresso beans → stronger, more intense
coffee beans → milder, finer

If our earlybird fully automatic is not intense enough for you, try our earlybird espresso . If it is too strong for your taste, our earlybird cafe crema might be the right choice. you will surely find the right balance if you try a little bit!

Coffee to try from the tasting pack

Tip 2: set the fully automatic machine correctly

The correct setting experience has shown that it is often not easy for our customers to find the right coffee. No wonder, there are more and more settings and the interactions between them increases the complexity.

The following two aspects help you set up your machine correctly:

Correctly adjusting the grind of fully automatic coffee machines

The degree of grinding refers to how coarse or fine the coffee beans are ground in the machine before being brewed. The correct setting of the grind has a non-negligible effect on the taste in a fully automatic machine. With most fully automatic machines, the grinding degree on a small wheel near the bean compartment set.

In our experience is neither as fine as possible nor as coarse as possible the best choice, but rather the middle with the tendency to something finer.

Our rule of thumb: if the coffee is too bitter or too strong for you, adjust the grind to a coarser setting. If the coffee is too watery or too acidic, choose a finer grind.

When setting the grind, keep in mind that you will often be making Draw 2-3 cups of coffee must be used until the grind actually reaches the cup. The fully automatic machines usually have a channel in which there is already ground coffee (dead space). Only when this is replaced by freshly ground coffee with the new grind, you will taste a difference.

Hand adjusts grind

Adjust the amount of beverage correctly

one of the most common mishandling of a fully automatic machine is the amount or size of a single coffee drink. We often observe the following phenomenon: the quantity regulator for cafe creme or similar is turned all the way up, because "the cup should be full". The result is a great cup of coffee, but the taste usually leaves a lot to be desired.

The explanation is simple: the brewing chamber of most fully automatic machines can only hold a relatively small amount of coffee. If you run too much hot water through this small amount of coffee, the coffee will be over-extracted.

You can observe this when coffee stream from your machine becomes bright and almost white. The consequence is bitterness and acidity in the coffee – two things you surely don’t want to taste.

Our experience after you are done with a quantity of about 100ml for a coffee on the safe side. At this quantity, the coffee / water ratio is balanced. It is better to make two coffees in a row if you want the cup to be full. The taste will thank you :-)

And if you do want larger quantities of coffee, filter coffee is a great and tasty alternative that is currently enjoying a revival!

Instruction correct grind

Do not change all the settings at the same time.

It is better to place a parameter (z.B. change the grind) and then first of all 2-3 cups to drink from it. Often, the machine needs a few beanings until the new setting is found and actually arrives in the cup.

At this point it should also be mentioned that the choice of coffees for the fully automatic coffee machine in the first step has the greatest influence. As already described in the first tip, it is difficult to achieve the desired results through settings, if the actual coffee can not give the desired result.

Tip 3: hygiene and cleanliness of fully automatic coffee machines

With regular cleaning not only will you extend the life of your machine, but you’ll ensure that you’ll be able to drink better coffee from your fully automatic machine in the long run.

Actually a matter of course, but especially with fully automatic machines, hygiene and cleanliness are often underestimated and yet highly relevant. Directly three factors make hygiene a challenge:

  • Coffee contains oils and fats that build up and become rancid
  • Fully automatic machines have a complex interior
  • Preparing milk-based beverages makes the fully automatic machine particularly susceptible to germs

With a fully automatic machine, residues are produced in and on the machine. The area where the coffee is brewed (technical term: brew group) is particularly susceptible to this. There results a lot of heat and water.

Often also falls something coffee grounds next to the brew group or out of the brew group. These residues accumulate in the machine and can vegetate happily.

As a user:in, you often have little opportunity to clean this area well, since the brewing group is not accessible in many machine types.

In this case our tip isIt is better to have the machine serviced once too often than once too little. And actively ask for a cleaning of the brew group and surrounding components. For all others, regular cleaning of the brew group and the inside of the machine brings real benefits in terms of taste!

The special feature of the fully automatic machine is that some parts also come into contact with milk or vegetable drinks. These are particularly critical. Always clean it immediately after use or after one working day at the latest.

Additional tip: we do not recommend leaving the fresh water in the tank for too long. rather empty the tank regularly – at the latest according to 1-3 days non-use. The normal cleaning program with the grounds container and waste water tank should of course also be carried out regularly (ideally daily).

Tip 4: sensible milk or. Use plant-based drinks in fully automatic machines

Especially with coffee specialties with milk or vegetable drinks (z.B. Oat, soy or almond drink) such as a cappuccino, 80% of your coffee drink is not coffee. The taste of the milk or. The vegetable drinks therefore characterize the taste of the drink significantly more than the taste of the coffee.

The following applies to milk: fat is a flavor carrier. 3.8% fresh milk simply tastes much better than 1.5% UHT milk. We often hear the argument that the lower fat milk is chosen for nutritional reasons.

Did you know that the difference between the two types of milk is very small: calculated on a cup of cappuccino, this makes calorically about 20 calories from. Not much, but it tastes much better!

For plant-based alternatives: the variety is huge. We recommend that you simply try it out to find out whether you are more of a soy, oat or nut fan! In principle, the following are suitable for froth particularly good barista editions. Our personal favorite: cappuccino with hazelnut drink, mhmm…

Pouring milk foam

Tip 5: the right water for fully automatic coffee machines

Fact: actually, every coffee drink consists mostly of water. Therefore, the water used can of course also have an influence on the taste. Filtered water often tastes better in this case.

Does your fully automatic machine have a built-in filter? Good! Just be careful, this must regularly exchanged otherwise it can even be harmful to health. For all others, a taste test is worthwhile, z.B. Simply using bottled water from the tap and water from a water filter.

Tip 6: store coffee properly

Whoever uses the right coffee beans and fully automatic machine settings has found, only the storage needs to be considered. If stored incorrectly, even the best coffees will gradually lose their aroma within a short period of time.

In most cases we do not recommend it, the coffee in any type of container to be decanted. It is better to leave the coffee in its original package and close it as tightly and airtight as possible after each opening.

Please also not at refrigerator or store near heat sources. A kitchen cupboard is suitable, but do not place it near strong foreign aromas (e.g., milk).B. spices). If you want to know more, read our detailed article on the proper storage of coffee.

Tip 7: the right fully automatic coffee maker

A common source of dissatisfaction is also in the fully automatic machine itself.

Fully automatic machine too small : the biggest challenge for a machine is to brew several coffee drinks one after the other. Even if manufacturers usually specify a large capacity, the following applies to milk small machines quickly overloaded and the taste will diminish already after the first or second cup. So either leave some time between the coffees or in principle rather to a larger or. To go for a higher quality machine.

Fully automatic machine too old : old machines tend to take on off-flavors caused by coffee oils and fats. Regular maintenance can help slow down this effect, but plastic in particular becomes brittle over time and absorbs more of the residue left behind. Unfortunately, a fully automatic coffee machine is not a device for eternity!

Are you looking for a new fully automatic coffee machine? We have summarized everything you need to know about buying an automatic coffee maker in our article tips for buying an automatic coffee maker.

Back in 2018 we put together a video for you with 5 tips for better coffee from the fully automatic machine. Feel free to check it out again :)

10 comments

Feb 04 2021- written by christiane

Thanks for the great article – now i also understood which settings have an influence on the coffee taste :)

Oct 10 2019- written by thorsten

Thanks for your great tips.
Since yesterday I am the proud owner of a new miele fully automatic coffee machine (CM6350). For this I ordered today your coffee for fully automatic machines.,
do you have an idea how I should now adjust the machine for an ideal cafe crema or espresso? Many thanks&

Sep 12 2018- written by mia

In the office we also have a coffee machine for catering. The tips have helped to improve the taste of coffee a little more. There is only one thing that disturbs. Unfortunately, the water in the city is not as soft as in the country where I lived before.

Feb 17 2018- written by ROB

I just bought a fully automatic coffee machine last week. At first I felt like an ox in front of the piano. The technical things I learned quickly. I had no idea of the grind, what coffee, the quantity setting I need to use to enjoy a super coffee. Since I came across your site, that has changed. I hope I find, in the manual not yet read completely, an instruction for temperature control. Thank you guys, I recently started drinking coffee as it should be according to my taste. Optimal coffee taste is logically always subjective. Mfg

Dec 18 2017- written by timo

Many great tips and class explained. Thank you and keep up the good work!

Oct 23 2017- written by earlybird coffee team

Hello "caffeenaut",
thanks for the comment and glad we could assist.
On fully automatic machines is an active setting for the water temperature rather rare. Nevertheless, there is a relatively simple rule: if the coffee is rather too bitter/over-extracted/strong, then the water is too hot; if the coffee is rather too thin/fruity/sour, the water is too cold.
Many greetings!

Oct 16 2017- written by caffeenaut

Great explanation of the whole thing. But one thing is missing.
With my caffee solo and certainly some other fully automatic coffee machines, you can also adjust the degree number of the hot water.
level 1 to 3, where 3 is the hottest level.
Do you have for this aucj tips and especially,
what is there to consider with this setting?
Evtl. Early wear of the brew group or more frequent descaling ect…

Aug 22 2017- written by karin

Hello, thank you for your good, smart list;-)
i have been a fan of fully automatic coffee machines for years,
and now I have come across a neff built-in machine!
It shows me all the time – please grind coarser – and I have done it before, but I did not know to what extent this affects the coffee and the puk, how does the "perfect puk" look like
from??

Jul 25 2017- written by eva

Have just "rummaged" through fully automatic coffee machines and still not conclusive; possibly a de longhi ..Let’s see;) but this is not the reason why I write: …actually I thought with a fully automatic coffee machine that everything would already be set, hm;)…I would like to press a button and be delighted with a fine cup of coffee / espresso, or?
That this is so complicated, I would not have guessed … and after long trying me about grinding degrees ect. Smart to make – what I actually also schnurz (sorry) is, because there are finally experts for such things and they should then actually build suitable automats?! I can’t know about everything after all? …only because we live in times of the internet? Then no one knows anything exactly, but all a bit;(
…THAT’S WHY I’M VERY THANKFUL THAT YOUR FUNNY NAME ATTRACTED ME TO YOUR SITE: …EVERYTHING I WANTED TO KNOW: EXPLAINED IN A SHORT AND CONCISE WAY AND COFFEE CAN BE FOUND AS WELL. THANK YOU VIIIIELE 1000000000 X S. ;))
NOW I DECIDE VIELLICHT YET FOR A VENDING MACHINE AND NOT FILTER …
GREETINGS FROM BREGENZ AT LAKE BODEN + HAVE A NICE SUMMER
evah

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