The one perfect espresso machine? There is no such thing – it all depends on what you expect from the machine. Fully automatic machines deliver simple espresso, cappuccino and co at the touch of a button. portafilter machines require a few more hand movements, but usually coax the more intense aromas out of the coffee beans. Those who want to celebrate the fine art of coffee can opt for a hand-lever machine.
The complete package: 2 clever fully automatic coffee machines for daily enjoyment
You don’t have to fiddle around for a long time or even attend a barista course to conjure up tasty espresso or cappuccino: fully automatic machines deliver the desired coffee or milk-mix creation quite simply at the touch of a button – some even smartly via app. The ingenious device was invented by a swiss man. To be more precise, the engineer arthur schmed from ruti in the canton of zurich. He presented a prototype in 1980, followed by the world premiere of the first fully automatic espresso machine from solis at a trade fair in 1985. The idea, as daring as it seemed at first, hit like a bomb. Today, there are countless models from numerous manufacturers in all price ranges.
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De’longhi primadonna class: the smart one
One tap on the cell phone and the perfect latte macchiato flows into the glass. Just the right blend of aromatic espresso and milk, on top of it all, a little bit of deliciously creamy foam. It’s easy: with the de’longhi primadonna class fully automatic coffee machine and the matching coffee link app. It can be used to store the recipes of your favorite coffee specialties – the grind of the beans, the strength of the espresso, the quantity of milk. If you put your cup(s) in the machine in the evening, you can brew your coffee in the morning with a click of the mouse. It’s just a pity that the de’longhi does not bring it to the bedside.
Apart from that, this fully automatic machine can do everything an italian espresso machine has to do. First and foremost, this means: making really good espresso. If you want, you can even two cups at the same time brew – flat white or cappuccino, espresso macchiato or even an americano. cleaning afterwards is easy: all parts that have come into contact with milk are automatically cleaned with hot water and steam.
Model: de’longhi primadonna class ECAM550.65.SB
SPECIAL FEATURES: lattecrema technology for particularly smooth milk foam, connectivity via app
price: 949 euro (MSRP)
Smeg BCC: the stylish
With rounded shapes, sometimes unusual colors and the iconic brand lettering, smeg brings the golden fifties back into the kitchen. Also in terms of coffee: after a stylish hand lever machine, a fully automatic coffee machine from the Italian household appliance manufacturer has also been on the market since may 2021. The design: retro, noble, reduced. At just 18 centimeters wide, with a brushed aluminum front and a polished finish, the smeg BCC a real eye-catcher – more discreet in black, white or taupe, a statement in bright red.
design is one thing, usability and above all taste is another. Tests have yet to show how smeg’s fully automatic coffee maker performs in these disciplines. However, the data sounds promising: infinitely adjustable stainless steel cone grinder, thermoblock heating system, 19 bar pump pressure. Although the espresso machine manufacturer la pavoni now belongs to smeg, the technology is a new development – the company promises a "first-class brewing result by hand".
For purists, we recommend the basic BCC01 model (599 euros RRP), which prepares espresso, ristretto and americano, if desired in a milder form and in preheated cups. The BCC02 (679 euro RRP) also has a stainless steel nozzle for milk frothing. Finally, the top model BCC03 will follow in the fall of 2021 with integrated milk tank, where eight different coffee and coffee-milk specialties flow into the cup at the touch of a button; five beverage profiles can be stored in memory. The price is not yet known.
model: smeg BCC02
special features: iconic retro design, only 18 centimeters wide
price: 679 euros (RRP)
That has taste: 2 italian portafilter machines with format
Unlike a fully automatic machine, which requires only a few pushes of a button, a portafilter machine requires a few more manual operations. But they pay off. Whether with or without a grinder, single- or dual-circuit, with a touch display or simple pushbuttons: when used correctly, the diverse coffee aromas can unfold better – be coaxed out better! – than a fully automatic machine. In a good italian portafilter, the individual components such as water temperature, grind and pressure can be adjusted manually and individually to the bean.
Bezzera BZ10: the classic
in 1901, luigi bezzera patented his innovative method for brewing espresso; in 1906, he presented his first espresso machine as a world first at the milan international trade fair. The beginning of a success story. Today bezzera exports – still a family business, now in its fourth generation – professional and semi-professional espresso machines in more than 50 countries around the world.
One of them is the bezzera BZ10, a classic among italian espresso machines. What it can do? Consistently good espresso and wonderfully creamy milk foam – no more and no less. No big frills, no frippery, plus a fair price for a dual-circuit machine in this quality class. Operation and cleaning are comparatively simple, even beginners can make very good coffee with a little practice. And what more could you want?!
model: bezzera BZ10
special features: two-circuit system, good operability, excellent price-performance ratio
price: 1.149 euro (RRP)
What is a dual-circuit?
Rocket espresso R nine one: the porsche
what the 911 is to automobiles, the rocket espresso milano R nine one is to coffee machines: some consider it the best home appliance available, the proverbial porsche of italian espresso machines. The single-circuit machine, "fatto a mano" (handmade) in a small milanese factory, offers a wide range of possibilities to those who like to experiment countless possibilities in terms of pressure, water quantity and temperature. The latter is said to be particularly accurate and consistently adjustable. The pressure profiles are controllable by paddle and can be saved. But you don’t need a barista to operate it: even without a lot of trial and error, the R nine one produces a stable, delicious espresso via five preset programs – and it’s whisper-quiet too.
Model: rocket espresso milano R nine one
special features: particularly versatile settings, saturated brewing group
PRICE: from ca. 5.000 euro depending on the model
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Sensual and puristic: 2 hand lever machines with nostalgia factor
After the triumphant advance of first pump portafilter machines and finally fully automatic machines, the simple hand lever machines are now experiencing a renaissance. Because less is sometimes more when it comes down to the essence – the full aroma from the coffee beans. As the name suggests, the necessary pressure is generated here by hand. But it takes not only a certain muscular strength, but also plenty of practice, patience, and the best coffee beans to make the perfect espresso. not only the coffee becomes a sensual experience. Brewing is one thing.
How to measure the quality of coffee beans?
La pavoni professional lusso: the diva
The professional from la pavoni becomes virtually unchanged since 1961 manufactured. Why change something that is perfect? This hand-lever machine combines quality and elegance – it’s not for nothing that there’s an example in the museum of modern art in new york. Tip: order it with wooden handles, it looks much more refined.
Now a "grande dame" sometimes has her airs and graces. So does madame la pavoni. It takes the exact right beans, the exact right grind, the exact right pressure, the exact right temperature to coax a perfect espresso out of it. If it is not given full attention, the professional quickly becomes a diva, that stubbornly refuses to serve. But once you’ve got the hang of it, you’ll have a lot of fun with your lady.
Model: la pavoni professional lusso wooden handles
special features: great design (exhibited at MOMA new york), high quality
price: 849 euro (MSRP)
Elektra micro casa leva S1: the eccentric
The design of the elektra micro casa polarizes – some find it delightfully nostalgic, others just plain tacky. In fact, the lever device in gold and copper with the eagle sculpture (company logo) on the tip is reminiscent of an old-fashioned steam machine. But impressions are deceptive: the micro casa leva S1, produced in a traditional company in treviso, combines traditional espresso art with modern technology. Unlike the la pavoni professional, it has a spring piston, so the necessary constant pressure is achieved without much effort. The steam nozzle can also be used to create wonderful milk foam.
model: elektra micro casa leva S1
special features: a real eye-catcher, comparatively simple preparation of consistently good espressi
price: from 1.299 euro
Decision-making aid: the right espresso machine
the range of espresso machines is extremely confusing: countless brands, countless models in every price range. To find the individually correct one, it is necessary to consider: