Bean to cup coffee machine reviews & test winner 2023

Settings

The inexpensive models differ from the expensive ones, especially when it comes to the setting options. With top-of-the-line bean to cup coffee machines, you can set everything precisely and even create personal taste profiles. Therefore, they usually score better in our test in terms of “settings”. The question is always what you need. Some of you even deliberately choose an uncomplicated device.

We will now introduce you to all the setting options. We will explain what is important and what is a nice gimmick. Then you can decide for yourself which functions you want to have.

Beverage selection

The absolute standard drinks include espresso and coffee. With the exception of the Jura E6, all bean to cup coffee machines in our test can also make cappuccino and latte macchiato. Of course, it’s always varied when a bean to cup coffee machine has even more to offer.

For those who like coffee, we recommend the Americano – an espresso prolonged with hot water. This resembles filter coffee and tastes better to us than “normal” coffee from the bean to cup coffee machine. If you like coffee with a lot of milk, you should try latte. This is because the milk is heated here, making your drink hotter overall. You are more the cappuccino type? Then maybe the Flat White is for you – an Australian version of the cappuccino. Some of you would like to have a bean to cup coffee machine that simply prepares hot milk (e.g. for cocoa).

Flat white, cappuccino, latte macchiato and latte coffee

Tip:

With a wide selection of drinks, you can experiment and try something new. However, always keep an eye on your budget and ask yourself which drinks you really need. With some devices, you can even save quite a bit if you take a smaller selection of drinks. For example, with the models of the
Philips LatteGo series.

Don’t be fooled by advertising promises like “30 drinks at the touch of a button.” Some manufacturers count double cup options (2 espressos), hot water, tea (?) or just milk foam as an additional beverage. We therefore look very closely in our tests. In each of our reviews, you will find a list of all the drinks that the respective bean to cup coffee machine can prepare.

Adjust coffee strength

You can influence the amount of coffee powder used via the coffee strength. The more coffee powder used, the stronger and more intense your espresso (or coffee.) Each bean to cup coffee machine has at least 3 levels to choose from. We givefull points for 5 levels or more. If you like to experiment a lot with the taste, you should choose more levels accordingly. Some models even offer you 20 levels.

By the way, most devices have a compartment for ground coffee. With this, you can use decaffeinated coffee from time to time. However, this compartment is not suitable for regular use, because it must be kept clean otherwise there is a risk of mold.

Adjust grinder setting

You usually set the grinder setting directly in the bean compartment. The finer the gr inder setting, the finer your coffee powder will be ground. The finer the coffee powder, the slower the water flows through the coffee puck and absorbs more aroma. You can therefore directly influence the taste via the grinder setting.

For espresso (and all espresso-based beverages such as cappuccino), a fine grinder setting is suitable. The roast of your coffee beans also plays a role. A dark roasted bean should be ground coarser than a light roast. Real gourmets therefore own a fully automatic bean to cup coffee machine with 2 grinders.

In our test, we make sure that a bean to cup coffee machine gives you as much leeway as possible. We therefore assume at least 5 levels. From 7 levels, a device receives the full score. Some models have even more than 10 levels. We also check how fine and how evenly the coffee powder is ground at the finest levels. If the levels are too coarse, there will be deductions.

Caution: You should only adjust the grinder setting during the grinding process, otherwise the grinder may be damaged. You should also only adjust 1-2 levels during each grinding process. Some bean to cup coffee machines even have a built-in lock that is only released during operation. This protects the grinder from damage. Such little things always please us especially. Because that’s how we notice that the manufacturer thinks along with us.

Adjust beverage quantities

Especially for small and large cups it is helpful to adjust the beverage quantity. We once had a bean to cup coffee machine in the test where we could not adjust anything at all. If the cup was not full or even overflowed we simply had bad luck!? This is an absolute no-go.

Other bean to cup coffee machines have fixed programmed amounts for each drink that you can reprogram. Here, the bean to cup coffee machine will continue to dispense the beverage until you press a button. For cappuccino and the like, do this first for the milk foam and then for the espresso. This is a bit cumbersome but at least it’s something.

It’s easier if you have multiple drink levels – for small, medium and large cups.

the Dinamica Plus has 4 levels to choose from (top left)

In most cases, however, you will not be given any specific milliliters for the levels. Sometimes there are hints in the instructions. If not, try out which level is suitable for which cup. Don’t worry if you make a mistake – you can cancel the purchase at any time. Exact milliliter specifications are even better. These are usually available for devices in the upper or premium class.

exact milliliters for the beverage quantity

When making bean to cup coffee machines, such as the
Jura E8
or the
Krups Evidence One
you can adjust the beverage quantity during preparation and then save it. This is especially handy if you don’t know exactly how much will fit in your cup.

The easier it is to adjust the beverage quantity to your cups, the more points a bean to cup coffee machine receives in our test.

By the way:

If you select espresso as the beverage, you influence the amount of water used with the beverage quantity. The less water used for the same amount of coffee powder, the more intense your espresso will be. The ratio of water to coffee powder is also referred to as the “brew ratio”. For a really intense espresso, use the following settings: Coffee strength at maximum and water volume at minimum. At best, 30 ml of water is then used for every 10 g of coffee powder. This is pretty much in line with the 1:3 brew ratio recommended by baristas.

Adjust espresso to milk ratio

According to the original recipe, a cappuccino consists of 1 part espresso and 4 parts milk foam. Thus, for every 40 ml of es presso, there is 160 ml of milk foam . If you like it a little stronger, you can increase the proportion of espresso. If you like it milder, increase the milk content. However, this is not so easy with all bean to cup coffee machines.

With some devices you cannot influence – like e.g. with the
Siemens EQ.500
. The drinks are always prepared according to the original recipe. You can only adjust the total amount of your drink in several levels.

In other devices, again, there are multiple levels for both espresso and milk foam quantity. Mostly there are 3 levels each. However, you don’t know exactly what the amount is for each level. You’ll just have to try it out a bit:

at Philips LatteGo 3200 you have 3 levels each for espresso & milk foam

It gets easier from the upper class upwards. Here you can set the exact milliliters for the espresso and milk content. This gives you plenty of room to experiment:

very beautifully goes that with the
Saeco Gran Aroma

We like the option on the Siemens EQ.6 best. Here you set the milk content for each drink as a percentage. This sounds very mathematical, but it makes sense: According to the original recipe 1:4 (espresso:milk foam), the milk content is 80%. If you like it a bit stronger now, lower it to 70%.

at
Siemens EQ.6
you set the milk content in %.

The advantage: even if you change the cup size, the coffee-milk ratio always remains the same.

The easier you can adjust the coffee to milk ratio , the more points the bean to cup coffee machine gets in our test. Devices with a milk frothing nozzle have a clear advantage. Because here you have to measure the milk yourself anyway and can vary.

Extra Shot / Double Shot

Some bean to cup coffee machines have an extra (or double) shot function. Then you will receive a second small espresso for your drink. This is very popular with latte macchiato. By the way, for the second espresso, the machine uses a second coffee puck.

This is better than simply increasing the amount of espresso, where more water is simply forced through the coffee puck. Because as you already know: the more water is pressed through the puck, the more bitter your espresso tastes. So if you like it particularly intense and strong, you can pay attention to this function. However, it is not absolutely necessary. You can finally add an espresso to your latte macchiato just like that 😉

Extra Shot function for intense aroma

Set milk foam consistency

At bean to cup coffee machines from DeLonghi you can adjust the consistency of the milk foam in 3 levels. Then you will get either hot milk (level 1), creamy (2) or fluffy foam (3).

Set consistency of milk foam in 3 levels

Also the
Saeco GranAroma
also offers you this function. Here you set it in 4 levels directly on the display. Our conclusion: It’s a nice gimmick but not really necessary. Most of the time we only use the middle levels anyway. Therefore, this function was not evaluated in our test.

Adjust temperature

To get the most out of your coffee beans, it is important to adjust the brewing temperature. Most bean to cup coffee machines offer 3 levels. We like it when we can set the temperature for each drink separately. We like to prepare espresso at the highest level, while a medium level is ideal for coffee. Between each level the difference is most 3 °C. By the way, you cannot set the temperature of the milk foam on bean to cup coffee machines.

The more precisely the brewing temperature can be adjusted on the bean to cup coffee machine, the more points it scores in our test. We also check whether the temperature of the drinks actually changes.

By the way:

For espresso, the recommended brewing temperature (not drinking temperature) is between 92 to 96°C. If it is lower, it tastes sour. If it is higher, more bitter substances are dissolved. Here, too, it depends on your coffee beans. The darker the roast, the sooner you should approach the 92°C. Lighter roasts can be brewed a little hotter (maximum 96°C). By the way, you can find a detailed experiment on temperature at Kaffeemacher.

Create personal profiles

A bean to cup coffee machine is often shared by several people. It always saves the settings that you made for the respective beverage during the last draw. But especially in large families, shared flats or offices, everyone has their own taste preferences. Accordingly, it would be practical if each user could create their own profile with their own drink settings. For each beverage, coffee strength, beverage quantity, coffee-milk ratio can be called up at the touch of a button. Some bean to cup coffee machines even allow you to create individual beverage recipes.

Whether you need individual profiles depends on how many people want to use the bean to cup coffee machine. If your household consists of one espresso and one cappuccino lover, for example, you won’t need profiles anyway. If several people like the same drink in different settings, profiles could be useful.

Some bean to cup coffee machines offer you beverage favorites. This is the “slimmed down” version of a profile, so to speak. Here you have the possibility to save a certain drink with individual settings (as a favorite).

Handling

Since you will be using the bean to cup coffee machine on a daily basis, ease of use is especially important. After all, it is annoying in everyday life when the water tank is difficult to remove or the device takes three minutes until it is ready for use.

Milk system

For cappuccino, latte macchiato and the like, the bean to cup coffee machine needs a milk system. The easier the operation of the milk system, the more points the bean to cup coffee machine receives. We like it when only a few hand movements are necessary. In our test, we roughly distinguish between 3 types: the fully automatic milk system, the milk frothing nozzle and the cappuccinatore. We will now present the exact differences.

Fully automatic milk system:

With an automatic milk system, you don’t have to worry about anything. You get all the drinks at the touch of a button. To do this, simply fill the milk container with cold milk and connect it to the bean to cup coffee machine. Since the complete preparation is taken over by the machine, you always get consistent results. A real bean to cup coffee machine😉 You still have the choice between a bean to cup coffee machine with milk container or with milk tube.

fully automatic milk system – cappuccino at the touch of a button – here:
Jura E8

Milk frothing nozzle:

If you have a machine with a milk frothing nozzle, you must first measure out the milk. For example, for a cappuccino 100 ml. Then dip the milk nozzle into the milk and froth it by hand. The longer you froth, the hotter the milk foam will be.

Frothing by hand with the milk frothing nozzle

You should froth until the cup is warm to the touch (65-70°C). Only then does it develop a slight sweetness. If the milk foam gets any hotter, it will collapse or taste burnt. Once you have finished frothing, stop the process and place your cup under the coffee spout. Then prepare an espresso and your cappuccino is ready.

The correct estimation of the amount of milk and milk foam temperature require some practice. Compared to the fully automatic bean to cup coffee machine, more manual operations are required here. The susceptibility to errors is also somewhat higher as it is more difficult to achieve consistent results. In direct comparison, fully automatic systems are easier to operate. On the other hand, coffee machines with milk frothing nozzle are cheaper.

By the way, there are also devices with automatic milk frothing nozzle. Here you just dip the nozzle into the milk. The rest is done by the bean to cup coffee machine itself. It froths the milk on its own and then adds the espresso.

automatic milk frothing nozzle –
Siemens EQ.300
.

Cappuccinatore:

A cappuccinatore is a tube that you dip into your milk carton. The bean to cup coffee machine draws in the right amount of milk, froths it up, and then pipes it into your cup. Then you slide the cup under the coffee spout and prepare an espresso. Your drink is ready. Here, usually only a second handle is necessary. The Cappuccinatore will estimate the amount of milk and temperature for you.

Cappuccinatore

There are cappuccinators where you don’t have to adjust your cup again because it is under the milk and coffee spout at the same time. In principle, this is similar to the fully automatic milk system. At the same time, there are also cappuccinators that do not automatically suck the right amount of milk. Here again you have to cancel the process yourself. As you can see, we have to look very closely at bean to cup coffee machines with cappuccinatore.

Bean compartment

The bean compartment should be dry, dark and not too warm. Because air, light, heat and humidity damage the flavor of your beans in the long run. Therefore, the perfect bean compartment has a rubberized edge and a darkened lid . In operation, bean to cup coffee machines heat up quite a bit. To ensure that as little heat as possible reaches the beans, the bean compartment should be well shielded. The better the beans are protected, the better the bean compartment performs in our test.

We also check the capacity of the bean compartment. At least 250 g of coffee beans should find their place here. The bean compartment should be easy to reach and have a large opening. Also, we look to see if the beans are sliding towards the grinder on their own and no beans can get stuck anywhere.

Water tank

You must fill the water tank daily or at least every second day. At least if you use the bean to cup coffee machine as often as we do. In addition to the drinks, the rinsing processes also consume water again and again. The water tank must therefore be easy to reach and easy to remove. It should also fit at least 1.5 liters in the tank so you do not have to constantly refill.

It is best if the tank can be pulled out to the front. Then there is no need for additional space around the machine. Often, the water tank can be removed from the side or upwards. It needs a bit more space for this, which leads to slight deductions in our test. If the tank is hard to reach or difficult to remove, fewer points will be awarded accordingly. There are hardly any points for a permanently installed tank, because then filling is very cumbersome.

this water tank can be filled well from the front –
DeLonghi Dinamica Plus

Milk container

The milk container should be easy to reach and easy to fill. The capacity should be enough for at least 3 to 4 milk foam drinks. It is optimal if the milk container can be sealed airtight and easily stored in the refrigerator.

Fully automatic coffee machines with milk tube do not have a milk container. Here you just have a milk tube that you hang directly into your milk carton. Practical, because it saves you the extra washing up of a milk container.

the Siemens EQ.6 is optionally available with milk tube or milk container

Coffee and milk spout

Bean to cup coffee machines have one outlet for espresso and one for milk foam. Ideally, the espresso and milk spout should be close together so that nothing splashes off. They should also be adjustable in height so that a large latte macchiato glass fits underneath. We have found that between 7-14 cm is optimal. However, if something splashes past or our glasses do not fit underneath, there are deductions in our test.

under this coffee spouts fits without problems a large latte macchiato glass

Preparation time

After switching on, bean to cup coffee machines heat up briefly and perform a rinse cycle. Ideally, you can prepare the first drink after 45 seconds. If it takes longer, points will be deducted. Especially in the morning, you don’t have much time to wait.

For a 40 ml espresso, the bean to cup coffee machine should incl. Grinding process should not take longer than 45 seconds. We expect a 150 ml coffee in our cup in no more than a minute. For cappuccino and latte macchiato, additional milk must be foamed. They should be ready after 2 minutes at the latest – if not there will be deductions. Incidentally, the record holder in terms of preparation time is the
Jura E8
. Here you can get a cappuccino within 56 seconds. This is twice as fast as other bean to cup coffee machines.

If several drinks can be prepared one after the other without delay, this is a plus. Some bean to cup coffee machines, for example, have to reheat again and again. This is annoying, especially when you have visitors and want to drink coffee together. Most bean to cup coffee machines can also prepare two drinks at the same time. Mostly, however, this only applies to espresso and coffee. However, some devices also prepare two cappuccinos or lattes at the same time. They then each have two milk and espresso outlets. This special feature earns a bonus point in our test.

Cappuccino in double cup option

Display

An understandable display can be operated intuitively. We therefore look at every bean to cup coffee machine without reading the instructions first. Clear labeling and a sensible arrangement of the various functions are particularly important to us. We find displays with clear text or unambiguous symbols best. The basic settings for coffee strength, beverage quantity and grinder setting should be immediately comprehensible. If even we with our experience do not see through it, there are deductions.

The display is used by you every day. The individual buttons, touch elements and/or rotary controls should therefore be sufficiently large and easy to operate. For very small or wobbly buttons, there are correspondingly fewer points. Large buttons with a clear pressure point or touch buttons that react even with wet fingers are ideal. The font and symbols should also be sufficiently large.

The bean to cup coffee machine is on the countertop in the kitchen for most. Therefore, the display should also be easy to read from above. At best, it’s slightly slanted so you don’t have to bend over every time.

Easy to read display with clear instructions

Another point in our test are error messages. If the bean to cup coffee machine ever goes on strike, it should be immediately clear what the problem is. For typical “errors” such as an empty water tank or a necessary descaling, there should be clear indications, e.g. a red illuminated LED. As far as we know, this is standard for all devices. If an automaton does not express itself clearly, deductions will be made here as well.

Quality

A good bean to cup coffee machine should last as long as possible. That’s why we look very closely at the quality and workmanship of the equipment. Does it make a robust impression or does it seem rather rickety? We are also interested in the inner workings – especially the brewing unit and the grinder. Many of you value a quiet bean to cup coffee machine. Therefore, we measure the volume of the grinder and milk system.

Housing processing

Most bean to cup coffee machines today are made primarily of plastic. Only SIEMENS uses a stainless steel housing for bean to cup coffee machines (with the exception of the cheapest models). Whether plastic or stainless steel is rather a matter of taste when it comes to the case. There are now very high-quality plastics that are extremely robust against scratches. A lot has also changed in terms of appearance: they are available in stainless steel look or matte look. This looks much higher-quality than the familiar high-gloss plastic.

There is no general answer to the question of whether stainless steel or plastic is better. For this reason, we look at the details. All individual parts must fit together without gaps, should not jam andbe robustly processed. Are there parts that could break off over time? Does the housing rattle during the grinding process? Are there parts that could break off over time? Do all the parts fit together well? Does the cup tray scratch?

brewing unit

We are also interested in the inner workings of the devices. Above all, this includes the heart of the bean to cup coffee machine – the brewing unit. Here, hinges and rails should ideally be made of stainless steel to last as long as possible. After all, these parts are subjected to daily wear and tear and should therefore be particularly robust. Deductions are made for brewing units that are predominantly made of plastic.

Brewing units in comparison

Generally, manufacturers calculate the service life of fully automatic bean to cup coffee machines at around 7-10 years. If damage occurs beforehand, it is usually worth repairing. According to the network of independent workshops, it is worthwhile in 84 percent of cases.

Grinder

Basically, there are three types of grinders: impact, cone, and disc. These differ in form and function. You are probably familiar with an impact grinder from a stand mixer. Rotating blades grind everything at high speed. Such grinders are not suitable for a bean to cup coffee machine. This is because the coffee powder does not become uniformly fine here and a lot of heat is generated (bad for aroma). Therefore, you will not find bean to cup coffee machines with impact grinders in our test.

Much more suitable are cone and disc grinders. They operate at a lower speed and are therefore much quieter. In addition, the coffee powder is ground much finer and more evenly . They are available in ceramic or hardened steel. Ceramic is mostly used in more expensive bean to cup coffee machines and is often advertised as “premium”. In our tests, however, we found that it’s less about the material and more about the workmanship. There are good and not so good grinders – whether ceramic or steel makes no difference.

Hardened steel conical burr grinder

Therefore, when we grind, we examine the ground material. To do this, we set the grinder as fine as possible. After preparing a few drinks, we remove a coffee puck, let it air dry, grind it, and analyze the grind in detail. The finer and more uniform the coffee powder, the better our rating.

at the finest level, the grinder setting should be uniformly fine (top left)

Volume

The volume of the grinder is an important criterion for you. For those who have never heard an electric grinder, a bean to cup coffee machine may seem a bit noisy at first. We have noticed: there are quite big differences between the individual models. In our experience, 70 decibels is average. For comparison: a stand mixer even reaches up to 90 decibels. Fully automatic bean to cup coffee machines are therefore much quieter. The higher the quality of the grinder and the workmanship of the housing, the quieter the machine will be in operation. If you are looking for a quiet device, you should go for Jura or SIEMENS. In our tests, these models had just over 60 dB.

When frothing milk, you will initially hear a short loud hiss. This is what happens when hot steam meets cold milk. On average, we measure around 65 decibels. Bean to cup coffee machines with an external milk system are somewhat noisier than machines with the hoses inside.

For our tests, we always measure the volume of the grinder and milk system from the same distance. This allows us to directly compare the different models.

Cleaning

Regular cleaning is extremely important. Most problems with bean to cup coffee machines can be traced back to poor or incorrect cleaning. Limescale and coffee residue can affect the taste of your espresso. In addition, the device can break down more quickly.

But who likes to clean? Therefore, we look at how elaborate cleaning is. Many bean to cup coffee machines try to make your work easier with automatic cleaning programs. But how good are these programs really?

Cleaning the milk system

The milk system is particularly important, because bacteria quickly settle here. Therefore, you should clean all parts that come into contact with milk daily. It is always better when there are few hoses. This will make cleaning easier for you.

External milk system:

Devices with an external milk system are easy to clean – such as bean to cup coffee machines from DeLonghi or from
Philips from the LatteGo series
. In both, the milk system is integrated directly into the milk container. You can take it apart for cleaning, rinse it by hand or put it in the dishwasher.

external milk system from
Philips (LatteGo 3200)

the milk container can be easily disassembled into 2 parts

typical milk container from
DeLonghi

Integrated milk system:

In bean to cup coffee machines with an integrated milk system, the milk is fed into the bean to cup coffee machine via a hose. There, it is foamed with steam and enters your cup via the milk spout .

integrated milk system –
Melitta Latte Select

Fully automatic bean to cup coffee machines with integrated milk system usually have a cleaning program. To do this, fill a cup with water and some detergent (usually from the manufacturer) and insert the milk tube. Then you put a bowl and start the program.

Milk system cleaning program

The bean to cup coffee machine now draws the cleaning agent from the cup and flushes the lines hot. However, these cleaning programs do not always really remove all milk residues. Therefore, it is always better if you can remove the milk adapter and rinse it again by hand.

removable milk adapter

Depending on the manufacturer, you should perform the thorough cleaning program once a day to once a week. Some units also have a milk system r inse function that rinses the lines with hot water (at the touch of a button).

Other fully automatic bean to cup coffee machines automatically steam after each milk foam withdrawal. As you can see, the manufacturers have come up with a few ideas to make cleaning easier. The easier it is to clean the milk system, the more points the bean to cup coffee machine receives in our test.

If you have a
bean to cup coffee machine with a milk container
you should clean the container every 2 to 3 days. It is best to fill it completely with milk once. Under no circumstances should you keep refilling milk, because even refrigerated milk must not be older than 3 days.

Ideally, the milk container is hermetically sealed and can be stored in the refrigerator. Once the container is empty (or after 3 days), rinse it thoroughly with hot water. Some milk containers are even allowed in the dishwasher – which of course gives extra points in our test.

Rinse milk container every 3 days

Simpler are
bean to cup coffee machines with a milk tube
where you plug the hose directly into your milk carton. This saves you the additional cleaning of the milk container. By the way, this works with all bean to cup coffee machines where the milk system is not integrated in the milk container.

Milk tube directly in milk carton

Milk frothing nozzle:

Cleaning is particularly easy on bean to cup coffee machines with a milk frothing nozzle. Once the nozzle has cooled, you can simply remove it, disassemble it into 2 parts, and rinse it.

removable milk frothing nozzle
Philips EP2220

Coffee grounds tray and drip tray

After you have prepared a beverage, the coffee puck lands in the coffee grounds tray. The bean to cup coffee machine then briefly flushes the lines. The rinsing water ends up in the cup tray under the drip tray.

You must empty the containers for coffee pucks and rinsing water regularly. On most bean to cup coffee machines, a message appears on the display as soon as the coffee grounds tray is full.

Note in the display

The drip tray for rinse water often has a small “float“. When he looks up through the cup tray, the tray is full.

when the drip tray is full, this float is upwards

In almost all fully automatic coffee machines, the drip tray and coffee grounds tray can be pulled out together to the front.

Collecting container of various bean to cup coffee machines

Coffee puck container

How often you need to empty the containers depends on their size and how many drinks you prepare. So if you are a large household, you should choose a bean to cup coffee machine with larger containers. On the other hand, small containers force you to clean up – after all, you don’t want to risk mold. 😉

After 3 days at the latest, you should empty the drainer , even if it is not yet full. Otherwise, a greasy layer will form. In addition, after a week, the first coffee pucks could become moldy. Therefore, do not forget to empty it before you go on vacation.

You should always empty the coffee grounds tray and the drip tray at the same time and only when the bean to cup coffee machine is switched on. The device counts the coffee pucks and resets the counter as soon as you pull out the trays. If you empty only the water tray and not the coffee grounds tray, the bean to cup coffee machine will get confused. Then the container will overflow and you will not see a message on the display.

Once you have emptied the containers, you should clean them briefly with detergent. Some models even allow you to put them in the dishwasher. This is very practical and gives plus points. Some containers have corners that are difficult to reach with a sponge.

with some bean to cup coffee machines everything can be put in the dishwasher

Some bean to cup coffee machines will not report until the trays are full to the brim. Then the way to the sink becomes very long. Others, in turn, report far too early. Of course, this results in fewer points in our test. We assess not only the cleaning effort but also the “risk” that something could go wrong.

We also check in our tests whether rinsing water and coffee pucks are neatly separated. In some appliances, coffee residues end up in the interior or in the drip tray that do not belong there. This will make cleaning more difficult for you.

Cleaning the brewing unit

In the brewing unit, the freshly ground coffee powder is compressed into a puck. Hot water is then forced through the coffee puck under high pressure and your espresso is brewed. The puck is then pushed into the coffee grounds tray via a mechanism.

Unfortunately, the entire coffee puck is not always disposed of. Sometimes small amounts of coffee powder get stuck in the brewing unit. To ensure that older coffee powder does not affect the taste, you should clean the brewing unit. On most bean to cup coffee machines, you can remove the brewing unit via a service door. You should rinse them 1x per week with clean water. After that, let them air dry completely.

dirty brewing unit after one week

In our test, we first look at whether and how easy it is to remove the brewing unit. With some manufacturers (Jura and Krups), it is generally permanently installed and can only be cleaned via an automatic cleaning program. How thorough this program is is difficult to judge from the outside. Therefore, we would always prefer fully automatic coffee machines with removable brewing unit.

Brewing units without many corners and edges are best, so that only a little coffee powder can get stuck. For some models we need a toothbrush or brush. For others, a little water and a damp cloth is enough. The dirtier the brewing unit and the more time-consuming the cleaning, the fewer points the bean to cup coffee machine receives in our test.

Decalcification

In many cities, the tap water is very chalky. Over time, limescale builds up in the hoses and water tank of your bean to cup coffee machine. This can lead to various problems. Either the water does not get hot enough during the brewing process or too much steam is formed. Therefore, regular descaling is mandatory.

It is important to us that manufacturers explain exactly how to decalcify. An automatic indication of when decalcification is required is also standard for us. Otherwise, most of us would certainly forget about it. To make this possible, you should set the water hardness on the device. Most bean to cup coffee machines come with a water hardness test strip.

In our test, we check whether the device reminds you to descale in time and how thoroughly the descaling is performed. We also estimate how time-consuming decalcification is. How long does it last? How often does water need to be refilled? How often do you need to actively intervene?

Water filter:

So that you have to descale less often, most manufacturers offer a suitable water filter. This is installed directly in the water tank and filters the water even before it enters the machine. With some manufacturers, the first filter is already included in the scope of delivery.

However, the bean to cup coffee machines also work without a filter, of course. We recommend you to use a water filter in very calcareous cities, because lime also affects the taste of your drinks. By the way, you don’t need to descale some devices if you use them with a filter.