Bean to Cup recommendations

[anonymous-user]

Hello.

I want need a Bean to Cup machine, and got a) bored and b) confused on the big thread.

I drink a couple of big mugs of black coffee, freshly ground preferably light roast, every day. For years have ground beans for each cup and then cafetiere'd. Results are inevitably mixed.

I don't care about froth, milk, cortados etc. and I don't have a moustache.

I want it to look half decent, not too loud, and really extract the flavour. Maybe spend up to £750, obviously would rather spend much less.

[adsk]

I've had very positive long-term experience with Delonghi bean to cup machines. First one bought in 2004 but didn't survive a house move in 2012.

Replacement (cosmetically different but internals the same) still working 9 years later and can still be bought new. https://www.amazon.co.uk/DeLonghi-Magnifica-ESAM-4...

There are many varied Delonghi Magnifica models - the basic coffee brewing/grinding mechanism hasn't changed for 20 yrs. More expensive models have fancy milk frothing, programming but as you just want basic coffee, no need to spend £750, £300ish should cover your needs.

[silvagod]

https://www.coffeefriend.co.uk/p/coffee-machine-sa...

Bought ours via Costco but can't find the link.

My wife is a coffee addict and absolutely LOVES this machine - it's the 6th one we've tried!!

[Aunty Pasty]

adsk said:

I've had very positive long-term experience with Delonghi bean to cup machines. First one bought in 2004 but didn't survive a house move in 2012.

Replacement (cosmetically different but internals the same) still working 9 years later and can still be bought new. https://www.amazon.co.uk/DeLonghi-Magnifica-ESAM-4...

There are many varied Delonghi Magnifica models - the basic coffee brewing/grinding mechanism hasn't changed for 20 yrs. More expensive models have fancy milk frothing, programming but as you just want basic coffee, no need to spend £750, £300ish should cover your needs.

This is also the one I have and is generally quite well recommended. It has a steam wand if you ever do want froth. Generally as you go up the price scale you start adding little extras like milk containers and feeders and maybe a touch screen but the basic brewing mechanism is the same.
With all these machines, even the full volume setting will not fill a large mug with coffee. You might have to resort to brewing a double.

[red_slr]

ExcitableBoy said:

Hello.

I want need a Bean to Cup machine, and got a) bored and b) confused on the big thread.

I drink a couple of big mugs of black coffee, freshly ground preferably light roast, every day. For years have ground beans for each cup and then cafetiere'd. Results are inevitably mixed.

I don't care about froth, milk, cortados etc. and I don't have a moustache.

I want it to look half decent, not too loud, and really extract the flavour. Maybe spend up to £750, obviously would rather spend much less.

I have an old Gaggia Titanium which has a broken steam wand. If its of interest to you then let me know although you would have to collect. Its not really been used much and still makes fine coffee. Not free, but I will do my best!

[mikef]

I have a simple Jura A1, no frothy milk attachment, just great black coffee (assuming you start with great beans) in 3 programmable cup sizes

Edited to add - bloody hell, I paid around 450 at John Lewis - I see the A1 online now between 800 and 1400

Edited by mikef on Sunday 6th June 20:12

[Ranger 6]

It’s not strictly a bean to cup as the grinder is separate to the coffee bit, but our Sage Barista has proved to be a lovely piece of kit.

You can adjust the grind and various other settings to get the coffee you want.

[Raymond Reddington]

I've had a Delonghi Caffè Corso for a few years now, and it's been faultless. It's got a button for 2 cups if you prefer a big mug of coffee. It has a steam Wand as well if you ever wanted to make different drinks, but I just make standard cups of coffee with mine.

I did upgrade to an Espresso machine and grinder but found it too much of a faf for every day use, I've certainly had my moneys worth out of the Delonghi now.

[JayBM]

Recently got a Gaggia Cardona Prestige and been very happy with it. It's mainly been used for Espresso/Americans but also used the steam wand for a latte or 2 for my partner.

[Greatesthit12]

adsk said:

I've had very positive long-term experience with Delonghi bean to cup machines. First one bought in 2004 but didn't survive a house move in 2012.

Replacement (cosmetically different but internals the same) still working 9 years later and can still be bought new. https://www.amazon.co.uk/DeLonghi-Magnifica-ESAM-4...

There are many varied Delonghi Magnifica models - the basic coffee brewing/grinding mechanism hasn't changed for 20 yrs. More expensive models have fancy milk frothing, programming but as you just want basic coffee, no need to spend £750, £300ish should cover your needs.

You’ve convinced me, just ordered it for my office.

[a311]

We've a sage barista express.

Had it for over 6 years and minus changing a seal it hasn't skipped a beat.

I tend to have my coffee black my wife likes milk. You can do texturing etc the with the steam wand but I find it a bit of a faff.

https://www.sageappliances.com/uk/en/products/espr...

[corinthian]

I’ve had a couple of those delonghi ones too, this latest one has the electronic screen and can tell how much it’s done....an incredible 2200 litres of water and 14500 cups of coffee and still working perfectly. Everything can tuned to taste and I get a perfect coffee eveytime.
Most of the popular supermarket beans are bitter and over roasted, finding light roast isn’t easy, best you’ll get is at www.kiltedcoffee.conext would be the Marks and Spencer in the pale blue bag and for a bargain, try the Aldi new range.

[princeperch]

Greatesthit12 said:

You’ve convinced me, just ordered it for my office.

Look on the amazon warehouse. They are currently selling their entry level bean to cup machine for 160 quid as a 'used acceptable" model. It will be a customer return or the box might be bashed but normally the machine will be new.

[Ynox]

Another Sage Barista Express owner here. Very happy with it, even if it needs to live in my dining room as it's marginally too high to fit in the kitchen!

[thetapeworm]

adsk said:

I've had very positive long-term experience with Delonghi bean to cup machines. First one bought in 2004 but didn't survive a house move in 2012.

Replacement (cosmetically different but internals the same) still working 9 years later and can still be bought new. https://www.amazon.co.uk/DeLonghi-Magnifica-ESAM-4...

There are many varied Delonghi Magnifica models - the basic coffee brewing/grinding mechanism hasn't changed for 20 yrs. More expensive models have fancy milk frothing, programming but as you just want basic coffee, no need to spend £750, £300ish should cover your needs.

I've had the same one as your replacement (ESAM 4200) for around 4 years now after many recommendations on previous PH posts for this kind of thing, it's not without its niggles (the way it can't eject the coffee puck into the container without spreading some around the inside of the machine and the way it'll gladly try and make a coffee when the beans are too low instead of warning you) but makes a decent cup once you've refined the settings to meet your needs.

There are nicer looking machines with more options but for the basics it does all I need for a very low entry price.

[sociopath]

adsk said:

I've had very positive long-term experience with Delonghi bean to cup machines. First one bought in 2004 but didn't survive a house move in 2012.

Replacement (cosmetically different but internals the same) still working 9 years later and can still be bought new. https://www.amazon.co.uk/DeLonghi-Magnifica-ESAM-4...

There are many varied Delonghi Magnifica models - the basic coffee brewing/grinding mechanism hasn't changed for 20 yrs. More expensive models have fancy milk frothing, programming but as you just want basic coffee, no need to spend £750, £300ish should cover your needs.

had my magnifica for about 15 years, still going strong, lasted 3 house moves too.
If you spend the time setting it up for your taste it provides a great cup of coffee. can vary water volume, grind size and amount of coffee

first thing in the morning pressing a button is about all I can manage!

[juice]

We have a JURA E6 in the office which (up until lockdown) got abused every day and just kept on going.
It asks for a Filter change and a clean every now and then but it's a great machine for making coffee. There are obviously machines that will produce better results, but for a walk up, press button, get coffee I think it's excellent.

[Fishlegs]

The entry level DeLonghi does the job nicely, but it is LOUD. OP did request quiet. Maybe it's not worth spending more money on frothers and touchscreens, but are the more expensive machines quieter? I would probably spend more to get something quieter next time.

As for mug volume, does anyone actually extract a mug's worth using the coffee machine? I always leave the machine set to make 60ml espresso shots, and if I want a mugful (which I usually do) then I top up with hot water from the kettle. Trying to extract a mug's worth from the machine tastes over-extracted and takes ages and makes more noise.

[Bam89]

I spent 2 months during lockdown debating which coffee machine and reading the big thread regularly.

Ended up ignoring most of the sage advice and went for the Sage Barista Express, no complaints at all

[Ranger 6]

a311 said:

We've a sage barista express.

Had it for over 6 years and minus changing a seal it hasn't skipped a beat.

I tend to have my coffee black my wife likes milk. You can do texturing etc the with the steam wand but I find it a bit of a faff.

https://www.sageappliances.com/uk/en/products/espr...

Without trying to derail the thread which seal needed replacing?