01.Introduction
Test results for 10 automatic espresso machines priced from $799 to $2495
For an immediate coffee hit, does real espresso at the push of a button sound more appealing than instant coffee from a tin? If so, you should consider an automatic espresso machine. Simply put your cup under the spout, press the button and it grinds the beans to make the espresso. Some even automatically froth the milk for a cappuccino or latte.
But there is a price for pay for this convenience, in more ways than one. First, they’re expensive; most of the tested models cost significantly more than those featured in our last test of manual and semi-automatic machines.
Secondly, none of the automatic machines makes as good an espresso as the best manual and semi-automatic models. This has generally also been the case in our previous tests.
A manual or semi-automatic machine requires you to grind the beans yourself, fill the coffee filter, start and stop the machine, empty the basket and so on, but this gives you greater control for optimising the taste of the espresso.
See all our latest reviews of Coffee machines in Kitchen.
Please note: this information was current as of April 2008 but is still a useful guide to today's market.
Our testing
Our expert tester scored the automatic espresso machines on:
- Ease of use.
- Frothing milk for lattes and cappucinos.
- Ease of programming.
- Coffee temperature.
- Taste (rated in a blind tasting by three coffee experts).
Brands tested
- Delonghi Magnifica ESAM3000 (A)
- Delonghi Magnifica Automatic Cappucino ESAM3500.S (A)
- Gaggia Platinum Vogue (A)
- Jura ENA5 (A)
- Jura Impressa J5 (A)
- Krups Espresseria Automatic XP7200 (A)
- Krups Espresseria Automatic XP9000
- Saeco Talea Touch
- Saeco Odea Go (A)
- Sunbeam Intuitive Digital EM8910 (A)
(A) Discontinued.
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