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Should you buy a Kmart coffee machine?

Kmart is known for its cult bargain buys, but is its coffee machine worth buying?

kmart coffee machine on yellow background
Last updated: 04 August 2022

Need to know

  • We tested the $95 Kmart Anko manual espresso machine in our latest round of coffee machine testing
  • The Kmart machine didn't perform especially well in our test, and other Kmart machines we've tested in the past also failed to impress
  • We review a wide range of coffee machines at different price points to help you find the best one that suits your needs and budget

Coffee is serious business and if you've decided to invest in a coffee machine for your own home, you may be swayed by the cheap option from the Kmart Anko range.

We put the $95 Kmart Anko manual espresso machine to the test in our recent coffee machine reviews. Although it's one of the cheapest on offer, it's not recommended by our experts. 

"Price isn't always an indicator of product quality, and we regularly find many budget brands that perform well in our rigorous lab tests," says CHOICE kitchen expert Kim Gilmour

Unfortunately that wasn't the case for this particular machine. It's priced to sell but its performance leaves much to be desired. It scored just 60% on our taste test and 60% for milk frothing. Overall, our experts gave it a CHOICE Expert Rating of 64%.

Coffee machines can be a serious investment, so it's natural to be tempted by Kmart's cheap coffee machines

CHOICE kitchen expert Kim Gilmour

"Coffee machines, particularly manual espresso machines, can be a serious investment, so it's natural to be tempted by Kmart's cheap coffee machines. But it has its pros and cons, and on the whole Kmart machines don't stack up too well compared with many other rival models," she says.

"If you're on a limited budget, you may be willing to overlook this machine's mediocre performance in some areas. But, as with any product, we advise doing your research by reading our coffee machine reviews before you buy to find the best option for you."

If you're on a tight budget but want to buy a coffee machine for your home, you could consider a pod machine. They're generally more affordable than manual machines, but they do have their pros and cons. 

kmart anko espresso machine cm5400d sa

Priced at $95, the Kmart Anko coffee machine is a bargain but it failed to impress our experts.

Kmart Anko manual espresso machine

At just $95, this model is one of the cheapest manual coffee machines we've tested. And while it didn't perform exceptionally well, it did outperform other machines in our test – even some that are far more expensive. 

The $749 Sunbeam Barista Plus manual coffee machine, for instance, performed worse than the Kmart machine on our taste test – the exxy competitor scored just 40% on our taste test, while the Kmart machine scored 60% (which is still not great). 

And the Kmart machine was streets ahead when it came to temperature consistency, scoring 90% where the Sunbeam only managed 50%. (The Sunbeam machine does have a built-in grinder, but with an overall score of 53%, even that feature couldn't save it.)

The Kmart machine received the third-lowest score of all the manual machines that we tested, and with an overall score of just 64%, our experts don't recommend it.

What are the pros?

  • It pumped out hot coffee at a consistent temperature, scoring 90% for coffee temperature over four consecutive cups. That's the same as or better than some significantly more expensive machines we've tested.

  • At $95, it's the second-cheapest manual machine in our test. (The cheapest is a $90 Kogan coffee machine.)
  • It scored pretty well on our ease of use metric, which looks at how easy the machine is to use. We try the controls, fill the water tank, make a coffee and clean inside and out. Our experts scored it at 72% for ease of use, which is categorised as "Good" in our books. 
  • As it's a manual machine, you have more control over the process: dosing the coffee, tamping, and extraction time. 
  • It's simple to use, with a simple two-button control design with one for espresso and one for steam.
  • It has a small footprint, so won't take up too much space on your kitchen bench. 

What are the cons?

  • It was only OK for coffee taste. In a blind taste test by our coffee taste testers (who are all professional baristas and industry experts), the Kmart machine received a score of 60%. Other manual espresso machines in our test, albeit at much higher price points, score up to 90%.
  • Our experts commented that the espresso it produced was "watery", "underextracted", "thin", with "bitter undertones". Ouch. 
  • Similarly, it didn't perform well on the milk frothing test. The steam wand produced quite large bubbles, which made it difficult to heat the milk to the recommended temperature of 65°C. Our expert tester said "many of the bubbles can be tapped away but it's still more difficult to use than other steam wands". 
  • The machine is very light, which means you need to have one hand on the machine to stop it moving on the bench when locking and unlocking the group handle. 
  • Our testing expert found that strength was required to lock and unlock the portafilter, and the filter needed to be hit hard against the bin to empty it. The filter would often fall out when emptying. 
  • There's no milk jug supplied with the machine. (It'll cost you an extra $6 at Kmart.)
  • The tamper that's supplied with the machine is plastic and doesn't fit the group head evenly, making it difficult to get a proper tamp (which is really important when making a coffee; if the tamp is poor then the coffee will extract unevenly which can leave you with burnt or watery coffee.) More expensive machines come with a heavier tamp made of stainless steel which will give better results.
  • Because it's a manual machine you need to manually switch the water on and off to make the coffee – there's no automatic timer. (A semi-automatic machine will cut the flow of coffee for you after a set period, but you need to do it yourself on a manual machine.) Some people like this level of control, but it can be tricky to get right while you're still learning.

Other Kmart coffee machines

At the time of writing, the $95 manual machine is the only coffee machine that Kmart is selling. 

In the past, we've also tested several other Kmart coffee machines, including a pod machine and semi-automatic machine. None of them performed especially well, and our experts didn't recommend any of them. 

Kmart's previous manual coffee machine did perform reasonably well on the taste test, scoring 70% – which was a higher score than a $949 competitor. Not bad for a machine priced at just $89! 

However, it failed to impress in our other tests and only scored 68% overall so it wasn't recommended by our experts. 

The new Kmart machine is more expensive and performs no better than its predecessor

But the new Kmart machine is more expensive and, overall, scores no better than its predecessor, which is no doubt disappointing for Kmart fans hoping for the next cult buy from the retailer. 

We care about accuracy. See something that's not quite right in this article? Let us know or read more about fact-checking at CHOICE.

Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.