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When it came to making barista-style espressos, it didn’t drop a single mark. The extraction time was fairly average, but the shots stayed consistent and had a wonderful crema on top. Only fill the coffee bean container with coffee beans. Ground coffee, instant coffee, caramelised coffee, or any other objects may damage the machine.
Our Sage Barista Touch Impress review has the full details. How we test the best bean-to-cup coffee machines
CEG7302 Coffee Machine Reviews
Most bean-to-cup machines follow a standard layout. At the top you’ll find the hopper for the beans. Beko’s model can hold 125g, which is around half a regular bag of coffee. There’s a grinder adjustment here, too, which allows for a fine to coarser grind, depending on the beans you use. The crema here had good colour, although its finish was slightly foamier, rather than the oilier finish of a more expensive machine. The taste, too, was decent: the richness and pronounced acidity of my test beans were present. A minor complaint is that the espresso was a little more bitter than that from the best machines, but the overall quality and result was certainly pleasing. Maintenance
Set-up proved lengthy, but there are plenty of resources online if you need additional assistance. These proved helpful, as the touch panel buttons aren't the clearest. When you do, it’s possible to get a nice foam on the milk, and warm it through – although it’s hard to get a swirling vortex going. Once I’d finished, I had to tap the jug to get rid of bigger bubbles and gave it a good swirl to mix. Molly is the Ecommerce Editor covering appliances at Ideal Home, including all things coffee machine-related. She's a certified Consumer Expert when it comes to coffee machines, which means she's qualified to test coffee machines both at home and at Future's dedicated testing facility, which is a very fun job indeed. Her favourite machine ever, and the one she has at home is the Sage Barista Impress Express – at this point, she couldn't live without it. The Beko Bean To Cup Coffee Machine with Steam Wand CEG5311 can pour a very good shot of espresso. The crema is a little bit foamy; the best espresso has a more oily texture to it. However, given the price of the machine, the results are impressive.The spout at the front slides up and down to allow for mugs of up to 12.7cm tall, which covers larger mugs with ease. You’ll also need to empty the drip tray – the water from self-cleaning ends up in it. Beyond that, you’ll want to give the machine a proper clean once a week to ensure it’s hygienic and tastes great. Are there any downsides to bean-to-cup machines? The final way to froth milk is with a frothing accessory. These are standalone milk frothers that aren’t controlled by the machine itself. This means you’ll need to froth milk manually. For your first use, you’ll need to pull a shot of coffee and throw it away; the first one was a bit watery. Once the grinder is primed with beans, the second shot onwards is good, although I found that I needed to put the grinder on its finest setting to achieve the best coffee.