Lidl Coffee Maker (silvercrest), is it any good?

oog

I have a Bodrum coffee press and I'm quiet happy with it, but it's a bit annoying when people come to visit and you have to make pots of coffee over and over again to get everyone...and then there's refills.

To get over these not so common experiences I was thinking of getting a cheap and cheerful machine that would make reasonable/very good coffee. I have also seen that some have timers, which would be very handy in the mornings. can you make half a pot of coffee in these or do you always have to make a full pot?

Below is some of the links to what I've been thinking of buying, a de'longhi ICM2B, or cookworks signature from Argos, or the Silver crest from Lidl

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/4230577/Trail/searchtext%3ECOFFEE+MACHINE.htm

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/4223876/Trail/searchtext%3ECOFFEE+MACHINE.htm


http://www.lidl.ie/ie/home.nsf/pages/c.o.20110106.p.Coffee_Machine

any advice is welcome!!

ammonite2011

I purchased the Silvercrest coffee maker from Lidl just before Christmas, (the last one in stock) at only £40.
It is extremely easy to use and makes one of the best coffees I have had.
It takes ground coffee, which of course is the best method, and I have found it needs just 14 grams per two cups, which at £8 per kilo for beans, makes it less than 6p per cup! (Don't bother with the 'pods' they are rubbish, buy yourself a coffee grinder with the money you would save) Beans are only 6 euros per kilo in France by the way, not like in rip-off Britain
I haven't tried the milk 'frother' as the coffee comes out with a nice froth on it anyway. You just have to fill the coffee holder to the top with ground coffee, then press it down with the tool provided, clip it in place, and turn on the water control.
Black coffee comes out straight away, and you wait until it starts to go watery and turn it off. Then add warm milk. There is a choice of one or two cup coffee holders.
There is also a 3 year guarantee so you can't go wrong.
It makes better coffee than a £400 Gaggia machine I had previously - thoroughly recommended.

donnacha

Ammonite - Which Gaggia machine did you have previously?

OP - Looking at that SilverCrest machine the 1 item that does stand out to me is the temp controller. However if its for larger brews for guests you could just purchase a larger french press or invest in either a large Chemex or an Eva Solo. Personally I couldn't recommend an automatic filter machine if you are aiming for very good coffee.

ammonite2011

Hi Donnacha
I had a SAECO 'Incanto digital' machine which I understand was made by Gaggia. It worked fine for 5 years or so, then the boiler and pump seized up.
The UK service Company wanted around £300 to repair it, so I sold it to them and bought the one from Lidl instead.
The Silvercrest machine has a permanent metal filter in a container which you fill with ground coffee and press it down. Then (almost) boiling water is forced down through it under pressure, just like a professional machine does.
It comes out of a pair of nozzles which you can use with a single cup if you wand a larger drink. The filter doesn't need replacing.

kenmc

different things. this weeks offer is a filter machine, not an espresso.
Saeco is currently made by philips, "as featured on the apprentice" - they apparently bought the rights from the inventer, who bought gaggia in 1999 (src), make of it what you will.
edit: sh1t, does that mean my gaggia is actually a philips p.o.s. ? oh crap.

ammonite2011

According to Wikipedia,
'Espresso is made by forcing hot water under high pressure through a tightly compacted finely ground coffee'
This is what my Lidl machine appears to do.
Whereas:
'filter coffee, is a method for brewing coffee which involves pouring water over roasted, ground coffee beans contained in a filter.
Water seeps through the coffee, absorbing its oils and essences, solely under gravity'

kenmc

ammonite2011 wrote: »

According to Wikipedia,
'Espresso is made by forcing hot water under high pressure through a tightly compacted finely ground coffee'
This is what my Lidl machine appears to do.
Whereas:
'filter coffee, is a method for brewing coffee which involves pouring water over roasted, ground coffee beans contained in a filter.
Water seeps through the coffee, absorbing its oils and essences, solely under gravity'

And what exactly has espresso got to do with the machine which is presented in Lidl this week, or either of the other two the OP linked to? Did you even read his/her post?

ammonite2011

The Silver Crest machine mentioned by 'oog' is obviously not the same model as the one here in our local Lidl which is in fact a 'Silver Crest' ESPRESSO Machine SEM 1100 A1'
The Lidl offers seem to vary from store to store.

kenmc

ammonite2011 wrote: »

The Silver Crest machine mentioned by 'oog' is obviously not the same model as the one here in our local Lidl which is in fact a 'Silver Crest' ESPRESSO Machine SEM 1100 A1'
The Lidl offers seem to vary from store to store.

Nope, varies from week to week and country to country. And since you already have yours, which you purchased just before christmas, I can only presume that you bought a different thing entirely, and not that which the OP linked to and which goes on sale on the 6th, i.e. the day after tomorrow.

oog

hi all,

I am looking at filter machines, not espresso. I am not into milky drinks, ie. cappacino etc. so not bothered with fancy machines. I have a bialetti and I'm quiet happy at that for espresso.

I am really just looking for a filter machine that makes a half decent drinkable cuppa..... maybe very good coffee was a tall order.

donnacha

If its an automatic filter machine then any of those look fine - but I'd probably lean towards the lidl one as it has a temperature controller. My understanding of the way these work is that you decide how much water to put in so you should be able to control whether you make a half pot etc with all the machines.

oog

Thanks Donnacha!:)

aindriu80

Sorry to drag up an old thread but Lidl are selling the Silvercrest Espresso machine seminars 1100 b3 this week. Only a few days left.

I bought one to replace my de longhi magnifica which broke twice in 2 years, €150 for the repair so I got this second time around.

It's a great machine for €70. I have just one question do you have to clean the steamer if you don't use it or can you just run the coffee cleaner through the coffee sieve?