Bean to cup - americano

CountingCrows

Hello,

Looking for some advise on the best bean to cup machine (<€700) for americanos only, i.e no milk options required. I've seen some machines that separate the hot water and the espresso shot which would be ideal. Simplicity is more important than configurability.

The Jura A1 and the Gaggia Magenta both seem to fit the bill. Any advise would be much appreciated.

alec76

You have to accept that there are no bean to cup machines capable to pull decent shot of espresso.

Doesn’t matter how much you are willing to spend €300 or €2000.

Some of the machines could brew decent coffee though, not classic americano ( if you can’t pull a shot then you won’t get americano) but LUNGO.

There are 3 brands , all made in Switzerland on the same factory under different labels:

Melitta, Nivona, Jura. All of them could brew great black coffee. Much better than ANY Delonghi .

Jura probably the best of all three but only the Top Line machines , way above your budget.

I would go for these two :

Melitta Solo

https://www.amazon.de/automatic-excellent-enjoyment-pre-brewing-950-444/dp/B094SRQ1PQ/ref%3Dsr_1_1_sspa?crid=2RO58DQH16INI&keywords=melitta+solo&qid=1647028110&refinements=p_76%3A419123031&rnid=419121031&rps=1&sprefix=Melitta+solo%2Caps%2C50&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyU1NKVlJSSTJRV1A0JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNTEyMjgwM0VVUlZXVk80OVdURCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMzk0OTgyOUMwMkQ1RlNTVkZZJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

Melitta Purista

https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Melitta-Purista-Automatic-Whisper-Quiet-Black/dp/B07TVNNZCY/ref%3Dsr_1_3?crid=IXFPSYTXAFAS&keywords=melitta+purista&qid=1647028249&refinements=p_76%3A419123031&rnid=419121031&rps=1&sprefix=melitta+purista%2Caps%2C86&sr=8-3

They almost identical , same taste,Purista has extra preset though.

You probably better off getting them from Amazon.co.uk :

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Melitta-E950-103-Machine-Pre-Brew-Function/dp/B002NKT3HQ/ref%3Dsr_1_5?crid=1SHBQI60D9MF3&keywords=melitta%2Bsolo&qid=1647029662&refinements=p_76%3A419158031&rnid=419157031&rps=1&sprefix=Melitta%2Bsolo%2Caps%2C53&sr=8-5&th=1

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Melitta-Automatic-Espresso-F230-102-6766034/dp/B07TVNNZCY/ref%3Dsr_1_1_sspa?crid=2R97Y8OHD1RVY&keywords=melitta+purista&qid=1647029933&refinements=p_76%3A419158031&rnid=419157031&rps=1&sprefix=melitta+pur%2Caps%2C57&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExQTM5Qkg0RVc3Mk9QJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMzI0MjQzNjUxVDRLNUVPUElLJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA0OTA4NTAyM1RPNjA4OFgwSFMxJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

Jura machines are hard to maintain/clean ,brewing unit not removable , it is almost like buying luxury car ,you are not supposed to do any maintenance yourself :)

I would go with Melitta or Nivona instead.

alec76

I still believe that for average Joe, Delonghi bean to cup is better choice. Yes, coffee not as good as 3 above, but Delonghi making extremely reliable machines, some of them working for years even without service at all .

There are lots of moving parts in any Bean To Cup. You should clean and lubricate moving parts of brewing unit every 6/12 months.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/FilterLogic-CFL-650M-Silicone-Lubricant-Portafilter/dp/B084X84MRR/ref%3Dsr_1_1_sspa?crid=2JM3W7RAOZ2SK&keywords=food+grease&qid=1647112952&sprefix=Food+grea%2Caps%2C52&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzS0FZVVRaU1k2R1FUJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwOTk2NDYwM09UTlZGQzc1VjhWWiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNDY0NzE4MjRNWDNEMkFIVkhHTiZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

CountingCrows

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118775367#Comment_118775367

The DayDream

We have a bean to cup machine at work and maybe it's the beans but I don't really like the taste of the espresso shots at all when I make an Americano with it by adding boiled water. It's Gaggia brand. Seems quite reliable it hasn't broken yet but it does need tending to and cleaning and it's massive.

I use a mokka pot at home, cost me a tenner and it's been going for 8 years without more than a rinse and a wipe between uses, and even though i use preground coffee it tastes much better. Takes a few minutes longer as it has to heat up on the stove but no way would I change it for an expensive machine that needs to be pulled apart and cleaned and takes up lots of counter space. I also just don't want to start my morning with a horrendous loud grinding sound followed by an only slightly quieter sound for when it brews.