Bean to cup machine recommendations please

[Jessikajinx]

[FONT=&quot]As above, I have been asked today to recommend a good domestic bean to cup machine for a friend's kitchen. He wants to make a decent quality consistent brew with the minimum of fuss.[/FONT]

 

[Kudzu]

Everything is a compromise. "Decent quality" and "minimum fuss" are at odds with each other. It sounds like your friend, at least at this point, might be more in the "minimum fuss" camp than the "decent quality" camp. If so, one of the grind and brew, drip coffeemakers might be an acceptable compromise. My daughter was satisfied, for several years, with a Cuisinart grind and brew. Her Cuisinart had a blade grinder (thrasher), but there are now grind and brew machines available with burr grinders. You might suggest your friend look in that directions.

 

[joneswoodcumbria]

Jessica. I have serious doubts about the viability of bean-to-cup machines based on experience but others in the forum may have different experience or advice. In the last four months I have had two Melitta Varianza CSP machines and two Gaggia Anima Prestige machines. I had to return all 4 because they would leak a lot of steam when frothing milk or making coffee. The Melitta was the worst and would leak water, would not heat the milk beyone nlood heat, would fail to extract much coffee and would grow a LOT mould inside the machine every three days after full cleaning. The Gaggia makes the best coffee and it is very good but I believe that these machines, with plastic brewing components, cannot handle the 9 to 15 bar pressures needed. I have read and seen reviews on YouTube for several machines and where people have problems they are around the temperature of milk, which is a sign the machines are not holding steam pressure.

I am now in two minds about what to do. What type/make/model should I choose? We only drink (wife) espresso shots (me) unfrothed milk warmed in the microwave plus double espresso. My thoughts so far are to look for a small sized traditional espresso type machine, with or without built in grinder, and a separate steam arm. I'd be happier with two boilers I guess. but can we make good espresso any other way? Would the the Aeropress be good for us? Cost of machine is not a constraint and I don't mind working a bit harder to prepare our two-a-day coffees. Thanks.