Siemens EQ300: ceramDrive grinder, milkPerfect wand

Five programmes and iAroma

The coffeeDirect display offers one-touch selection of five programmes: cappuccino, coffee, espresso, latte macchiato and milk foam. Filter-style coffee is also mentioned in the bullets. The iAroma feature gives three strength levels.

There is no mention of saved profiles or an app, which keeps the machine simple.

milkPerfect in practice

Rather than a carafe or jug, the milk is foamed in the mug. That means fewer parts to clean and no carafe to store in the fridge. Siemens says the frother is dishwasher safe. The trade-off is that you control the frothing yourself, which takes a little practice.

For people who mostly drink black coffee and only occasionally want a cappuccino, this approach avoids paying for, and maintaining, a full automatic milk system that would sit idle most days.

ceramDrive grinder and upkeep

The ceramDrive grinder is ceramic, though the number of grind settings is not stated. The front-facing door makes access to the brewing unit easier.

The water tank is the smallest in this group at 1.4 litres, so expect frequent refills if more than two people use it. The machine measures 43.3 cm deep, 25.1 cm wide and 38.3 cm high and weighs 6.8 kg, making it among the lightest bean-to-cup machines covered here. Power is 1300 watts and Siemens offers a 2 year manufacturer warranty.

A narrow 25 cm body also makes it one of the easier machines to fit beside a kettle and toaster on a crowded worktop.

Against other wand machines

The Beko CaffeExperto has a steam wand, a much larger 2 litre tank and two coffees at once. The Philips 2200 uses a classic frother with two dishwasher-safe parts. The De'Longhi Magnifica S has a 13 setting grinder and manual frother. The EQ300 stands out for its light, narrow body and mug-frothing method.