Topic
Bean-to-cup machines
Fully automatic machines grind fresh beans for every cup and clean themselves in part. Compare the grinder, the milk system, the brew unit and how many drinks you can save.
- Typical grinder
- conical steel or ceramic burrs
- Typical heater
- thermoblock
Inside, a bean-to-cup machine has a bean hopper, a burr grinder, a brew unit with a piston that tamps the coffee, a thermoblock heater, a pump and a grounds bin. A removable brew unit can be rinsed under the tap; a fixed one relies on cleaning tablets and programmes.
Milk comes in three forms: a manual steam wand, an automatic frother on a tube, or a milk carafe that froths and pours into the cup. Carafes are the most hands-off but need rinsing after use.
Grind settings are usually given as a number of steps. More steps means finer control over the grind, but how fine the finest setting goes matters as much as the count.
Guides on this topic
- De'Longhi vs Philips bean-to-cup machinesDe'Longhi vs Philips bean-to-cup machines: LatteCrema against LatteGo, steel against ceramic burrs, menus and cleaning compared at matching tiers.Comparison
- De'Longhi vs Jura bean-to-cup machinesDe'Longhi vs Jura bean-to-cup: whether Jura's pulse extraction, compact build and service justify the premium over De'Longhi's equivalent machines.Comparison
- De'Longhi bean-to-cup problems and fixesFixes for common De'Longhi bean-to-cup faults on Magnifica, Dinamica and Eletta: warning lights, watery coffee, brew unit errors and a grinder not working.Fix
Buying guides on this topic
- Best bean-to-cup coffee machines for UK homesSeven bean-to-cup machines from Philips, De'Longhi, Siemens, Melitta, Jura and Bosch compared by grinder, milk system, drinks menu and tank.Buying guide
- Best bean-to-cup machines for a small officeSeven bean-to-cup machines for teams of five to twenty compared by water tank, user profiles, two-cup brewing, bean storage and milk system.Buying guide
- Best bean-to-cup coffee machines under £400Seven entry-level bean-to-cup machines compared by grinder, milk option, drinks menu and water tank, with the corners each one cuts.Buying guide
- Best bean-to-cup machines with a steam wandSix bean-to-cup machines with manual milk frothers compared by wand type, grinder, drinks, water tank and whether they brew two cups at once.Buying guide
- Best bean-to-cup machines with two bean hoppersSix dual-chamber and swappable-hopper bean-to-cup machines compared by bean storage, grinder, milk system, drinks menu and display.Buying guide
- Best small bean-to-cup coffee machines for compact kitchensSeven compact bean-to-cup machines ranked by width, height and depth in cm, with water tank size and milk options taken from each listing.Buying guide
- De'Longhi bean-to-cup models compared: Magnifica, Dinamica, Eletta and RiveliaEight De'Longhi bean-to-cup machines compared step by step: milk system, drinks menu, grinder, display and user profiles from Magnifica S to Eletta.Buying guide