There are few homes in Spain that do not have a coffee maker at home. Even if in your case you do not usually consume them, it is likely that you have a courtesy one to offer in case of a visit. And it is that drinking coffee is one of the most repeated gestures in our culture, a hobby that we enjoy both alone and with others, also constituting a very common social act. If you were thinking now of getting a “smart” type, know that little by little manufacturers have begun to bet on the connected coffee makerswhich allows us not only to enjoy a good coffee but also to make use of the comforts that intelligent functions offer us.
What to look for when choosing a smart coffee maker
As if we were going to buy another type of gadget, when thinking about a smart coffee maker we must also take several factors into account. The most important, in fact, is not even a feature in itself but rather a warning: not all smart coffee machines on offer actually meet this condition. Many manufacturers play with the trick that we resemble “intelligent functions” with technology and with that idea, they ensure that their equipment is of the “smart” type when what they really have is simply some new coffee extraction technology or similar, but without a trace of Bluetooth, WiFi or features related to voice and control assistants from smartphone.
With this caveat in mind, here are the features to consider when looking at a truly smart coffee maker:
- Size: The coffee maker is generally in the kitchen at home and will take up space on the counter, so its proportions must always be present.
- Supply: although most smart coffee machines work with ground coffee and/or beans. there are also capsules
- Coffee types: some models focus on the typical espresso or long coffee modes while others can offer a much wider range that goes through Latte macchiato, Cappuccino, Americano…
- Connectivity: the coffee maker must have Bluetooth and/or WiFi so that we can access it through a mobile app and control it
- Mobile app: precisely a friendly and easy-to-use interface is always desirable
- Screen: It is interesting to have a model that you can use comfortably both from an application and from a comfortable screen on the device itself
- Deposit for milk: not all bring it but it is undoubtedly an interesting extra for those who like to drink coffee with milk
- Noise level: all coffee machines make noise (especially if they have a bean grinding function), but there are always levels
Once all these parameters have been reviewed, we have chosen our favorite smart coffee makers of the moment. We tell you what they are.
The best coffee makers on the market
These are the models that we like the most at the moment for performance and user experience.
Philips Series 3200
One of the most versatile and with a fantastic quality/price ratio. It is an automatic coffee maker with 5 coffee modes (espresso, coffee, cappuccino and latte macchiato plus another hot water option) not particularly bulky considering the dimensions of other models. The area where the coffee beans are stored has a special seal to protect the aroma while at the same time camouflaging the noise of the grinder a bit. The 3200 series also has a latte go versionwhich is exactly what we have tried, which adds milk to cappuccino and latte macchiato preparations – with very good foam!
The coffee maker has a Philips app developed for the occasion called Coffee+ which works relatively well and offers the possibility of programming the ignition of the coffee maker and, best of all, configuring the coffee to your liking. You can choose the amount of coffee, milk if applicable, the strength and even the temperature. It also has direct access to purchase grains on Amazon Spain and purchase the package that you like best with just a couple of clicks.
What we like the most
- Its size is relatively narrow for this type of coffee maker
- Coffee customizations through the app
- The water tank has an AquaClean system that allows limescale water to be filtered and lasts up to 5,000 cups
- It has an option for ground coffee (and it comes out great too)
- Its quality/price ratio
the least
- The app sometimes (rarely) does not detect the coffee maker to be able to turn it on remotely
- Not compatible with Alexa
- You cannot leave coffee brewing programmed (only on/off)
Melitta Barista TS Smart
When we tried the Barista TS Smart, what won us over the most was its extensive “catalogue” of coffees. And it is that this 15-bar coffee maker offers up to 21 predefined recipes in which you will also be able to modify parameters such as the quantity, aroma or even choose if you prefer the milk or coffee to come out first. It also allows you to save 8 of your own recipes configured by you as favourites.
It is a bulky coffee maker, so you will have to take into account its dimensions to place it in the kitchen, but in return you get a very complete automatic, with a panel and touch screen integrated into the front and an app through which you can manage all its functions and options. The bet for a double coffee tank we love it, so we can use two different types of beans (so you don’t have to wait to finish one to try a new packet). It goes without saying that the quality of the coffee we obtain is very good, although it will require a bit of learning on your part to get the exact point that you like best.
What we like the most
- The infinity of recipes that it allows to make in addition to those personalized by you
- Option to use ground coffee
- You can leave the brewing of the coffee you want programmed whenever you want
- Your double coffee tank
the least
- Takes up a lot of space in the kitchen
- The capacity of the tray that collects the water it releases when cleaning is very fair
- Its price is very high
De’Longhi Perfetto Primadonna Soul
De’Longui is a brand with a good reputation in the coffee maker sector, so its Perfetto Primadonna Soul could not be missing here. Similar in size to that of Philips (slightly larger, but not much), it is a super-automatic coffee maker with a 4.3-inch touch screen, 19 bars, and an application through which you can control many of its options. boasts of bean adapt technologywhich establishes the grinding and infusion size according to the type of drink you choose to ensure the best coffee aroma.
The LatteCrema system is responsible for making a good (and dense) foam with milk and offers up to 18 different types of coffee preparations with quite good results. Allows the configuration of up to 3 profiles.
What we like the most
- Its enormous variety of coffee preparation recipes
- The screen interface is intuitive
- makes very good coffee
the least
- Not a cheap coffee maker
- The finish of materials of the coffee maker at the design level could be better for its price
