Barista-level coffee?
Warentest checks cheap portafilter machines – and finds lead spinners
Coffee lovers swear by portafilter machines. Right?
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Portafilter machines promise coffee enjoyment like a barista. But are they really as good as their reputation? Stiftung Warentest has tested seven entry-level models. The price-performance winner is available for less than 200 euros.
For many, it is the first person allowed to touch their lips in the morning, it warms from the inside, is revitalizing – the coffee. Many coffee lovers have long since ceased to be satisfied with disgusting filter coffee, they swear by chic portafilter machines. Because they, so it is hoped, raise the brew of the Eigenbräu brand to barista level. They are happy to spend a little more (or a few hundred) on this. But does it also pay off in terms of taste?
Stiftung Warentest has tested seven entry-level portafilter machines. Particular attention was paid to the handling: Is the machine easy to use, easy to clean and what about the repairability? In the end, four of the seven machines do well, but two are not worth the purchase at all. You have a lead problem. As is so often the case, brand or price alone are not a quality feature.
Lower price or more taste?
At the end of the test, two devices were head-to-head with a grade of 2.2. The bargain winner is Krups (169 euros) with the Virtuoso XP 442C. A compact model that heats up a little slowly and takes a lot of time for descaling, but is easy to use. So far so good. You only need to readjust the result in the cup. The sommeliers liked the espresso, which the machine brews in the factory settings, “quite acidic and flat”. It got more aromatic with a little less water and more coffee powder.
The second test winner, the ECF01BLEU from Smeg, does better. It comes in a chic retro style and is also intuitive to use. But not only that. The sommeliers found what it tasted like “unusual”. With the factory settings, the machine prepares an espresso with a complex taste. No adjustments necessary. The cappuccino is also perfectly preset. However, that costs. If you don’t just think a little while preparing coffee, but also want a delicious drink as a result, you can pay 350 euros for the Smeg machine, almost 200 euros more than for the one from Krups.
Lead instead of enjoyment in the cup
De’Longhi delivers the compromise between the two devices with the Dedica EC785. It costs around 200 euros, has a “good” product test result, and with a little tutoring on the settings, the sommeliers attest “a better crema and a full-bodied aroma”. However, what the two worst performers present in the test is much worse than the competition.
The cheapest machine in the test is Severin, which is already available for 156 euros, but delivers unsavory results. Despite attempts at optimization, the espresso tastes, according to the sommeliers, “sour, burnt and has no crema”. Even more: after descaling, the Severin KA 5995 Espresa Plus flushes too much lead into the cup. A problem that also has the second “defective” portafilter with the sonorous name Barista Gran Gusto from Solis. Because of great enjoyment. Especially since the taste is “disappointing”. And that for a crisp 400 euros.
You can read the entire comparison for a fee test.de