Bean to Cup

dfk41

My son has gone full circle and after a couple of years without a machine is looking into the murky world of BTC. Now, personally I doubt if a £300 machine will make a worse cuppa than one much more expensive. I looked at a review that CoffeeKev did on various models and I was drawn o this one

Beko are a budget manufacturer. £300 for an auto machine with a 5 year (3 year extended) and it really is a simple to use machine. Obviously it will never produce a coffee akin to what we are used to, but surely that is the point!

I just wondered if anyone could chip in?

Tal

Do they use pressurised baskets within the machine?

dfk41

Tal I have absolutely no idea! I think I saw a black plastic box thing in the review but no pf per se. This is the brewing unit……>£165!

delta76

Tal yes. The grinder is so subpar so pressurised basket is a must.
I told my little girl that I can teach her make espressos. Once she have learned I would disown her if she buys a BTC 🤣

dfk41

delta76 Surely it all depends what your expectations are? If it is just to easily make a coffee flavoured drink over which you neither need control nor have control, then a BTC is fine. If however you think you might want to tinker then I would agree. My son has had an L1, Sage DB and Mara so knows what he is getting into….but he has to take his wifes thoughts into consideration

delta76

dfk41 I was obviously joking. I want people who I care about to drink good quality coffee, but as always people have different priorities and tastes in life. The “My roof my rules” only apply to when she’s still living with me. Once she moves out she is pretty much an independent woman who can make her choices.
I would be sad a little bit if I see a BTC or a nespresso in her home but disowning her? not a chance!

Clodius

I keep telling people that want a convenient coffee cup without the fuss they can go via the Nespresso way and a milk frother.

The next step from that in terms of convenience but with decent results is an expensive one, Sage Oracle Touch that has auto grind adjustment. £2,000-2,500
Cheaper than that with relatively low involvement would be a Sage Bambino Plus with its auto steam mode and a decent grinder like Eureka Mignon or, better yet, Niche Zero
Full geek mode, the sky is the limit.

delta76

Clodius i would disagree on Oracle Touch. it only tamps for you.

Clodius

delta76 the new version also has auto grind adjustment.

delta76

Clodius if a friend of mine want to have good coffee but does not want to spend time into learning it, I can come by, dial the grinder and machine and let them be. They will likely buy same coffee every time so it works for them.
I recommended Sage Oracle touch for a few friends, but only on deep discount. Just literally sent one for a friend but that costs £1100. Can’t imagine recommending more than that - the longevity of the machine is very questionable, especially if the grinder is out you’re out.

thetravdog

delta76 reminds me of what I have to do for my parents. I’ve handed down my Bambino plus and Smart Grinder Pro. As much as I try to teach them how to dial in they CBA, so every time I come over I set the time and grind size on the grinder and the volumetrics on the Bambino. If they keep the hopper topped up to the same level it seems to make them decent coffee for the kg bags they buy. It’s not perfect but it’s better than a BTC for sure. I think the only improvement here would be a cheap GBW like the Eureka Libra maybe.

Clodius

@delta76 you have to want to learn. People buy photo cameras thinking they can get good photos and what they get is some extra bokeh and in a year or so it becomes paperweight. Same with coffee, people want the results, not the effort and learning process that is required. That’s why I ranked the machines in that way. Yes, some options may be expensive, but that’s what Sage is banking on, convenience for a relatively decent output.

delta76

Clodius don’t underestimate how uninterested people are in some subjects. I have a friend who have essentially same set up as you but every time I come to his home I need to redial his setup. He is fond of coffee yes but not that fond of learning to dial. Smart and overall cool guy. I’m happy to do that for him, and I don’t judge if he just wants a few cups of espresso every day without too much tinkering.
We are in a niche® group than we usually assume.