People accustomed to stopping by their favorite coffee house for a daily espresso or cappuccino learned the importance of improvising during the pandemic. The various lockdowns led many people to decide that this is as good a time as any to purchase one of the best coffee makers. Choosing the best espresso machine from a crowded field of contenders isn’t so easy, but the Café Affetto Automatic Espresso Machine stands heads and shoulders above the competition for several reasons. It includes literally everything needed to brew the perfect cup of whatever you’re craving. Keep reading to find out why we gave it a 5-star rating.
Who should buy the Café Affetto Automatic Espresso Machine?
The Café Affetto Automatic Espresso Machine is perfect for people who want to create a coffee shop experience at home – and want a well-designed machine that looks as good as it performs. It’s a high-end appliance with a steel silver finish and brass trim, and includes all of the bells and whistles expected at this price point. (Other color choices include matte black and matte white.) And since it’s only 7 inches wide, the espresso machine is also ideal for space-challenged countertops (as long as you have countertop depth).
Specs
Dimensions: 7.09” W x 16.1” D x 12.48” HWeight: 19 pounds Pump Pressure: 20-Bar Pump Pressure SystemHeating Prep Time: 90 secondsWarranty: 1 year
Unboxing and first impressions
The Café Affetto Automatic Espresso Machine was boxed well in Styrofoam and plastic, and even had adhesive film securing the various parts in place and keeping them from getting scratched during the shipping process. In the photo above you can see espresso machine, along with the drip tray and grate, milk pitcher, instructions, and cleaning kit contents, which include a black microfiber cleaning cloth, cleaning brush, pin needle, and 3 packs of cleaning solution. In the photo above you can see the drip tray and grate on the left side, and also the disposal box and tray (pulled out) at the bottom of the machine. The coffee maker disposes of unused coffee grounds in this container. After 8 brews, the coffee displays an alert to remove and empty the tray. Also, notice the service door on the left side of the espresso machine. The actual brewer is housed behind the service door, and this area needs to be periodically. This is a side view of the Café Affetto Automatic Espresso Machine. It shows the service door more clearly, and also gives you a better view of the depth of the appliance (16.1 inches). Note where the water tank is stored. It’s the top left side of this photo, but is actually in the back when the espresso maker is in its proper position. Depending on how deep your countertop is, you may be accustomed to bringing coffee appliances as close to the front as possible so the water tank can clear the bottom of your upper cabinets. However, that’s not a problem with the Café Affetto Automatic Espresso Machine. The water tank lid is collapsible, so if you don’t have a lot of cabinet clearance, the lid can drop down and be inserted sideways and then properly positioned.
What is it like to use?
The Café Affetto Automatic Espresso Machine has a built-in coffee bean hopper, and when the lid is in place, it provides sealed storage for over 6 ounces of beans. This is one of my favorite features, since it means that I don’t have to throw used coffee beans away because they’ve gotten stale. There’s also a built-in stainless steel burr grinder. There are five different settings on the coffee grinder knob, making it easy to choose the desired level of grinding. On the very top of the machine are the touch controls. The first selection is Power. The other five selections are as follows:
Espresso: full flavored concentrated shot. This is the selection to make Cappuccinos, Flat Whites, and LattesAmericano: coffee brew sized drinkMy Cup: Ristretto (an espresso with only half the water) – which can be adjusted in the appSteam: used to heat milk and create microfoafHot water: dispenses hot water only
The Café Affetto Automatic Espresso Machine also has built-in WiFi and can connect to the SmartHQ app and the selections can be managed via smartphone. The My Cup function can only be adjusted through the SmartHQ app. The coffee spout can be raised or lowered depending on the size of the container and after the espresso finished brewing, you can use the steam wand to heat and gently froth some milk.
Cleaning the Café Affetto Automatic Espresso Machine
I prefer coffee makers to espresso machines because the former is easier to maintain. The Café Affetto Automatic Espresso Machine isn’t hard to clean, but it’s not as easy as a coffee maker. The machine itself can be wiped with the included microfiber cloth – and a non-abrasive cleaner when necessary. The water tank, drip tray, and disposal tray can be washed and dried. However, after a period of time, you’ll need to open the service door to access the service area. The cleaning brush and microfiber cloth are used to clean grounds from the service area and coffee grinder chute. The coffee brewer should be taken out and washed in the sink with warm water. The brewer and the service area should be complete dry before reassembling that area. After 8 brews, the empty waste alert appears. When you empty the waste basket, the alert will reset. The company recommends descaling the espresso maker monthly – more depending on the water hardness in your area. Use one of the included cleaning solutions to descale or the company states that a 1:1 ratio of water and white vinegar can be used instead. Press the descaling selection to start this process, and then rinse the solution out with water.
How does it compare?
I’ve tested several high-end espresso machines, including the Breville Bambino Plus, De’Longhi Dinamica Plus, Philips 3200 with LatteGo, Nespresso Lattissima One, and De’Longhi All-in-One Combination Coffee Maker. The Café Affetto Automatic Espresso Machine is expensive, but it’s not the most expensive appliance on the list. The 20-bar pump pressure is impressive, since most (but not all) high-end espresso makers have a 15-bar pump. The grinder is also a nice bonus, since that’s not a given on an espresso maker. However, the Café Affetto Automatic Espresso Machine can’t accept pods and doesn’t have a cup warming tray. Overall, I think it has enough features to definitely earn a space in my top 4 espresso makers.
Should you buy the Café Affetto Automatic Espresso Machine?
If you enjoy the control offered by a manual or semi-automatic espresso maker, you might prefer the Calphalon Temp IQ or the Breville Oracle. However, if you like the idea of pressing a button and letting the appliance do the heavy lifting, you’d be more inclined to favor the Café Affetto Automatic Espresso Machine. It looks expensive because it is, but if you’re prepared to pay for the level of attention to detail that goes into an appliance like this, you won’t be disappointed.
About this review, and our reviewer
Terri drinks (decaf) coffee every day – and can drink it with or in place of breakfast, lunch, or dinner. She has tested dozens of coffee makers – and can always find time to test more. All our reviews, as in the case of the Café Affetto Automatic Espresso Machine, are based on the real-life experience of using these products at home. The products are given to us free of charge and we test them for as long as possible before sending them back to the brand unless we are able to keep them as we are with this coffee maker. This means that we can continue to use the product, which gives us the opportunity to return to our reviews for updating, so you can keep up-to-date with how it’s fared over a period of time.
