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Tom's Guide
27-07-2025
- Tom's Guide
I asked an expert why automatic espresso machines and manual espresso machines taste different — and I'm really surprised
I'm one of Tom's Guide's resident coffee nerds, which means I spend a lot of my life making, drinking, and writing about coffee. I test every coffee machine I can get my hands on — everything from traditional manual machines like the Breville Bambino Plus to the superautomatic Jura coffee machines. The best espresso machines? I've tested 'em all. I'm also an ex-barista, so I have plenty of experience on commercial machines, too. But there's one type of machine I just can't get on with: automatic espresso machines. I've tested some of the highest-rated options, like the De'Longhi Rivelia and the KitchenAid KF8. But I just... their espresso just doesn't taste great. There are a few iconic machines I have yet to get my hands on, like the De'Longhi Magnifica ($899), but for the most part, I've not been impressed so far. I assumed it was because superautomatic coffee machines brewed differently to manual, but it turns out I'm wrong. I thought maybe the grind and dose mechanisms were massively different — but manual and auto machines actually use the same internal tech. The only variable? The human touch. I spoke to Anna Batten, who is a Product Manager at Smeg/La Pavoni. Smeg is known for its range of beautiful, premium coffee machines, like the EMC02 Mini Pro and the automatic Smeg BCC12 ($799). La Pavoni is the company credited with inventing espresso, so I think it knows what it's doing. The EMC02 Mini Pro is the coffee machine I have dreams about — if money was no object, this would be the machine taking pride of place in my kitchen. So I was super excited to get to pick Anna's brain about the nerdy tech inside different coffee machines. Anna said, "The only real difference between how manual and automatic machines work is how much human interaction you have with the model." She added, "an automatic machine will be set up to prepare a consistent espresso for you, measuring the dose, tamp pressure and duration of extraction, where with a manual machine this will be down to the user to do for themselves." Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. So... I'm the problem. There's nothing inherently different about how a manual and automatic espresso machine pull shots, other than my personal flavor preference. I've also spoken to Shonali Paul of Paul John Indian Caffeine Company. Shonali said, 'The difference in [automatic] machines is that they have a set process to produce the coffee you want. You can't change or tweak anything about the brewing methods. However, it will give you any coffee at the touch of a button without having to guess any rations or grinds.' So basically, the only difference between automatic and manual espresso machines is you, the user. Making espresso is as much of a science as it is an art. Anna said, "The whole coffee preparation is important in creating the perfect espresso. This starts firstly with the grind size, ensuring this is the correct size for the blend of coffee that you have, as this will vary depending on how the coffee beans have been roasted." The general rule of thumb is that lighter roasts need a finer grind, and darker roasts require a coarser grind. When you pull a shot of coffee, you're looking for an espresso texture akin to honey. Anna went on to say, "Next would be the quantity of coffee that would be optimal for the size of filter that you are using." This means single- and double-shot portafilters require different volumes of coffee. "Lastly would be the amount of pressure and how evenly this is applied when tamping your coffee, if this is not roughly around 13-14kg and evenly applied otherwise this could result in channelling or the water moving too quickly or too slowly through the puck." As an ex-barista, I know precisely how important all these steps are. However, both manual and automatic machines require the exact same coffee process — so why does automatic coffee taste so different to manual? Grind, dose, and tamp all contribute to the overall pressure — and therefore flavor — of espresso. Anna says, "[Pressure] will affect how well the water runs through the puck and will impact the flavors and oils you are extracting from the coffee grounds. If your espresso was under extracted you might find this to be weak, maybe a bit sharp or sour, whereas if this was over extracted it might taste burnt and bitter and leave your mouth feeling a bit dry." Auto and manual machines should both reach 9-bar pressure to extract espresso, although auto machines can reach that more reliably, as user error is removed from the equation. Manual coffee machines have more room for error, because every aspect of the brewing process relies on you. However, Anna says, "Automatic machines are great for creating a consistently good coffee and most of these machines are set up for very little human intervention to streamline this process. On Smeg's machines you can increase/decrease the grind size to adjust the strength of the coffee you are making." So the main difference between manual and automatic coffee machines — and likely the reason why I'm personally not a massive fan of auto espresso — is the human touch. With a manual machine, I can fine-tune every step of the way to my personal tastes. I'm in the mood for a bigger, yet more balanced coffee? I can pull a lungo. I want a richer coffee? I can adjust extraction to get a ristretto shot instead. I want a shot so bitter and strong that it makes me wince? Weird, but on a manual machine, I can do that with a bigger dose and a finger grind (although my machine might argue with me during extraction). At the end of the day, automatic espresso machines do pretty much the same thing as a manual espresso machine. The only difference? You. If you're a relatively inexperienced barista and you're using a manual machine (like the Breville Bambino Plus), your coffee probably won't taste as good as an automatic machine. However, as I said above, if you're an experienced barista and you've got a great grinder, then your manual coffee will probably taste better for you. You're in control of the brewing process, you can alter everything to suit your particular tastes. Automatic coffee machines make coffee one way for everyone. Some people love that, just as some people hate it. Anna said, "If you want to fully adjust the coffee you are creating, an automatic machine wouldn't be the correct model to choose, and a manual machine would be better suited to the user's needs. Automatic machines do the one thing manual machines can never do: they save you time. And effort." It's so true. For some people, time is too precious to be spending five minutes a day making a coffee. And that's totally fine. Some people — parents, professionals, anyone in between — need to do everything in their power to save as much time as possible. And for those people, an automatic coffee machine is the answer. As much as serious coffee lovers maintain that automatic espresso machines make "nasty" beverages, it's a worthy sacrifice for others. So while I haven't found an automatic coffee machine that makes coffee to my personal preference, you should be able to find one suitable for your palate. I definitely fall into the "I-want-to-spend-five-minutes-making-a-coffee" category of people. I have a decent amount of time: I'm not a parent, I work from home twice a week, and I actively class coffee-making as one of my hobbies. So I'm happy to grind my beans by hand and pull that shot with precision. But that's not everyone. If you want coffee reliably, regularly, and quickly, I've got some recommendations for you. I've personally tested these automatic coffee machines, and I'll be testing the highly-rated Smeg BCC12 in the coming weeks. If you get the right machine, automatic espresso machine coffee will taste better than the internet would have you believe. In my KitchenAid KF8 review, I wrote that "The KF8 pulls espresso shots through single-walled portafilters, meaning the espresso isn't aerated as it's extracted. This results in a more balanced yet complex flavor profile." I actually really enjoyed the flavor of the KF8's espresso: it was thick, sweet, and creamy. The KF8 also has a lovely bright screen and can make both dairy and nondairy milk drinks. I awarded the De'Longhi Rivelia a 3.5 rating in my review, which means it's "very good" although not "great". I particularly loved its "Bean Adapt" feature. This basically analyzes your beans and tells you what grind size to use and what temperature your espresso should be. This is one of the few machines I've used where you can actually manually adjust the grind size! And one for the manual espresso enthusiasts. If you are curious about making your own espresso, then there's no better place to start than the Breville Bambino Plus. This compact machine can fit into almost any kitchen. Also, it's so straightforward that I think a complete beginner would be able to set it up and get brewing within minutes. In my Breville Bambino Plus review, I praised its delicious espresso, tiny size, and the steam wand ease of use. 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Tom's Guide
18-07-2025
- Automotive
- Tom's Guide
Jura E8 review
The Jura E8 is a premium, premium coffee machine. And it's got a premium price tag to boot. The E8 will set you back $2,699 / £1,295, which is considerably more than other machines that do relatively similar things. The E8 makes coffee after coffee, speedier than an F1 car with a jammed throttle. This is definitely a machine for the time-poor coffee-hungry amongst you, rather than the home baristas who love the routine of coffee brewing. Is speed and convenience enough to make it one of the best espresso machines though? That'll depend on what you look for in a coffee machine. I'll go through everything in this Jura E8 review. Price $2,699 / £1,295 Weight 22.5 pounds Grinder Conical burr Dimensions 11 x 13.6 x 17.5 inches Heating system Thermoblock Pressure 15 bar Water tank capacity 64 ounces Accessories Water filter, cleaning tablets, milk cleaner, scoop The Jura E8 is $2,699 from Amazon U.S. or $2,799 from Seattle Coffee Gear. As usual with Jura machines, U.K. customers are getting a much, much better deal: it's just £1,295 from John Lewis U.K. Yes, the E8 is extremely expensive. While superautomatic coffee machines are pricier than traditional espresso machines anyway, Jura takes the expense to the next level. The KitchenAid KF8 and the De'Longhi Rivelia — $1,999 and $1,499 respectively — are considerably more affordable than almost any Jura machine in the U.S. The KitchenAid and De'Longhi offerings are just as competent as the Jura E8, so I'd recommend checking out those if you're on a tighter budget. If you're in the U.K., I'd recommend the Rivelia — it's just £749. If you're dead set on getting a Jura machine, though, the E8 will serve you well. I much prefer the E8 over the basic Jura C8 (£899, which pales in comparison to the E8's $2,699, but the E8 makes world-apart coffee). If you are a black coffee fanatic, then the $999 Jura ENA 4 would be a more wallet-friendly purchase. I've reached out to Jura's representative about the U.S. and U.K. price discrepancy. I will update this review when I hear back. As with other Jura machines, the E8 is massive, heavy, and pretty. The machine is a whopping 22.5 pounds and 13.6 inches wide, so you'll need to have a large space free in your kitchen. I tested this in the office, but it would never fit in my kitchen. As it's such a large machine, the water tank is a huge 64 ounces, which I found I needed to refill after about 8 drinks. Like the ENA 4, the E8 alerted me to refill the water tank when about 10% remained. I used Jura's water filter in the water tank, which was very easy to slot into place. The E8 comes in white or black. I tested the black version, which would have been my choice had I been purchasing this machine for myself. While the black colorway looks more modern than the white (in my opinion), it was a complete dust magnet. I had to wipe it every day, lest it look like an ancient artefact in an abandoned Victorian mansion. Dust magnetism aside, the E8 is easy to maintain. The machine alerted me every time I needed to empty the drip tray (about every 4 or so drinks, so quite regularly). The drip tray is made up of a few parts: a small grounds drawer (I emptied this whenever I emptied the drip tray), a cover, and a silver plate that rests on the exterior of the machine. These parts all slot perfectly into one another — I have no reservations about saying that the E8 is a well-made machine. The E8 has a little LED screen you can select your drinks from. Like the C8 and the ENA 4, this isn't a touchscreen. I wish it had more color, like the De'Longhi Rivelia, but this isn't a serious complaint. This screen is where you control everything, from drinks to cleaning routines. It's easy to use and clear. As with other Jura machines, the E8 is compatible with the 'J.O.E' app… if you buy a Wi-Fi dongle adapter, sold separately. Jura did not provide me with a dongle, so I was unable to test this. You can buy a Wi-Fi dongle for $70. If you have the adapter, you can link the E8 up with your phone. Also as with other Jura machines, the E8 doesn't come with a milk carafe. I think this is pretty ridiculous — nearly insulting — for a machine that costs as much as this. You're telling me I'm spending nearly $3k on a coffee machine and you can't throw in a plastic jug? You can buy a milk carafe for $90. This is one of my biggest pet peeves with Jura machines. Anyway, the E8 is easy to use and designed well. I just wish it was a touch more modern and innovative for a machine that costs this much — and also came with a milk jug and a Wi-Fi dongle. As it's a superautomatic machine, I didn't have high hopes for the E8's espresso brewing. It's a known fact that automatic machines can't make 'true' espresso. Unfortunately there's nothing the user can do about this — it's just an occupational hazard with having an automatic coffee machine. The default size of an espresso on the E8 is 45ml. This is about 10ml more than the usually accepted size of a double shot — 36g. You can adjust the espresso dose from 25ml to 90ml. You can also adjust the intensity, but as the E8 grinds the beans inside the machine, I can't measure the ratio of coffee to water for each intensity level — trust me, I wish I could! I can get very nerdy and granular about coffee. The Jura E8 can make shot after shot in quick succession. I've been able to make 3 drinks in about a minute and a half on the E8. If you value speed over 'technically' correct espresso, this is definitely the machine for you. Here's a photograph of the espresso. I adjusted the dose to 35ml (closest to the ideal shot volume of 36g) and changed the intensity to '4' beans out of 8. As you can see, the espresso has a nice crema, honey-colored body, and a large stripe of black. I took this photo immediately after extraction. The espresso is simply fine, nothing more. It's tastier than other automatic machines I've used. No, this won't impress serious espresso enthusiasts. But will it suffice if you're time-poor and just want hot coffee multiple times a day? Yes, of course it will. As with other Jura machines, the E8 uses a 'milk pipe' to pull milk from a jug. And as with other Jura machines, this milk pipe gives me the ick. It's made of silicone and is literally impossible to clean. I can wash it out with water after every use, sure, but there's no way for me to clean the inside of the pipe. Anyway, this is a 'maintenance' matter, and I'll discuss it in full below. The milk texture of the E8 is merely fine. It's not smooth, velvety microfoam, like something the Subminimal Nanofoamer Pro Gen 2 would make. It's more like tiny bubbles as opposed to the texture of melted ice cream. Unfortunately, the milk texture for different drinks is all the same. The cappuccino, latte macchiato, flat white, and cortado textures are identical. Fortunately, it steams oat milk and cow milk just as deftly, so would be suitable for a household with various milk preferences. This is a photograph of the 'latte macchiato' recipe. As you can see, the milk foam is very thick and has quite large bubbles at the top. It's about ⅓ foam, ⅔ milk and coffee. I'd say this is too much foam to be considered a 'latte'. You can adjust the amount of milk, but you can't adjust the texture of the milk. Comparatively, here's a picture of the 'cappuccino' recipe. I'd say the main difference here is that there's a bit more milk. The milk texture is similar, just with a larger volume. While this is more typical of a common cappuccino, there's certainly not enough difference between the latte and cappuccino texture. This is a picture of an oat milk flat white. The texture is impressive considering it's oat milk: the milk is foamed without being overly bubbly, and the foam is dense without being dry. However, it just doesn't have the finesse you'd want from a flat white. As with the espresso brewing, the milk is super speedy. It heats and foams immediately after being sucked up into the pipe (that you can't clean properly… ew…), and dispenses into the mug in seconds. Again, if you're time-poor, there's nothing better than a Jura machine. If you're a coffee nerd, though? I don't think the E8 is for you. Not because there's anything wrong with it, but because it's an automatic machine. If you have a similar budget, I can recommend the $1,800 Smeg Mini Pro EMC02 or the $749 Breville Barista Express. I'll start this section by saying that, on the whole, the Jura E8 is easy to clean. Jura provides a range of cleaning products like rinsing tablets, descaling solutions, water filters, and milk system cleaning liquids. All you have to do is start a cleaning process on the screen and follow the instructions. It's practically foolproof. Repurchasing these will set you back $25-$70, but I suppose if you're spending $2,000+ on a coffee machine, this won't make that much of a dent. However, the milk pipe. The milk pipe haunts my nightmares. Jura itself recommends you change the milk pipe every 3 months — at a cost of $55, by the way — because it's impossible to clean. Sorry, but I think if I'm spending almost $3k on a coffee machine, I should be provided at least 1 year's worth of milk pipes. Right? So daily maintenance is easy. All you have to do is follow the instructions on the machine when prompted. I found I had to empty the drip tray about once every 4 drinks and refill the water tank about once every 8 drinks. This means that the Jura E8 uses 64 ounces of water to make 8 drinks, and most of that water ends up in the drip tray. This is another one of my complaints: it's a thirsty, thirsty machine. Just be prepared to fill it up more often than you think. In terms of storage, the E8 is pretty, and knows it's pretty. It's designed to be out on the countertop permanently. With the $55 stainless steel milk pipe and the $90 milk carafe, too, the E8 will look luxe and stylish in your kitchen. I've tested three Jura machines now. The C8, the ENA 4, and the E8. The E8 makes the best coffees out of any of these machines, but oh boy, it'll cost you. While the C8 is £899 (U.K. only) and the ENA 4 is $999, the E8 is $2,699. That is a massive price increase. Is the flavor improvement worth $1,700? It's up to you. I, however, would definitely rather have the De'Longhi Rivelia ($1,400) rather than the Jura E8. It's more modern, with a larger range of drink options, but in my opinion, even the Rivelia is still overpriced. The Jura E8 is a decent coffee machine. It can make drink after drink without kicking up a fuss, and the coffee actually tastes decent. In terms of baseline performance, this is one of the best superautomatic machines I've ever reviewed. However… it doesn't do enough to justify the ridiculous $2,699 price tag. In the U.K. you're getting a much better deal — and for U.K. readers I'd recommend it with more fervor — but in the U.S., you're getting the short end of the stick. If you've got money to spend, then the E8 will meet your needs. But if you're uhming and ahing about the price of the Jura, then I'd recommend sticking to the cheaper De'Longhi Rivelia.
Tom's Guide
06-06-2025
- Business
- Tom's Guide
Jura C8 automatic coffee machine review
Automatic coffee machines are ideal gadgets for time-poor coffee lovers. Some of the best espresso machines are a little too finicky for those who just want to press a button and get a fresh, hot cup of coffee. Luckily, Jura has a whole range of premium automatic coffee machines. The Jura C8 is no different — its £899 price tag surely makes it a premium product. At time of writing, it's not available in the U.S. and there are no concrete plans for it to be released across the pond. Even so, historically, Jura machines have been released in the U.S. around 6 months after the U.K., so we still have hope. However, the Jura C8 is pretty expensive for what it is — it only makes 4 different coffee drinks. If you're a bit of a coffee purist, though, and only want black coffees or cappuccinos, this may not be a concern. Find out the whole info in this Jura C8 automatic coffee machine review. Price £899 Weight 9.5kg Grinder Burr Dimensions 12.8 x 10.2 x 17.2 inches Heating system Thermoblock Pressure 15 bar Water tank capacity 54 ounces / 1.6 liters Accessories Milk pipe At time of writing (June 2025), the Jura C8 is only available in the U.K. and there are no plans for it to come to the U.S.. For U.S. readers, I'd recommend the brand new De'Longhi Rivelia ($1,499) or the reliable classic KitchenAid KF8 ($1,999). In the U.K., the C8 is available for its RRP of £899 at John Lewis, £895 at Coffee Direct, and £769 at Robert Dyas. For a coffee machine that only makes 4 drinks, this is an incredibly steep price. The De'Longhi Rivelia (mentioned above) is just £749 in the U.K. and makes 8 different coffee recipes, with endless customization options — and comes with a milk carafe. I tested the Jura C8 in 'Piano black'. Right now, the machine doesn't seem to come in any other color variations. At a baseline level, the C8 looks great: it has a lovely almost faceted plastic water tank that catches the light beautifully. The ground coffee chute has a magnetic lid that snaps pleasingly into place. The shiny metal drip tray looks modern and attractive. To round it all off, the bean hopper is built into the machine itself so there's no container sticking out of the top. In terms of design practicality, the water tank is 54 fluid ounces (1.6 liters), which, in real terms, meant I only had to refill it about once every 8 drinks and 2 cleaning cycles. Similarly, the grounds drawer is large enough that I only had to empty it about once every 12 drinks. There's also a little dial next to the water tank that reads 'intense' and 'mild'. You can twist this dial to the flavor profile of your choosing: I kept mine on 'mild', the reason for which will soon become clear. As you can see, the C8 has some great design features. However, there are a few things that don't justify its £900 price tag. For starters, the C8 doesn't come with a milk carafe. Jura sells a milk jug for £37 on its website, which is a big ask when the machine itself is £899. In terms of the machine itself, I'm not overly impressed with the screen. Whereas the De'Longhi Rivelia and KitchenAid K8 have interactive, full color touchscreens, the C8 has a dark, analog-looking screen that reminds me of the scientific calculators I used to use at school. You have to press through the menu with buttons that just look way too old to be a competitive product in 2025. I'd like to see a full color touchscreen with graphics of various coffees in future. Just something with a little more pizzazz to justify this £900 price. That's not to say there's no pizzazz, though. The Jura C8 has Wi-Fi connectivity and can link up to your smartphone with the J.O.E app. Yes, my coffee machine has internet. Because why not, right? Sigh. You need to insert the Wi-Fi attachment (it looks like a little white plug) to activate said Wi-Fi. However, my C8 didn't come with the Wi-Fi attachment, so I was unable to test this. You can buy the Wi-Fi attachment for £45 on Jura's website, which I think is a bit of a rip-off. The Jura C8 is an automatic coffee machine. If you're thinking 'What is an automatic coffee machine?', it's basically a coffee machine that makes lattes with just a button press. I'm going to start by saying that automatic coffee machines, by design, cannot make 'technically' perfect espresso. They can't grind, distribute, tap, and tamp like humans, so of course the espresso is going to taste a little different. Here's a photo of an espresso shot made by the Jura C8. This is 45ml of espresso. Unfortunately, as it's a bean-to-cup machine, I have no way of weighing the pre-infusion coffee grounds, so I don't know the ratio of coffee to water. I extracted this on 'mild'. As you can see, the shot looks nicely layered. You can easily discern between the darker heart of the shot and the caramel body and fluffy crema. I used artisanally-roasted Nicaraguan beans for this shot, which usually have a flavor profile of muted chocolate and a subtle hint of spice. However, this shot was incredibly bitter and undrinkable. With milk, though, the espresso was fine. Next, I made myself an oat milk latte macchiato. I'm unsure why the C8 offers a latte macchiato but no latte. A latte macchiato is kind of an upside-down latte, where the espresso goes on top of the milk. A traditional latte has espresso then milk. I experimented with the 'intense' espresso mode next. Again, I pulled 45ml of espresso for this test. As you can see, there isn't much visual difference between the 'mild' and 'intense' espresso shots. However, the second shot tasted much, much more bitter and, yes, intense. This will suit people who like softer or more intense coffee flavors. It's good that there's a variation of espresso flavor, but the overshadowing espresso flavor is just bitter. As I mentioned earlier, the C8 doesn't come with a milk carafe. My sample just came with a silicone-like pipe. I used one of my espresso machine milk jugs to hold the milk during use. There aren't any milk foam settings: it's simply milk. Bizarrely, you can't control the volume of milk used, but just length of time the milk pours for. Here's a photograph of the 'latte macchiato' recipe. As you can see, the milk is quite bubbly. I would say this is too dry for a latte; the milk should be silky smooth like melted ice cream. Conversely, here's a photograph of the 'cappuccino' recipe. The milk is almost identical to the latte macchiato milk. While there's nothing inherently wrong about this, there should at least be a variance in milk texture, especially if a £900 machine is only capable of making two milk drinks. The only difference between the latte macchiato and cappuccino is this: the latte macchiato defaults to 45ml of coffee for 20 seconds of milk, and the cappuccino defaults to 95ml of coffee for 6 seconds of milk. It's basically a latte macchiato and a triple espresso macchiato. Of course you can change the milk dispensing time — I found 22 seconds to fit most of my mugs the best. Also, 95ml of coffee to 6 seconds of milk resulted in an overly-strong drink that my colleague struggled to finish. I tested the C8 with both semi-skimmed and oat milk, and while there weren't any major differences between two textures, the oat milk foam dissipated much faster than cow milk. I'm actually really disappointed by this milk performance — the £749 De'Longhi Rivelia can make beautifully smooth microfoam in seconds, and has a wider range of plant milk capabilities. As the C8 is quite a large machine, I'd recommend making sure you have enough space in your kitchen before purchasing. It's a pretty whopping 17 x 13 x 10 inches. The water tank is on the right side so this would need to be accessible. The drip tray is metal on the outside and plastic on the inside, which was quite easy to clean during testing. The grounds drawer is easy to empty too although coffee grounds did tend to stick to the inside. Jura provides a water filter for the water tank, and has an on-machine setting to select water hardness. I'd recommend doing this ASAP to ensure machine longevity. On its site, Jura sells milk system cleaner for £14 and cleaning tablets for £11. As I've discussed throughout this review, the C8 really pales in comparison to the £150 cheaper De'Longhi Rivelia. The Rivelia has a bigger range of drink recipes (including flat white, my personal favorite coffee), more customization, comes with 2 bean hoppers so you can easily switch out beans, and a milk carafe. I would recommend the Rivelia over the C8 any day. If you seriously want a Jura machine due to the smart home capabilities or the 2-year warranty, the £775 EN4 might be a better choice. It has a more modern appearance and the price is a little more appealing. One of the cheaper automatic coffee machines I've seen is the Philips 3200 Series, which is $775. However, it brews a much weaker coffee than the C8. Even so, I have yet to test this one personally, so from my own experience, I recommend the Rivelia. If the Jura C8 was around £200 cheaper, I'd have given it a little more praise. However, at £900, there's not really much room for error. For £900 I'd expect a semi-premium product that can make consistently delicious and technically accurate coffee. Unfortunately, that's not the Jura C8. It only makes four drinks: espresso, coffee, cappuccino, and latte macchiato. The milk is the same for both cappuccino and latte, which isn't traditionally accepted. On top of that, the espresso tastes overwhelmingly bitter, even with artisan, locally-roasted beans. As a result, I don't think the Jura C8 is worth the money. I'd just go for the trustworthy De'Longhi Rivelia — it performs much, much better than the C8, and will save you £150.
Tom's Guide
23-05-2025
- Business
- Tom's Guide
I tested the brand-new De'Longhi Rivelia — it's like an enthusiastic robot barista has set up shop in my kitchen
The De'Longhi Rivelia is a superautomatic coffee machine, which means it turns button-pressing into coffee in seconds. Yes — completely hands-free. You don't need to do anything. It's perfect for people who want hot, fresh coffee and don't have a lot of time. De'Longhi has a huge range of automatic coffee machines on its roster, starting from just $549/£399, and going up to over $2k. The Rivelia is slap-bang in the middle of its range, at $1,499/£749. Yes — that price discrepancy is wild, I know. If you're a U.K. customer, you're getting a much better deal. A steal, almost. However, is the Rivelia enough to be one of the best espresso machines at this pricepoint? Find out in this De'Longhi Rivelia automatic coffee machine review. Price $1,499 / £749 Weight 21.4 pounds Grinder Have reached out to De'Longhi for confirmation Dimensions 16.9 x 9.7 x 14.6 inches Heating system Have reached out to De'Longhi for confirmation Pressure 15 bar Water tank capacity 47 ounces Accessories 2 bean hoppers, cleaning tablets, milk stopper The De'Longhi Rivelia Automatic Coffee Machine is a massive $1,499 from Amazon U.S., and just £749 from Amazon U.K.. The price is likely different because the Rivelia came out in the U.K. back in 2023, but it's brand new to the U.S. market as of May 2025. Even so, customers in the U.K. are getting a much, much better deal. I don't think this machine is worth $1,499 — $1,000 would be a better price. Automatic coffee machines tend to be pricier than at-home espresso machines, but they don't really make 'proper' espresso. I'll go into that in depth in the 'Espresso' section, but it's worth mentioning here as it's unfair to compare this machine to typical espresso machines. The KitchenAid KF8 is $1,999, which is the priciest automatic coffee machine I've tested. However, that's not the most expensive one I've seen. The Jura J8 is a whopping $3,499, but there's a sub-$1,000 Jura machine in the $999 Jura ENA 4. De'Longhi also makes the $1,299 Magnifica (in the U.K., this starts from just £399) if you really want a superautomatic De'Longhi, but the Rivelia is a little too pricey. In terms of baseline appearance, I think the Rivelia is very attractive. I received the green colorway, which would have been my choice had I been purchasing it myself. De'Longhi also makes the Rivelia in white, black, and gray. In the U.K., you can also get beige and green. The Rivelia is relatively small for a superautomatic espresso machine, at 17 inches tall and 14.6 inches deep. For contrast, the KitchenAid KF8 is 18.5 inches high and 14.3 inches deep. While it's still not compact, it's not as bulky as other espresso machines. My De'Longhi La Specialista Opera is 17.5 inches wide, compared to the Rivelia's just 9.7 inches. The water tank is quite small (could be a worthy sacrifice for this relatively non-bulky machine) at just 47 ounces. The KitchenAid KF8's water tank is a seemingly massive 74 ounces. I found the Rivelia's water tank emptied after around 5 drinks, which was a little frustrating, but I suppose it's good to have fresh water. On the top of the machine is the ground coffee compartment and a scoop. This is also where the milk carafe plug lives in between uses. Then, in front of this hidden compartment, is one of my favorite aspects of the Rivelia: the bright touchscreen. The icons are clear and easy to navigate. The Rivelia alerts you when it's going to rinse, when the carafe needs a clean, and when it's going to heat up. You can scroll through the drinks options (there are 18), which adds great usability for complete beginners. Each drink option has a full-color image, so you're learning which drink is which while brewing too. In general, I'd say that the Rivelia looks fantastic for a superautomatic machine. The colorful LED screen is a nice touch for beginners, and the machine is very easy to use. I would 100% recommend this for complete beginners. I'm going to start by saying that superautomatic espresso machines, by design, do not make 'technically' perfect espresso. They won't be able to dose and tamp like humans, and that's a feature, not a bug. Superautomatic machines are for those who just want coffee, quickly and easily. These types of machines are not for espresso purists. The 'espresso' setting (without customization) doses around 42g of espresso in 21 seconds (including pre-infusion). This is a little outside of the golden window of extraction (1:2 in 25-28 seconds). Afterwards, I customized the espresso to maximum intensity (5) and small size. This dosed 24g of espresso in 17 seconds (including pre-infusion). Again, this is outside the golden window of extraction. Unfortunately, as it's an automatic machine, I have no way of weighing the pre-extraction coffee dose so can't tell you the ratio the Rivelia brews at. As you can see, the shot is quite watery. The crema isn't fluffy, and there's not much weight to the espresso. It'll do the trick, but it won't impress coffee purists. The 'lungo' espresso shot brews a massive 120g. This is much bigger than the generally accepted 1:3 ratio, but I suppose will do the trick if you want a half-espresso-half-Americano beverage. I was a little confused by the 'ice' Americano and 'ice' coffee options. This isn't like the De'Longhi La Specialista Opera ($899, so $600 cheaper than the Rivelia) and De'Longhi La Specialista Maestro ($1,199, so $300 cheaper than the Rivelia) — the Rivelia can't make cold espresso. I pressed 'iced Americano' and it told me to put in 8 cubes of ice (which I did). Then, the Rivelia extracted a hot espresso shot — I thought, okay, no problem, I'll just put more ice in after the water. But then it dosed hot water into my glass. Even though I'd pressed iced Americano. Confused, I did this whole process again — and it brewed another hot Americano. The only difference is that the 'iced' Americano shot is 31g and the 'hot' Americano shot is 41g — I assume as it's going to be watered down by ice. Here's a picture of the 'ice' Americano. I just don't understand why the machine doesn't dispense cold water for iced drinks. Anyway, it's worth noting that if you want an iced Americano, I'd recommend just pulling a regular shot and topping up with cold water. Strangeness regarding iced drinks aside, my interest was extremely piqued by the Rivelia's 'Bean Adapt' feature. This feature basically analyzes your coffee bean and tells you the optimal grind size. Of course, seasoned baristas will be able to navigate grind size without this assistance, but it's nice to have for beginners. The Rivelia told me that my light-roasted Rwandan beans should be ground on number 5 (1-7), which surprised me. I'd been brewing on grind 4 and it tasted fine. However, I gave the Rivelia the benefit of the doubt and followed its advice. When I switched out my light beans for medium-roasted Indonesian beans, the Rivelia recommended setting them on grind size 4. Ever the obedient user, I obliged and ran a few shots through on this setting. As with the shot times I mentioned above, the espresso wasn't technically perfect, but it still tasted good in the drink. I also tried a dark roast. The Rivelia told me it should be extracted on grind setting 4, and with medium temperature (as opposed to light-and-medium roast's high temperature). I made an Americano, a latte macchiato, and two capuccinos with these settings, and the drinks tasted… fine. My colleagues said they enjoyed their beverages, so, again, the Rivelia doesn't make bad coffee, it just won't impress serious espresso lovers. Again, this is a superautomatic machine, so it's not intended to be used by people who necessarily care about crafting technically-perfect coffee with WDT tools and coffee scales. The Rivelia is about quick, easy, and accessible coffee, and it does excel at that. It just isn't the tastiest coffee I've ever had. De'Longhi's 'LatteCrema' system is supposed to 'guarantee ideal milk frothing'. While I think the milk frother is pretty adept, I'm not sure this 'LatteCrema' system is any more than just marketing. Don't get me wrong, the milk frother works, but there's nothing inherently unique about it. It's identical to the milk frothing I've seen on other superautomatics like the KitchenAid KF8. In the standard Rivelia, you can't make cold milk. However, with the 'LatteCrema Cool' addition, you can make cold foam. This is an extra $129. The milk carafe has three settings: low, 'creamy', and high foam. Adjusting these settings is easy with the dial. Some drinks tell you what milk texture to choose, but others don't. It's also completely up to you: you don't have to obey the machine's commands. If you so please, you could make a cappuccino with low foam. Obviously the auto milk frother can't make barista-quality microfoam. The only machine I've used that matches barista-quality is the Subminimal Nanofoamer Gen 2, and the Rivelia in no way matches that. Here's a photograph of milk on the 'creamy' setting. This is a flat white made with Oatly Barista. As you can see, the milk is decent, but it's certainly not barista-quality. There are quite large bubbles, and it was a little watery as I drank more. However, perfection is not the enemy of enjoyment — and I did enjoy it. Next, I made a cappuccino on the 'dense' setting, as directed by the Rivelia. Here's a close up photo of the milk texture so you can really see it. As you can see, the milk is relatively bubbly. There's no velvety microfoam you'd expect from a barista-made drink. However, this is pretty good for a superautomatic machine, and if you don't want to bother yourself with a manual espresso machine, the Rivelia will be more than fine. I just don't think it would replace barista-trained milk-foaming abilities any time soon. The final setting is 'light'. Strangely, De'Longhi's recommended setting for lattes is light foam milk, which I don't necessarily agree with. As you can see, the milk is very wet. This is what I'd describe as a 'wet latte' if I still worked as a barista. This is just my personal tastes, but I would recommend only making drinks with the 'creamy' or 'dense' foam settings. 'Light' made a watery latte. I do like that the Rivelia prompted me to clean the milk frother every two uses, and meant I didn't have to get into the spout with a pipe cleaner. It feels very easy to maintain. On the whole, I think the Rivelia would best suit someone with minimal traditional manual espresso machine experience, who wants consistent coffee every day. In terms of reliability, the Rivelia is a winner. I'm going to say right off the bat that unfortunately I couldn't run my usual grinder tests on the Rivelia due to the machine grinding, dosing, and tamping inside the machine. This meant I couldn't take out the grounds and analyze them. As there's little information regarding the grinder in the user manual and online, I reached out to De'Longhi's representative to request more information about the grinder itself. I'm unsure if it's a conical burr grinder or a blade grinder, although as De'Longhi's Dinamica and Magnifica machines have a conical stainless steel burr, I think we can safely assume the Rivelia follows suit. The grinder has 7 fineness settings. 1 is the finest and 7 is the coarsest. I started off on setting 2 as I was using light roasted beans, but the extraction was way too slow. After using Bean Adapt, I was told to grind on 5 for my light roasted beans and 4 for my medium roasted beans. Obviously a built in grinder is never going to be as adept as a standalone grinder, but I think for a superautomatic machine, the Rivelia's grinder fits the bill perfectly. As I mentioned in the 'Design' section, the Rivelia is pretty compact for a superautomatic. This means you'll be able to keep it out on your counter, like I did during testing. Thankfully, De'Longhi provides you with a water hardness test strip (to know how often to descale). There's an additional coffee maintenance kit on De'Longhi's website for $49 and you can even purchase additional bean hoppers for $29. The drip tray is very easy to remove, but it is quite small. I'd recommend emptying it after every few drinks. The grounds drawer is also quite small — I've been emptying it after every five or so drinks. However, it's easy to clean (initially) as it's mostly plastic. Even so, this raises longevity concerns as sometimes the plastic can look quite tarnished and dirty after a few years, despite proper cleaning. For U.K. customers, the £749 Rivelia is one of the most affordable superautomatic machines on the market today. It's only beaten by something like the De'Longhi Magnifica, which starts from just $599/£399. The Rivelia has 18 preset recipes (all of which can be customized further), whereas the Magnifica Start has just 3, and no auto milk frother. De'Longhi's top-of-the-range PrimaDonna Elite is a massive $2,199 (a more comparable £1,999), and boasts a 67 ounce water tank, a more adept 13-click conical burr grinder. Jura is one of the hottest superautomatic coffee machine brands around right now. Its closest-priced competitor is the $1,599 S8. You can make sweet foam with this machine's built-in syrup attachment, so if you're a sweet-toothed coffee lover, then you might want to check out the Jura S8. The Jura Giga 10 is a massive $4,979. It has 35 drinks options including cold brew and even connects to Wi-Fi. I think it's overkill for the average person, but it does put into perspective that $1,499 isn't as expensive as other superautomatic machines. Still, that doesn't necessarily mean the Rivelia is 100% worth it. On the whole, the Rivelia is a good, compact coffee machine perfect for small homes, but it's not worth its $1,499 price tag. At this price point, you'd expect delicious coffee (and the ability to make iced Americanos when it says it can), but the coffee is merely fine. I think serious coffee lovers need look elsewhere — may I point you in the direction of the Breville Bambino Plus? If you're in the U.K., then this machine is a fantastic deal. Had the U.S. price reflected the U.K. price, I would've awarded the Rivelia 4 stars. However, at $1,499, I think the Rivelia is quite overpriced for what it is. Yes, superautomatic machines are usually more expensive than espresso machines. However, De'Longhi's Magnifica Evo is just $899 and has similar specs — auto milk frother, 7 customizable recipes, and a built-in conical burr grinder. I think that's a much better deal — I'm not sure that the Rivelia's specs justify the $600 price increase. However, that doesn't negate that the Rivelia is a good machine. It makes tasty (but not quite delicious) coffee in seconds, it is easy to switch beans, and it looks good. It's just a touch overpriced for me.
