I love a good coffee machine, and appreciate the benefits of fully automatic and manual styles. I use the former type at home myself since it makes the morning orders for my partner and me as easy as possible. If I really had my way though, I’d choose manual, as it opens the door to a lot more experimentation, and the KitchenAid Semi Automatic Espresso Machine would be right at the top of my wishlist.
If you’re considering a manual espresso machine for your home (especially now that some cafés and coffee shops are charging more to reconcile the loss of card surcharges), I think it should be top of your wishlist too. The good news is that it’s now received a 43% discount on Amazon, which beats its October Prime Day price. The only slight caveat is that this huge discount only applies to the black model.
It’s a great-looking machine, don’t get me wrong, it just might understandably be a little tricker to match with kitchen decor compared to the porcelain white model, for example.
Semi-automatic espresso machine: was $999 now $566
Beating its AU$699 Prime Day price by some margin, this is a great opportunity to nab a highly capable bean-to-cup espresso machine. It brews a delicious coffee — just as soon as you’ve experimented and dialled in the best settings for your beans. It also has a steam wand for frothing all types of milk.View Deal
I gave this espresso machine five stars in my KitchenAid Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine review. One of the standout features for me is its flat-bottom portafilter, which makes tamping the ground coffee beans an absolute breeze. The portafilters that come supplied with most other machines feature a couple of spouts, so you need to rest them on the edge of your counter, which can be cumbersome and messy.
Not so here. You can place the whole portafilter down on a flat surface, allowing you to apply a good amount of pressure to tamp the coffee down.
Another benefit is its ability to quickly heat up, so you could be drinking your coffee in a matter of minutes, while smart dosage control ensures the same amount of coffee is delivered each time — you will just likely need to experiment for a bit with your beans. There’s a line in the portafilter basket to indicate the ideal level once the coffee is tamped, giving you some assistance if you’re new to the whole process.
And if you take milk with your coffee or you want to try your hand at some latte art, the steam wand works wonders. Plus, it has the inherent ability to play nicely with dairy and non-dairy milks, as you can shut it off whenever you want.
This is a fantastic price for a fantastic machine, and given I can’t guarantee how long it will last, I encourage you to consider it if your home is crying out for a top-performing model.