GH Institute

All Coffee machines

• 
  Review of DeLonghi Icona coffee machine

  Features

  Takes ground or pod coffee. 15 bar pressure. 1.0 litre removable water tank. Manual. Removable drip tray. Scoop. Built in tamper. Dimensions: 315 x 210 x 280mm. Colours available: red, blue, white or black. Price for pods: £5.49 for 18. Price per cup: 31p for pods or 7-15p for ground

  Comments

  Good points: Steam spout well designed to allow for easy access with jug. Easy to use controls and useful cup warming area. Good crema but a little light. Coffee flavour good.

  Drawbacks: drips after brewing. Would benefit from own ground coffee.

  Rating: 74/100

  Price: £150

  Stockist: 0845 600 6845 - http://www.delonghi.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - September 2010

• 
  Review of Bosch Tassimo T20 coffee machine

  Features

  Multi beverage pod machine makes coffee, tea and hot chocolate. 1.5 litre removable water tank. Automatic and can be topped up manually. Removable drip tray with two height options. Auto descale. Dimensions: 280 x 200 x 290mm. Extra colour kits available in red, black, blue or yellow costing £14.99. Price for T Discs: £3.29 for 16. Eleven flavours. Price per cup: 21p

  Comments

  Good points: Bright and clear indicator lights. Back plate can be customised in four different colours.

  Drawbacks: Automatically dispenses and the espresso is a double shot. Crema could be thicker.

  Rating: 72/100

  Price: £99.99

  Stockist: 0844 892 8979 - http://www.bosch-home.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - September 2010

• 
  Review Lavazza a Modo Mio coffee machine

  Features

  Pod machine with steam arm. 15 bar pressure. 1 litre removable water tank. Manual. Removable drip tray with two height options. Used capsule container. Dimensions: 200 x 332 x 170mm. Colours available: black, white, red, blue, green, orange, fuchsia pink. Price for capsules: £3.59-£4.59. Seven flavoursPrice per cup: 22-29p

  Comments

  Good points: Neat integral waste capsule container. Good espresso with thick crema and clean flavour.

  Drawbacks: has to be primed before use if idle for a while. Indicator lights are not bright enough. Lacks enough steam to froth milk effectively. On control is at the back of the machine.

  Rating: 72/100

  Price: £119

  Stockist: 01895 209 750 - http://www.lavazzamodomio.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - September 2010

• 
  Review of Cuisinart espresso machine

  Features

  Takes ground or pod coffee. 15 bar pressure. 2 litre removable water tank. Manual or set size options. Removable drip tray with full indicator. Tamper and scoop. Stainless steel milk pitcher. Dimensions: 310 x 230 x 250mm. Brushed stainless steel finish. Price for coffee pods: £5.49 for 18Price per cup: 7-15p for ground or 31p for pod

  Comments

  Good points: Clear indicator lights and large instinctive press controls. Easy to follow step by step instructions with useful recipe section at the back.

  Drawbacks: Coffee flavour a little lacking  but would benefit from using own ground coffee.

  Rating: 70/100

  Price: £180

  Stockist: 0870 2406902 - http://www.cuisinart.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - September 2010

• 
  Review of Dolce Gusto Circulo coffee machine

  Features

  Multi drink pod machines makes coffee and hot chocolate. 15 bar pressure. 1.3 litre removable water tank. Manual. Removable drip tray with 3 height options. Auto shut off after 20 minutes. Used capsule container. Dimensions: 320 x 320 x 190mm. Colours available: red, white, anthracite. Price for pods: £3.28 for 16. Nine flavoursPrice per cup: 21p

  Comments

  Good points: Very simple to use machine with only two controls. Flavour improved possibly due to running at a higher temperature than the Melody 2. Can be used to make tea and hot chocolate in addition to coffee variations. Stylish modern design.

  Drawbacks: Instructions are pictorial and could be more comprehensive

  Rating: 67/100

  Price: £159.99

  Stockist: 0845 602 1545 - http://www.krups.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - September 2010

• 
  Review of Dolce Gusto Melody 2 coffee machine

  Features

  Takes ground or pod coffee. 1.25 litre removable water tank. Manual. Removable drip tray. Scoop and tamper. Dimensions: 315 x 200 x 250mm. Colours available: black. Price for coffee pods: £5.49 for 18Price per cup: 7-15p for ground or 31p for pods

  Comments

  Good points: Easy to use controls which are on the top of the machine for easy viewing. Heavy, professional style filter holder.

  Drawbacks: the filters are hard to tell apart. Espresso lacking in flavour, under extracted by fast flow. Would benefit from own ground coffee.

  Rating: 65/100

  Price: £129.99

  Stockist: 0845 602 1545 - http://www.krups.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - September 2010

• 
  Review of Gaggia Espresso Pure coffee machine

  Features

  Pod machine. 19 bar pressure. 1 litre removable water tank. Choice of two sizes of cup. Removable drip tray. Used capsule container. Dimensions: 252 x 166 x 291mm. Colours available: silver, fuchsia, orange, blue, arctic blue. Price for pods: 27p each. 12 flavoursPrice per cup: 27p

  Comments

  Good points: Wide choice of coffee flavours available. Best for espresso lovers. Produces good crema. Compact, well designed and very easy to use. Choice of two sizes of coffee.

  Drawbacks: Coffee pods have to be ordered online as part of a club. No steam arm for cappuccino. Pours a little fast. No maximum mark on the water tank. Cannot accommodate a mug.

  Rating: 65/100

  Price: £199

  Stockist: 0800 331 6015 - http://www.cafegaggia.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - September 2010

• 
  Review of Magimix M100 Essenza coffee machine

  Features

  Pod machine. 19 bar pressure. 1 litre removable water tank. Choice of two sizes of cup. Removable drip tray. Used capsule container. Dimensions: 252 x 166 x 291mm. Colours available: silver, fuchsia, orange, blue, arctic blue. Price for pods: 27p each. 12 flavoursPrice per cup: 27p

  Comments

  Good points: Wide choice of coffee flavours available. Best for espresso lovers. Produces good crema. Compact, well designed and very easy to use. Choice of two sizes of coffee.

  Drawbacks: Coffee pods have to be ordered online as part of a club. No steam arm for cappuccino. Pours a little fast. No maximum mark on the water tank. Cannot accommodate a mug.

  Rating: 61/100

  Price: £120

  Stockist: 01252 727755 - http://www.magimixspares.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - September 2010

• 
  Review of Dualit Espressivo coffee machine

  Features

  Takes ground or pod coffee. 15 bar pressure. 1.5 litre removable water tank. Manual. Removable drip tray with full indicator. Tamper and scoop. Filter holder for spare filters. Dimensions: 205 x 285 x 325mm. Colours available: cream or polished steel. Price for coffee pods: £15 for 50. Three flavoursPrice per cup: 34p

  Comments

  Good points: Useful holder keeps the loose filters neatly stored at the side of the machine. Clear instructions.

  Drawbacks: Malty,rather lifeless flavour and could be hotter. Would benefit from using own ground coffee. Drips after pouring.

  Rating: 61/100

  Price: £172.16

  Stockist: 01293 652 500 - http://www.dualit.com

  GHI Test Report - September 2010

• 
  Review of Guzzini Single Espresso machine

  Features

  Ground only. 700ml removable water tank. Manual. Removable drip tray with full indicator. Dimensions: 235 x 160 x 210mm. Colours available: orange, red, cream or white. Dimensions: 235 x 160 x 210mmGround coffee: price per cup around 7-15p

  Comments

  Good points: Very compact machine.

  Drawbacks: Basic and plasticky in construction. Drip tray doesn't drain to underneath. Dark and burned flavour espresso. Indicator could be brighter. Running too hot.

  Rating: 44/100

  Price: £133.95

  Stockist: 0208 646 3883 - http://formahouse.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - September 2010

• 
  Review of Siemens TK54001 espresso maker

  Features

  Bean to Cup. 15 bar pressure. 1.8L removable water tank. Bean and ground coffee. Removable drip tray, Cup warming area, measuring spoon. 250g bean container, variable cup size and coffee strength, grinding regulator, cleaning programme, descaling programme.

  Comments

  This contemporary machine takes up a lot of worktop space. It is fully automatic and has a digital display and controls. Espresso produced had a well developed crema and the stronger coffee setting has good body. Coffee was well balanced, but lacked dimension. Machine is very easy to use, but it takes some trial and error to change all the settings to your preference.

  Rating: 84/100

  Price: £399

  Stockist: 0870 840 3300 - http://www.siemensappliances.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - May 2008

• 
  Review of Magimix L’Expresso 11402

  Features

  19 bar pressure. 1.8L removable water tank with BRITA filter. Ground or pod coffee. Removable drip tray. Cup warming area, measuring spoon, built in coffee press.

  Comments

  This machine is straightforward to use and all the controls are well labelled. The espresso produced is too hot therefore the deeper flavours are not drawn from the coffee and it lacks body. Crema was also thin. The BRITA filter is easy to fit and there is a handy display to remind you when to change the filter.

  Rating: 63/100

  Price: £149.99

  Stockist: 01252 727755 - http://www.magimix.com

  GHI Test Report - May 2008

• 
  Review of Kenwood Retro espresso maker

  Features

  15 bar pressure, 0.7L removable water tank. Ground or pod coffee. Removable drip tray. Cup warming area, measuring spoon.

  Comments

  This appealing retro design machine is compact and solidly built. The espresso produced was too hot leading to a poorer taste and the crema was a little thin. Although the filter holder was a professional size, it was too light. It's messy to use as the filter drips a lot after use.

  Rating: 65/100

  Price: £149.99

  Stockist: 02392 392 333 - http://www.kenwood.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - May 2008

• 
  Review of Francis Francis X1 espresso maker

  Features

  18 bar pressure. 1.2L removable water tank. Ground coffee. Removable drip tray. Cup warming area, measuring spoon, tamper. Filter holder has changeable single or double spout.

  Comments

  This compact machine has an appealing retro design, but the espresso taste was inconsistent. The coffee was too hot on some tests, leaving the taste a bit flat. The machine is sturdy and well built and the temperature dial and indicator lights are clear and easy to see, but it was a struggle to fit two scoops of coffee in the filter holder.

  Rating: 71/100

  Price: £325

  Stockist: 01604 821200 - http://www.ilovecoffee.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - May 2008

• 
  Review of Krups XP2070 espresso maker

  Features

  15 bar pressure. 1.2L removable water tank. Ground or pod coffee. Illuminated display panel. Removable drip tray. Cup warming area. Timer and programmable functionality. Measuring spoon, tamper, filter coffee machine also.

  Comments

  An espresso and filter coffee machine in one. This machine produced an espresso with a good crema, but the coffee lacked taste and body as the standard pour was too long. The filter size is too small to hold two scoops so flavour may be reduced when making two cups. 

  Rating: 73/100

  Price: £179

  Stockist: 0845 602 1454 - http://www.krups.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - May 2008

• 
  Review of Gaggia Espresso Colour espresso maker

  Features

  15 bar pressure. 1.25L removable water tank. Ground or E.S.E pod coffee. Removable drip tray. Measuring spoon, tamper.

  Comments

  This compact machine produced an espresso with well-balanced flavours and a thick, well-developed crema. The coffee produced had a perfect drinking temperature and the professional sized filter helps to make a more authentic espresso. The pump control button is a little difficult to push down.

  Rating: 82/100

  Price: £189

  Stockist: 0870 4420300 - http://www.gaggia.uk.com

  GHI Test Report - May 2008

• 
  Review of KitchenAid Artisan espresso maker

  Features

  15 bar pressure. 2L removable water tank. Ground or pod coffee. Removable drip tray. Cup warming area. Measuring spoon, tamper. Two independent boilers.

  Comments

  This beautifully designed coffee machine takes up a lot of worktop space and the price tag means it's more suited to a connoisseur, but it produced the best coffee of all the machines tested. The professional sized filter helps to make a more authentic espresso and the two boilers mean you can make coffee and froth milk at the same time.

  Rating: 91/100

  Price: £519

  Stockist: 00800 3810 4026 - http://www.kitchenaid.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - May 2008

  
  

• 
  Review of Krups Dolce Gusto pod coffee machine

  Features

  14 bar pressure; 1.2 litre removable water tank; free flow; removable and height adjustable drip tray; separate waste container. Takes Nescafe Dolce Gusto capsules. 19p / cup

  Comments

  Very simple to use with consistently good results. Tank has handle for easy removal. On/off control is on the side of the machine. Indicator blinks at different rates for different functions which is confusing. Instructions are in two languages so hard to follow. Good crema, rich and strong aroma, slightly bitter aftertaste but with sweetness

  Rating: 73/100

  Price: £89.99

  Stockist: 0800 707 6066 - http://www.dolce-gusto.com

  GHI Test Report - February 2007