portafilter or fully automatic coffee machine? The decision before buying is not always easy. We therefore compare which machine is intended for which purpose and where the advantages of this equipment lie in everyday use.
portafilter machines – for professional use only?
Everyone has seen these machines in a cafe, but there’s nothing to stop them being used in the home. A look at the benefits shows whether it’s worth it.
advantages of the portafilter machines
With such a machine, coffee powder is attached to the machine by means of a so-called sieve support. After switching on the machine, the coffee is then pressed through the powder at a very high pressure – the result is a coffee that is only in contact with the powder itself for a short time, thus leaving most of the bitter substances out of it. Although fully automatic machines also do this, the portafilter machines do it even better. In other words, good machines produce very aromatic and, with the right quality coffee powder, delicious coffee. In addition, there are also models that can produce not only coffee, but also espresso, for example – so the type of application is only limited by your wallet.
- Delicious coffee
- Less bitter substances due to short contact time
- Often more beautiful crema
- Look& feel of vacation in italy
Disadvantages of the portafilter machines
They are relatively noisy during operation, and the portafilter and the machine must be cleaned regularly. Furthermore, portafilter machines are simply expensive – if you don’t drink a lot of coffee on a regular basis, you’ll probably be happy with a fully automatic coffee machine. For many users, space may also be a problem, as portafilter machines usually have very expansive dimensions.
- Relatively expensive
- Quite cleaning-intensive
- Often long heating time
For which beverages are portafilter machines particularly suitable??
In principle, every portafilter machine can produce all the drinks it has in its program perfectly. Don’t be fooled by the common name espresso machine: a portafilter can make excellent espresso, but that doesn’t mean that all other coffees, cocoa and milk are of inferior quality. The only difference is in the production of drinks with added milk. Truly delicious frothed milk (as used for cappuccino, for example) has only been included in the programs of portafilter machines for a few years now. Older models are usually not able to produce this milk in qualitatively adequate conversion – here you have to work with an external milk frother or froth the milk manually.
Comparison of portafilter machines
The price and function ranges of portafilter machines range from just over 100 euros for absolute entry-level models to several thousand euros for machines used in the catering industry. But don’t worry: good doesn’t always have to be expensive – when buying a machine, it’s important to decide in advance which functions you want and need. Especially for the "normal coffee drinker", small machines are then already sufficient.
We have compared several machines – from very cheap to relatively expensive:
- Fast heating (40 seconds)>/li>
- Hot water function
- Insert for coffee pods
- Very slim design
- Retro-look
- Insert for coffee pods
- Cup warmer
- Hot water function
- Cup warmer
- Water filter
- Use for coffee pods
- Direct selection buttons
- Auto-tamp function
- Hot water function
- Integrated grinder
- Direct selection buttons
The decision is still difficult? Feel free to contact us at any time by mail or on facebook, the coffee.Org-team will be happy to help you choose your coffee machine! &
Fully automatic coffee machines for private users and commercial operations
Although the advantages of portafilter machines cannot be denied, fully automatic coffee machines are often simply "simpler. Coffee, cappuccino and espresso at the touch of a button sounds simply relaxing. Here you can read about the advantages and disadvantages of fully automatic coffee machines – and find out whether a fully automatic coffee machine or a portafilter is better for you.
Advantages of fully automatic coffee machines
A fully automatic coffee machine always produces much more aromatic coffee than a conventional filter machine, mainly because of the higher water pressure. Operation is also simple: even large models rarely have more than a few buttons or even a touchscreen, the function of which coffee drinkers will soon have memorized. In addition, the fully automatic coffee machine grows beyond its name. Appropriately equipped models can also produce espresso or cappuccino without requiring more than a few keystrokes. The price-conscious user should be careful not to buy a fully automatic coffee machine with capsule or pad coffee, because the price per cup is then relatively high. In general, however, these machines are also very well suited for private households, since the prices of inexpensive models are manageable.
Disadvantages of fully automatic coffee machines
Only a few negative aspects cloud the overall impression: these machines are relatively loud and are also not suitable for producing a lot of coffee at once – as is the case with filter machines, for instance. The rather complex cleaning can affect the coffee enjoyment now and then.
portafilter or fully automatic coffee machine? Which coffee machine for which purpose??
For the ultimate enjoyment, it should be a high-quality portafilter machine. At the same time, however, their size and price is one of the reasons why fully automatic coffee machines have been able to establish themselves in private households. Which machine you choose depends on your own habits: if you drink a cup of coffee every now and then, you can go for a capsule machine, for example from delonghi. They are expensive to operate, but they also deliver an excellent taste. For more variety there are then larger devices available.
so "the best coffee maker" does not exist. It depends too much on the respective application, as that a simple recommendation can be given here. as a rule of thumb, fully automatic coffee machines are in most cases the better investment for private users – only gourmets with a sufficiently padded wallet should consider them.
38 comments on" portafilter vs. Fully automatic coffee machines: tips& comparison" write comment→
Just wanted to express a praise, find the page very helpful and beautifully designed. Look now certainly more often by.
Can only agree. Am very excited about information and test reports&
I would still prefer the fully automatic coffee machine, because I have no desire to always have to wait until the portafilter is heated… This can take like times 10 minutes and this time I unfortunately do not have. When I want a coffee, it should be fast.
Certainly, portafilter machines have some advantages over fully automatic coffee machines, but for me the whole thing is too inflexible.
Good site, I can only agree with the article. Coffee is simply a pleasure, and that means that you have to study the subject a bit to get a good result. If you always want everything fast (example capsule machines), you have to live with the fact that the quality remains on the track. I could not live without my portafilter mashcine.
So I stick to the fully automatic coffee machine&
Agree with you wholeheartedly. Taking time for certain moments seems to lose importance. For this, the capsule machines and pad machines are of course ideal. I like traditional. In the morning I grind my coffee beans with my coffee grinder itself and pour boiling water slowly over it. Is not everyone’s thing, but I think one of the most favorable variants.
I also love my ST
was with a friend there gabs capsule coffee has tasted like cardboard. LG
One should always keep one thing in mind, the fully automatic machines have internally like mold here 1. not cleaned or not cleaned enough, and 2. The coffee in the brewing unit likes to mess around and there comes internally the coffee powder with the water in contact and is difficult to clean. portafilter one cleans eh before / after each use and has in the device actually no mold starting points because no residues in the machine are. Fully automatic coffee machines are real virus-spreaders, especially if the brewing group cannot be removed. A good fully automatic machine also starts at 500, – and for that you get ne class 1A portafilter machine, moreover, the coffee / beans are ground externally and separates the portafilter completely from the grinder, goes a part defective, so you still have the other part there. Furthermore, a good ceramic cone mill is expensive, but the grinded material hardly gets warm and you also get finest coffee/powder.
A good coffee grinder does not have to be expensive. The cheapest coffee grinder from solis (scala 166) is less than 100 euros and already much better than most works in fully automatic machines. It is even produced in switzerland… Even cheaper are then probably only hand-operated mills.
The daily output does not have to be industrial level at home and few people need the fineness of Turkish coffee. The coffee may simply not get hot when grinding.
Great report, yet I stay with the fully automatic coffee machine&
I would also, because you get with a portafilter non plus ultra coffee, but this takes about 10 minutes to heat up and is not so flexible to use&
My jura coffee machine has left me now after 13 years in the stich what makes me sad now, of course, I am now torn whether I should buy a portafilter or a fully automatic, because I drink a lot of coffee I find the decision very difficult can anyone help me&
This depends on several factors – if you want to have as little effort as possible and get your coffee as fast as possible, I think you should stick to a fully automatic machine – for example this one. If you have the time and especially the patience to deal with a portafilter, you can get very tasty coffee for comparatively little money – but as I said: the portafilter requires some practice, so it may be that the first and maybe the second coffee will not be as tasty as you might imagine. don’t worry, it will get better – all in all you can adjust much better with a portafilter than with a fully automatic machine and in the end you will (hopefully) get the perfect coffee. If you decide to use a portafilter, take a look at this one, we can recommend it! &
Moin bini,
i am a "heavy coffee drinker" with up to ten cups a day and have used fully automatic machines of the upper middle class for years.
Before ca. Two years I have switched to portafilter + grinder + "good coffee".
My opinion: once you have enjoyed a halay "reasonably" prepared espresso or cappuccino from a combination of good portafilter + good grinder + high quality coffee, you dispose of any fully automatic machine directly in the garbage can. Fully automatic and portafilter are two worlds and m. E. Not comparable. Only on vacation in Italy is the cappu/espresso still a little better, but this is probably due to the sun&
a portafilter seems in the first moment a bit more complicated to handle. But one has very quickly become accustomed to it and settled in. And once you have looked into the completely filthy innards of your fully automatic machine, you wonder how you could drink the brew at all&
greetings from hamburg
May I ask what machine you have want to buy us also a sieve support.LG
Then the jura has paid for itself, I have already repaired juras with more than 19 years and over 35000 cups. There are still plenty of parts
Does the heating of the portafilter really take so long?
About 40 seconds to one minute
Depends on the volume of the boiler. Good portafilters have large boilers that take some time to heat up, so use a timer so the machine is ready when you get up.
Well, I love classic portafilter machines. The principle of simply creating your own espresso according to your own individual preferences cannot be surpassed by any fully automatic machine&
What do you recommend regarding the grinder? Integrated" into the espresso machine or. Assembled in a block or as a single machine? Do you have specific recommendations? Best wishes and congratulations on the great site!
Both options have their advantages and disadvantages. If the grinder is integrated, you have much less work and often get your coffee faster – after all, you don’t have to grind the beans yourself. The big advantages of "external" grinders, on the other hand, are that a) you can usually get to them better to clean them and b) they are quite easy to replace.
Personally, the time advantage of an integrated grinder would outweigh the disadvantages for me, but everyone has to decide for themselves&
The quality of the grinder is crucial. If the integrated is no good, you will never make good coffee. To be more precise: the grinder is much more important than the coffee machine
Hello bini,
if you can enjoy coffee and not only drink coffee, only a sieve machine comes into question. An automatic machine is like fast food, a capsule machine like bagged soup. You can survive with it, without question. But have you ever made your own pasta dough for ravioli?
If yes, then you know what I mean. A portafilter machine is addictive. Not only on good coffee, but after dealing with it. The search for the "right" type of coffee, the short pause during preparation. The opposite of fast food.
What’s more, a decent portafilter will last you a lifetime.
Good luck with the search
georg
What do you think of cheaper portafilter machines (under € 200, -)? Are these enough even if you are not such a kaffeetante?
It is always difficult to make a general statement – in principle, a small portafilter machine is certainly sufficient if you are "not such a coffee fanatic". But you should consider whether you really want to buy a (quite time-consuming) portafilter or a small fully automatic coffee maker.
I currently have a fully automatic coffee machine. The coffee or. Espresso is good. With a portafilter machine you can achieve a much better quality in my opinion. Of course, this has its price: both in the purchase and in preparation. First, in fact, the heating phase, which can easily be 10 minutes or even more. Then the manual grinding in a separate grinder and the tamping, i.e. the compacting of the coffee grounds in the portafilter itself. Nevertheless: the taste is always worth the "effort!
greetings christopher
On the question of fully automatic or portafilter I can only say georgs comment from 21.11.16 and matthias’ comment from 21.09.16 nothing to add.
I wish everyone much joy with their siebtragermachine!
Nothing beats a portafilter machine. We have been using the rancilio silvia for years and it makes better espresso than most italian restaurants.
But especially with the beans, there’s a lot to test and we’re still discovering new varieties to get excited about. So you never stop learning how to make espresso.
I can only recommend, get something good and you have long joy with it!
Hello dear coffee friend,
coffee machines are usually not recommended in terms of cleaning/mold.
Especially models in which the brewing unit is permanently installed.
The automatic cleaning of the equipment is poor, which has already been shown in several tests and reports.
An exception here make the bosch vero… fully automatic coffee machines.
The brew groups of the models can be removed and cleaned very easily.
In terms of taste, both with a clean fully automatic, as well as with a portafilter excellent coffee can be prepared.
Provided the quality of the beans and water is right.
Very good contribution
I also find that it depends on the particular purpose of use. I have a gastroback espresso advanced pro GS and am very satisfied with this machine. To make cappuccino, the milk must be poured separately into a small pot and wait a little until the pressure from the frother builds up, only then can you start frothing the milk. For me as a connoisseur it is not a big deal. Another might have said, that goes me much too long and rather reaches for the fully automatic coffee machine or capsule / pad machine.
For espresso in any case the portafilter machine, for coffee the good old krups T8.
(mine is about 30 years old) both with home ground coffee…
Super article and has confirmed me in my decision: even if the quality is certainly higher with a portafilter machine, I stay with my fully automatic coffee machine! The reason? I need my coffee in the morning quickly and shortly before I step into the house – 10 minutes waiting time I can not afford there unfortunately. Or I just buy both and combine the portafilter and the fully automatic coffee machine. &
An important aspect: especially the classic expensive portafilter need forever until they can produce warm espresso; accordingly, the power consumption is high.
My bezzera needs approx. 30 – 40 minutes to get to the right operating temperature. That is with me known "chrome bombers" simply so, there everything must be completely hot.
The power consumption is actually quite decent, I come to 0.85€ per day, if the machine ca. 12h runs.
But to be able to enjoy the espresso now, I implemented it as follows:
1. An EVE socket bought and this in
2. Apple home (you do not have to)
3. In time before getting up in the morning, the socket switches the machine on and after approx. One hour off again (then we are all out of the house)
4. If I’m on the road and plan to drink coffee / espresso right away, I can turn the machine on (or off) while I’m on the road. rules can be defined as desired in connection with apple home, including that when i/we leave the house, the machine is switched off …)
5. On weekends she runs from morning till night
6. Extrapolated I come with it on 150 to 200 € electricity costs per year
With acquisition costs of approx. 2.000€ for the machine, grinder, tamper, tamper station, the electricity costs also fall additionally into the weights. But that was clear to ME before, so I had also planned the controllable socket (50€) with the same.
Hello lazy.
I myself also own a bezzera giulia and would not give it away against blinking with mice cinema equipped VA’s . In my case, it is not a remote-controlled socket, but only a conventionally programmable one. But she does. And the coffee result is worth all the effort.
Thanks for this informative comparison. I’m a big fan of portafilter machines and will stay that way!
Today’s time is fast moving enough, so I like to take my time for a decent coffee.
I stand on seventies, so quality.
Life is too short to not take 10 minutes for the beautiful things.