Automatic machines · review
The best straight espresso in the automatic mid-range, from a brand that quietly builds these for Bosch too. Its weakness is the same as every premium automatic: you cannot take the brew unit out.
The bottom line The best cup in the automatic mid-range, with the maintenance ceiling that comes with it.
Between the mass-market automatics and the JURA bracket sits a group of machines that make measurably better espresso without doubling the price. The EQ.500 is the clearest example, and the reason is the extraction rather than the grinder.
Siemens calls it iAroma, and underneath the name it is pressure and flow management through the shot rather than one constant push. On a short black coffee that shows up as body and sweetness a De’Longhi at half the price does not reach. Add ceramic burrs that will still be sharp in eight years, and the fundamentals are good.
The interface deserves a mention because most do not. The screen is legible, the profiles are genuinely per-person rather than a marketing slot, and the machine does not bury the settings you actually change behind three menus.
Then there is the brew unit, and it is sealed. This is the standard trade at this price and above: you get better engineering and lose the ability to rinse the part that brews. Tablet cleaning is effective for a long time, and then one day it is a service appointment. If you intend to keep a machine for a decade and fix it yourself, a De’Longhi with a removable unit is the wiser purchase even though it makes a worse espresso.
One practical warning that catches people out: this machine is deep. Measure from the wall to the front edge of your worktop, and check it clears the underside of your wall units with the lid open.
At 750 £, it is the 3 cheapest of the 6 models in this category published here.
| Burr type | Ceramic |
|---|---|
| Extraction | iAroma pressure profiling |
| Brew unit | Sealed |
| Milk | Insulated carafe, tube-fed |
| Water tank | 1.7 L |
Less than the badges suggest. Both are BSH, and the platforms share a great deal of engineering. Siemens tends to get the newer interface and the higher trim first; Bosch usually gets a similar machine slightly later and slightly cheaper. Compare the actual specification, not the brand.
It is the reason we score it below the Philips 5500 despite better espresso. Tablet cleaning works well for years, but you can never look inside, and when something eventually needs attention the machine goes to a workshop. If longevity matters more than the cup, buy a machine with a removable unit.
8.3/ 10
The best cup in the automatic mid-range, with the maintenance ceiling that comes with it.
A household that wants espresso quality closer to Jura without paying Jura money.
Same category, nearest prices. Only the specifications every one of them states are shown — a half-empty column compares nothing.
| Model | Price | Brew unit | Water tank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Siemens EQ.500 integral | 750 £ | Sealed | 1.7 L |
| Philips 5500 Series LatteGo | 800 £ | Removable | 1.8 L |
| De'Longhi Magnifica Evo | 600 £ | Removable | 1.8 L |
| Melitta Barista TS Smart | 900 £ | Removable | 1.8 L |
A reference exists on these Amazon stores: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom. Listed is not the same as in stock — availability changes daily.
Details checked on August 8, 2026.
Specifications: manufacturer sheet and Amazon product page. Prices and availability: Keepa. No product on this site has been physically tested.
13-step steel burr · manual or LatteCrema wand
The machine most people should start with. The grinder is ordinary and the coffee is good rather than great — but the brew unit pops out in two seconds, and that single design decision is why these are still running after eight years.
Best for: Someone moving off capsules who wants fresh coffee without a hobby attached.
≈ $600 / £450 / 450 €
Pulse Extraction · sealed brew unit · 17 drinks
The best espresso an automatic machine makes, from a company that will not let you clean the part that brews it. Extraordinary in the cup, uncomfortable as a ten-year purchase — and you should know both before spending this much.
Best for: Someone who drinks short black coffee daily, values the cup over the repair bill, and will pay for it.
≈ $2,000 / £1,300 / 1 200 €
Bean chambers ×2 · 21 drinks · app control
Two separate bean chambers, so a decaf drinker and an espresso drinker share one machine without either compromising. The app is beside the point; the second hopper is not.
Best for: A household where one person drinks decaf after six and nobody wants to swap beans.
≈ £900 / 950 €
