What is there to know about bean-to-cup coffee machines?

The most pleasant morning ‘routine’ to a lot of us is having a cup of fragrant coffee. What if I told you that there is a way to make this habit even nicer? A bean-to-cup coffee machine is exactly what you need here. It gives you the best of both worlds: the possibility to use various types of coffee beans without all the mess of grinding and tampering.

Sounds great, doesn’t it? Yet we all know the huge variety of these coffee machines and how easy it is to get lost there. Don’t worry though, we are Coffee Mates for a reason – to make sure you have the best coffee at home prepared with the best coffee machine for your needs! 

Bean-to-cup coffee machines with no milk system

If you are a die hard espresso or black coffee gourmet but you want an easy solution for your coffee preparation process, then a coffee machine with an integrated grinder and no milk system is what you need. We have these espresso little helpers in our assortment as well, check out Melitta E950 Solo.

Bean-to-cup coffee machines with manual milk frother

Even the toughest black coffee fans sometimes have a craving for a coffee with milk. In this case, the best choice price-wise is a coffee machine with a grinder and a manual milk frother. It might take some time to learn how to froth that perfect milk foam, but when you do, barista-like confidence is guaranteed. This type of bean-to-cup is the best compromise when it comes to people with different coffee preferences, as it is sure that not a single drop of milk will ever reach the espresso.

Bean-to-cup coffee machines with automatic milk system

A more expensive, yet probably the most convenient option is a coffee machine with an automatic milk system. These super automatic coffee machines are a holy grail for those who adore milky coffees. With a touch of a button, this coffee machine will grind the beans of your choice, prepare an espresso and froth up a velvety milk foam. There are two types of milk system: milk pipe or an integrated milk tank.

In the case of a milk pipe, you simply insert it in any tank with milk, or even the milk carton itself. This makes it super convenient, as you can simply put the carton back in the fridge after use. The pipe will be cleaned out after each use. Check out here and find plenty of these coffee machines.

In the case of an integrated milk tank, you pour milk in the tank and keep it inside the coffee machine. The milk tanks don’t take up space next to the coffee machine and it can be placed in the fridge when not in use, which makes it a very convenient option. Find the bean-to-cup coffee machines with integrated milk tanks here. 

After all, the most important question to consider is how much you want to collaborate with the coffee machine. If you want to split the workload, I suggest going with a bean-to-cup with a milk frother. Or are you comfortable with leaving everything in the coffee machine’s ‘hands’? Go with a super automatic coffee machine then, where pressing a single button will deliver a steaming fragrant latte macchiato. 🙂

Have you already purchased a bean-to-cup coffee machine with a milk system? Check out one of our previous blog posts on milk system maintenance and make sure your coffee machine serves you for years to come and your home never runs out of good coffee!