The small, compact and quiet bean-to-cup machine delivers a mean Espresso but could do better on coffee versatility.

Today we’re testing out the Avanza series 600 from German coffee brand Melitta. We actually included this machine in our round of machines to consider when working from home and now we’re giving it a full test run after having used it for a week.

Melitta specialises in bean to cup, filter and pour-over coffee machines so the brand has you covered depending on how you like to take your coffee. If you’re a Man Utd fan, then there’s even a co-branded dedicated machine for you in line with their sponsorship of the club.

Given its price point and size, we’re pretty excited to see how this machine fared given that its a full-on bean-to-cup experience. Traditionally these machines are much bigger and much heavier than pod or espresso machine counterparts as they do it all.

Design

Straight of the box we were pleasantly surprised to see just how compact this machine is. Unlike many other bean to cup machines the Avanza comes in at a 353 x 200 x 455mm. Those dimensions combined make it a perfect size to have on any countertop without it looking overbearing.

Melitta have managed to stick a 1.5l capacity into just 100m of space but whats more impressive is how they’ve managed to do this with both the grinder and the hopper the same amount which is capable of holding up 250g of coffee beans.

The water resoviour is easy to lift out and refill due to its smart internal collapsable handle whilst it also allows anyone with very hard water to apply a water filter in with the tools provided. The bean hopper is also very easy to locate under the lid of the machine. This is not removable so if you have low cupboards it can get a bit tricky to fill up but we managed.

On the right hand side of the machine you’ll find a removable panel which gives you access to change your grind settings and the brewing unit which is removable.

On the front the machine you’ll find all of the buttons to serve your coffee and change your settings on the right is the Cappucinotore to dispense steamed milk over your espresso.

We would have liked the machine to made out of stainless steel, instead every panel and button is made out of plastic. It doesn’t look like the most premium machine out there but what it loses out for in materials, one could argue it makes up for in features.

 

 

Features

With such a small body and casing we were pleasantly surprised to find so many features packed into this machine. Whilst its very much catered to Espresso type drinks, the features definitely help you get the perfect pour every time and does a good job in assisting you to make it bespoke to you.

The first chrome button on the left helps you measure your pour. Naturally at first you’d probably want to tinker with this slightly and then remember which size of espresso is right for you. After you’ve got used to your measures this quickly becomes one of the better features of the machine as gives you a lot of flexibility on depending on how you wish to take your drink that day.

The quantity setting can pour a shot from 25ml all the way up to 220ml.

The next two buttons trigger your pour, first for a single cup and the second for a double cup. A very very useful feature if you’re always making a drink for two.

Next to the pour buttons you’ll find another opportunity to tailor your espresso exactly how you like it, this time in the strength of the coffee itself. 3 beans for a more caffeinated serving and one for a slightly weaker one. We used this feature often for our post 2pm cups to balance our caffience intake (or at least attempt to)

The series 600 has a service button which guides through its descaling process, cleaning and also helps you change all of the settings on the machine including its auto on/off time. If the water running into your house is harder than most you can use service button to tweak how often you descale and set up a water filter to ensure the best water is running through your grounds.

In terms of cleaning the machine actually cleans itself when it turns on and also once before it turns off ensuring nothing is left in the machine before your next serving.

For further personalisation, the Avanza 600 actually allows you to change the grind of your coffee. If you open the panel on side there will be a small lever. Move it left and you’ll have a fine grind and all of the way to the right you’ll have a coarse grind. You can change this suit the type of bean you’re using or type of coffee you’d like.

For those coffee drinkers who like milkier drinks, you can use the inbuilt Cappucinatore. As the name suggests its mainly used for cappuccino’s as the steamed milk will be frothier than your thinner steamed milk needed for lattes or flat whites. The Cappucinatore also acts as a hot water dispenser if you’re in need for an instant Americano. No need for a kettle.

To use it, you simply press turn the lever for hot water or press the steam button, wait a few seconds and then turn for milk. Simply drop the pipe into a vessel with milk and you’re good to go.

Coffee taste and verdict

After using the Avanza series 600 for around a week we’ve been impressed with what the machine throws out. We absolutely loved the flexibility of the Espresso’s and when served the end product was pretty awesome. Almost commercial-grade coffee. The crema on top was smooth as it should and the appearance and aroma were brilliant.

What we would say though, is that this is an Espresso machine first and foremost. Whilst it certainly adds a feature to the products arsenal, we were pretty disappointed with what the Cappucinatore offered in terms of flexibility. We would have loved to have had the option to manually steam our drinks using a wand. There’s also something about a milk-hose that we just can’t get with. It made everything just a bit too fiddly.

If you are an Espresso drinker and can’t be bothered with the fuss of a manual grind, this bean to cup machine would certainly tick boxes especially given its cost and its 2 year warranty.

 

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