For many coffee drinkers, the popularity of coffee is a given, due to its taste and the stimulating effect of the caffeine.

However, in today’s world, unless you are happy with a cup of instant coffee, there is little time to percolate your own, that is, unless you have invested in an automated coffee machine that does it for you. These machines not only produce delicious, freshly brewed coffee, but they can brew it to your individual preferences at a push of a button.

For example, he drinks his strong, she prefers her espresso to be mild and balanced. In between, both appreciate an occasional creamy cappuccino and in the evening, they prefer decaffeinated coffee. No problem – today’s state-of-the-art, fully automatic coffee makers with coffee capsule systems offer operating convenience and perfect results for preparing coffee.

Most top-end automatic coffee makers allow coffee connoisseurs to select up to 12 different types of coffee to match their mood, including various types of decaffeinated varieties. During production, the freshly ground coffee is sealed in air-tight capsules for optimum preservation of the aroma and taste. This makes the coffee particularly fresh and preparation itself, simple and clean – no mess, no waste, no fuss – just the perfect cup of coffee, every time.

Sounds good – well it is, and this is why these systems are becoming increasingly popular amongst coffee aficionados the world over.

Aside from making great coffee, machines using coffee capsule systems are also amazingly simple to operate as the user prompting is self-explanatory. All functions are fully automated and the majority of upper-end machines allow for settings to be changed via a light touch on the sensor buttons. Here, it is possible to select the type of capsule, start beverage preparation or set your own programme, such as switch-on and switch-off times, select the level of water hardness specific to your area, or set your own personal user profile.

These programmable features offer the convenience of allowing you to wake up or come home to freshly brewed coffee, made especially to your individual liking, every day. Most allow you to set various coffee profiles on the machine, which allow you to store your personal quantity of espresso under your personal name – up to 10 connoisseur profiles can be programmed on the CVA 3000 for example. Naturally, as an alternative, the standard setting for all cups can also be changed.

When choosing a machine, take note of its finishes. Stainless steel and aluminium are popular choices, but be sure to choose one with a special surface finish that reduces visible fingerprints and makes the surface easy to clean, without the need of special cleaning agents. Miele’s coffee machines for example boast a finish called CleanSteel, which allows for über easy cleaning.

Today, the kitchen design trend is to build the coffee machine into the kitchen cabinetry for a clean aesthetic and seamless finish. However, most are designed with maximum installation flexibility – they can fit into wall cabinets, tall units and top units, or they can be installed below the wall cabinet or positioned on the counter top as a stand-alone appliance. This ensures that space is available for it in virtually every kitchen, even when purchased later.

Some models have been combined with a built-in plate warmer to keep your coffee cups warm, and others can even be fitted into a mobile cabinet, which allows convenient coffee enjoyment throughout your home.

Whichever machine you choose, before you make your choice, be sure to find out what kind of guarantee it comes with, whether the coffee capsules are readily available in retail outlets close to where you live, how easy they are to clean and operate, as well as how much they cost to service. – Antonella Desi

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