Melitta Purista automatic espresso machine

Setting up the Melitta Purista automatic espresso machine

The water tank has a 1.2-litre capacity and lifts out from the back, so can be tricky to access if placed under low cupboards. When empty, the water tank icon reminds you it needs filling. On the opposite side is the lift-off lid to the bean-store, which holds just under a 200g bag of beans.

A quick glance at the manual to check the meaning of its buttons and the machine is simple to control. Single cup and double cup options enable you to make two cups at a time; great for busy households.

The coffee strength button offers three levels represented by coffee beans on its LED-symbol display. The machine purges automatically for cleaning, which can catch you off guard and means the overflow tray fills quickly so needs regular emptying – almost three times a day. The digital icon display offers filter, clean, descale and venting reminder icons in addition to the buttons.

How easy is it to use?

Coffee quantities are adjustable from 50ml to 250ml, so the minimum offers an espresso shot. It’s a bit hit and miss to get the right quantity for a double espresso without an obvious guidance level. The conical steel grinder is surprisingly quiet and it's quick to heat up, taking under one minute from turning on to be ready for a drink selection.

Max strength with minimum quantity produced an espresso nicely topped with crema. Any lower and the crema had espresso strength, but tasted too weak to be an espresso how we know it. The machine lets you know when the drip tray needs emptying. There's also the opportunity to save one coffee preference as a favourite.

There is a button-controlled pair of service modes through which you can alter the water hardness, switch off automatic rinsing, access the filter program, cleaning program and change the brewing temperature; combined with grind size adjustability.

The brewing unit actually lifts away completely and is accessed from the side of the machine. The machine recommends you descale it once a year and comes with a guide to the best product for the machine, although this is bought separately.

How good is the Melitta Purista's coffee?

Although the offering is limited, this Melitta makes a great long black coffeee. The espresso had an excellent flavour and was split evenly between two cups when set to do so.

Should you buy the Melitta Purista automatic bean-to-cup espresso machine?

Bean-to-cup coffee machines have notoriously chunky footprints, but at 20cm across, this Melitta was one of the narrowest we tested. Its controls are simple to use (much simpler than its instruction manual makes out, which was long-winded and hard to follow).

At £400, it’s an investment purchase, but sits at the lower end of the price spectrum and does the basics well. Grind size and coffee strength are adjustable. What would have made it feel even better value for money would have been the inclusion of a water filter and descaling fluid.

Specifications:
Serial number: Purista Series 300
Weight: 7.2kg
Wattage: 1,450W
Bean container volume: 125g
Water tank capacity: 1.2L
Grinding levels: five
Coffee strength settings: three
Automatic cleaning and descaling: yes
Savable coffee functions: one
Guarantee: two years

Coffee recipes and tips

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This product was tested in July 2021. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.