We Asked Coffee Pros to Blind Test Coffee Machines. The Results Were Surprising
Key takeaways
- If the marketing hype is to be believed, you can have it all, thanks to the best in fully automatic coffee machines.
- WIRED tests a lot of coffee machines—productivity would grind to a halt if we stopped.
- By the end of our experiment, it was clear that while money can buy you endless choice and push-button convenience, it doesn’t necessarily guarantee barista-grade, café-quality coffee at home.
Why this matters: a development in AI with implications for how people work, create, and decide.
Photo-Illustration: WIRED Staff; Getty Images; Courtesy of Philips, De’Longhi, Jura Comment Loader Save Story Save this story Comment Loader Save Story Save this story What do you love about coffee? Is it the caffeine boost in the morning, the creamy sweetness of a cappuccino or latte, the bucket of filter coffee you can sip on all day, or the quick kick of a good espresso? Or is it the zen-like ritual of it all, the measuring of beans and the precision of the perfect extraction? Good thing it's much better for you than science previously realized.
If the marketing hype is to be believed, you can have it all, thanks to the best in fully automatic coffee machines. These compact countertop cafés promise to deliver a vast menu of drinks at the touch of a button, all with no barista prowess needed. But are the brews actually any good?
WIRED tests a lot of coffee machines—productivity would grind to a halt if we stopped. But for this group blind test, we wanted to see what coffee professionals thought of the drinks produced by the “best” in fully automatic machines, without being influenced by any fancy design or brand awareness. We’re not judging the machine’s usability here, the app's interface (there’s always an app), or how easy it is to clean. We only want to know about the Joe.