In this review, we will be talking about the Smeg drip machine, which is fairly new to the coffee world and has a unique designing algorithm. It offers a fairly nice appearance, with a retro-looking style. Obviously, the design is not everything, consumers ask for a reliable coffee brewer that can do what others can’t.
Let’s talk about the brand first, Smeg is a biggie company that fuses design and technology, making small and big domestic appliances. They also make things like refrigerator art, which is something that truly gives a distinct feel to your kitchen, but that is for another article. Since the retro style became so popular, Smeg brings a new line with all kinds of domestic appliances that follow this look.
Now let’s talk about coffee: for a coffee addict, this beverage is more like a ritual, something that needs to be done, and if it goes wrong, hell breaks loose. However, these are the more… extreme cases, since most people really only require a couple of cups a day to be productive. Either way, good coffee is good coffee, and making a good cup of joe requires not only experience. Let’s see how the Smeg drip coffee machine can help us with this.
Features and Specs
Now let’s talk about what the machine can do, what it has, and what can we expect from it. This bullet list will help you decide if the coffee maker is good for you, but remember to also check the pros and cons below.
- Capacity for 4 to 10 cups of coffee, ideal for sharing.
- Keep warm function to keep the heat going for another 20 minutes after the brew finishes.
- Auto-start function that will allow you to program whenever you want to start brewing.
- A minimalistic control panel that only has a few buttons and is really intuitive.
- Permanent filters provided, but you can use paper filters instead for better customization.
- Aroma setting button to give your coffee a different feel.
Working Description
Let’s now review how the machine work and what all the features actually do to help us make great coffee. First, we need to take into account that drip coffee will take a few no matter what kind of machine we have, therefore do not expect something like a Nespresso machine when it comes to speed.
When it comes to drip machines something that we need to always look for is the brewing temperature, this variable can actually ruin coffee or make it great, and is one that really varies from one machine to another. The Smeg is really good in this aspect, as the brewing temperature is not hot enough to burn coffee but it reaches the point of proper extraction.
The coffee maker can brew from 4 cups all the way up to 10 cups, which is, for most cases, more than enough. However, 4 cups is a lot for let’s say, someone who is used to drinking a couple of cups a day and lives by him or herself, so take this into account.
The time it takes to brew the whole jug is, well, the regular and what we expect. Remember, drip coffee makers that make the brew too fast tend to have a deficient extraction, therefore an “average” time is always the best.
The auto-start function is pretty straightforward, you can schedule a time to start brewing, like for example, the morning right before you wake up, so when you go to your kitchen that sweet coffee is already waiting for you.
The keep-warm function is nice, however, most people will find that 20 minutes is rather lacking, and this is something that Smeg is already working on fixing since, for the average coffee addict, drinking cups of coffee is an endeavor that can take hours.
The permanent filters included in the box are one of those things that are really nice and you don’t really appreciate until you use. Also, it’s good for the planet, so I would rather get used to these filters instead of using paper filters like, well, paper. Obviously, you can still use your regular filters if you like, so this is something extra, instead of something that you are “forced” to use.
The aroma setting function is a nice extra as well, it really only adds some extra extraction time and whatnot to alter the final result in a way you may like better. But like I always say, it is always better to have the chance to choose.
Cleaning & Maintenance
The cleaning is fairly easy, especially with the permanent filters that you can wash without issues and the jug has a wide enough opening to reach inside it without any hassle. Overall it’s pretty simple to clean and the overall maintenance of this machine is well… easy. We have no other important observations about this, which tends to be a good thing, keeping things simple and easy for the end customer.
Now let’s move on to the final section of this article, the pros, and cons, which tend to be decisive and obviously the final verdict.
Pros
- Good yield capacity
- Autostart feature
- Keep warm function
- Intuitive LED control panel
- Permanent filters
- Nice brew temperature
- Aroma setting
- Updated product features!: new and improved “keep Warm”...
- Design: STYLISH throwback to 1950’s era Appliances- Coffee...
- Brew: multiple brewing options including a 4-cup function or...
- Unique product functions: several customizable features that...
Cons
- The reservoir can feel small and filling it can be really awkward, due to the lid getting in the way.
- A loud beep can be annoying, which works as a reminder for the keep warm function and brewing times. (Smeg already working on fixing it)
- Only 20 minutes of keep warm function
Verdict
Overall, the Smeg is a high-end coffee maker and will surely be loved by many, with a beautiful design made for showing and can be slightly awkward to use in a few situations. While the machine is made of high-quality materials and definitely feels premium, it’s not as “user-friendly” as others, making the design go first. We would recommend buying this machine once Smeg has addressed the beeping issues, the reservoir capacity, and filing complaints, and the increased keep-warm function timer.
The machine is great and I’m sure that future iterations of this model will truly get rid of these mistakes and become not only premium but user-friendly and overall great.
