Pat is an espresso machine enthusiast with a passion for perfecting every shot. With years of hands-on experience testing espresso machines, coffee makers and everything in between, Pat provides detailed, no-nonsense reviews to help coffee lovers find the right fit.
If you know anything about Seattle Coffee Gear, you know we love our superautomatic espresso machines. These brewers take the process of brewing espresso and turn it into an accessible set of button presses. Judging superautos is similar to judging their less automatic brethren. That means that we look at their internals, performance, and reliability. On top of these elements it's important to consider programmability and ease of use. We're excited to bring you this top 3, featuring a trio of brand new machines!
Up first is the Philips Carina. We often talk about SCG exclusive machines needing to earn our interest. Offering a machine that no one else has is great, but only if the machine lives up to the promise. In the case of the Carina, we're pretty thrilled. The Carina isn't the fanciest machine on the market, and it isn't loaded with programming and complex menu systems like some of the competition. Instead, this is a machine that makes brewing your morning espresso simple and affordable. We often hear that these machines are quite expensive, especially when you're not sure you'll like one. Adding an option like the Carina to our lineup was a no-brainer, because it provides a jumping on point. It's affordable enough to make it a compelling choice for those new to espresso, and specifically, to superautos.
That's not to suggest that this machine isn't also worth every penny. Its brewing capabilities are extensive, offering straight shots, lungo pulled "coffee" and milk drinks. You steam the milk using a panarello steam wand, which is less automatic than other machines. While this difference in convenience is noticeable, you also get the chance to steam your milk how you like it. This means that you can control temperature and foam more than with other milk systems. You may even find that this entry-level brewer ends up lasting you far longer than you anticipated.
Another new Philips offering, the 3200 LatteGo earns its spot because of its innovative new steaming system. While many of the things said about the Carina are also true of the 3200, it's LatteGo and the additional drink options that it offers that justify the price tag. So what is LatteGo?
If you're familiar with superautos, you've probably seen carafe based steaming systems. These systems use a carafe full of milk as a reservoir to steam your milk. Once you're done steaming, you can simply store the carafe in the fridge. It's more convenient than trying to pour the perfect amount of milk every time. The biggest downfall of most carafe systems is cleaning. They often use pipes to pull milk up to the steam chamber, and they're often challenging to clean. The LatteGo simplifies many of these processes with a three part design that comes apart easily for cleaning. We love this ease of use and maintenance, and think the carafe's design is ingenious. It's why it's on our list of best superautos for 2019!
Miele CM5500
The Miele CM5500 is yet another new machine part of the new 5000 line from the company. It's also another SCG exclusive, and the same rules about needing to impress apply here. We're big fans of Miele's 6000 line, and this series takes those features and packs them into a lower price point and smaller footprint. What we really love though, is how little was lost in the transition. The 5500 is one of the most affordable superautos that include multiple user profiles. You can use those profiles to customize your drinks, which is a huge deal for families and couples. The programming options allow you to set things like volume and strength, allowing you to get the perfect coffee drink in a few button presses.
Outside of the programmability, Miele's other features hold here as well. Things like automatic milk frothing, a hot water spout, guided cleaning, and Miele's special carafe mode (allowing you to brew 40 oz of coffee at once) make this a special machine. We're sure you'll love it as much as we do!
Conclusion
That does it for our top 3 superautomatics of 2019, but we're not done yet! We'll have plenty more top threes as we round out this eventful year. See you next time!
