Top 3 Superautomatic Espresso Machines of 2021

best of · coffee · espresso · superautomatic · top 3s
Written by Pat C
Content Creator
Published on Sep 15, 2021
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.
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Top 3 Superautomatic Espresso Machines of 2021

It’s time for another one of our Top 3s of 2021 writeups! Today we’re looking at superautomatic espresso machines. These all in one espresso machines combine grinders, brewers, and automatic milk steaming into easy to use packages that make getting your coffee drinks a breeze! Let’s get into the top 3 list.

Philips Carina

This machine is one of the very best options out there for getting started with espresso at home. The biggest reason for this is affordability. With an attractive price point and performance the outsizes machine cost, the Carina is an easy recommendation for new users. This all starts with performance. Philips’ brew group is well designed to produce delicious espresso when compared with other superautomatic machines. You’ll find the same brew technology in the Carina as you get in other Philips machines that are higher price. The interface on the Carina is simple and easy to use. With buttons for espresso and coffee options, as well as buttons for hot water and steam, it’s easy to build your drinks one step at a time. This machine also gives you options for drink strength and volume for further adjustability. Finally, the indicator lights on the front will remind you when to change the Carina’s AquaClean water filter and descale or clean it. On the steaming front, this machine offers a panarello wand for manual milk steaming. While this may not match the convenience of a siphon or carafe system, it also gives you a lot of control. Some users dislike the texture or temperature that comes out of automatic systems, but with the Carina’s panarello wand you can easily get the milk to the temp and consistency you prefer. We really love this machine, and its combination of pricing, performance, and ease of use makes it an easy pick for this list.

Miele CM5500

Miele is one of our absolute favorite names in superautomatic espresso machines. This is a brand that consistently offers incredible performance and an intuitive user experience. The CM5500 is a really great way to get those Miele staples at a much lower price than their highest cost machines. This superauto has many of the features of the more expensive CM6350, like hot water, a siphone based automatic frothing system, a screen based interface for customizing drinks, and two user profiles for saving recipes. The biggest difference between the 5500 and the 6350 is the size of the machine. While the CM5500 does have a smaller water tank, it also has a smaller footprint, which many users will prefer over the larger version. This machine also looks great, with a gentle bronze color that looks great on a wide range of countertops. Finally, we really love how easy this machine is to maintain. With easy to clean parts, guided maintenance, and some automatic cleaning build in, the CM5500 is simple to keep operating in top shape. We’re so glad to be able to offer this value-filled machine, and we are excited to put it on our top machines list for 2021!

Philips 4300 LatteGo

The 4300 LatteGo from Philips is one of our exciting newer machines joining the Philips lineup for 2021. We couldn’t let this list go by without taking the chance to talk about it, because it truly is an exciting entry from the company. While the insides of this machine are very similar to other machines in the Philips line, it’s the new interface that really sells this one. The 4300 takes the simple button based options found on other Philips machines and translates them to a screen based interface without making the process of getting your drinks overly complicated. This new screen based interface gives you more control over your drinks, as well as the ability to save recipes to different profiles, similar to the Miele CM 5500 discussed above. The screen also gives you guided maintenance and cleaning information, and can help you to understand the brewing process more as you’ll spend less time interpreting the lights and indicators using a manual. We’re specifically highlighting the LatteGo model, which provides a carafe based milk steaming system that is easy to clean and easier to use. We’ve really been impressed with the milk texture produced by this unique carafe, and we think you will be too. All of these cool bells and whistles come without an enormous price tag, which is one of the most impressive parts of the 4300. We’ll be back with more Top 3s, including our luxury superautomatic category, in the coming weeks!

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