Looking for the perfect coffee machine for your home? Before you spend your hard-earned money, it is always important to understand what to look for when making your purchase. Our selection of buying guides and blogs look to help make that decision easier for you as you navigate your way through our website looking for the best products for yourself, or family and friends.  

In this blog, we will examine what you need to know about coffee machines before you buy, how to clean them effectively, as well as the most obvious pros and cons that you might not have even thought about. Of course, feel free to browse our selection of coffee machines in each of our 23 stores nationwide and see the unmatched quality that we provide.

Now, if you are a coffee lover, then you probably already know of the pros of coffee machines. They make coffee, but there are a lot of benefits to owning a coffee machine that you probably have not considered.

For one, in case you haven’t noticed, the price of everything is increasing. That double espresso that used to set you back €3.50 now isn’t seeing much change from a fiver. So now what? Bills are increasing, rent is high, petrol prices... let’s not talk about petrol prices, and the overall cost of living is greater than ever, how can you get your daily morning coffee fix? The answer is simple, a coffee machine.

Yes, the main pro of a coffee machine is that it is multi-use. All you need to do is buy pods (if it’s a pod machine) or beans (if it is a bean-to-cup machine) and a travel cup, and there you have it, coffee on the go. Yes, the machine and keep cup combined might cost you €80-100, but after a few months it wil have paid for itself in saved morning coffee runs. Not to mention, no more coffee shop queues!

When it comes to the humble coffee machine, one or two cons are attached, but these are to be expected. If you are buying a machine, it is probably because you love coffee, but it could also be because you lead a busy life.

Unfortunately for those busy bees, coffee machines need to be cleaned to ensure that they work properly and extend the life of your machine. The best advice that we can give is to set aside 30 mins every few weeks, to clean your machine. Many machines have dishwasher-safe parts so cleaning can be very easy. You can also get a descaler in one of our 23 stores or online.

Put simply, pod machines are coffee machines that require the use of a specific pod to make coffee. You can buy coffee pods and accessories in-store and online at our website for your convenience, but you can also buy pods in most supermarkets. These pods will have particular flavours and coffee types like ‘Americano, Espresso, Latte, or Flat White’, and with most Tassimo pod machines, for example, there will be certain settings that allow for you to create these different coffees. It is all very convenient, and for the most part, inexpensive.

Bean-to-cup machines on the other hand, tend to be more expensive and in many cases, produce better quality coffee than the pod machines do. This is because they use freshly ground coffee beans which ensures you get a coffee that is almost identical (or better!) than your favourite coffee shop. A bean to cup machine is a clear choice for real coffee connoisseurs with a bit of money to spend.

Just like any appliance in your kitchen or around the home, it is important to keep your coffee machine clean. Thankfully, no crazy remedies or tricks are required to get that squeaky-clean finish, and all you need is warm soapy water, a cloth, maybe some vinegar, and a little initiative.

In relation to the age-old question of ‘how often should I clean my coffee machine?’, we recommend you clean it after every use, so there is limited build-up. If you know that you might use your machine a few times a day, then once per day is fine, but remember, milk or coffee that is left for too long will start to produce an unpleasant smell and might be a pain to clean after a while, so strike while the iron is hot, or rather, while the milk is still warm.

To clean the outside, simply get a cloth and some warm soapy water and wipe the inner and outer lids. You should look to let the machine air dry to prevent any drying streaks. What we don’t recommend you do is submerge your machine in water, that will only damage the entire machine itself.

A water and vinegar solution or some baking soda might be most effective for individual parts that might have stubborn stains. However, it depends on what you prefer.

Always refer to your coffee machine manual before the first time you clean. This will advise if any of the parts are dishwasher safe and will advise on the best descaling methods. 

Yes, espresso machines can be used to make other coffees like an Americano. You can add hot water to your espresso or opt for a pod machine that does different varieties of coffee. If you like milky coffee, you should ensure that your machine has a steam arm or milk frother on/with the machine.

This depends on what style of coffee machine you are looking for, and what brand you are considering. A Tassimo Vivy is a compact and useful machine for home use and will set you back no more than €80. However, more commercial-style coffee machines could set you back hundreds. So they are only as expensive as you need them to be.

Considering the fact that every time you go to a coffee stop, you will pay between €3-5 for a coffee per day, a coffee machine is a brilliant investment. Buy a coffee machine, get a keep cup, and watch yourself save a lot of money. Particularly if you are a coffee lover or always want a coffee on the go.