My thoughts on the Smeg Espresso Coffee Machine...
Earlier this year, I was in need of a new coffee machine and decided to treat myself to the Smeg ECF01 Espresso Coffee Machine. It's my first Smeg appliance, and let's face it, we all want one right? With that beautifully sleek, vintage appearance, they're just super dreamy. As you all know, I'm big on home interiors and pretty kitchen appliances always make the biggest difference, especially if they're permanently out on display.
I opted for it in white, however I love all of the colours they do. I was actually really torn between the white and the cream, but as I have warm white walls, I thought the white one would be best to not blend into the walls themselves! If my kitchen was a bit more colourful and not so neutral, I might have been tempted to go for the mint green or even the pink, which are both beauties too.
I'm no expert on kitchen appliances, however I am a huge lover of a good coffee, so this post just contains my opinion on the machine itself and it's ease of use, as well as it's value for money.
Appearance wise, Smeg will always come out on top, except for maybe a Sage Barista which is also pretty lush. Before my Smeg I had a couple of Delonghi coffee machines and overall I've found the Smeg much smoother to use. I used to have the Delonghi Dedica Traditional Coffee Machine which is almost identical to the Smeg in terms of mechanics, and is £130 cheaper. I got rid of mine as it stopped frothing milk properly, and I've found that the Smeg definitely froths it not only faster, but better.
Espresso coffee machines are pretty basic overall, so there's not a huge amount to say about them - you simply fill the tank with water, pop ground coffee into the filter pod, bang it in the machine, press a button and it makes you an espresso. Other than that, there's only the milk steamer wand that makes frothy milk for a delicious cappuccino or flat white. So yes, there are definitely much cheaper alternatives on the market that do exactly as the above, but like I say, I really do find my Smeg super smooth to use, easy to keep clean, and I love how it looks on my coffee bar.
The Smeg does come with some nifty features that make it's price tag more attractive, such as the lid doubling up as a cup warmer, and the ability to make multiple cups of coffee rather than just one. The machine itself won't allow you to make a coffee without being preheated, so you have that guarantee of silky hot coffee every time. It comes with multiple filters too so you have the choice of size, particularly useful for when you want to make a few coffees at a time.
You have to descale it every once in a while, but an orange light will come on to tell you to do so and you can get descaler from places like Amazon super easily. It's simply a case of running some descaler through the machine and that's it, so I would say it's really low maintenance in terms of care. This is the case with most coffee machines I believe too, as I had to do the same with my old Delonghi one.
If you're on a budget, I'd probably sway away from a Smeg as you know you're paying a big chunk for the label and appearance. However, if you want to treat yourself to a gorgeous looking coffee machine for your kitchen, then I'd really recommend it. You can also get services like a coffee machine rental if you wanted to try one out!
It's super easy to use so it's great for beginners and you'll pick it up in no time, even if you haven't owned a coffee machine before. I find it's perfect for those that just want a quick coffee on a morning rather than having some super fancy machine with a million features and buttons - as much as I'd love one myself...
If you want a bit more for your money, you might want to go for something a bit fancier that has more options, but I'm just a fan of a good latte or cappuccino myself, so this does everything that I need it to and gives me delicious coffee every single time. Overall, I'm super happy with it myself and it definitely brings me joy having something so pretty to make my morning coffee with.
Do you have any Smeg appliances, and do you rate them?
