Customer reviews from Kitchen Aid
KitchenAid - Fully Automatic Espresso Machine with 15 bars of pressure - Brushed Stainless Steel
Average customer rating
4.6
(162 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 162 reviews
5 Stars
131
4 Stars
16
3 Stars
3
2 Stars
6
1 Star
6
86%of customers recommend this product.
(
48 out of
56)
Customer Reviews for KitchenAid - Fully Automatic Espresso Machine with 15 bars of pressure - Brushed Stainless Steel
Customer Rating
4
Coffee nerds rejoice!
on March 26, 2024
Posted by: moirar7
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] A lot of self-proclaimed coffee nerds are hesitant to use automatic espresso machines, and historically that has been for good reason. Auto machines, we say, are clunky. They’re loud. They don’t give us enough control over the product. And most importantly, they just don’t make good coffee. So, as a self-proclaimed coffee nerd myself, I was fully prepared to write a scathing critique of the new Kitchenaid KF8 fully automated espresso machine. However, after using it for a week, I am confident in saying that it’s honestly a top-tier machine for most average use cases. It delivers quality espresso and steamed milk, and the machine itself is intuitive, charming, and has a lot of nice design touches that make it perfect for the everyday user.
It’s immediately apparent while using the machine that one of the primary design goals is ease of use. The KF8 sports an elegant physical design, with carefully concealed internal parts that are nevertheless easy to refill, maintain, and clean. The water reservoir and coffee bean hopper are flush with the outer shell, and yet simple to access. The user interface is intuitive and, simply put, very useful. You can create custom profiles, as well as drinks within each profile, if you have multiple users that prefer slightly different coffee strengths, coffee to milk ratios, or temperatures. The interface reminds you about routine maintenance like flushing the group head and refilling the water and bean reservoirs, and even visually walks you through the task. It also activates a self-cleaning after a few minutes of inactivity. Used water and coffee grounds are deposited in an easy-to-remove tray that can be dumped in the sink and compost. It’s also quieter than many other espresso machines.
One small challenge is the clearance between the drip tray and group head: it’s quite small. I was able to fit an 8 oz. mug under it with little difficulty, but to brew directly into a taller or large mug, you’d have to hold it under the brewer. This isn’t a huge problem, as the machine doesn’t need a spare hand to operate, but it is a bit annoying. Aside from that, the KF8 is really nice togma use. It feels… holistic? All of the physical and digital elements of the machine just fit and work together so seamlessly.
The espresso itself is very good for an automatic machine; it manages to bring out both the subtle characteristics of light-roasted coffees and the body of dark roasts. The milk steamer is interesting; the milk is stored in an external reservoir that feeds into the grouphead via a tube. While not capable of producing milk quite as silky as what could be made with a traditional steam wand by a talented barista, it’s also not spewing out a burnt and foamy mess like some other machines. It’s definitely better steamed milk than you’ll get at any big-chain coffee shop.
One downside of not having a standalone steam wand, though, is a lack of versatility; you can’t steam liquids independent of the machine’s brewing functions. I also wonder why the reservoir is separate when the rest of the components are so cleverly integrated inside the machine; my only guess is it’s so you can refrigerate the milk in the reservoir, but it’s an interesting choice that somehow doesn’t jive with the rest of the design.
Design nitpicks aside, the machine produces delicious espresso and adequately textured milk. I would recommend keeping the coffee set at ‘strong’ and the temperature at ‘hot’. In my experience, anything less than ‘strong’ resulted in slightly watery and underextracted coffee, and the ‘hot’ temperature setting is perfectly drinkable. It’s also quick - like, very quick! I’m not sure how the mechanics of their flash-steamer and brewer work, but the machine comes up to temp within a minute, and does not need an always-on internal boiler. I’ve used manual espresso machines that either need to be ‘always-on’ or require 10 minutes to bring the boiler reservoir up to temp. The KF8 was a nice change of pace to some of these other home machines.
As a final testament to the machine’s quality, I’ll say this: as a self-described coffee nerd who has several manual brewers at home, I unabashedly used the KF8 for all my coffee the whole week. It’s quick, it’s intuitive, it’s elegant, and it’s delicious. I’m not sure what more you’d want in an automatic machine designed for the casual everyday coffee drinker.
It’s immediately apparent while using the machine that one of the primary design goals is ease of use. The KF8 sports an elegant physical design, with carefully concealed internal parts that are nevertheless easy to refill, maintain, and clean. The water reservoir and coffee bean hopper are flush with the outer shell, and yet simple to access. The user interface is intuitive and, simply put, very useful. You can create custom profiles, as well as drinks within each profile, if you have multiple users that prefer slightly different coffee strengths, coffee to milk ratios, or temperatures. The interface reminds you about routine maintenance like flushing the group head and refilling the water and bean reservoirs, and even visually walks you through the task. It also activates a self-cleaning after a few minutes of inactivity. Used water and coffee grounds are deposited in an easy-to-remove tray that can be dumped in the sink and compost. It’s also quieter than many other espresso machines.
One small challenge is the clearance between the drip tray and group head: it’s quite small. I was able to fit an 8 oz. mug under it with little difficulty, but to brew directly into a taller or large mug, you’d have to hold it under the brewer. This isn’t a huge problem, as the machine doesn’t need a spare hand to operate, but it is a bit annoying. Aside from that, the KF8 is really nice togma use. It feels… holistic? All of the physical and digital elements of the machine just fit and work together so seamlessly.
The espresso itself is very good for an automatic machine; it manages to bring out both the subtle characteristics of light-roasted coffees and the body of dark roasts. The milk steamer is interesting; the milk is stored in an external reservoir that feeds into the grouphead via a tube. While not capable of producing milk quite as silky as what could be made with a traditional steam wand by a talented barista, it’s also not spewing out a burnt and foamy mess like some other machines. It’s definitely better steamed milk than you’ll get at any big-chain coffee shop.
One downside of not having a standalone steam wand, though, is a lack of versatility; you can’t steam liquids independent of the machine’s brewing functions. I also wonder why the reservoir is separate when the rest of the components are so cleverly integrated inside the machine; my only guess is it’s so you can refrigerate the milk in the reservoir, but it’s an interesting choice that somehow doesn’t jive with the rest of the design.
Design nitpicks aside, the machine produces delicious espresso and adequately textured milk. I would recommend keeping the coffee set at ‘strong’ and the temperature at ‘hot’. In my experience, anything less than ‘strong’ resulted in slightly watery and underextracted coffee, and the ‘hot’ temperature setting is perfectly drinkable. It’s also quick - like, very quick! I’m not sure how the mechanics of their flash-steamer and brewer work, but the machine comes up to temp within a minute, and does not need an always-on internal boiler. I’ve used manual espresso machines that either need to be ‘always-on’ or require 10 minutes to bring the boiler reservoir up to temp. The KF8 was a nice change of pace to some of these other home machines.
As a final testament to the machine’s quality, I’ll say this: as a self-described coffee nerd who has several manual brewers at home, I unabashedly used the KF8 for all my coffee the whole week. It’s quick, it’s intuitive, it’s elegant, and it’s delicious. I’m not sure what more you’d want in an automatic machine designed for the casual everyday coffee drinker.
Written by a customer while visiting Kitchen Aid
Customer Rating
5
So many features!
on March 25, 2024
Posted by: tonyh24
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] This Espresso machine has so many features. You can make two cups at one time. There's a milk container that you can use plant based or whole milk in. And the machine will actually heat it to your liking for easy customization. There's so many recipes preloaded too. Lattes, Cappuccinos, and Espressos are just a few different ones. The machine has some amazing features too like an auto purge that cleans the beans between servings, a cleaning indicator that tells you when it's time to clean it, which it does itself, the milk frothing and heating features, and an easy to use touch screen. You'll feel like you have a small cafe right in your kitchen.
Written by a customer while visiting Kitchen Aid
Customer Rating
5
No more wasting money on mediocre coffee
on March 24, 2024
Posted by: emilyo269
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] When first opening this, it looks overwhelming but after a few short minutes of playing around it’s so user friendly!! There are so many drink options and they are all customizable! You can become your own barista, find your perfect coffee, save it to your profile and get the exact same results every time (unlike coffee shops)! The dairy function is great and it has a quick self cleaning mode after using it so it doesn’t get nasty inside the machine! This espresso machine is absolutely amazing! I will save so much money not going to mediocre coffee shops!
Written by a customer while visiting Kitchen Aid
Customer Rating
5
Excited to wake up for coffee
on March 24, 2024
Posted by: sarahn382
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I’m perhaps a bit obsessed it’s this machine. It’s so easy to use, quiet, quick, and makes European style barista drinks in a flash. Plus, you can easily customize your drinks and save your favorites to your personal profile. I’m a traditionalist and love a strong cappuccino or black coffee so those are the two I’ve saved, but have tried a few others and they’re all fabulous. I love that you can choose the temperature of your coffee and milk (separately), there are settings for dairy or other milk types, and you can even use it to brew hot waters. As much as I hate waking up crazy early for work, I now look forward to zooming downstairs and making my morning cappuccino. The only cons to this recipe that it’s large, but its footprint takes up less space than our pot and grinder together, so that makes up for it in my opinion. Overall, this is a fantastic machine and much, much easier than some of the traditional espresso machines with tampers, separate milk frothers, and all the fancy accoutrements but makes as good a drink, faster me with less mess or fuss.
Written by a customer while visiting Kitchen Aid
Customer Rating
5
Heaven in a cup
on March 23, 2024
Posted by: lvl527
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] The KitchenAid Automatic Espresso Machine totally blew me away! Seriously, I never thought making espresso at home could be this easy. It does everything for you, from grinding the beans to frothing the milk, and the coffee it makes is just amazing. Plus, it looks super cool on my kitchen counter! Yeah, it's a bit pricey, but trust me, it's worth every penny if you're into coffee like I am. The only thing I didn't like was that the cup section was so small and I couldn't figure out how to move it up to put a bigger cup.
Written by a customer while visiting Kitchen Aid
Customer Rating
5
It's pretty good.
on March 23, 2024
Posted by: chrisk86
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Seems to be a very sturdily built machine. There are tons of options for different styles of coffee, strength, amount, etc. It does a pre-rinse when turned on and post rinse when turned off, which seems to use a good deal of water. Otherwise, this thing is pretty awesome!
Written by a customer while visiting Kitchen Aid
Customer Rating
5
Kitchenaid Espresso Machine
on March 22, 2024
Posted by: brendar242
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] This machine might be the best thing that's ever happened to me. This espresso maker by Kitchenaid is fully automatic. Just add beans and water. It even cleans itself automatically.
I have to admit I was a little intimidated at first. I read the instructions thoroughly and set the machine up. There is a little bit of cleaning and setup before you get started, including installing the water filter and following the on-screen instructions to initialize your machine.
Take note: This machine rinses itself out when you first turn it on, and again when you turn it off. It tells you when to add water and beans. It allows you to save your favorite drinks. It lets you adjust your coffee to water ratio for your americano. It has a built-in milk frother, which also cleans itself after use. You can use dairy or non-dairy milks in this machine. It is the best thing. Ever.
The touch-screen control panel is very easy to use, and the display settings are also adjustable. Using this espresso maker is one of the highlights of my day. I am now an unapologetic coffee snob. I will lovingly care for this machine for as long as we both shall live.
Written by a customer while visiting Kitchen Aid
Customer Rating
4
Nice machine!
on March 22, 2024
Posted by: chelseah16
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] There is definitely a learning curve here if you aren’t an espresso/coffee connoisseur! the machine is super easy to use and understand because everything you need to do is on the screen (even cleaning it). The only things I would improve are the instructions on the actual espresso beans/hopper. It seems idiot proof, but for someone like me I was a bit lost on the difference between espresso and coffee and how to use them. Also, you have to constantly have a cup or something under the spout because it turns off automatically and rinses itself every time it turns on/off.
Overall, we really like the machine and it’s fun to make fancy coffee drinks 🤗
Overall, we really like the machine and it’s fun to make fancy coffee drinks 🤗
Written by a customer while visiting Kitchen Aid