Where things stand, plainly
I do not currently own any of the machines or grinders compared on kaffeemetrik. I have neither used nor measured them. So you will find no scores, no stars and no declared “winner” here, only comparisons based on what can be verified publicly.
That is a deliberate choice: better to say clearly what a comparison can offer than to imply experience that does not exist.
Where the data comes from
Every technical figure comes from one of these sources:
- the manufacturer’s product page for the country concerned,
- the instruction manual and the spec sheet,
- other public documentation from the manufacturer, such as spare parts or accessory lists.
For each value we keep the address of the source and the date we checked it. Both appear in the model profiles, next to the figure. When a value cannot be verified, the table shows “not stated”. We do not estimate, and we do not take figures from retailer listings.
The warranty is a special case, because it can differ from one country to the next. We show a period only where a manufacturer source confirms it for the UK; otherwise the table reads “see the retailer’s terms”.
What we do not use: customer reviews, star ratings and retailer images, nor any text lifted from other publications.
How a comparison comes together
- Selection. We include models that are actually sold in the country concerned, based on how widely available they are and how much data the manufacturer publishes.
- Recording. The values go into a product database, along with their source and the date checked.
- The table. Every comparison table is generated straight from that database. Copying errors in the text are ruled out, and a correction shows up on every page at once.
- Context. The text explains what the figures may mean day to day: is the water tank big enough for your household, will the machine fit under a wall cupboard?
What a data comparison cannot tell you
Manufacturer figures say nothing about how an espresso tastes, how loud a grinder really sounds in your kitchen or how long an appliance will last. You will not read claims of that kind on kaffeemetrik. Where manufacturers arrive at a figure in different ways, we point it out.
Which prices we show
We show two prices. The first, where available, is the Amazon price, with the date and time we checked it, for models that have a listing on Amazon.co.uk; it is not yet recorded for every model. We check it once a day, so it may have changed since: the price that counts is the one Amazon shows when you buy. The second, where the manufacturer publishes a price for the UK, is the manufacturer’s RRP, or the price on the manufacturer’s website, with the date we checked it and a link to the source. Not every model has both. We show no prices from any other retailer. To place each model we also give a price bracket (from entry level to premium). The bracket is set for the UK and can differ from the one shown in our German or French editions.
The planned measurement protocol
Once the first appliances have been bought, starting with an entry-level espresso machine and a grinder, we will add our own measurements:
- temperature in the cup, straight after brewing,
- time to first cup, from switching on,
- noise when grinding and brewing, in dB, at a fixed distance,
- energy use per drink and on standby,
- cost per cup, from the coffee dose and consumption,
- cleaning time after use and when descaling.
Each measurement will be repeated several times and the conditions written down. Results will appear separately from the manufacturer figures, with the date and the set-up used. Until then, every profile states that our own measurements are still missing.
Spotted a mistake?
However careful we are, a figure can go out of date, for instance when a manufacturer revises a model. Email me at contact@kaffeemetrik.com. Corrections are dated.
Funding
kaffeemetrik is funded by paid links to Amazon. How those links work, and why they do not influence the selection, is set out in the affiliate disclosure.
Updated