KitchenAid KF8 Fully Automatic Espresso Machine, Cast Iron Black

I’ve had this item for about 4 days now and have been playing with it everyday and sometimes several times a day. It’s a high quality, beautifully simplistic peace of machinery. Much larger and heavier than I was expecting. Has plenty of caffeinated drink options along with a green tea, hot water, hot milk options. Has plenty of settings such as 1 cup or 2, how hot you want you drink, how strong you want the coffee to be, what type of milk whether dairy or plant-based, milk first or coffee first and some other options I can’t remember at the moment. I have noticed that when using pre-ground coffee, the flavor of it isn’t as strong and tastes slightly watered down as when using the freshly ground coffee beans the taste of black coffee is stronger. However, I do love ... MoreI’ve had this item for about 4 days now and have been playing with it everyday and sometimes several times a day. It’s a high quality, beautifully simplistic peace of machinery. Much larger and heavier than I was expecting. Has plenty of caffeinated drink options along with a green tea, hot water, hot milk options. Has plenty of settings such as 1 cup or 2, how hot you want you drink, how strong you want the coffee to be, what type of milk whether dairy or plant-based, milk first or coffee first and some other options I can’t remember at the moment. I have noticed that when using pre-ground coffee, the flavor of it isn’t as strong and tastes slightly watered down as when using the freshly ground coffee beans the taste of black coffee is stronger. However, I do love that you have the 2 options of using coffee beans or pre-ground coffee. I absolutely LOVE that there’s options u can use to set the machine to clean itself and to auto shut off when not in use. This machine is definitely hassle free in that respect. When using coffee beans, the aroma is so deliciously aromatic. Any coffee lover would be obsessed! LOVED, that there’s also an option to add PROFILES! Thought that was pretty cool! (FYI, KF6 can add 4 profiles, but CAN’T personalize them ~meaning naming them~, KF7 can add 4 profiles, and CAN personalize them, KF8 can add 6 profiles, and CAN personalize them). I think the only real complaint (if you want to even call it that) is that I wish you can add the size of the drink. For example, I had a cappuccino the other day but it was only about an xtra small cup worth. I understand a lot of these aren’t normally full size cups of coffee but I would have liked it for it to have that type of option. All in all, we love this espresso machine here at home!

Happy with KF8 purchase

I have been using for a couple months, and so far quite happy with this machine. It was easy to dial it in to make a very good espresso. The interface is simple and allows for fine control of variables. Appears to use about 15g of coffee per shot, for those interested. It has thoughtful features like a removable bean hopper to swap beans, large and easy to access water tank.We chose the KF8, since it has the larger screen and advertises that it has a plant-based milk mode, which is what we use. I can’t tell what this mode does differently (temperature maybe?), and I’m fairly disappointed with foam it makes. Not very much foam, mostly just heats the milk. The foam that does come out dissipates quickly, regardless of all the barista milks I’ve tried.Maintenance has ... MoreI have been using for a couple months, and so far quite happy with this machine. It was easy to dial it in to make a very good espresso. The interface is simple and allows for fine control of variables. Appears to use about 15g of coffee per shot, for those interested. It has thoughtful features like a removable bean hopper to swap beans, large and easy to access water tank.We chose the KF8, since it has the larger screen and advertises that it has a plant-based milk mode, which is what we use. I can’t tell what this mode does differently (temperature maybe?), and I’m fairly disappointed with foam it makes. Not very much foam, mostly just heats the milk. The foam that does come out dissipates quickly, regardless of all the barista milks I’ve tried.Maintenance has been straightforward. It guides you through with very simple steps to clean, descale etc. I also liked that it has a removable brew group, which allows for thorough cleaning.The machine feels well made and was the first super automatic that suited my taste.It’s also advertised as being a quiet machine. It does seem a bit quieter than others. Definitely quieter than our Breville grinder.I was apprehensive of buying a Ver1 machine, but this is apparently made by the same factory in Switzerland that makes Jura, Miele and Bosch. The brew group looks the same or quite similar to my sister’s Miele built-in.Overall, I’d recommend this machine, but wouldn’t recommend the KF8 over the 7 or 6, unless you want the larger screen.

Money and Time saving machine.

I debated whether or not to order this KitchenAid due to the price tag, but after almost a month, I am 100% a convert. There are several espresso drinks that I dearly love (lattes, mochas, and the Cordusio, but between working from home and my budget, they just weren't accessible for me. Enter this machine. I never thought about home espresso machines before because I didn't want to get into dealing with all the parts, the measuring, tamping, the cleaning and upkeep, so I had resigned myself to my daily tasteless Keurig coffee. But, this fully automatic espresso machine by Kitchen Aid is so easy to use. It literally does just about everything for you. First the color touchscreen guides you through every step of set up and maintenance. Once set up, you can select ... MoreI debated whether or not to order this KitchenAid due to the price tag, but after almost a month, I am 100% a convert. There are several espresso drinks that I dearly love (lattes, mochas, and the Cordusio, but between working from home and my budget, they just weren't accessible for me. Enter this machine. I never thought about home espresso machines before because I didn't want to get into dealing with all the parts, the measuring, tamping, the cleaning and upkeep, so I had resigned myself to my daily tasteless Keurig coffee. But, this fully automatic espresso machine by Kitchen Aid is so easy to use. It literally does just about everything for you. First the color touchscreen guides you through every step of set up and maintenance. Once set up, you can select from several beverage presets and customize them to your preferences (most start at settings for a very small serving). You can create profiles and save them so you can one touch select the one you want. You can also make your own drinks, by processing the number of shots you want and separately steaming your milk. I've found with some tweaking, the default settings work fine for me, but if I have time, I like to make my own drink from scratch. I also like that the machine prompts you to run cleaning cycles on the milk hose and the cleaning cycles will run automatically on the system itself. I've been partying like it's Christmas with my Cordusio every morning and I am just in love. Like any product though, there are a couple things they could improve upon. The default setting for hot drinks is Medium, If you're used to coffee shop temperature, you'll need to change it to high. My only concern is the availability and cost of replacement parts or service when the time comes over the years. The large display is very convenient and the removable bin hopper is very smart. You can change the bean types in a flash. It is saving me money and time ever since I got it.

[Rewarded Review] 100% AWESOME

This is absolutely amazing! It is the coolest thing I own! I said bye bye to expensive espresso stand lattes as well as my drip coffee and pods when this KitchenAid Fully Automatic KF8 Espresso Machine came into my life! I will own one of these forever...once you try it you will never want to live without it. I had always been a bit intimidated by espresso machines and clearly didn't know what kind of coffee magic I was missing out on. This espresso machine was actually very easy to set up and use. It came with everything you could possibly need to learn how to make the perfect beverage....the machine itself, milk frother, step by step instructions, a filter, water testing strip, coffee scoop, cleaning tablets, and a recipe book! This machine literally does it all ... MoreThis is absolutely amazing! It is the coolest thing I own! I said bye bye to expensive espresso stand lattes as well as my drip coffee and pods when this KitchenAid Fully Automatic KF8 Espresso Machine came into my life! I will own one of these forever...once you try it you will never want to live without it. I had always been a bit intimidated by espresso machines and clearly didn't know what kind of coffee magic I was missing out on. This espresso machine was actually very easy to set up and use. It came with everything you could possibly need to learn how to make the perfect beverage....the machine itself, milk frother, step by step instructions, a filter, water testing strip, coffee scoop, cleaning tablets, and a recipe book! This machine literally does it all with the touch of a button. I am so pleased with this machine. My husband and I were like giddy little school kids trying this out and making different drinks and recipes. I love how you can use regular coffee grounds or whole coffee beans. If you choose whole beans it will automatically grind up the perfect amount for your recipe. There is literally nothing difficult about this machine which I LOVE! This machine gives you unlimited beverage opportunities...it does all of your fancy coffee and espresso drinks, milk vs no milk drinks, plain drip coffee, hot water for cocoa or tea. It's quite simple to keep clean as well - not high maintenance. It's very smart and walks you through every step of what you are doing. My husband who doesn't even drink coffee loves this machine and says "its literally dumny proof" He went from zero coffee knowledge to having a piping hot salted caramel latte ready for me every morning! I 150% recommend this machine to ANY person who enjoys coffee beverages of any kind. This is KITCHENAID so its a very well built, great quality machine. I look forward to using this in my daily life for several years to come as with my previous experience with anything KITCHENAID is durable and built to last a lifetime. This is beyond worth the price tag and I give it a 10/10 Please love and spoil yourself and go buy one if these beauties today!!

[Rewarded Review] A little luxury at home

Our family has now had this espresso machine for just over one month. I have not set foot in Starbucks since the purchase. I bought beautiful double-walled glass espresso cups and cappuccino cups. This thing makes the most delicious beautiful beverages. Truly, it's one of our favorite appliance purchases ever. It gets used multiple times a day. The beverages are on the smaller side, about 6 ounces or so each, but that is just enough and allows you to have a few beverages throughout the day. As others have said, it does take a lot of water because it frequently rinses itself or prompts you to do so to rinse out the milk system. It a great job frothing oat milk as well as dairy milk. The selection of beverage options is also fantastic and it has opened new horizons ... MoreOur family has now had this espresso machine for just over one month. I have not set foot in Starbucks since the purchase. I bought beautiful double-walled glass espresso cups and cappuccino cups. This thing makes the most delicious beautiful beverages. Truly, it's one of our favorite appliance purchases ever. It gets used multiple times a day. The beverages are on the smaller side, about 6 ounces or so each, but that is just enough and allows you to have a few beverages throughout the day. As others have said, it does take a lot of water because it frequently rinses itself or prompts you to do so to rinse out the milk system. It a great job frothing oat milk as well as dairy milk. The selection of beverage options is also fantastic and it has opened new horizons for me to beverage types I have not tried previously. I prefer my espresso more mild and my husband and boys all prefer a bold cup of espresso, so we can all have what we want. The pre-set profiles that you can create are fantastic. It provides a shortcut to your favorite beverage selections. I have virtually nothing negative to say about this machine except that my coffee budget has definitely increased - but my Starbucks budget has all but disappeared ! I will also say that I purchased the green colored machine and it's beautiful on the counter. The color makes it look like something a little bit fancier and unique. If you were looking for a little luxury at home, do yourself a favor and buy this.

[Rewarded Review] All in one, but many parts to clean

I received this product for free from Kitchenaid and Influenster in exchange for my honest review. At first I was really excited to get this machine as it has everything you need to make any type of coffee or espresso drink (latte, cappuccino, etc) and froth your milk. I especially liked that this KF8 model offers the option to select either dairy milk or plant based milk, since I typically only drink almond milk. It brews very quickly, and when brewing the grounds its fairly quiet. Although I’ve only made coffee using grounds, you can put whole beans and it will grind them. However I don’t like that there are a lot of parts to clean when you are done, every time (drip tray, catch for the coffee grounds, milk container etc). Also today when I used it I figured out ... MoreI received this product for free from Kitchenaid and Influenster in exchange for my honest review. At first I was really excited to get this machine as it has everything you need to make any type of coffee or espresso drink (latte, cappuccino, etc) and froth your milk. I especially liked that this KF8 model offers the option to select either dairy milk or plant based milk, since I typically only drink almond milk. It brews very quickly, and when brewing the grounds its fairly quiet. Although I’ve only made coffee using grounds, you can put whole beans and it will grind them. However I don’t like that there are a lot of parts to clean when you are done, every time (drip tray, catch for the coffee grounds, milk container etc). Also today when I used it I figured out how to take out the internal contraption that holds the fresh grounds to clean, and there’s no prompt for that so I imagine that could get pretty gross. I had been having an issue where it was brewing water rather than grinds and I think it’s because this hadn’t been cleaned. I also don’t like that it rinses itself when you turn it on and after making a drink so you have to be aware of it. So overall, it’s a multi-functional device, but for the casual coffee drinker like me it’s a lot. It also has a big footprint, and is heavy, so not ideal for a small kitchen. This would be ideal for a household where there are many coffee drinkers who all have specific orders.

[Rewarded Review] As easy as it gets to make espresso drinks.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way. Perhaps you are like me, someone who is serious about their coffee, but not so enthusiastic about the ritual or the process. It is about getting to enjoy the end product as efficiently as possible. So much so that you often find yourself just stopping at a coffee shop because you’d rather pay someone else to do the work instead of going to the effort of making it yourself. In that case, this is not just a coffee machine, it is an investment.The KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF8 is as easy as a bean-to-cup system gets. You put your beans of choice in the hopper, use the touch screen to pick what drink you want it to make, and press start. It grinds, tamps, brews and dispenses, allowing you to customize each ... MoreLet’s get the obvious out of the way. Perhaps you are like me, someone who is serious about their coffee, but not so enthusiastic about the ritual or the process. It is about getting to enjoy the end product as efficiently as possible. So much so that you often find yourself just stopping at a coffee shop because you’d rather pay someone else to do the work instead of going to the effort of making it yourself. In that case, this is not just a coffee machine, it is an investment.The KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF8 is as easy as a bean-to-cup system gets. You put your beans of choice in the hopper, use the touch screen to pick what drink you want it to make, and press start. It grinds, tamps, brews and dispenses, allowing you to customize each setting or selecting from the wide array of pre-programmed ones. Or, optionally, you can use pre-ground coffee or the external milk frother which works well with regular milk as well as plant-based options. After each use, it automatically runs a self-cleaning cycle to make sure that all the lines remain clean. It really is that easy. My coffee has never tasted so good and perfectly customized to my taste. The machine has the capability of setting different profiles for different members of your household, so you can save your customizations so you always get a perfectly repeatable product. The maintenance is minimal, wiping down the stainless exterior after each use and maybe rinsing the milk bin if you used that. Emptying the drip tray and coffee grounds every few days.Not to say that the machine couldn’t be improved. I find the drip tray to be too small. Every cleaning cycle leaves some remnants in the tray, even when you put a waste cup under the spout, so it tends to fill up fast. It is nice that the coffee grounds go into a separate waste bin so I can save the perfect little pucks for my compost. I would like some place on board to store things like the coffee grounds scoop and the milk frothing hose. I’d also like a larger water reservoir. But I guess choices had to be made to keep the size of the machine reasonable. As is, it is the largest coffee maker I have ever used, but it still takes up less space on my counter than my old grinder, tamper, brewer, and other tools. And I am far more inclined to use it because of the automation involved, the lack of having to spend almost more time cleaning up after myself as I spent brewing, and above all, the great coffee.I received this KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF8 from KitchenAid and Influenster for my honest review.

[Rewarded Review] Best machine out there for bean to cup coffee!

I have been using this machine for quite a while now, so here are my honest and detailed opinions:Design: it’s all stainless steel and gives a very sleek, professional look, it would fit into any kitchen design I think. The steel look flows seamlessly, even the water tank has full steel on one side, so when you put it in it just creates a complete look.Usage: Obviously the most important part. I have used moda pots, semi manual espresso machines, etc. This machine beats them all, both in quality of coffee it produces and of course the ease of use. You just need to fill the coffee bean holder and the water tank every once in a while and when you want your high quality fresh coffee in the morning, all you do is click the button. I didn’t know how time consuming it ... MoreI have been using this machine for quite a while now, so here are my honest and detailed opinions:Design: it’s all stainless steel and gives a very sleek, professional look, it would fit into any kitchen design I think. The steel look flows seamlessly, even the water tank has full steel on one side, so when you put it in it just creates a complete look.Usage: Obviously the most important part. I have used moda pots, semi manual espresso machines, etc. This machine beats them all, both in quality of coffee it produces and of course the ease of use. You just need to fill the coffee bean holder and the water tank every once in a while and when you want your high quality fresh coffee in the morning, all you do is click the button. I didn’t know how time consuming it was to make my espresso every morning by grinding the beans, filling the grounds, tempering it and then having to clean everything afterwards. Kitchenaid espresso machine saves me so much time every morning. Another feature that I love is that you can customize your drinks however you want and save them to your own profile! My wife and I have our own profiles, so we both easily get the exact coffee we want with just a click. My wife likes the milk based drinks, so all she has to do is fill the milk container and put it in the fridge when not in use. The container easily connects to the machine with a hose and it cleans itself!Cleaning: Now this might be one of my favorite things about the Kitchenaid fully automatic espresso machine. I absolutely hated cleaning my old coffee machine parts. This machine does a “rinse” every time you turn it on, to make sure nothing was stuck inside. It also rinses every time before you turn it off. All you need to do is put a container where you put the coffee cups. The machine also lets you know when you need to empty the drip tray. You basically don’t have to think about anything yourself, it tells you what to do and when to do it. I really appreciate that it gives clear instructions. It also has more detailed cleaning functions like a full inside rinse, purging the beans, cleaning out all of the water inside if you are going to turn it off for a long time before going on a trip etc.Taste/quality: I can easily say that it makes the best coffee I ever had. It’s basically Starbucks at home, which honestly saves us lots of time and money. We are sort of coffee snobs now, we don’t enjoy the coffee in a lot of places so we make it at home and take it with us now.Overall, this automatic espresso machine has been a great addition to our lives. It’s one of those things that you don’t know you needed until you get it and then you’re obsessed with it! I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good coffee and wants to save time and money. You will not be disappointed!

[Rewarded Review] Coffee nerds rejoice!

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 ... MoreA 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.

[Rewarded Review] Very easy to use and high quality in coffee.

I’ve had this item for about 4 days now and have been playing with it everyday and sometimes several times a day. It’s a high quality, beautifully simplistic peace of machinery. Much larger and heavier than I was expecting. Has plenty of caffeinated drink options along with a green tea, hot water, hot milk options. Has plenty of settings such as 1 cup or 2, how hot you want you drink, how strong you want the coffee to be, what type of milk whether dairy or plant-based, milk first or coffee first and some other options I can’t remember at the moment. I have noticed that when using pre-ground coffee, the flavor of it isn’t as strong and tastes slightly watered down as when using the freshly ground coffee beans the taste of black coffee is stronger. However, I do love ... MoreI’ve had this item for about 4 days now and have been playing with it everyday and sometimes several times a day. It’s a high quality, beautifully simplistic peace of machinery. Much larger and heavier than I was expecting. Has plenty of caffeinated drink options along with a green tea, hot water, hot milk options. Has plenty of settings such as 1 cup or 2, how hot you want you drink, how strong you want the coffee to be, what type of milk whether dairy or plant-based, milk first or coffee first and some other options I can’t remember at the moment. I have noticed that when using pre-ground coffee, the flavor of it isn’t as strong and tastes slightly watered down as when using the freshly ground coffee beans the taste of black coffee is stronger. However, I do love that you have the 2 options of using coffee beans or pre-ground coffee. I absolutely LOVE that there’s options u can use to set the machine to clean itself and to auto shut off when not in use. This machine is definitely hassle free in that respect. When using coffee beans, the aroma is so deliciously aromatic. Any coffee lover would be obsessed! LOVED, that there’s also an option to add PROFILES! Thought that was pretty cool! (FYI, KF6 can add 4 profiles, but CAN’T personalize them ~meaning naming them~, KF7 can add 4 profiles, and CAN personalize them, KF8 can add 6 profiles, and CAN personalize them). I think the only real complaint (if you want to even call it that) is that I wish you can add the size of the drink. For example, I had a cappuccino the other day but it was only about an xtra small cup worth. I understand a lot of these aren’t normally full size cups of coffee but I would have liked it for it to have that type of option. All in all, we love this espresso machine here at home!