Citi Card off | Smeg 50S BCC02RDMUK Automatic Coffee Machine Red

I desperately want to give this machine 5 stars. The aesthetics and ease of use; I would give a solid 5 however I believe the basket only pours the equivalent to a single shot. Here in New Zealand a standard shot is a double - so I wished there was a way to further customise. With that said, I've accommodated this shortcoming by doing two short espresso shots.As the manual suggests, to get a hot coffee, I recommend pre-heating the mug with boiling water. The other reason I've rated this a 4-stars is because the state of the box was disgraceful when the item was delivered. I was genuinely surprised that the machine wasn't damaged because it looked like the fork of a forklift went right through the top of it..... not necessarily PoK's fault but it was still my ... MoreI desperately want to give this machine 5 stars. The aesthetics and ease of use; I would give a solid 5 however I believe the basket only pours the equivalent to a single shot. Here in New Zealand a standard shot is a double - so I wished there was a way to further customise. With that said, I've accommodated this shortcoming by doing two short espresso shots.As the manual suggests, to get a hot coffee, I recommend pre-heating the mug with boiling water. The other reason I've rated this a 4-stars is because the state of the box was disgraceful when the item was delivered. I was genuinely surprised that the machine wasn't damaged because it looked like the fork of a forklift went right through the top of it..... not necessarily PoK's fault but it was still my experience pertaining to this item.

Avoid

Picked this as it's the smallest and most discrete B2C machine. The downside is that the water reservoir, grouts tray, bean container all need replenishing/emptying very frequently. The warning lights come on frequently, and you soon get to know what each means. Personally, I don't find the standard setting strong enough in flavour - there is a "light" setting, but that will be even weaker. 4 weeks after delivery, the exclamation error light lit up, which the typically useless Smeg manual says is "problem with brewing group", whatever that is supposed to mean. It didn't prevent it from working, so I ignored it for an further week until the frother stopped working, the steam pouring out of the vent in the side of the machine. Smeg offered to repair and I refused. ... MorePicked this as it's the smallest and most discrete B2C machine. The downside is that the water reservoir, grouts tray, bean container all need replenishing/emptying very frequently. The warning lights come on frequently, and you soon get to know what each means. Personally, I don't find the standard setting strong enough in flavour - there is a "light" setting, but that will be even weaker. 4 weeks after delivery, the exclamation error light lit up, which the typically useless Smeg manual says is "problem with brewing group", whatever that is supposed to mean. It didn't prevent it from working, so I ignored it for an further week until the frother stopped working, the steam pouring out of the vent in the side of the machine. Smeg offered to repair and I refused. They said to contact the retailer, and at first JL tried to fob me off similarly. Maintained they could only swap if under 30 days old. After my own steam had vented from my ears, they relented and replaced it. I don't somehow think this one is likely to last very long either.

Don't waste your money!

You will not get a cafe-quality flat white out of this machine. It's compact and looks good, but you're paying for the brand name, not the ability to make a good cup. The steam wand makes aerated fluff, not micro-foam. Presumably due to the air-hole at the top, it lets in too much air so no amount of good steaming technique can produce better results. As for the coffee, my machine was clearly faulty as the "empty bean compartment" light kept coming on even though the bean compartment was full. I couldn't get it to pour two coffees in a row without the light coming on. The coffees it did pour were very inconsistent in strength of extraction. The button labels were very hard to read. You need to keep the manual handy at all times because the menu system depends on ... MoreYou will not get a cafe-quality flat white out of this machine. It's compact and looks good, but you're paying for the brand name, not the ability to make a good cup. The steam wand makes aerated fluff, not micro-foam. Presumably due to the air-hole at the top, it lets in too much air so no amount of good steaming technique can produce better results. As for the coffee, my machine was clearly faulty as the "empty bean compartment" light kept coming on even though the bean compartment was full. I couldn't get it to pour two coffees in a row without the light coming on. The coffees it did pour were very inconsistent in strength of extraction. The button labels were very hard to read. You need to keep the manual handy at all times because the menu system depends on using various key combinations that aren't labelled for their purpose; that seems like very poor design. Fortunately, I was able to return this as faulty and I bought another brand that was much better value.

Fantastic compact. Bean to cup machine

My main reason for choosing this particular machine were it's dimensions as I didn't want it to dominate the worktop. I was a bit apprehensive as I'd read several reviews about people experiencing problems with warning indicators for low water, coffee beans etc - however I couldn't be happier with it.It makes great coffee, is simple to use and looks really stylish. The steamer is great for lattes although I do warm the milk slightly first as I prefer it hotter than the machine makes it.What I have realised is that any servicing of the machine - refilling water tank, emptying drip tray etc must be done while the machine is switched on for the machine to recognise the action has been performed. I wonder if this is why some people have though their machine was ... MoreMy main reason for choosing this particular machine were it's dimensions as I didn't want it to dominate the worktop. I was a bit apprehensive as I'd read several reviews about people experiencing problems with warning indicators for low water, coffee beans etc - however I couldn't be happier with it.It makes great coffee, is simple to use and looks really stylish. The steamer is great for lattes although I do warm the milk slightly first as I prefer it hotter than the machine makes it.What I have realised is that any servicing of the machine - refilling water tank, emptying drip tray etc must be done while the machine is switched on for the machine to recognise the action has been performed. I wonder if this is why some people have though their machine was faulty?I fully recommend it.As always delivery from John Lewis was spot on and I have peace of mind in the unlikely event anything goes wrong with it.

Man vs Machine

First and foremost this is a good coffee machine. The warm up time is quick, speed of brew is acceptable and makes great coffee.There are some negative points but as long as your learn that you are a mere human and must obey the coffee machine, your relationship with this machine will be just fine!Never, I repeat never, think that you'll empty or clean the machine without it instructing your to to do so, otherwise the machine will not trust you've done it correctly and will instruct you to do it again. Tris includes switching the machine off to clean it. No no, the machine has to be awake to supervise the human. And don't even think of being lazy when you clean the machine, because if you are too fast, you'll be expected to wash it again! I have leaned to obey ... MoreFirst and foremost this is a good coffee machine. The warm up time is quick, speed of brew is acceptable and makes great coffee.There are some negative points but as long as your learn that you are a mere human and must obey the coffee machine, your relationship with this machine will be just fine!Never, I repeat never, think that you'll empty or clean the machine without it instructing your to to do so, otherwise the machine will not trust you've done it correctly and will instruct you to do it again. Tris includes switching the machine off to clean it. No no, the machine has to be awake to supervise the human. And don't even think of being lazy when you clean the machine, because if you are too fast, you'll be expected to wash it again! I have leaned to obey the machine and things run smoothly!!In all seriousness. You must have the machine on to clean it. The waste bin needs emptying every 6 or so brews - it's quite small but is big enough for me to empty once daily. If you rush this and take less that 15-20 seconds the means doesn't reset the empty alert.The brewing unit also get cleaned with the machine on. I started cleaning this weekly, but the machine prompts me every couple of weeks - so I'm guessing every 40 or 50 cups. It's really easy to clean, rinse the removable parts in the sink and wipe the rest down.On the whole I am happy

Ok Coffee Machine but some concerns

Bought this about 9 months ago and it works well. The coffee it makes is good but there aren't a lot of options to tweak things like temperature. The waste dispenser is tiny and the machine will endlessly claim the dispenser is full even if it isn't. Water reservoir is adequate as is the coffee bean reservoir. It is easy to clean.However, after 6 months of daily use the logos on the top 4 buttons are beginning to rub off. Mainly the 2 commonly used buttons and soon I suspect they will be completely gone. No chemicals have been anywhere the machine. It only gets cleaned with a soft cloth with water.So while the machine is very attractive and coffee quality isn't bad, the build quality leaves a little to be desired. I hope the fading buttons can be fixed under ... MoreBought this about 9 months ago and it works well. The coffee it makes is good but there aren't a lot of options to tweak things like temperature. The waste dispenser is tiny and the machine will endlessly claim the dispenser is full even if it isn't. Water reservoir is adequate as is the coffee bean reservoir. It is easy to clean.However, after 6 months of daily use the logos on the top 4 buttons are beginning to rub off. Mainly the 2 commonly used buttons and soon I suspect they will be completely gone. No chemicals have been anywhere the machine. It only gets cleaned with a soft cloth with water.So while the machine is very attractive and coffee quality isn't bad, the build quality leaves a little to be desired. I hope the fading buttons can be fixed under warranty.This isn't a cheap coffee machine and there are other better, more adjustable machines out there.

Quick and easy, but also a great coffee

Great automatic coffee maker, very little maintenance required. It’s nice being able to get away from pods and use your own beans, but also not take for ever to make a good cup of coffee. The heat up cycle is quick and I love the auto rinse when turning on and off the machine. The steam wand is pretty good, and quick to you use. The only down side is the steam wand when frothing milk, kind of gets milk remnants inside the wand, and it’s the only thing I make sure a give a more decent clean after each use to prevent having rotten milk left behind for the next use; definitely not a deal breaker for me, but does add a little time to the daily routine. The notices are great for when to empty the used coffee beans, which is after about 8 cups.

Review of SMEG BCC02RDMUK Bean to Cup Coffee Machine - Matte Red

Good Points: Lovely coffee at the touch of a button with excellent créma and super easy thick frothed milk. It has a good sized water container.There is a Quick Start Guide for different coffee drinks eg Ristretto and we laminated this and keep it handy. It was easy to adjust for a longer ordinary default coffee.I particularly like that you can empty the drip tray without disturbing the used coffee grinds.It is necessary to read the manual. After all this is a serious, expensive bean to cup coffee maker. It doesn’t print out words on a reader telling you what to do, you have to interpret the flashing light. But it’s not rocket science, just good coffee science, and worth taking time to follow cleaning guidance etc.Lastly, it looks super cool on the worktop.

The perfect cuppa

We are thrilled with this machine. The taste (and smell) of freshly ground beans can't be beaten. We replaced our old Caffitaly pod machine with this Smeg because, in part, we hated the waste of plastic pods. The Smeg gives us a proper caf-style coffee. There are a few elements to cleaning and calibrating the machine, so it's well worth spending 15 minutes with the manual. E.g. do the water hardness test (a strip is provided by Smeg) to make sure you're not descaling more often than necessary. And also take care to adjust the fineness of the grind by following the instructions. We have actually found cleaning up after a coffee to be straightforward ... you get into a routine very quickly. One final feature worth mentioning the light that comes on under the coffee ... MoreWe are thrilled with this machine. The taste (and smell) of freshly ground beans can't be beaten. We replaced our old Caffitaly pod machine with this Smeg because, in part, we hated the waste of plastic pods. The Smeg gives us a proper caf-style coffee. There are a few elements to cleaning and calibrating the machine, so it's well worth spending 15 minutes with the manual. E.g. do the water hardness test (a strip is provided by Smeg) to make sure you're not descaling more often than necessary. And also take care to adjust the fineness of the grind by following the instructions. We have actually found cleaning up after a coffee to be straightforward ... you get into a routine very quickly. One final feature worth mentioning the light that comes on under the coffee dispenser mechanism is very cool. Rapt with this purchase.

This is genuinely the worst piece of kitchen equipment

This looks beautiful and cute, However there is nothing else good about it.It is the most annoying, needy and unreliable thing I ever bought. It blocks easily, particularly the brewing unit. The angle of the base of the coffee holder at the top is low, so beans don't reliably flow into the grinder. The water holder is small and there is no warning to tell you you are running low. It requires regular descaling and will actually refuse to function if you don't do it. And most annoyingly of all, it's auto-off function kicks in precisely 30 seconds before I need my next coffee.