Professional’s Score
Execs
- Grinds espresso beans
- Washable, reusable filters
- Appropriate with pre-ground espresso
- Giant water tank
Cons
- No milk frothing
- May be messy
- Can’t alter espresso or water volumes
Our Verdict
There’s so much to like about Cuisinart’s espresso maker for one. It does away with messy, wasteful filter papers and, because it doesn’t make extra espresso than you need, there’s no decline in flavour as you may expertise when maintaining a carafe of espresso scorching. There are some drawbacks in relation to flexibility and design, but it surely looks like a step in the correct path for lengthy black espresso devotees searching for a extra eco-friendly answer.
For those who’re within the US, this espresso machine known as the Cuisinart Single Serve Espresso Maker & Espresso Grinder. Its UK title is the Cuisinart One Cup Grind and Brew Espresso Maker. It’s the identical equipment – however as you’ll see, its US worth makes it a way more enticing buy.
Espresso isn’t for everybody: many like their espresso lengthy, scorching and fuss-free. Nevertheless, when you stay solo or are the one one in a family who drinks it, making an entire pot of filter espresso may be at finest, a chore, and at worst, wasteful. Enter this Cuisinart: a filter espresso machine that makes a single cup at a time, with a pair of washable, reusable filters (so no want for paper filters), and a alternative of three cup sizes. Even higher, it contains its personal grinder, so you may make the freshest cup attainable straight from the bean.
Rachel Ogden / Foundry
Design & Construct
- 100g bean hopper
- Chrome steel conical burr grinder
- 1.35 litre water tank
If area in your worktop is at a premium, there’s excellent news: the Cuisinart One Cup Grind and Brew Espresso Maker gained’t take up an excessive amount of of it. It’s a slim 18.4 x 28 x 32.2cm (11.02 x 7.28 x 12.67in), that means that it could tuck right into a nook or on the again, beneath items, and at 3.6kg (7.9lbs), it’s simply moved round.
Successfully, it’s a machine of two halves. The left aspect of the machine offers with the grinding, that includes a 100g/3.5oz espresso bean hopper geared up with a stainless-steel conical burr grinder that twists in on the backside. Under that may be a holder for one of many two reusable filter pods, so floor espresso may be distributed instantly into them.
Rachel Ogden / Foundry
The fitting aspect handles the brewing: as soon as a reusable filter pod is stuffed with floor espresso as much as 15-20g, it’s merely sealed and popped into the brewing head. Because of this you should utilize it simply as a grinder, or bypass the grinding altogether: there’s a scoop included (with a brush at one finish for cleansing the machine) so you’ll be able to fill a filter pod with pre-ground espresso.
Rachel Ogden / Foundry
On the again, there’s a beneficiant 1.35-litre water tank. This may deal with as much as 4-5 cups of espresso, and may be eliminated for filling or stuffed in-situ – nice when you’re working out of water mid-cup. There are some intelligent options which are much less apparent too, together with that the drip tray may be eliminated to accommodate taller vessels, comparable to journey cups, and hid storage on the aspect for the filter pod that isn’t in use.
Rachel Ogden / Foundry
Efficiency & Options
- Restricted choices for tailoring espresso
- Three cup sizes: 120ml, 210ml and 300ml
- May be messy, particularly with smaller cups
Whereas the Cuisinart One Cup Grind and Brew Espresso Maker packs in additional flexibility than your common drip espresso maker, its controls are fundamental in comparison with a typical pod machine. They’re restricted to only 5 buttons: on/off, grind and three cup sizes: 120ml, 210ml and 300ml.
Rachel Ogden / Foundry
Notably, you’ll be able to’t alter any of those. There’s no possibility for rising the medium cup dimension by 20ml for instance, including extra water after brewing, or altering the quantity of espresso that’s floor – the identical quantity is distributed whether or not you’re making the 120ml cup or the 300ml one. If that proves to be an excessive amount of floor espresso, you’ll be able to take some out earlier than brewing however it could make extra sense to not grind that a lot within the first place.
As well as, the bean hopper is fastened to the machine, so when you fancy a change, you’ll need to grind your approach by what’s in there or awkwardly scoop out what you’ll be able to, quite than with the ability to tip the beans out. Eradicating the burr grinder is another choice however beans will cascade out.
Limitations apart, the Cuisinart One Cup Grind and Brew Espresso Maker makes reliably good espresso. I used it instead of my standard espresso machine for a few weeks, and stuffed it with the identical beans. The espresso it made with them was distinctly milder, however retained an analogous flavour, particularly when brewed as a 120ml cup dimension. It was distributed at a reasonably constant 80°C/176°F. Most significantly, there was no bitterness, which might happen with some filter espresso, and no residue on the backside of the cup.
I preferred that the drip tray made area for taller cups, however there isn’t the choice to lift it for smaller cups, and the brew head can’t be lowered. This meant that when brewing into low cups, there would at all times be splashes left behind on the worktop. These joined the grounds left by espresso grinding: nevertheless onerous I attempted, there was at all times some mess, though most of it ended up on the drip tray.
It was additionally sooner to brew than drip espresso machines. Whereas it took a couple of seconds to begin brewing, even the biggest cup dimension completed in lower than 30 seconds. Plus, the whole lot that may be eliminated is dishwasher protected apart from the grinder, and there’s a three-year assure.
Value & Availability
Within the US, the Cuisinart Single Serve Espresso Maker and Espresso Grinder is offered for $149.95, from Amazon and for $154.95 from Walmart. It’s not low-cost but it surely’s a significantly higher worth than within the UK, the place it prices £248.95 from Amazon, amongst different retailers.
This makes it a particularly dear possibility the place filter espresso makers are involved. But it surely doesn’t intention to be a budget-friendly purchase and when you’re after a top quality machine for lengthy coffees, it would simply swimsuit you. For extra espresso machine choices, take a look at our round-up of the most effective espresso machines we’ve examined, and for fast and simple espresso making, take a look at our advisable pod espresso machines.
Do you have to purchase the Cuisinart Single Serve/ One Cup Espresso Maker?
Make no mistake, the Cuisinart Single Serve/One Cup Grind and Brew Espresso Maker shouldn’t be for the latte lovers of this world. As an alternative, it’s aimed squarely at those that prize a great cup of filter espresso, free from bitterness, and with out the dedication to maintain shopping for single-use filter papers. There’s loads that’s been effectively thought-out – a good-sized water tank, ease of cleansing the reusable pods, and even storage.
Nevertheless, what’s been ignored is the choice to have your espresso simply the best way you prefer it: at this worth level, the flexibility so as to add extra water, grind much less for smaller cups, or alter the distributed dimension ought to be there. For those who don’t thoughts that quantities are set in stone, and all that’s required is scorching, black and clean, with a decrease eco affect, this one-cup surprise ought to give you the results you want.