Melitta Caffeo Solo Milk
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Melitta Caffeo Solo Milk
Inexpensive, with a good balance of price and performance. Compact – works even in small kitchens. Easy to make very good espresso. Intuitive controls. Generally minimalist: No frills. The same brewing unit as expensive Melitta machines.
You only get milk foam with the “Perfect Milk” models. The lid on the water tank isn’t very sturdy. Everything is quite small: bean hopper, water tank, catch tray.
Note: The Melitta Caffeo Solo is only available in the UK.
Note: The Melitta Caffeo Solo is only available in the UK.
I have already tested and reviewed the larger Melitta automatic espresso machines. Now it’s the smallest one’s turn: The Melitta Caffeo Solo. This is a small, nice machine that stands out mainly because it is simple to use.
The Melita Caffeo Solo is the perfect automatic espresso machine for up to two coffee drinkers who don’t need milk foam. If you try to use it for more than two people, it will quickly seem too small.
Indeed, it is very nice and compact. However, that means the water tank, the bean hopper and the catch trays are also quite small.
Inexpensive, with good price-performance ratio
Everything is quite small: bean hopper / water tank / collection tray
Milk froth only possible with the "Perfect Milk" versions
If you want milk foam, there’s also a version of the Caffeo Solo that comes with a cappuccinatore milk frothing system. That model is a bit more expensive, but it’s still about £250 cheaper than the next class up within the Melitta line of automatic espresso machines. The model with a cappuccinatore comes in two colors (these models are labeled with the phrase “& Perfect Milk”). You can see the models with the milk foam system here on Amazon.
One of the most interesting things about this automatic espresso machine is its built-in technology. It is basically the same setup that you would find in more expensive models like the Melitta CI Touch. For example, the brewing unit is identical to the ones in more expensive Melitta machines. The brewing unit is removable, as is always the case with Melitta machines, which makes cleaning easy.
The only feature on this machine that hints at its inexpensive price is the lid on top of the water tank – it’s pretty cheap-feeling.
Pros and Cons of the Melitta Caffeo Solo
Watch my full review of the Melitta Caffeo Solo in the video below. I do have to apologize for the fact that the video is in German, because I shot the video for the German Coffeeness at the time.
There are six design variations of the Melitta Caffeo Solo, but all have the same features. Then there are also two models with the built-in cappuccinatore system, which can make milk foam. Those models are called “Melitta Caffeo Solo & Perfect Milk.” We will look at these after checking out the “normal” Caffeo Solo models.
Each color has its own serial number, but don’t let that confuse you. There are also bold-colored models – “charisma blue” and “chili red” – but they are harder to come by.
You can check out a comparison of the current prices of all models here on Amazon.
There are also Melitta Caffeo Solo models with a cappuccinatore, which is a milk foaming system. These models have a foamed milk jet and a tube on the right side of the machine. The tube can be inserted directly into a milk container. This works well, but it means you can’t make a drink with just one push of a button.
After making an espresso, you need to put the cup under the cappuccinatore (or vice-versa). The milk foam is as good as you get from expensive Melitta machines.
In other words, the process is more involved than it is with other Melitta automatic espresso machines. On the other hand, the Caffeo Solo & Perfect Milk is also less expensive than the other machines.
Setting up this machine was child’s play. When you get the Melitta Caffeo Solo, you can probably leave the manual in the box. You just need to fill up the water tank and the bean hopper. If you want to use a water filter, you will need to screw it into the tank. Just note that most Melitta models don’t come with a filter, so you will have to get one separately.
To start off, I recommend making a few toss-out espressos to get everything cleared out and running. Don’t be stingy here – I suggest using cheap coffee beans for the first few cycles and then later switching over to the good stuff. Later, I’ll talk about how I came to the right settings to make a good espresso.
By all means, though, have fun and try out different settings.
Package Contents: What’s in the box? Not a lot of extras. There’s no cleaning kit and no water filter. Actually, it just includes the manual and the water hardness testing strip. If you want more gadgets included, you will have to go with a more expensive model, or simply order them separately.
You can download a pdf of the user’s manual from the Melitta Website . The manual is complete and really well done. That’s not always the case.
You probably won’t need to get out the manual very often. It is very intuitive to use. There are no programmable elements, so you also won’t need to reset anything. So far, I have not found a way to determine the number of times you have used your machine.
The only setting that might change is the water hardness, at least if you use a filter. The factory default is set at a water hardness of “four,” which is hard. However, if you use a water filter, the machine will switch to a hardness setting of “one.” That means you will need to decalcify it less frequently.
As long as the machine is under warranty, I would avoid taking the Caffeo Solo apart because that will void the warranty. Plus, machines in this class generally aren’t made to be taken apart, anyhow.
For many coffee lovers, it’s important that their favorite cappuccino cup can fit under the spout. This machine has an adjustable spout that you can slide up and down. I included a few pictures here with a measuring tape.
The picture on the left shows the spout at its lowest height, and the right one at its highest point. The maximum height is 13.5 centimeters, or about 5.3 inches.
Those heights are relatively normal, and most cups should fit under the spout without any problem.
This machine has a simple, single-color LED display. The symbols are easy to understand. The little beans indicate how much ground coffee the machine will use. One bean is less, two beans is more, and three beans indicate the maximum amount.
When the power light is flashing, it indicates that the machine is heating up, and when the light is steady, the machine is ready to use. The dripping water faucet symbol indicates that the water tank is empty. You can find a key to all the symbols in the manual.
You will only be able to make milk froth with a Melitta Caffeo Solo if you get a “Perfect Milk” model. With this model, you can expect the machine’s cappuccinatore system to give you milk froth that is similar in quality to the fully automatic systems on other Melitta machines.
In terms of easy-to-use milk froth systems, a cappuccinatore is mid-range. You will need to make milk froth manually on machines with a steam wand, and fully automatic machines will let you do everything with a single push of a button. To use this cappuccinatore system, you will need to move the cup after you’ve made the espresso. In other words, it’s one more step than you would need with the Melitta Caffeo CI.
It is especially easy to make an espresso with the Melitta Caffeo Solo. There’s a dial on the left side where you can choose the amount of espresso to make. Simply turn it counter-clockwise as far as it goes – the machine will make the least amount of espresso and the minimum volume. That’s around 1 ounce, or 30 milliliters. Actually, a bit less would be better, but I was still happy with the taste.
Then you will need to adjust the grinder setting. The factory sets it to the coarsest level possible. Automatic espresso machines already tend to grind too coarsely, so it’s better to set it to a finer level. With any kind of grinder, it is always best to adjust the coarseness little by little, at least when you’re going finer. Otherwise, the grinder can get clogged. If that ever happens, though, just switch back to the coarsest setting.
So, move the grinder one setting finer and make an espresso. Then repeat the steps. I did this until I reached the finest level. However, coarseness can also be affected by the kind of espresso you use. Therefore, keep adjusting the coarseness until the espresso stops flowing out. Then it’s time to move it back up one notch to a coarser setting.
The Melitta Caffeo Solo is an automatic espresso machine with a stainless-steel conical grinder. That is generally the most commonly used grinder on automatic espresso machines.
You can find the grinder adjustment lever, as well as the brewing unit, behind the lid on the right side of the Melitta Caffeo Solo.
According to the product description, it has three possible settings. However, when I actually adjusted the grinder, it appeared to be infinitely variable between those settings. That is, at least I didn’t hear any troubling sounds emanating from the machine or any other indications that it was a problem.
The factory preset is the coarsest setting, which was too coarse for me. I adjusted it to the finest setting out of the three and got better espresso results with that setting. However, you should try it out for yourself to get to the optimal coarseness and amount of ground coffee you prefer. The important thing is to always adjust a little at a time – and that is especially true if you are adjusting it to a finer setting.
I suggest that you adjust it by one step at a time and then make an espresso. If that’s not quite right, then do one more step, and so on, until you get it just right. If the espresso stops flowing out or spurts out of the spout, then the grinder setting is too fine. However, that never happened to me in this test, even though I got to the finest setting.
The power button turns the machine off and on. Before you try to remove the brewing unit, it’s important to always turn off the Melitta Caffeo Solo using the main switch. This will prevent the brewing unit from getting stuck.
On the left side of the machine (in the photo on the right), you can see the dial that lets you adjust the amount of brewed coffee. To make an espresso, I turned it all the way to the left, which gave me the smallest amount.
This dial lets you choose between about 1 and 7.5 ounces (30 to 220 milliliters) of coffee. If you need more coffee, you can simply press the button with two cups, which will then let you choose between 2 and 15 ounces (60 to 440 milliliters).
It’s simple to adjust your drinks with the Melitta Caffeo Solo. The buttons in the picture below let you choose one cup or two cups, and the third button with the bean on it adjusts the amount of coffee used. You can see on the display how many beans you’ve selected. (Don’t be fooled – the upside-down buttons are just the same buttons reflected in the spout’s metal.)
Overall, the Melitta Caffeo is really a nice, slim machine that should fit into most kitchens. However, this also means that its parts are also small. It has a 40-ounce (1.2 liter) water tank, a 4.4-ounce (125-gram) bean hopper, and a small catch tray. I would say that the machine can reasonably work for just one or two coffee drinkers.
The Caffeo Solo doesn’t have an external compartment for pre-ground coffee. Although this may seem like a drawback at first glance, I think that it’s actually an advantage. I always advise against using these compartments with automatic espresso machines. They usually don’t work well, and they are difficult or even impossible to clean well.
There’s a lot of humidity inside the machine’s case, which holds the grinder and the brewing unit. If you add a compartment for pre-ground coffee, the coffee will tend to get stuck on the compartment’s sides. Plus, using pre-ground coffee negates one of the best things about an automatic espresso machine: it grinds your coffee fresh every time. So, I don’t think it’s a problem that it doesn’t have a compartment, because I wouldn’t use it anyhow!
The bean hopper can hold about 4.4 ounces (125 grams) of espresso beans. That is a small hopper, but I think it’s enough for this machine. In any case, I usually try to leave as much of the beans as I can in the original bag because the beans will stay fresher there. The point isn’t to fill the machine with tons of coffee beans.
The lid on top of the bean hopper is a bit cheap-looking, but it does its job. It’s just part of being in the low price class.
Cleaning is an important aspect of owning any automatic espresso machine. You will only get tasty coffee if you take good care of your machine. Regular cleaning will also significantly extend the lifespan of your Melitta Caffeo Solo. You will always hear horror stories of lime deposits and mold, but if you take good care of your machine, you won’t have to worry about them.
You should definitely run the cleaning program regularly. The Melitta Caffeo Solo takes care of normal rinsing by itself, but you need to run the more thorough cleaning programs. In addition to the regularly-scheduled cleaning that the machine needs, I would also recommend running the programs before you go on a trip. You should also remove the brewing unit and store it outside of the machine while you are gone.
You can buy original “Perfect Clean” tablets here on Amazon. Unfortunately, the machine doesn’t come with any.
You can screw a Claris water filter cartridge into the water tank of the Melitta Caffeo Solo. These don’t come with the machine, either, but you can buy some from Amazon. The cartridges should last around three months, depending on your use. You should just consider them a recurring expense.
What’s the point of using water filters? It’s simple: They reduce the hardness of the water, which in turn reduces the water’s calcium content. If you use a water filter, you will have to decalcify your Caffeo Solo less frequently. The harder your water, the more important it is to have a filter.
Of course, you can also use the Melitta Caffeo Solo without a water filter, but then you will need to decalcify more frequently. You can test your water’s hardness with a testing strip. There’s one included in the box with the Caffeo Solo.
Here you can see the somewhat flimsy water tank lid. I would prefer that it be a bit better-built, but I will have to chalk it up to the low price class. The water tank is easy to remove. You can then simply take it to and from the water faucet.
The Melitta Caffeo Solo has a catch tray and a drip tray, but they are small. There is a stainless-steel grate with a red floating gauge that indicates the water level inside. All the parts are easy to remove and clean.
I would avoid using the dishwasher to clean them, though, and simply wash everything out with running water. This is better for the materials. Plus, there’s nothing worse than getting coffee residue in your dishwasher – it’s a huge pain to get out.
The grate and the warming tray for cups are nice and shiny, but they get scratched easily. Cups’ porcelain bottoms unfortunately tend to scratch up these surfaces – and that’s true whether you spend £200 or £2,000 for your machine.
Melitta gives the following recommendation:
We recommend cleaning the brewing unit once per week.
Personally, I would do it a bit more often. Simply think of how long you would use your coffee mugs without washing them out – not too long, right? That is also why I rinse out the brewing unit with running water every day that I use the machine. Then I dry it and put it back in. However, please don’t use any cleaning products.
The brewing unit is identical to the ones you will find in the expensive Melitta automatic espresso machines. (Here you can find my review of the Melitta Caffeo CI .) The red button will release the slider. Slide the unit up and to the left to remove it.
A removable brewing unit has some advantages. If it breaks, you can simply replace the unit. You can even buy a replacement one on Amazon. You can therefore replace the “heart” of your Melitta Caffeo Solo if you have a major problem. Also, you may just need to replace some of the seals after a few years.
However, the biggest advantage of a removable brewing unit is that it is certainly more hygienic.
If you are struggling to put the unit back into the machine, check to ensure that the lever is raised and that you have turned off the Melitta Caffeo Solo by using the front switch. This helps avoid jams. In some cases, you may need to grease the movable parts, but that is something you should need to do just once a year, tops.
I gave this machine a good rating. The Melitta Caffeo Solo knows how to do what it needs to do. It is small and can make coffee and espresso. “Perfect Milk” models are also the least expensive Melitta machines that have milk froth systems.
The test machine, which didn’t have a cappuccinatore, is mostly aimed at purists who don’t care about milk, or at buyers who already have a separate milk frother.
Inexpensive, with good price-performance ratio
Everything is quite small: bean hopper / water tank / collection tray
Milk froth only possible with the "Perfect Milk" versions
The Melitta Caffeo Solo is definitely not meant for large families. It is a machine for one or two people at the most. Its smaller size also means that it also fits well in smaller kitchens.
This automatic espresso machine contains the same technology that you will find in Melitta’s expensive machines, which makes it a good option for people looking to save some money.
This machine is comfortable and easy to handle and use. You can do almost everything without even needing to look at the manual. Even cleaning by hand is easy, which is something that I always think is important.
For its price class, the Melitta Caffeo Solo is also quiet. However, that doesn’t mean it is super quiet, though. Machines like the Siemens EQ.6 are noticeably quieter, but they also cost twice as much. Automatic espresso machines from DeLonghi in this price class are louder.
We’ll see each other in the comment section down below!
Love your blog! Thanks for all the information and work you put into this. I think you are the perfect source to guide me through a new machine. I can not decide between options. I am considering Melitta Caffeo Passıone Ot, Siemens EQ9 and maybe a DeLonghi that I don’t know any model yet. These two pretty much have the same price too. The only brand I don’t want to buy is Philips anything else is fine. I usually drink anything from very strong dark coffees to mild and soft lattes depending on my mood so I need something with many coffee options. The two machines I wrote above both have 10 or more coffee making options. I read that Melitta is the only one that can actually make hot coffee when you use a milk from the fridge which realistically all the time will be but it shares the same internals with Philips, Saeco and Gaggia and it is very hard to maintain. Siemens’ milk unit is not powerful enough to create good foam. Siemens and DeLonghi use their own internals and biggest advantage of DeLonghi is the steel filter rather than the plastic on the other brands. But these are all information on the internet and I seriously don’t know if any of this is correct. So here I am 🙂 Guide me masters. What would you recommend? Which direction should I go? I can not get any Jura(or at least any that makes more than an espresso) since my budget is €700 tops.
Hey there Cagri, thank you for your kind comment! Let’s see if we can guide you through this, we’re sure we can 😉 Seeing your budget we would strongly recommend one of our all-time favourites: DeLonghi Dinamica ECAM 350.55.B . It does everything you need and does it best in it’s price range. Sure, it does not come with the build quality of a Siemens but it is made of nice materials nevertheless. So no worries about that. Also, like you stated, the cleaning process is very straightforward and easy to do daily (which we can’t recommend enough). We are most certain, that you will not regret getting one of those DeLonghi machines. Oh, did we mention the outstanding coffee quality that is coming out of this thing? Now we did. Let us know how you decided. Team Coffeeness.
Hi there! I LOVE your blog, but I’m kind of stuck and was wondering if you could help me! I want an super automatic espresso machine, mainly to drink strong, full bodied and with good crema espressos (No milk, no americanos). I know I’m better off with manual espressos machines, but I would be ok not having the hassle.
I was thinking either the Melitta Caffeo Solo and the Philips EP2220 (Machines under 350€), what do you think?
Thanks for your comment :). Both machines are pretty good. Also consider the DeLonghi ECAM 22.110.B. Greetings Team Coffeeness
Hay. I have Gaggia Breda and I saw Melitta Solo 950 . What is better? I don’t do in the Gaggia milk, To buy the Melitta instead the Berra? Thank you
thank you for your comment. Unfortunately we never tested the Gaggia Brera and we have no experience with it. Therefore we can only recommend the Melitta Caffeo Solo. That is a minimalistic and easy machine that creates excellent Espresso and coffee.
Hi! Great review. Would you say that the Melitta Caffeo Solo makes better espresso than the Melitta Caffeo Solo & Perfect Milk ? Or is that the same? My wife and I drink coffee without milk 9/10 times, so we are unsure of which one to buy.
I guess there could be a bit more maintenance with the Melitta Caffeo Solo & Perfect Milk since it has more functions?
thanks for your comment and your kind words :). Those machines are exactly the same. The only difference is the milk frothing system. But that doesn’t mean there are any additional settings for the espresso. As an alternative, have a look at the newer model: Melitta Purista. Greetings Team Coffeeness
Thanks for doing these reviews and even trying to have them in various languages. It was thanks to you that I’ve decided to purchase the Melitta Caffeo Solo. I’ve been wanting to purchase an automatic coffee maker for quite a while now but always struggled to understand what would be the best choice for my budget. Anyway, I have two questions about the Melitta Caffeo Solo that you might be able to clarify.
1. Do you have any idea of the quantity of coffee each setting grinds? I’ve been unable to find that information anywhere. I feel like the highest setting is grinding around 20g of coffee, which is a lot. I’ve weighed the coffee grounds after making a coffee with each setting but the values vary and so I’m not sure about my finding. A regular espresso should be around 7/8g, right?
2. I’ve found that the Melitta uses a lot of water. I know the tray is small but I feel like it wastes a lot of water. Even after taking only 3 or 4 espressos, I find the tray quite full. This has been worrying me. In your experience, is this normal? Do these machines naturally use this much water in order to produce a good espresso or did purchase a faulty machine?
Again, thanks a lot for your website and valuable information.
My regards to all of Team Coffeeness.
thank you very much for your comment and your kind words :).
1. Not really. Yes the coffee for 1 espresso shot should be 7-8grams. But it can differ a bit in the superautomatic espresso machine.
2. That’s pretty normal, because all the new machines do alot of cleaning. So alot water will go through the pipes and end up in the tray.
Hi, I decided to ask You if You don’t mind? We are drinking only black coffee, longer in every morning and 3 times a day espresso. Everything without milk. It is hard to make good decision i found Melitta Purista, but also thinking about Jura Piano A1. Which will be better for black coffee? Nowday we are using simple DeLonghi DL Dedica EC685M but looking for mor automatic machine. What do You think? Regards, Izabela
thanks for your comment. The best automatic espresso machine that focuses on only black coffee and espresso with a fair price is the Melitta Purista (Our opinion). So we recommend the Purista clearly. Greetings Team Coffeeness
Hello Arne, Thank you for your reviews, they are extremely helpful. I am lookin to buy an entry level automatic machine that can make good espresso and cappuccino /caffe late. In the end (and thanks to your reviews) I have narrowed the choice to Melitta Caffeo Solo Perfect Milk and DeLonghi ECAM 23.120 that I found for almost the same price.
Melitta has an obvious advantage when it comes to milk drinks, but DeLonghi seem to have better user ratings.
What would be your recommendation, especially regarding the quality of the coffee and reliability of the device?
thanks for your comment and your nice words :). We would recommend the DeLonghi. You get the better package. The big advantage of the Melitta is the usability and the puristic design. Greetings Team Coffeeness
Dear Coffeeness team, Thank you for the swift reply! Before your answer, I was more inclined toward Melitta Caffeo Solo Perfect Milk (because of capuccinatore an the looks), but there are always things that cannot be seen in pictures and device specifications. That is where the experince of your team comes into play.
Thank you very much once more and keep up the great work! Best regards, Drago
Hi! Nice review. Between the Melitta en the DeLonghi Magnifica, Which one would you choose? Thanks!
thanks for your comment. That depends :). The Melitta is the better choice if you don’t or hardly drink cappuccino and everything with milk. It also looks a bit better in our opinion and you can operate the Melitta a bit easier. Both of them do a great espresso for the price. If you want the all in one package then get the DeLonghi if you want it more puristic get the Melitta. Greetings Team Coffeeness
Hello, Thank you very much for your reviews and great work! This review really made the Melitta Solo tempting for me, but I have a question please. For almost the same price, what would you recommend: the Solo or Siemens EQ3 s300? For someone who is living alone and would drink one or two cups of coffee daily. What is important for me is robustness, for the milk options, it’s nice to have but not necessary as I could get an additional device separately if this means less probability of issues for the machine. Thank you very much again!
thanky you for the comment. If you can get the Siemens for the same price then we would recommend to take the Siemens. Greetings Team Coffeeness
Hello dear visitors to my coffee blog. My name is Arne and I started writing about coffee in 2008 on the Barista blog. Originally, this website was completely in German. Due to the many requests, I have now started to translate some parts for you into English.
My English is not perfect! There are certainly some mistakes and some German specific details.
Still, I hope you enjoy reading and I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
In order to provide optimum functionality, Coffeeness uses cookies. The details about how your data is collected and used are explained in our Privacy Policy .
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Home » Reviews » Melitta E953-102 Caffeo Solo & Milk Review
Melitta E953-102 Caffeo Solo and Milk
This review is of the Melitta E953-102 Solo & Milk, which is the silver model. There is also a black version with the product code E953-101. Both machines have the same features other than a different colour scheme.
Melitta E953-102 Caffeo Solo and Milk
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Welcome! My name is Ryan Austin, author and founder of BeanToCupCoffee.co.uk. I've created this site to help you choose the best bean-to-cup coffee machine for your budget - and to avoid poor quality products. To get started, click the reviews section or read more about the site here .
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The Melitta-E953-102 Caffeo Milk and Solo is a solid bean-to-cup coffee machine. It's simple to use and can produce excellent espresso despite its compact design. It also comes with a milk frothing wand, although this takes some practice to use correctly.
But how does the espresso taste? Is it straightforward to use and clean? And does the Caffeo provide the same quality and durability as other machines in its price bracket?
Keep reading our Melitta Caffeo Solo & Milk review to find out! You can also view all our bean-to-cup coffee machine reviews .
With dimensions of 20 x 32.5 x 45.5 cm (WxHxD), the Caffeo Solo & Milk can r easonably claim to be a compact bean-to-cup coffee machine . It’s also an attractive appliance, with a simple silver colour scheme and professional-style appearance. This certainly isn’t a machine that’s going to ruin your kitchen’s decor.
The control panel is easy to use. There are two dials – one for drink amount and the other for the steam arm – along with a straightforward LED display. While the model might lack the advanced features of more expensive machines, its simplicity is an advantage if you just want to quickly make fresh coffee.
On the inside, the Caffeo has a 1.2 litre capacity. This is enough for roughly 10 cups of espresso before needing to be refilled. It brews using a 15 bar pump, which is standard for a bean-to-cup machine, and everything is fully automatic. That means you don’t need to worry about tamping or grinding – just add water and beans, choose your settings and press start.
The Caffeo comes with a pre-brewing function. This pours water over the coffee before the actual brewing process, causing extra taste to be released and maximising flavour.
As you can tell from the photos, the E953-102 has two spouts . This allows you to brew two cups of coffee at the same time. If you and your partner enjoy drinking coffee together, a two spout machine is essential – otherwise the first cup is likely to go cold while brewing the second.
Like most bean-to-cup coffee machines, the stainless steel grinder has settings for grind coarseness. In this case, however, there are only three options, which is less than other machines. The Caffeo includes automatic quality control for grinding though , which should improve the consistency of your coffee (at least in theory).
There are several settings for adjusting the espresso to your personal tastes. Three strength options are included, and there’s also the option of adjusting the temperature of the coffee.
We like that there there’s a dial for adjusting the drink quantity. This gives you greater control over the output, ranging from 30ml to 220ml, instead of just choosing between two or three presets. 220ml is also enough for a “real” coffee – so you’re not stuck with small espresso cups.
A downside is there isn’t the option to use ground coffee instead of beans . This might not sound like a drawback for a bean-to-cup coffee machine, but means you can’t use decaf or try different blends.
It might take a few tries to produce espresso to match your taste, but the Caffeo Solo is capable of producing excellent coffee . In fact, people have compared the quality of the espresso to coffee from cafes.
The Caffeo Solo and Milk comes with a manual milk frothing nozzle that’s controlled via a simple dial . This allows you to produce warm and frothy milk for cappuccino or latte. Like all manual nozzles, this takes some practice to get right as there isn’t an automatic frothing mode, but allows you to produce a wider range of drinks than an espresso-only machine.
However, it’s never going to match the consistency of an automatic cappuccino maker. There are also reports that the end result is often too watered down once properly frothed. Even so, the Caffeo is capable of producing a tasty cappuccino or latte once you get the hang of it.
The machine can also produce Americano.
If you’ve ever bought an appliance that’s difficult to clean, you know how quickly this can sap the enjoyment out of using it. This is especially true with coffee machines – they are likely to quickly become unused if the cleaning process is long and complicated.
Fortunately, the Melitta Caffeo and Solo is a relatively simple machine, so it doesn’t require too much maintenance.
Like most bean-to-cup models, there are several cleaning programmes. The first is a simple automatic cleaning option. There’s also an automatic descaling programme that should be run every few months. This programme makes removing limescale easy, but you’ll need to follow the instructions closely as the process can be quite involved.
The brewing chamber can be removed for cleaning. Melitta recommends just rinsing this under a tap and wiping with a damp cloth. The drip tray is also easy to remove for rinsing.
Energy efficiency is easy to overlook when buying a bean-to-cup coffee machine – but it can have a big effect on the long-term cost (especially if you’re a heavy coffee drinker!) At peak power, the machine uses 1400W, which is considerably more than the average microwave. Fortunately, it doesn’t use this amount of power for long periods.
The E953-102 also comes with a 0-Watt switch , which effectively disconnects the machine without having to unplug it from the mains. An added bonus is that settings are still stored when using this button. You can also program the coffee machine to switch off or on at a set time to save energy.
With an RRP that’s at the lower end of our “Mid-Range” price bracket, we think the Melitta E953-102 Solo and Milk provides great value for money . It’s simple to use, has a milk frothing arm and, most importantly, produces excellent espresso. While it doesn’t have an automatic milk frothing function, we wouldn’t expect it from a model in this price range.
Aside from the manual steam arm, the model doesn’t include any other attachments for milk. If you want more attachments for milk, the company’s [easyazon_link identifier=”B00B20P4P8″ locale=”UK” tag=”beantocupcof-21″]Perfect Milk coffee machine[/easyazon_link] may be the better choice. This includes an integrated cappuccino maker.
There are two colours available: silver (E953-102) and black (E953-101.) Both options have identical features – the only difference is the colour scheme.
The Melitta Melitta E953-102 Caffeo Solo and Milk is a compact model that won’t take up too much room in the kitchen. It’s also capable of automatically producing excellent espresso from beans , while providing a variety of options for coffee strength, temperature and quantity. The steam milk frothing arm also allows you to make lattes and cappuccinos.
There are a few drawbacks though. It doesn’t have the option of using pre-ground coffee, so you can’t use the machine to make decaf. The descaling programme is also quite involved, although you’ll only need to run it every few months.
Despite these minor problems, the Caffeo Solo and Milk is an excellent bean-to-cup coffee machine that provides great value. If you’re looking for a 2-cup model that’s relatively small, easy to use and can produce tasty espresso without spending too much money, it’s definitely an option to consider.
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