Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsThe details that I wanted to know - hopefully this helps you!
Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2024
Love this machine. Hopefully, these are the missing details you need - I was concerned about the answers to these questions, but, with the exception of the small water tank, I am very, very happy
Disclaimer: I only wanted a machine that made coffee without the waste of pods, not espresso.
1. Height: Yes, at 12.4 inches in height, it will probably fit under your kitchen cabinets. However, the absolute minimum you’ll need is just over 20 inches (and you’ll have to be extremely dexterous). Ideally you’d want 22 inches or more, because you will need to take the water tank out often (see pics). So either you need a spot with no cabinets, or, as another reviewer pointed out, you can buy the “Nifty medium appliance rolling tray”. This device allows you to slide the unit out very easily (by pressing down the button of the tray) to refill the water tank (which you will need to do often if you are buying this for “large coffee”). The nifty’s button gets covered by the drip tray of the Tchibo: voila! If you’re overly concerned with looks, then this tray may not be for you, but i definitely lean towards being an aesthete, and it looks fine to me (though i have just ordered the pure black one as the silver of the tray vs the chrome of the Tchibo is a bit bothersome!). I would not recommend buying this machine if you’re going to be bothered by the looks of the nifty tray AND you have to have it under a cabinet because, well, see #3. See photos for tank extraction and nifty appliance tray
2. Coffee size. I like my coffee black and want it to fill a regular mug, so I was wondering whether 8oz was enough liquid. At the end of the day, the size is just fine for a regular mug - I don’t feel as though I’m being short-changed
3. Water tank. This is laughably small and the most problematic issue. As above, I only use this machine for 8oz coffees. You could probably make three 8oz cups on one tank IF you make them all in a row. If you don’t, then the machine will send some water through for a self-clean after it has shut off after a few minutes. In this case, you can only make two 8oz cups before refilling, and, as others have pointed out, the machine will just stop midway. Why they include an optional expansion compartment for more coffee beans when the water tank makes less than 3 cups is one of life’s mysteries.
For me, neither 1, nor 3, are problems. If you are ok with the looks of the nifty rolling tray (and presumably there are better lookers out there too), and you only make a couple of cups a day, then it is no problem to slide out the unit nightly to refill the water tank (obviously, if you’re an espresso drinker then the water will last a lot longer).
What does the coffee taste like? It’s absolutely brilliant. Foam, and everything. All-in-all there are a few foibles, but as I wrote at the start, I am very, very happy!
