I can run my entire life through my smartphone, I’ve got an air fryer that’s also a microwave, and my car can even manage my appointments and host conference calls. So why was I persevering with a filter coffee machine and grinding my own beans? Melitta has solved that problem by combining the two in the AromaFresh II coffee machine.
Instant coffee is, at best, fine — I’ll admit there’s some half-decent instant out there now — but nothing gets me going in the morning like a fresh filter coffee. But the grind of, well, grinding the beans means I’ll often skip that step and use off-the-shelf pre-ground coffee. It’s a lot better than instant, but still not quite as good as freshly ground beans.
The Melitta AromaFresh II coffee machine allows me to use both, depending on my mood. From the base up, it’s a regular filter coffee machine, with a glass jug sitting beneath a funnel that you can fill with suitable filter paper and ground coffee. A tank on the right supplies hot water that runs through the coffee and drips into the jug below.
Sitting above all of that is a neatly integrated ceramic-bladed grinder. Fill this with fresh coffee beans, and the machine will grind the perfect amount of coffee for your morning brew.
How does it know what your perfect brew is? Thanks to the magic of a digital panel, a dial and some buttons, you can set the machine to create a blend precisely as you like it. At the top, you can choose from 11 different grinding fineness settings, from fine to coarse. What you choose makes a huge difference to the end product, as beans that are ground too coarsely will lead to a weak drink, while over-ground beans will taste bitter. Trial and error for your favoured beans will soon get you to the right setting.
Or you can avoid the faff and simply put some pre-ground filter coffee into the hopper below, knowing that the flavour will be consistent, if not quite as good as the real thing.
You’ll also need to tell the machine how much coffee you want and how strong you like it. Three strengths and 10 volume choices mean you’ll always be able to set the machine to the perfect combination, although you’ll need to work out how many cups you really need unless you like small portions.
Press start, and it does its thing. As you might expect, the grinder is rather noisy, but once it’s created the grounds, it’s a pleasingly quiet system. Skip the grinding and use ground coffee, and it’s nearly silent.
The water bubbles away, with no hint that it’s being heated as it makes its way to the top of the machine, before running through the coffee grounds and being filtered by the paper filter cone.
Finally, it starts dripping into the jug just a minute or so after starting. A hotplate keeps the coffee at the perfect temperature — staying hot for 40 minutes unless you programme it otherwise — but you don’t have to wait for it to fill before pouring a cup. A special anti-drip device means you can effectively pause the filter for a moment without having fresh coffee spewing over your counter.
Cleaning up is easy, with the jug, lid and filter insert all dishwasher safe. Every now and then, you’ll need to get the included brush and swish it around the grinder and chute, but it’s an easy task. Descaling the machine is no effort, thanks to a specific descaling programme.
How’s the Coffee?
With 33 combinations of grind and strength, you should be able to find the perfect setting for your tastes, which means you should always get a near-perfect cup of coffee. You’ll need to experiment — some beans require a finer grind, others benefit from something a bit rougher — but you’ve got all the tools you need in one place to make it work.
It’s pretty quick, too, with fresh coffee filtering into the jug within a minute or two. And, thanks to that non-drip valve, you can pour yourself a cup before the machine has finished working its way through the rest of your brew.
Any Downsides?
It’s quite tall, so while it can sit underneath a kitchen cabinet, it can leave space above a little tight, making adding beans a little more complicated than it could be. We’re also now entirely keen on the all-black design. Combined with its height, it creates a bit of a dark block in the corner of a bright kitchen, but your own aesthetics might well mean it fits in perfectly. It’s also not suitable for those who like a latte in the morning, as you’re limited to plain black coffee.
Melitta AromaFresh II Coffee Machine: The Verdict
Yes, that’s it for downsides, reinforcing the fact that the Melitta AromaFresh II coffee machine is a fine piece of equipment. The ceramic grinder is as good as you’ll find in any dedicated device, and the filter for pre-ground coffee means there’s no problem if you’ve run out of fresh beans.
The ability to fine-tune the brew ensures the perfect cup of coffee every single time. With the built-in timer, that could be just as you walk into the kitchen in the morning, a fresh brew waiting for you. That’s worth the money on its own.
An asking price, as this is published, of £235 seems like impressive value for money
for a machine so capable. It gets our seal of approval.
