Miele CM 6350 Review: A Timeless Classic

Chances are, you’re reading this Miele CM 6350 review because you’re looking for a solid, well performing machine that’ll stand the test of time. If that’s the case, your search may be over. As it happens, I’ve spent a lot of time testing out the Miele CM 6350.

I’m happy to report that the CM 6350 quickly earned its place among my all time favorite automatic coffee makers. I also happen to think the machine’s $2,099.00 price tag is entirely reasonable, given its quality build and excellent performance. Let’s jump right into this Miele CM 6350 review by checking out what we’re dealing with.

Still current

Miele CM 6350

A High-Quality Miele Machine

Very easy to clean

Looks great

Well Built

Easy to use

Works quickly and quietly

No water filter option

CHECK PRICE

Miele CM 6350 Review Overview

Released in 2014, the Miele CM 6350 was the German manufacturer’s flagship coffee machine. That’s all changed with the introduction of the astonishing Miele CM 7750. However, I think the longevity of the CM 6350 is testament to how well conceived this espresso machine is.

Regular Coffeeness readers will know how much I admire Miele’s unwillingness to compromise when it comes to design. The manufacturer has perfected a streamlined, minimalist aesthetic, and has been producing countertop coffee machines with the same boxy, understated look for years. Some might accuse Miele of lagging behind in the design department. Still, I say “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

The Miele CM 6350’s large user interface dominates the front of the machine. Although many of you might be put off by the fact that this isn’t a touchscreen, I can tell you that the user interface is remarkably intuitive. Honestly, the touch buttons and text display make it easy to navigate the drink menus and I didn’t miss having a touchscreen whatsoever.

Up top, you’ll find access to the generous 10.6 ounce (300 gram) coffee bean container. There’s also an awesome actively heated cup warmer on top of the machine, which I’m always happy to see. There’s just nothing better than making coffee in preheated espresso cups!

The Miele CM 6350 is actually quite a compact coffee machine, making it ideal for those with limited counter space. That said, accessing the removable water tank and coffee bean hopper could be challenging if you have overhead cabinets. Overall, though, I’d say the Miele will make a stylish addition to any kitchen.

Miele CM 6350 Features

You’ll be relieved to hear that Miele didn’t just make an espresso machine that’ll make your kitchen look good. In fact, this beauty is packed with awesome features that make it stand out from the crowd. Let’s continue this Miele CM 6350 review by taking a closer look at what’s on offer.

Colors

Compared to other manufacturers, Miele tends to keep a low profile, flying under the radar while consistently producing excellent machines. Still, the design team just couldn’t help itself when dreaming up color choices for the CM 6350. You can choose from flamboyant sounding options like Obsidian Black, Lotus White and Graphite Gray. However, bear in mind that you might end up paying more for colors that are in higher demand.

User Interface

I already mentioned the CM 6350’s large user interface and how you can forget about a touchscreen and fancy color drink icons. That said, I was pretty blown away by the well lit LED screen and the well laid out controls during my Miele CM 6350 review.

In fact, I was easily able to navigate the menus using the capacitive buttons and didn’t need to consult the user manual even once. I call that a big win for Miele!

At this point I should probably mention the absence of an app. After all, I know that many of you like the option of being able to make a cappuccino from the other room. If this is a deal breaker, may I gently point you in  the direction of the Miele CM 6360, which is equipped with Miele’s WiFi Conn@ct.

Stainless Steel Grinder

This Miele countertop coffee machine comes equipped with a durable stainless steel conical burr grinder. I have to say this is one of the quietest grinders I’ve come across, which is quite the achievement. The grinder adjustment dial is located under the service panel on the side of the machine, offering five grind levels.

That might not sound like much, but I was able to get great results. Incidentally, don’t forget to only make adjustments with the grinder running. That way you won’t damage your new baby!

Ground Coffee Bypass

The  Miele CM 6350’s ground coffee chute allows you to bypass the grinder altogether and use pre ground coffee instead. I guess this is a good feature to have if you enjoy the occasional decaf coffee.

Still, in my experience you’ll have a hard time getting decent results. For starters, the ground coffee tends to get clogged in the bypass doser because of the machine’s high humidity. Also, pre ground coffee is usually either too fine or too coarse for a super automatic espresso machine.

Milk Froth

I’m consistently impressed by the milk foam quality I get from Miele machines, and the CM 6350 was no exception. The machine features a milk frothing system integrated into the main dispenser, which uses a tube to draw milk from the included milk carafe.

By the way, the stainless steel milk carafe has been designed to keep milk at the optimal temperature for frothing. Although the milk froth might not be quite hot enough for some of you, I found it to be ideal for milk based espresso drinks. Plus, this thing works really quickly and efficiently.

Specialty Drinks

In my humble opinion, things have gotten a little out of hand. I’m talking about automatic coffee makers that list upwards of 20 specialty coffee drinks on their menus. That’s why it’s refreshing to test a machine with only eight pre programmed drinks on board.

Sure, this might seem a little on the low side. However, thanks to the Miele’s superb programmability, you’re able to create pretty much any specialty drink you can think of.

I enjoyed playing around with the strength, temperature and pre infusion settings, each of which helped me to dial in espresso to perfection. You can also adjust portion size settings as a drink is being prepared, so whipping up a cortado or espresso macchiato is a breeze.

User Profiles

The Miele CM 6350 allows you to create up to four user profiles. That makes this Miele espresso machine ideal for coffee loving families. Plus, it’ll definitely help cut down on fights that start with “who messed with my settings for the perfect latte macchiato?!” Anyway, individual user profiles are easy to set up, and each user can store their own special creations.

Aromatic System

Miele can’t help but sneak in important sounding jargon now and again. I guess they’ve noticed that everyone else is doing it. That said, the manufacturer’s Aromatic System is actually pretty cool.

The CM 6350 espresso machine features a dynamic brewing chamber that expands as water passes through. Theoretically, this means there’s maximum contact between the coffee grounds and water, resulting in a richer extraction. I can only say that the espresso I got from the machine was consistently excellent, so I guess the Aromatic System works!

Brew Group

In case you didn’t know, a super automatic espresso machine’s brew group is a magnificent piece of equipment. I mean, how cool is it that you can just press a button to get delicious specialty drinks?!

The brew group is where all the magic happens, so you’ll want to take care of it. I’ll talk more about that later in this Miele CM 6350 review. In the meantime, I’ll just say that you won’t have to do much work to keep the brew group in tip top condition. I Promise!

Cup Height

As is the case with any fully automatic machine, you can move the Miele’s dispenser spout up and down to accommodate a range of cup sizes. This is great when you’re making straight espresso; you can move the spout as close to your espresso cup as possible in order to preserve the crema.

There’s also a generous 5.6 inches (14.2 centimeters) of clearance when the spout is all the way up. That should be enough headroom for most travel mugs.

Pot Function

I’ll give it to you straight: the Miele CM 6350 doesn’t have a coffee pot function. Personally, that doesn’t bother me a bit – I prefer to make pots of coffee using a drip coffee maker.

Still, if you’re absolutely determined to own an automatic coffee machine that can make pots of coffee, consider buying the Miele CM 6360. You can even splash out on the Miele Coffee Pot while you’re at it!

Warranty

It’s unlikely that anything will go wrong with your Miele coffee machine. Still, there’s always the chance that you’ll end up with a lemon. Fortunately, the manufacturer offers a two year warranty that’ll cover any fault that may occur.

How to Use the Miele CM 6350

I wasn’t joking earlier in this Miele CM 6350 review when I crowed about how easy it is to use this coffee machine. I believe that any coffee lover could start making quality espresso and specialty drinks without having to pore over the user manual.

You’ll need to add water to the reservoir and coffee beans to the hopper, then away you go! Actually, I got a little ahead of myself there. Sorry about that. First, you’ll want to rinse both the water tank and milk flask. Then go ahead and make a couple of throwaway drinks to prime the machine. I know it’s a pain, but you’ll be glad you got all that out of the way!

Drink Preparation

During my Miele CM 6350 review, I was quickly able to make excellent, high-quality espresso. I especially liked being able to control the pre infusion. With this setting engaged, the machine dampens the ground coffee in the brewing unit before it begins to push the water all the way through. The result is a superior extraction that evenly releases the espresso’s wonderful aroma.

Other than grinder settings, there are several parameters you can adjust when you’re dialing in espresso on the Miele CM 6350:

For the most part, I used a long pre infusion and adjusted the grinder to the second from finest setting. I also left the temperature right in the middle. After noticing that the used coffee pucks were on the larger side, I set the amount of ground coffee lower than I ordinarily would. I figured this would compensate for all that expansion.

I spent a lot of time preparing milk based coffee drinks with the Miele CM 6350 and I admit to just loving this frothing system. When the milk first starts coming out of the machine, it really lets it rip. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a machine produce hot milk so quickly. Shortly thereafter, the automatic milk frothing system kicks in and starts efficiently doing its thing.

I found the milk froth to be set at the optimal temperature, and the resulting consistency and taste won me over in no time.

As I already mentioned, customizing your coffee drinks is about as easy as it gets. You simply start preparing a beverage then let the machine know when to stop. Who couldn’t handle that?!

Miele CM 6350 Cleaning

Miele did a great job of providing a simple, well-designed cleaning process. As you might imagine, that makes me very happy. During my Miele CM 6350 review, I particularly loved how all dishwasher safe components were clearly labeled.

It’s a cinch to take everything apart and put it back together. In terms of cleaning, Miele is miles ahead of its competitors.

The instruction manual says that you should clean the brew group weekly. Personally, I’d wash it out every day under running water. The fussier you are about cleaning the brewing unit, the longer your espresso machine will keep on trucking.

While you’re at it, I also suggest cleaning out the used grounds container, drip tray and the milk flask. When using the milk container, be sure not to simply add more milk when it gets low. Instead, wash the thing once it’s empty. Otherwise, some of the older milk will stay in the container, and the milk will go bad sooner.

You can’t mount a water filter in the Miele CM 6350’s water tank, so it’s especially important to input the correct water hardness in the settings menu. Not only that, try to use filtered water if you can. I’d definitely recommend picking up a Brita Water Pitcher if your water is particularly hard.

While I’m usually a bit skeptical about some automatic cleaning functions, I love Miele’s setting to clean out the milk pipework on the Miele CM 6350. It’s super convenient and I found it did a better job than washing by hand.

The coffee spout also rinses itself automatically when you turn the machine on or off. Some people complain about that, but I’m of the opinion that a clean machine is a happy machine!

Miele CM 6350 Descaling

Few people relish the prospect of deep cleaning tasks. I count myself among those few. For the rest of you, be sure not to ignore the CM 6350 when it asks to be descaled! The frequency with which you’ll need to descale the coffee machine really depends on the hardness of your water.

However, I’d say you can expect to run the program once a month or so. You’ll need Miele Descaling Tablets for this, and the machine will guide you through the process. See, it’s not so bad!

Miele CM 6350 Specifications

Miele CM 6350 vs Other Super Automatics

If you’ve made it this far into my Miele CM 6350 review, you’ll know how highly I rate this awesome Miele coffee machine. Still, it’s only fair to present you with a few other machines that can give the CM 6350 a run for its money.

Miele CM 6350 vs CM 6360

The Miele CM 6360 is a slightly more updated version of the CM 6350. As I already mentioned, this is an excellent choice if you simply must have the option to use an app with your Miele coffee machine.

What really impressed me during my review of the CM 6360 was the machine’s milk frothing system. There’s a double milk pipework thing going on, meaning you don’t need to move the hose during the rinsing process. The Miele CM 6360 costs $2,029.14 on Amazon, which is a screaming good deal in my opinion.

Check out: Miele CM 6360 Review 2024

Miele CM 6350 vs Jura E8

At $2,399.00 on Amazon, the Jura E8 costs quite a bit more than the Miele CM 6350. That said, this Jura machine is quite special, and really impressed me during my review.

For starters the espresso you’ll get from the Jura E8 is outstanding, thanks to the manufacturer’s revolutionary Pulse Extraction Process brewing technology. Further, the E8 is equipped with a fine foam frother, allowing you to control your hot milk and microfoam. If you’re willing to spend the money, I’d say you can’t go wrong with the Jura E8.

Check out: Jura E8 Review 2024

Miele CM 6350 vs DeLonghi Eletta

Although the DeLonghi Eletta’s user interface is nothing to write home about, this is definitely a sophisticated and powerful automatic coffee maker. Clocking in at $1,775.07 on Amazon, the DeLonghi Eletta justifies its price tag with some truly special features.

For starters, you can choose between an integrated milk flask and a manual steam wand for creating frothed milk. Not only that, the DeLonghi Eletta has two independent heating systems. That means you can prepare espresso and milk foam simultaneously.

Check out: DeLonghi Eletta Review 2024

Miele CM 6350 vs Saeco Xelsis

I have to say the Saeco Xelsis might offer the best value for money of any automatic coffee maker I’ve reviewed. Costing just $1,465.60 on Amazon, the Xelsis has it all – dual thermoblocks, pretty touchscreen display and fantastic milk frothing system.

I particularly like the Saeco’s Coffee Equalizer, which allows you to dial in drink settings as though you were adjusting your stereo. All in all, the Saeco Xelsis is definitely worth checking out.

Check out: Saeco Xelsis Hands On Review 2024

Miele CM 6350 vs Others Comparison Chart

Verdict: Miele CM 6350 Review

Still current

Miele CM 6350

A High-Quality Miele Machine

Very easy to clean

Looks great

Well Built

Easy to use

Works quickly and quietly

No water filter option

CHECK PRICE

Miele coffee machines never fail to impress me. In a world where manufacturers are constantly trying to outdo each other, the German manufacturer quietly does its own thing.

The result is a collection of Miele espresso machines that all deliver in terms of coffee drink quality, ease of use and sophisticated design. The Miele CM 6350 is no exception. This machine really impressed me, and I can confidently recommend it to all coffee lovers.

Sure, the CM 6350 has been kicking around for a good many years. However, I’d say Miele countertop coffee machines like this one will never go out of style.

Miele CM 6350 FAQ