Miele super automatic espresso machines are easy to overlook, which is quite an achievement considering their distinctive design. A Miele coffee maker, whether in a suave color like Lotus White or Obsidian Black, conjures up an image of a wealthy and distinguished great-uncle with a powerful intellect and more than a little social awkwardness.
Miele super automatic espresso machines are easy to overlook, which is quite an achievement considering their distinctive design. A Miele coffee maker, whether in a suave color like Lotus White or Obsidian Black, conjures up an image of a wealthy and distinguished great-uncle with a powerful intellect and more than a little social awkwardness.
Many other brands in my guide to the best super automatic espresso machines 2024 use the latest gimmicks and lots of bling-bling to attract customer attention. And Miele? The German manufacturer carries on as if there’s no such thing as an innovative edge.
All this sounds like I have a lot to complain about with the Miele CM 6360 MilkPerfection. On the contrary! I’d say it’s the love of (seemingly) standing still that makes Miele coffee machines so special.
Starting with build quality and durability, the CM 6360 MilkPerfection is a Miele machine in the very best sense. This theme continues with the precision of preparation and the consistently high coffee quality, ending with the somewhat old-fashioned operating concept, which is refreshingly simple as a result.
Unfortunately, there’s one thing that the Gütersloh-based company has copied from the competition: Miele suddenly wants to wow you with some marketing nonsense. There’s no other way I can explain why the double Venturi process is on board. This function is supposed to steam milk foam twice to make it even smoother, frothier and creamier. Anyway, that’s Miele’s story and they’re sticking to it.
Chic & High Quality
Miele CM 6360 MilkPerfection
A Minimalistic Beauty
Minimalistic
Quality espresso and coffee
No-nonsense design
Easy to clean
Control panel can’t compete with Jura
The Miele CM 6360 MilkPerfection at a Glance: The Slow Track To Success
My theory is that Miele coffee machines stay out of the innovation race because they simply don’t need to be there. The brand has always relied on an elegant, understated design, proven functionality and build quality that’s far superior to the average plastic piece of junk.
The CM 6360 MilkPerfection does absolutely nothing different in this regard. Available in obsidian black and lotus white and paired with similar understated colors, this Miele coffee maker simply continues with what we’ve appreciated for years and years in other Miele coffee machines. Take the CM 6360’s predecessor, the Miele CM 6350 super automatic coffee machine, or models like the Miele CM 5510 and Miele CM 6160, for example.
This is most immediately apparent in the operating concept. The text display with separate sensor buttons seems almost stubbornly antediluvian, but that’s precisely why it’s also very easy to use.
Miele also has an app, but it seems just as half-baked as the one included with some other super automatic espresso machines. I didn’t use it at all during my review and missed it even less.
As always, it’s what’s under the hood that’s really important for coffee aroma and creamy, hot milk froth, anyway. In this respect, Miele has never let itself down:
Under the Hood
Stainless steel conical burr grinder with five levels (but apparently infinitely variable)
Two-cup function for all coffee specialties
Many specialty coffees and several profiles for tea
OneTouch cappuccinatore with high-quality milk container
Coffee pot function for up to eight cups
DoubleShot function: more coffee beans are ground and brewed halfway through preparation for extra strong coffee specialties
Fully programmable in all areas (filling quantity, foam-milk ratio, temperature etc.)
Comparatively compact dimensions
High-quality parts
Parts with corresponding symbol are dishwasher safe
Only the double milk hose and a few technical details such as the AromaticSystem with adjustable pre-infusion are worthy of a special mention. Also, not every older Miele machine has a ristretto option or shoots ground coffee through the brew unit twice for one serving.
Still, Miele isn’t trying to get you to buy a new model if you already own one of its machines. Rather, the goal is to woo completely new customers with an up-to-date appliance for making specialty coffees, creamy milk froth and even hot chocolate.
These customers include people who already trust the Miele brand and have the cash on hand. That being said, if we look at what the CM 6360 MilkPerfection has on board, the $2,413.63 price tag almost looks like a bargain.
While you sometimes have to look deep into the datasheets of other machines to form arguments for such a price, your eyes, fingertips and taste buds will quickly make your mind up for you with a Miele coffee maker.
Adjusting the Miele 6360: Watch Out, Hot!
I’m well aware of how much you guys love really hot coffee. The CM 6360 MilkPerfection not only accommodates you there – you might actually want to readjust it. The beverages come out so well-tempered that you’ll be adjusting the factory setting down; even if you’re usually screaming for a hotter latte macchiato.
The temperature and everything else that isn’t grinder-related is best set via the display and sensor buttons. It really couldn’t be simpler.
The grinder is listed as having five settings, but it feels infinitely variable when you adjust it. I selected the second finest grind.
Incidentally, this proves that the listed data doesn’t always have to correspond with the “truth.” At 74.8 decibels, the Miele grinder is excessively loud on paper. However, in reality the noise is not only bearable, but even exceptionally unspectacular. Quality materials pay off!
If you’re using Expert Mode, the amount of water can be regulated between 18 milliliters and 295 milliliters (0.6 and 10 ounces) pretty much exactly. This is even the case for each drink during preparation. I settled on around 35 milliliters (1.2 ounces) for espresso and the default value of 118 milliliters (4 ounces) for coffee.
When it comes to coffee strength, you have a very wide selection to choose from. I went with the second level below the maximum value.
On top of that, you can also decide whether the AromaticSystem should pre-infuse the ground coffee or not. It should, of course. That makes a big difference in achieving an intense coffee aroma!
For the creamy hot milk froth, you can also influence the ratio of foam to liquid. I personally found the maximum possible foaming-per-beverage setting delivered the best results.
Miele Espresso and Coffee: Chocoholics Rejoice!
Even though I often talk almost reflexively about the chocolatey aroma of many coffee beans in my reviews, it’s clearly often at the heart of the flavor profile. Hardly anywhere is that more evident than when using this Miele coffee machine.
Even before the CM 6360 MilkPerfection has chased all the coffee beans through the brewing group and finished preparing the drink, an unmistakable chocolate scent hits you. I’ve rarely experienced such a powerful coffee aroma when using a super automatic espresso machine.
Brewing temperature and preparation obviously succeed perfectly, even if the drinking temperature for espresso is much too high for my taste. At least at the factory setting. The super automatic machine also consumes an above-average amount of ground coffee per shot, which probably also contributes to the chocolate bomb.
Best Coffee for the Miele CM 6360
Coffeeness Signature Espresso Blend
Perfectly suited for your Super Automatic Espresso Machine
Notes of Chocolate & Hazelnut
Easy on the stomach
Freshly roasted right in Brooklyn
Medium roast
After 10 years reviewing super automatics and espresso machines, and over 15 years reviewing coffee beans, we’re proud to offer our own Coffeeness Espresso Blend. Comprising ethically farmed and sourced coffee beans, our Espresso Blend is expertly roasted in small batches to guarantee freshness.
This premium blend of direct trade Brazilian coffee beans produces rich, bold and complex espresso that’s ideal straight or paired with milk. Featuring notes of chocolate and hazelnut, our Espresso Blend is particularly low in acidity, making it easy on the stomach.
Here’s how we recommend setting up your Miele CM 6360 for the perfect cup of coffee:
Grind setting: 2
Attention: Only adjust when the grinder is running!
Espresso volume: 1.2 ounces (35 milliliters)
Temperature: Adjust to taste
Coffee strength: Second highest setting
Milk Froth: Double Trouble or Twice as Nice?
Before we talk about the high-quality milk flask or take a closer look at Mauricio’s favorite coffee specialties with milk, let’s first clarify what double frothing and the double Venturi process are all about.
In doing so, I can’t shake the feeling that Miele got a bit lost in this conceptual gobbledygook when it announced it to the world last year. I think the manufacturer is now backpedaling a bit.
There’s no explanation or even description of the double Venturi process on the manufacturer’s page for this machine. The advertising banner on the overview page doesn’t say anything either, and doesn’t link to an explanation page.
Only a lonely press release from 2021 describes a process that “doubles the milk frothing,” by “adding two bursts of steam.” It goes on to say, “This double Venturi process not only increases the temperature of the milk froth but also creates a particularly light texture.”
“Double frothing” would be totally absurd. If hot milk froth is steamed again, it is denatured and simply broken. Is double steam volume what they meant, perhaps? Or simply double the size of the milk pipework?
Whatever Miele is trying to sell us here, let’s leave it at that. In any case, the fact is that the Miele CM 6360 MilkPerfection has a double milk pipework system.
If you want to rinse briefly after making milk froth, you no longer have to pull the hose out of the milk container. The water is drawn through the second hose while the milk supply is closed via a valve. This is a very successful milk pipework feature that other manufacturers are welcome to try out!
As promised in the shady press release, the milk froth is finely textured and hot. In fact, I find the latte macchiato far too hot to drink, right off the bat. However, once it’s cooled down, there’s nothing to complain about.
That said, the ominous double-milk steaming system shines when making smaller drinks, such as a cappuccino or an espresso macchiato. In such cases, the ratio and consistency of all the building blocks that make up these specialty coffees is really perfect.
Miele Coffee Maker Cleaning: It’s the Little Things That Count
To my knowledge, Miele is (so far) the only manufacturer that is kind enough to offer you clearly labeled dishwasher-safe parts. This is a testament not only to the brand’s customer focus, but also to its confidence in the durability of its materials.
Try putting a cheap drip tray from an entry-level super automatic coffee maker in the dishwasher! Suppliers such as DeLonghi or Krups will immediately have a crisis and refer you to the operating instructions.
At Miele, we remain calm. Of course, the brew unit must only ever be washed by hand. But if the water tank or drip tray takes a spin in the dishwasher, no one bats an eyelid. Miele is never overly complicated when it comes to cleaning. Not even when it comes to descaling.
The Miele coffee maker doesn’t have any extraordinary cleaning programs or an outstandingly special filter. But it will get clean, even if you only make a mediocre effort. And in the end, isn’t that more important than a hypermodern touchscreen display or an infinite number of programmable profiles? Yes, it is!
Miele CM 6360 MilkPerfection Specifications
| Miele CM 6360 MilkPerfection | |
| Manufacturer | Miele |
|---|---|
| Model number | CM6360 |
| Product category | Super automatic espresso machine |
| Removable brew group | |
| Housing material | Plastic with stainless steel parts |
| Color options | Lotus White/Steel Metallic, Obsidian Black/Bronze Pearl, Obsidian Black/Steel Metallic |
| Milk frother | Cappuccinatore |
| User interface | Text display with buttons |
| App | |
| User profiles | 8 |
| Removable water reservoir | |
| Water reservoir capacity | 60.9 fl oz / 1.8 l |
| Number of boilers | 1 |
| Pump pressure | 15 bar |
| Maximum cup height | 5.5 in / 14.0 cm |
| Minimum cup height | 3.1 in / 7.9 cm |
| Grinder | Stainless steel conical burr grinder |
| Grind adjustment levels | Infinitely variable |
| Bean hopper capacity | 10.6 oz / 300.0 g |
| Pre-ground coffee bypass | |
| Grounds discard container capacity | 10 |
| Specialty drinks | 17 |
| Pre-infusion | |
| Adjustable coffee temperature | |
| Adjustable milk foam temperature | |
| Adjustable milk temperature | |
| 2-cup function | Yes |
| Pot function | |
| Hot water function | |
| Hot milk function | |
| Milk foam only option | |
| Water filter | |
| Power consumption | 1450 W |
| Weight | 21.8 lb / 9.9 kg |
| Dimensions | 14.1 x 9.9 x 16.8 in |
| Warranty | 2 years |
| Notes | Included Accessories: Glass milk container, Cleaning supplies, Instruction booklet, Stainless-steel milk rod. |
| Current price on Amazon | $2,413.63 |
| All specifications | |
Verdict on the Miele CM 6360 Coffee Maker: Extremely Stable Lateral Position
If it were left up to me, Miele super automatic coffee machines would remain as old-fashioned as they want until the end of time. When I describe other models in my super automatic espresso machine guide as “solid,” I always have some decisive reason to grumble.
Chic & High Quality
Miele CM 6360 MilkPerfection
A Minimalistic Beauty
Minimalistic
Quality espresso and coffee
No-nonsense design
Easy to clean
Control panel can’t compete with Jura
When I describe this Miele coffee maker as solid, I mean it absolutely positively – and literally. Such demonstrably durable machines are rare in today’s crowded market.
Technology-loving innovation fans will never look down their noses at Miele coffee machines. And the manufacturer knows it. Instead of chasing the latest electronic developments, Miele focuses on high-quality preparation of espresso, wonderfully aromatic coffee and milk-based specialties.
Factors that otherwise tend to take a back seat are given the attention they deserve – think temperature and cleaning. We can forgive Miele’s little marketing mishap because the milk system has actually evolved. We may never quite find out how and in what direction. Then again, we don’t have to.
What’s your experience with Miele coffee makers? Do you love these super automatics as much as I do? Be sure to leave comments!
