From super automatic espresso machines to specialty coffee beans: The Coffeeness team takes a closer look. We check, question and form honest opinions. Find out everything about our review process here!
We like to be measured by our opinions. And that’s because reviews are our bread and butter. We test machines, coffee gear and new brewing methods, ask uncomfortable questions and offer recommendations that we stand behind.
In every Coffeeness review we
Question the manufacturer’s advertising promises
Check product information for correctness
Consider prices from the consumer’s point of view
Rely on facts and relevancy
Offer honest opinions and recommendations
Don’t censor ourselves
Team Coffeeness isn’t for sale. It stands for independence, clear communication and a commitment to better coffee for everyone.
Table of Contents
We can back up our written opinions with videos, pictures, data and test results. We don’t want to sell you anything. We just want to help you learn more about the coffee industry, the manufacturers and the best equipment. Incidentally, we don’t just make friends by doing this; we’ve got our fair share of enemies, too. And that’s a good thing.
In advertising, every new super automatic espresso machine or coffee blend is the best product of all time. Uh, really? As experts with many years of experience and a huge database of comparison data, we can accurately assess the following:
Whether a model is better than its predecessor
Whether a machine is as innovative as promised
Whether a product is suitable for your needs
Whether the performance matches the asking price
We always make special mention of what we like. Equally, we freely criticize marketing nonsense. And we always deduct points for anything that doesn’t impress us.
Top reviews on other websites or full marks from (alleged) experts? We don’t care. Instead, we test products without the influence of third parties and have no problem contradicting what others have said. You want to provide us with a product to review? Let’s take it. But that doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll have nice things to say.
Experts can also make mistakes – and we learn something new every day. In an effort to maintain transparency, we regularly review, revise and update our findings, making note of each update.
There is no advertising on Coffeeness. You won’t find any sponsors either. We earn our money with affiliate links and by selling our own products in the Coffeeness shop. This is how we maintain our independence.
Press a few buttons or drink a cup of coffee? It’s not that simple. Each Coffeeness review follows uniform evaluation criteria, collects a lot of data and establishes the maximum possible comparability. In order to judge fairly and define clear quality standards, you will find different Coffeeness review categories:
In addition, you’ll find in-depth blog posts discussing everything from caffeine and coffee preparation to coffee producing countries. Here, too, we follow our principles and back up information with verifiable evidence in the form of scientific studies, statistics and interviews.
In general, it makes no difference whether we’re testing out coffee beans, coffee makers or fully automatic coffee machines. The core questions are always the same:
What’s the quality level according to the test criteria?
How is the product operated, processed, etc.?
How good or bad is the result?
Does the price-performance ratio seem reasonable?
Can a consumer benefit from this product?
Is it worth buying, is it somewhat worthwhile or is it not to be recommended?
Product selection according to consumer interest and/or innovation
Initial review with first impressions and preliminary considerations
Setup, adjustment and preparation of the products for optimal results
Evaluation according to uniform criteria for each review category
Comparison with similar products
Test report with fact checking
An espresso machine is not a fully automatic coffee machine, just as a dark roast coffee blend produces different cup results to a light roast single-origin. We take these ideas into account during every review.
Supposed innovation and originality
Build quality and design
Features and special functions
Ease of operation
Grinder, pump and milk system noise levels
Espresso and coffee quality
Milk foam and specialty drinks quality
Ease of cleaning
Price-performance ratio
Build quality and design
Ease of operation
Special functions and their relevance
Grinder noise levels (for hybrid espresso machines)
Quality of included accessories
Classification by skill level (beginner to professional)
Ease of cleaning
Price-performance ratio
Transparency criteria (indication of origin, varietal, certifications, processing)
Roast level
Appearance
Taste and mouthfeel
Recommendation for preparation method
Price-performance ratio
Build quality and design
Features and ease of use
Suitability in the respective category
Price-performance ratio
High quality, fair and honest tests are priceless, yet they still cost money. Coffeeness is financed exclusively through affiliate links. Advertising? Sponsors? Paid content? Let’s not go there. And it will stay that way.
We buy the majority of test machines and products ourselves. If they are provided to us by the manufacturer, we’ll always let you know – and we never allow ourselves to be influenced.
In (almost) every Coffeeness review you’ll find links to shops or platforms that offer the product for sale. If you go to the respective platform via this link and buy the product there, we will receive a commission. With all that said, clicking on the link does not oblige you to buy.
We do have collaborative relationships with some brands and manufacturers. Here’s the deal: If there’s a new release, we get the products and materials. We check them out, write test reports and give our verdict. Our contacts aren’t allowed to dictate any terms or conditions.
In our Coffeeness shop you will find an evolving selection of coffee beans and coffee accessories. All products are developed by Coffeeness and designed according to our quality criteria. Ultimately, we only sell what we use ourselves.
Our coffee beans for fully automatic machines (and semi-automatics) are sustainably grown, transparently processed, directly traded and freshly roasted. Just like us, our partners Ocafi and Backyard Coffee stake their reputations on the quality of their products. The roasts have been tested in more than 50 super automatic espresso machines.
