Its great for a stress-free, hands-free faux-cafe experience.
But the KF8s milk texture and espresso shots wouldnt impress a coffee aficionado.
Ive used a fair few coffee machines in my time.
Flat white(Image credit: Erin Bashford / Future)
Manual, semi-automatic, fully automatic, french press, moka pot, pods Ive tried them all.
So what makes a machine one of thebest espresso machines?
I look for ease of use, affordability, and, most of all: taste.
I couldve made everyone in the office a drink each in under five minutes.
Sounds too good to be true, right?
Im not going to lie to you I wouldnt recommend the KF8 for coffee aficionados.
The automatic machine means the user is completely removed from the coffee making experience.
Some people thrive on measuring their beans, tamping, and steaming their own milk.
If that sounds like you, youd be better off with theKitchenAid Semi Automatic Espresso MachineI reviewed recently.
Find out in this KitchenAid KF8 Fully Automatic Coffee Machine review.
In comparison, thePhilips 3200 Series Fully Automatic Coffee Machineis$999 at Amazon.
My favorite is theKitchenAid Semi Automatic Coffee Machine with Burr Grinder($699).
KitchenAid KF8 Automatic Coffee Machine review: Design
The KF8 is abigmachine.
Its 18 inches long, which is about as deep as my kitchen counters.
The machine comes in three colors: black, stainless steel, white, and juniper green.
I would personally choose the juniper green version, but I tested the stainless steel one.
The stainless steel is prone to scuffing.
During photography, our photographer brushed one of the panels and it left marks.
The KF8s 5-inch touchscreen requires minimal pressure and responds immediately.
Even after using it for a couple of days, the knob was still difficult to turn.
I played around with grind size to find the best flavor profile.
This results in a more balanced yet complex flavor profile.
This espresso is extracted well, just how youd expect on a $2,000 machine.
If youre a black coffee fanatic, theres no reason why this espresso shouldnt impress you.
A flat white should have the texture of melted ice cream.
But the KF8 served me a cappuccino and a latte with very similar milk textures.
The flat white, too, was pretty deflated; no aeration there.
In fact, the only drink I made that had a decent milk texture was a latte macchiato.
Its worth noting that this isnt a KF8 issue its a fully automatic machine issue.
To get barista-quality milk, you need a steam wand, which automatic machines simply do not have.
Flat white(Image credit: Erin Bashford / Future)
The latte is a little better, but the cappuccino is much wetter than ideal.
Simply put, its decent machine coffee.
Its 18 inches deep and 14 inches tall, which means it would barely fit in my kitchen.
Latte(Image credit: Erin Bashford / Future)
The bean hopper is at the back of the machine, and the milk frother sits on the side.
I noticed that the water tank drains quickly, just like theTerra Kafe TK-02($1,599).
but when you factor in that the machines are using this water to make drinksandclean themselves, its understandable.
Cappuccino(Image credit: Erin Bashford / Future)
In terms of cleaning, the KF8 prompts you to rinse after every use.
You dont have to, but the option is there.
There are loads of cleaning options in the configs tab of the machine.
Things like deep milk cleaning and deep brew cleaning.
you gotta purchase cleaning tablets separately, though.
You also need to descale the regularity depends on your areas water hardness.
The KF8 is, without a doubt, the easiest way to make coffee.
The detachable milk frother automatically steams your milk, although I found this to be the machines weakest link.
If you want a machine that pulls its weight, the KF8 is a hard-working, talented option.
Just be warned its not quite at barista-level yet.
