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What is a fully automatic espresso machine?

Luuk2 NOVEMBER 2025
Espresso machine pours liquid into a white cup. Metal components glisten. The background is a dark, blurred setting.

A fully automatic espresso machine is a good choice for coffee lovers who value convenience. The coffee, whether freshly ground from beans on the spot or not, is brewed under high pressure. This optimally develops the flavour and aromas, so you can enjoy a delicious espresso every time. With a fully automatic espresso machine, you can often also prepare various other coffee specialities, such as cappuccino, latte macchiato (coffee with plenty of milk and milk foam), caffè Americano (espresso with hot water), caffè lungo (a larger, milder espresso) or caffè macchiato (espresso with a little milk foam).

Beans or ground coffee?

Coffee beans are scattered on and around a pile of dark brown ground coffee.

Coffee from fresh beans

A fully automatic espresso machine is a good choice for coffee lovers who value convenience. The coffee, whether freshly ground from beans on the spot or not, is brewed under high pressure. This optimally develops the flavour and aromas, so you can enjoy a delicious espresso every time. With a fully automatic espresso machine, you can often also prepare various other coffee specialities, such as cappuccino, latte macchiato (coffee with plenty of milk and milk foam), caffè Americano (espresso with hot water), caffè lungo (a larger, milder espresso) or caffè macchiato (espresso with a little milk foam).

The best coffee beans
A jar of brown coffee granules held by a hand, with a spoon scooping coffee, a white mug, and a brown wood background.

Ground coffee

Many fully automatic espresso machines are also suitable for ground coffee. The advantage here is that brewing is faster. Ground coffee is available in a wide range of qualities, flavours and grind sizes from speciality coffee shops. Good retailers can advise you and match the grind size precisely to your espresso machine.

Extra options for fully automatic espresso machines

A woman prepares coffee with a machine. Two white cups are present. The machine is white with chrome accents.

Which fully automatic espresso machine suits you best largely depends on the extras you find important. With the extras you’ll find on many fully automatic espresso machines, you can do the following, among other things:

  • Froth milk.
    Make cappuccino or another milk-based espresso drink.
  • Keep cups warm.
    A cup warmer preheats your coffee cup, so your coffee stays at temperature for longer.
  • Use cups of different sizes.
    This is possible if your espresso machine has an adjustable spout.
  • Adjust coffee strength.
    On most fully automatic machines you can set the strength of your coffee.
  • Adjust the grind size.
    On most fully automatic machines you can set the grind size. How fine or coarse the coffee is ground affects the taste.

  • Save your favourites.
    Make coffee at your preferred strength and grind size at the touch of a button, for one or more people.
  • Make tea.
    Most fully automatic machines can also dispense hot water.
  • Reduce limescale build-up.
    A water filter reduces limescale. There are also machines with automatic cleaning programmes.
  • View settings and information.
    A good display, whether or not a touchscreen, helps you prepare coffee and maintain your machine.
  • Timer.
    With a timer you can, for example, ensure fresh coffee is ready when you wake up.

How does an espresso machine make your chosen milk speciality?

Hands hold a metal pitcher of white milk by an espresso machine. Cups and a wooden board are in the background.

Fully automatic espresso machines can use different techniques to prepare milk specialities such as cappuccino and latte macchiato. For example, an espresso machine that also makes milk drinks may have a steam wand, cappuccinatore or an integrated milk container. How many steps you need to perform manually varies by system.

Steam wand
With an espresso machine with a steam wand, you place a jug or glass of milk under the wand yourself. At the touch of a button, you inject steam into the milk until it is heated and frothed. You then pour the warm frothed milk into your coffee yourself.

Cappuccinatore
Fully automatic espresso machines with a cappuccinatore draw milk up with a small tube from a glass, jug or carton. You need to place the tube in the milk yourself. The machine then heats and froths the milk and automatically pours it into your coffee cup.

Integrated milk container
The most premium espresso machines feature an integrated milk container. This is also the most user-friendly system. With one touch of a button, you can make a delicious cappuccino or latte macchiato. The required amount of milk is automatically heated, frothed and added to your coffee.

Cleaning and descaling

It’s important to keep a fully automatic espresso machine clean and to descale it regularly. Descaling is essential because limescale deposits can damage the machine. If you wait too long, a limescale layer can form that is so thick it’s difficult to remove. This can permanently damage your coffee machine and cause it to fail prematurely.

More and more fully automatic espresso machines have an automatic cleaning and descaling programme. Do check from time to time whether all parts are properly clean and consult your espresso machine’s manual for instructions on cleaning and descaling.

A person in an apron wipes a black coffee grinder with a blue cloth. A white teapot sits nearby on a wooden counter.

There are special products available for cleaning and descaling your coffee machine. Cleaning tablets remove coffee oils and fats more effectively than is possible by hand. Descaling tablets are a simple way to remove limescale from your machine. The tablets work better and faster than vinegar and are also odourless. A water filter removes limescale from the water. As a result, you need to descale your machine less frequently. A water filter also helps your coffee develop a better taste, because it retains taste-impairing substances such as chlorine. There are also complete maintenance kits that let you purchase all these products (except the water filter) in one go.

View cleaning and descaling accessories