I am a huge coffee lover and enjoy a take-out cup of joe as much as the next office worker, but I find the best coffee is the one I make at home. After my simple pod model gave up the ghost, I’ve been on the hunt for the best coffee machine, which is when I tried the KitchenAid KF8.
The large box the machine arrived in was daunting. I was left wondering how much effort I’d have to put in to set up a state-of-the-art coffee machine in my flat – and I hadn’t had my morning coffee yet. But it was simply a case of lifting the machine out of the box and plugging it in. A small note let me know that the machine is pre-flushed, so it’s fine to use immediately. I’m someone who doesn’t love reading manuals, and happily, minimal instructions were needed for the setup.
To really assess its performance, I have been testing the KitchenAid KF8 coffee machine for two months, trying a range of different drinks and, most importantly, seeing how it makes my essential morning coffee every day. I had high hopes. When it came to testing, I considered ease of use, cleaning, adaptability, and, of course, the taste of the coffee it produced.
While it might sound strange, KitchenAid’s KF8 fully automatic espresso machine is beautiful to look at. The minimalist digital display and stainless steel outer fit perfectly alongside other appliances on my kitchen counter. It comes in four colours, but I have been testing the silver/steel colour, which is sleek and modern. The flat top is useful for storing cups and other accoutrements for easy accessibility. The milk tank is only attached by the tube, meaning it can be easily removed for cleaning and to be stored in the fridge.
The intuitive touch screen interface means quick selection for drinks, with satisfying sounds when selecting and when your drink is ready. One of the biggest highlights of the KF8 is the complete customisability of drinks. Once you select a drink, a second screen allows you to select options such as temperature and whether you want light, medium or strong body espresso, the strength of grind and volume of liquid. Choose the type of milk, and the machine will treat your drink differently depending on whether you want dairy or plant-based. I was impressed that you can even decide which order you want the ingredients added – for example, hot milk with espresso on top or espresso first and then milk, which affects the texture and visuals of each drink.
One downside is that for the americano setting, you can’t change the order of water and espresso, meaning the crema is compromised when the water is added. You can manually choose hot water and then add a shot of espresso, but this requires a few extra presses. One of my favourite features is ‘my profile’, which allows you to store (up to six) people’s uniquely customised drinks. This means you can have a double shot instead of a single shot in your cappuccino, 80ml vs 100ml of hot water in your americano, and a medium body, 40ml espresso shot instead of a full-bodied 50ml shot. This tweaking allows you to evolve and play to create your perfect drink and keep it saved for minimum brain use on a groggy morning. A choice of two espresso shots means you can make your drink extra strong or even make two drinks at the same time.
