Sunbeam Barista Max – A Brew-tiful Machine
For coffee lovers, there is a nearly infinite number of ways to enjoy a rich brew in the comfort of your own home.
The Sunbeam Barista Max (RRP $699) is a lovely neat machine whose mid-range price may fit the budget for many looking to upgrade from capsule machines or downsize from actual coffee shop machines.
It is built for those that love the craft of grinding, tamping, extracting, and steaming their own perfect flat white in the morning. But is it worth the hassle?
DESIGN
The Barista Max comes in a sleek silver colour that should suit most countertops.
Its integrated grinder and compact size ensures it frees up space on your counter
It comes with a standard 58mm size grouphead – with options for a single or double shot ground size – a tamper, a 460ml stainless steel milk jug, cleaning brush and filter stopper for cleaning.
There is a collecting drip tray that easily comes out when it needs emptied and also features a ‘bin’ (more like a hole in the drip tray) where grounds can be wiped into.
PERFORMANCE
Coffee aficionados will love the manual shot button, but for the mass majority, the auto shot one cup or two cup buttons ensure the correct volume of espresso is dispensed according to personal preference.
The grinder performs well, producing an even grind with a noticeable uniformity ñ ideal for a well-extracted espresso. It also features adjustable grind settings for a more or less extracted cup.
To get the ground coffee out of the grinder, you need to place your preferred basket (one cup or two cup filter basket) into the portafilter/grouphead and then place it into the ‘Grinding Cradle’.
This cradle supports the portafilter and if you push down with relatively little force the grind comes out.
How much grind you use is up to you, it will not automatically fill the correct amount, making the grinding a bit of a guessing game. They recommend filling the basket to the rim (approximately 13-15g for one cup basket and 20-22g for two baskets) and then tamp down with a good amount of force.
These smaller coffee machines often don’t have the power behind them for good quality espresso. However, Sunbeam’s exclusive Temp° IQ Shot ControlTM technology combines even extraction and excellent temperature regulation.
The only drawback is that you can’t steam milk and extract coffee simultaneously. Which is an inconvenience, but not a total deal breaker.
The espresso produced by the machine is good
with a nice crema, although much of this would be determined by the quality of the beans as well as the machine’s internal mechanics.
For an espresso machine of this size, the steamer produces good pressure steam that texturises milk easily without requiring expert barista skills from the user. Like many espresso machines of this range, the steamer works by twisting the steam knob to get it to heat up and produce steam. Basically telling the thermal block to switch to the steamer. The process can be fiddly, but the result is worth it.
VALUE
It’s similar in price, appearance, and features to the Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine, it might come down to brand preference. It is also about the same price for Sunbeam’s Cafe Series Espresso Coffee Machine, which does not include the grinder.
For those who prefer a capsule coffee machine, then Sunbeam’s Barista Max with Integrated Grinder is not going to be in your market (or price range).
CONCLUSION
At the end of the day, there isn’t much wrong with this lovely neat machine.
The process of grinding, extraction and texturising milk is straightforward.
It’s a lovely first coffee machine and perfect for those who want the café style coffee without having to pay a Barista to do the work for them every day.
For lovers of capsules and hassle-free coffee in the morning, this isn’t the machine for you.
For coffee fanatics who want to experience coffee making process from bean to cup, who want to create lattes and flat whites in the comfort of their home, and can afford a little extra, this machine isn’t a bad choice.