My Morning Routine Got a Whole Lot Easier with This Coffee Machine

I've been hooked on coffee for about a year now, and it's become such a big part of my daily routine that I wanted to simplify and make it more convenient.

Choosing a coffee machine. I didn't want to overcomplicate things, so I was initially thinking of getting the Delonghi ECAM22.360 or a similar model with a different design. However, I was turned off by the fact that you need to use the built-in milk frother to make milk-based drinks, which isn't always practical. That's why I decided to do some research and ended up choosing the Barista TS Smart from Melitta or Nivona.

Compared to the Nivona, the main advantage of this model is its unique grinding system, the Best Aroma System PLUS. Once you've added the right amount of coffee beans, the lid closes and the grinder starts to mill them down to a fine powder. This means that each time you make a new cup of coffee, you're using freshly ground beans. Plus, the machine has two separate compartments for different types of coffee, so you can have multiple people making their own coffee at the same time. The Melitta also makes milk-based drinks in the right order - for example, a cappuccino with freshly ground coffee, then milk - whereas the Nivona gets it wrong.

One of the standout features of this Melitta model is its two compartments for coffee, a decent-sized drip tray, and a 1.8-liter water tank. Some other models have a 1.5-liter water tank, which is a bit tight, but 1.8 liters is still a bit on the small side. When you turn on the machine, it automatically cleans itself, and after making milk-based drinks, it asks for a gentle cleaning before the next coffee. If you don't do this, it'll just clean itself again before turning off. So, you'll need to clean the drip tray and refill the water at least once a day.

Our Smart model connects via Bluetooth to the app on my smartphone, which makes it super easy to set up custom settings for different users. We've saved our individual settings for the main drinks for my husband, me, and the kids. You can adjust the temperature, strength, brewing time, and coffee type - i.e., which compartment the machine will use. The app itself was a bit of a challenge to find, as it's not available on my region's Play Store. Be careful in the app, as you can set up custom drinks for the standard buttons like espresso, coffee, and cappuccino. I was a bit confused at first and ended up making the wrong coffee the first day.

Quick rundown of the design and features.

The water tank is located on the left side.

The separate compartments for two types of coffee are super handy. One's for whole beans, and the other's for ground coffee. The lid is made of silicone, which is great for preventing any mess.

The small compartment for ground coffee is perfect for a single serving. It's also great for cleaning the machine from any coffee oils.

The design looks sleek, but it's also super easy to use. I mean, who doesn't love a machine that's both stylish and functional?

The height of the milk frothing system is adjustable, so you can customize it to fit your favorite mug. And the milk tube is super versatile - you can install it on either side, depending on your preference. Just remove the bottom part, and you're good to go!

The power button is conveniently located on the left side. I love that it won't turn on automatically when the network filter is connected - that's a major plus in my book.

I was surprised by how easily the right side of the machine opens up, revealing a lever for adjusting the grind setting and the brewing unit - it needs to be removed and cleaned regularly to prevent coffee buildup. I picked up some food-grade silicone lubricant and applied it to some parts of the brewing block, as it was creaking a bit after purchase. Make sure to get a food-grade silicone lubricant.

As you can see, the entire plastic body is glossy, and it shows every speck of dust, fingerprint, and who-knows-what-else we manage to get on it.

Right after buying it, I stocked up on different coffee beans and started experimenting with which ones taste better. For me, Tasty Coffee Ethiopia Irgachef is the clear winner right now (I buy it on Ozon).

We've been using it for a month now. One of the downsides is the massive coffee consumption compared to brewing in a cup. The output is a 7-15g coffee 'tablet' depending on the strength settings. However, if you're used to pouring that much coffee into a cup, it's not a big deal :). The water consumption is also quite high - we're using bottled water from a local manufacturer called '202 - Original'. I tested it with the test strip that came with the machine, and none of the squares changed color!!! The water is indeed very soft, which I already suspected - our kettle doesn't have any mineral buildup. The tap water, on the other hand, turned the test strip almost completely red. You can use it, but you'll need to clean the machine regularly and install a filter in the water tank (I didn't bother with that).

I'm really happy with the machine and would definitely recommend it. It's perfect for both office and home use. I mostly make espresso and coffee-based drinks, while the kids enjoy milk-based beverages (they used to hate coffee), and my husband makes both black coffee and coffee with milk.

The only thing that bothered me was the numerous negative reviews about Melitta's Russian customer service - apparently, if something goes wrong, the customer is always to blame. For some people, that might be a major headache, considering that things can go wrong sometimes...

Fortunately, I haven't had any issues with the machine, and the app has been really helpful in setting up custom settings and troubleshooting any problems that might arise.

If you're looking for a coffee machine, I'd recommend checking out Roman Che TV's YouTube video 'Best and Worst Coffee Machines' for some valuable insights. I also highly recommend the Perfetto channel for all things coffee and coffee machines - they've got a wealth of information on model ranges, cleaning and maintenance tutorials, and more.