Need advice on an AEG brand PE8036m Built-In Coffee Machine

[chocko2312]

Hi. I'm new here.
My wife and I are building a new house and are getting a Built in coffee machine.
Details are PE8036m Built-In Coffee Machine. It is an AEG brand.
Does anyone have any reviews on this particular machine.

[Ken Fox]

I don't know this machine, but honestly, hopefully you can still change your plans, and if not, why are you even posting this question?

In my opinion, a built in espresso machine is a bad idea for a whole lot of reasons. They are going to be badged with a name from some appliance manufacturer, not an espresso machine manufacturer, and almost certainly not the name of the company that actually produced the machinery behind it. Then, you are going to deal with people from an appliance store that have no knowledge or understanding of espresso, which is, afterall, a highly specialized product as are the machines that make it. When the thing produces mediocre or genuinely bad coffee, which it most likely will for a bunch of reasons including the fact that making espresso is A SKILL that takes time, and with no one to show you how you won't learn so it will probably be bad no matter what, but then you won't really know so it won't matter . . . . . . and the appliance company employees, who wouldn't know a good espresso if one fell into their cup, won't be able to really supply useful help.

And, when the thing breaks down it is going to be much harder to fix because it is a part of your home, not a separate freestanding machine.

And it is going to cost you several times as much as a freestanding machine would with the same components, all for the look of being "built in."

This built in espresso machine is probably going to cost you quite a lot of money. Granted, building a home is a time consuming hassle and there are so many details to deal with, but this is one detail you would be better off putting off into the future.

My suggestion would be to contact the builder or the appliance store and tell them to cancel the order. Then, spend some time when you have the time researching espresso machines and grinders and all the things you have to do in order to make good espresso beverages at home. After you have spent some time on this, you will be able to make an informed decision on which pieces of equipment to buy. The one thing you could do now that would be worthwhile would be to figure out the approximate dimensions of a coffee/espresso preparation area and to set aside an area of this size in the kitchen with access to plumbing and electrical connections. Many people here could give you approximate dimensions for such an area if you were interested.

ken

[chocko2312]

Thanks Ken for your time. Your comments taken on board. Certainly worth due consideration.
Will let you know the outcome if interested.

[HB]

I'm curious what espresso machine is behind the sleek exterior. It's nearly certain that AEG rebranded / wrappered one from another manufacturer. A few interior photos would likely reveal its pedigree.

Is that a built-in grinder to the right? If so, I bet that will be the Achille's Heel of this setup, i.e., the grinder is more important than the espresso machine, but it's probable that the manufacturer included an inexpensive burr grinder (lots of fines leading to bitterness) or inexpensive small conical burr grinder (burrs wear out quickly). That's the advantage of standalone units - you pick the best matched pair and can upgrade them independently. Of course, they don't have the seamless appearance of a built-in unit. Then again, some espresso machines are quite attractive (e.g., the Elektras), which may interest those seeking an exceptional cup coupled with exceptional looks.

[Ken Fox]

Thanks Ken for your time. Your comments taken on board. Certainly worth due consideration.
Will let you know the outcome if interested.

We are definitely interested to hear about the outcome, and wish you the best. If there is any way that we can assist you in your espresso adventure, let us know. My suggestion would be to set aside a nice area in the kitchen that would be amenable for use as an espresso preparation area. It would be best to have either no cabinets above or to place them a bit high up to enable the placement of machines underneath so that you are not boxed in to certain choices later that you might not want to be limited to. Access to water and electricity are a must. Given that your local electricity is 220v, you will not likely have power draw problems, but in the wiring I'd suggest putting in a hefty sized breaker in case you ultimately decided you wanted a commercial machine.

If in the end you were to decide not to use this area for espresso, you could then use it for a second (prep) sink in the kitchen or just put a coffeemaker there.

Good luck.

ken

[jesawdy]

After you have spent some time on this, you will be able to make an informed decision on which pieces of equipment to buy. The one thing you could do now that would be worthwhile would be to figure out the approximate dimensions of a coffee/espresso preparation area and to set aside an area of this size in the kitchen with access to plumbing and electrical connections.

Agreed.... You would probably be better off setting aside an appropriate area for a dedicated espresso bar (or smaller work area). You do give up the built-in look, but you could still design a built-in niche for traditional espresso equipment with storage above and below. I think you would be much happier with that. I don't see how that built in gives the appropriate workspace for drink preparation and building. You need a little counter space... and you might want to get in and over the steam wand when frothing. The only built-in that might make sense, would be a superautomatic (including auto froth as well), which I assume does not interest you.

Research a bit to design an appropriate space, provide ample height and head room, water, electric and drain, and get the real deals. I am gonna guess that you can venture into commercial class machines for the cost of that built in unit.

[spender]

My feeling on these things is always never to install built-in electronics of this nature (including speakers, intercoms, etc.), they get dated pretty quick, and then you're stuck with an ugly hole in your cabinets. I remember when a friend of mine built his house a few years back, wanted to put in cat 5 lan cable and some in-wall speakers throughout his house. Well, less than 10 years later, neither are in use any more - his speakers didn't sound good (like I told him, in-walls are not for the audiophile), and he uses his wireless network more for his laptop. For this price (I looked it up and it's not a cheap device), you could get a real nice dedicated freestanding machine, I'd say do that instead.

[stevendouglas]

Chocko:

I couldn't agree more with the prior postings. I started my espresso journey looking at a super automatic after reading a review on CoffeeGeek (see http://www.coffeegeek.com/proreviews/detailed/juracapressos9). The review suggests that the Jura Cappresso S9 is one of the best super automatics on the market (as it should be for over $2,000, but it beat machines costing twice that). In a comparison with a traditional espresso machine, the Solis SL-70 (Cost: $429), the $2,000+ S9 lost out in only two areas:

"The only place it lost out was on taste of espresso (to the traditional machine, the Solis SL-70), and in milk froth quality (again to the SL-70)."

If not the taste of espresso and ability to froth milk, what else is there?

Well there is something more...and one very important area where the Super-Automatic loses: It's the journey to great espresso. After moving away from the super automatics, and based on numerous emails with Dan Kehn (thanks again), I bought the Elektra A3 and a Mazzer Mini-E.

Every morning, I look forward to getting up and pulling that first shot. I look forward to going home and making more. I can't wait to try new blends and see how the crema flows, how the tastes vary, what it does with milk. I love knowing that the richest men and women in the world aren't drinking better coffee than I am.

In short, I love every part about it. And if that means I have to spend 4 minutes in front of the A3 every time I want near perfect coffee...well, that's a price I'll gladly pay.

[HB]

Very well said, Steve!

[randomperson]

My downstairs neighbor in Boston recently renovated her kitchen, spending as much money as it is possible to spend on a square foot basis! One of her decisions was a Miele (spelling?) built-in espresso machine, about which she is very proud.
She can just walk up to it and press a button - presto espresso! I haven't tried it yet -- and wouldn't, actually -- but she loves it. It cost thousands of dollars -- nearly $3,000, I believe -- and she uses old Starbucks beans. But, she loves the results. It is also quite beautiful to look at, tucked above a built-in wine cooler (empty).

I don't doubt that the coffee it produces in no way resembles what I can create with La Valentina or even my Gaggia (if it were working!) But who am I to argue with her if she likes the results? I've gotten lectures from friends about Nespresso machines, Aeropress results, and so on. Naturally, I'm convinced that they like these things because they haven't tried the real thing and don't know what they are missing. My suggestion is that you taste test the results from the machine you are contemplating, then compare it to a good local cafe or a friend with a proper semi-auto machine, and then decide.