Super-automatic coffee machines grind coffee coarser than what is typically used for espresso machines with a portafilter. This is mainly done to prevent the machines from clogging. Anyone who has ever knocked a coffee puck out of a portafilter knows that it takes quite a bit of force. Automatic machines cannot generate that kind of force, and the brew unit could get jammed.

To compensate for the coarser grind size, automatic machines typically use a larger dose of ground coffee. As water passes through the puck, this often leads to slight under-extraction. The resulting espresso can therefore taste a bit more acidic, especially with lighter roasts.

For this reason, we generally recommend darker, more chocolatey roasts for automatic machines, such as Nightingale or Blackcap. Both roasts also work very well for milk drinks like cappuccino.

If you enjoy caffè crema—a slightly longer espresso with a mild body (sometimes spelled café crème)—we recommend our Jocotoco or Hummingbird roasts.

If you prefer a bit more sweetness and fruitiness, we recommend Pearl Kite for super-automatic machines, as it contains 50% natural-processed coffee. It also works well for a long coffee or an Americano.

Ultimately, every machine behaves a little differently—and tastes vary as well. In principle, almost any espresso roast works, including lighter omni-roasts. It’s worth experimenting a bit to find what tastes best to you.

In summary, for a fully automatic coffee machine you should:

  • choose a darker espresso roast, such as Nightingale or Blackcap
  • because of the tendency toward under-extraction:
    • set the temperature as high as possible
    • use a higher dose of ground coffee
    • adjust the grind as fine as possible
  • using filtered water often leads to better results, depending on the hardness of your local water
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