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Bosch Benvenuto B30 Thermoblock Automatic Espresso Machine

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Brew cafe-quality espressos, cappuccinos, lattes, and more at the touch of a button with this easy-to-use 1300-watt espresso machine. Its user-friendly control panel and digital display make it easy to select from programmable brewing options, to set the strength and size preference, to adjust the coffee temperature, and to choose between brewing one cup or two cups simultaneously. Thanks to its durable stainless-steel boiler and Thermoblock 15-bar pressure system, each shot brews at the proper temperature and comes out with a thick layer of golden crema. The machine’s unique AROMASWIRL system ensures maximum flavor extraction, and its fast heat-up time allows for rapid switching between brewing and steaming. The included frothing attachment froths milk for creamy cappuccinos, plus delivers instant hot water for tea or hot chocolate.

For added convenience, the unit provides a 14-ounce bean hopper and an adjustable, built-in, conical-type burr grinder for creating freshly ground coffee, as well as a separate chamber for pre-ground coffee, which comes in handy if the hopper contains regular beans, but guests would prefer decaf after dinner. The unit’s control panel offers a choice of eight languages, a timer function, and a counter of the total brewing cycles. Other thoughtful design details include a removable 70-ounce water tank, a replaceable water filter, an adjustable level of water hardness, and a built-in cup heater for pre-warming cups and mugs, as well as a removable grounds container, a removable and dishwasher-safe drip tray, and automatic cleaning, descaling, and rinsing functions. Backed by The Good Housekeeping Seal, the UL-listed espresso machine measures 22-4/5 x 14-1/5 x 16-1/5 inches and carries a 2-years limited warranty.

Features

Fully automatic espresso machine with Thermoblock 15-bar pressure system
Stainless-steel boiler; AROMASWIRL system for maximum flavor extraction
Digital display; adjustable strength and size; brew 1 or 2 cups at a time; timer
Bean hopper; conical burr grinder; removable 70-ounce water tank; frother included
Measures 22-4/5 by 14-1/5 by 16-1/5 inches; 2-year limited warranty

Bosch TCA6301UC Benvenuto B30 Thermoblock 15-Bar-Pump Digital Fully Automatic Espresso Machine Review

Would buy this one all over again.
I researched espresso makers and purchased the Benvenuto 30 over a year ago. Like with many products, I was full of glee by the simple format change. So here it is, a year and 2 months later and I am still enjoying this purchase. There was the initial getting to know how to achieve my preferred ratio of espresso:steamed milk, but once that was discovered, the Benvenuto 30 has been delivering that perfect latte every time, ever since. I now find that when I am in town, I drive on by Starbucks or Seattle’s best, etc. Now, some reckon that the water reservoir is not big enough. This is not a problem that interferes with my routine. Perhaps these sweet people are making more single cups of coffee than I do which by the way, big Ben makes quite nicely as well. The only drawback that I see, is the length of time required to run the cleaning and descaling cycles… But cleaning and descaling can be done when it is convenient to your schedule. You do have to hang around during cleaning and descaling for a few prompts to empty the trays or add a tablet. —minor points – ’cause it’s nice it cleans itself.

Stylish, quiet, convenient
The Bosch Benvenuto B30 is an exceptional coffee maker. We used to have a fully automatic Saeco model for the past 9 years, but it recently started leaking and so we decided to get a new machine.

Before buying the Benvenuto B30, we researched quite a few machines: The Saeco models we saw on store display didn’t strike us as too well-made. Our old one was largely metal but we found the new models to be made of relatively flimsy-feeling plastic. We then looked at the Jura machines but ultimately decided against them due to their high prices, reviews we read that the coffee isn’t made hot enough, and also because Jura machines only allow for three different coffee strength settings – weak, medium, and strong. We wanted more choices.

Having had experience with these types of machines for almost 10 years, we knew what we wanted: a height-adjustable spout, the possibility to use both beans and ground coffee, a relatively quiet operation, and an intelligent design which would tell us when to refill water, beans, when to clean, descale, etc. The B30 does all that and more. Moreover, it offers stylish design and is very well made.

The machine does not take long to reach its required operating temperature and the electronic display informs you when it is ready. The coffee strength can be adjusted from mild to extra-strong. Furthermore, the amount of water can be adjusted to accommodate small Espresso cups, XXL coffee mugs and pretty much everything in-between.

Undoubtedly the best feature is the height-adjustable spout, or rather spouts (the B30 has 2) which let you brew 2 cups of coffee simultaneously – a huge time-saver in the morning! We found that although the height can only be adjusted by little over 4 inches, there is no problem to use cups higher than that. This is due to the clever design that gives ample and easy access to the spouts from the side as well as from the front – we just move the cups under the spouts holding them at a slight angle. With our old Saeco machine, we always had to remove the grille and tray to be able to accommodate larger mugs.

Another very nice feature is that the water temperature can be adjusted. At the Maximum setting, the coffee is piping hot – very useful when adding cold frothed milk to it because with other machines, this makes the coffee too cold to be enjoyable. The B30 even has a heated top grille for pre-heating your coffee mugs!

And if all of that weren’t enough, the machine even has an automatic timer function to automatically turn itself on at a pre-set time, and turn itself off again after a set number of hours.

In summary, this machine is incredibly easy to operate, fast and makes excellent coffee in all kinds of strengths and sizes. An integrated steamer to froth milk, etc. is of course standard.

The only other thing I would like to mention is that if you are a larger family of coffee lovers, you may find the water tank to be a bit on the small side. In our house we’re just two people and find that we have to refill the tank every day after just 2 – 3 cups of XXL-size coffee. Then again: This also ensures that the water is always fresh and not stale from sitting in the tank for too long. So you be the judge whether this is a negative or not.

I whole-heartedly recommend this machine which in my opinion offers a lot more than the overpriced Jura machines, especially when it comes to flexibility!