Making Coffee with the SMEG Bean-To-Coffee Automatic Coffee Machine BCC12 – My Short Review

[Emperor_Hippo]

had this machine for more than a year (bought it upon release in fact).

well, its decent. not too bad. i still patronise starbucks (not that frequent nowadays like once a month now since I get my daily 2 dose). just that the cleaning's a little bit of a bitch at times.

its so easy that even my 9yr old can operate it, kinda like a nespresso machine (I've got the creatista).

nothing much to fault about though. just that my only bitch is a portion of 250g of coffee beans that runs out real quick.

 

[menthol28]

Yup, noticed some coffee powder in the drip tray. I'll double check on this later on. I also just opened the brewing group and check. Yes, a few bits of leftovers maybe because I made espresso which uses very little coffee beans. I'm not seeing a nice expresso puck but some waste powder instead. Later I'll make a cup of black coffee and check again

JFI, I just watched YT and also noticed the De'longhi Rivelia Fully Automatic Coffee Machine also has this problem of coffee powder in the drip tray.

I drink the most 2 cups of coffee a day. So can wash up at the end of the day

If your coffee puck is too watery and messy, it means the beans are not grinded fine enough

 

[zueinder]

I find it hard to justify a machine like that when pourover coffee is also simple and easier to keep clean.

 

[CCCustom]

Yup, noticed some coffee powder in the drip tray. I'll double check on this later on. I also just opened the brewing group and check. Yes, a few bits of leftovers maybe because I made espresso which uses very little coffee beans. I'm not seeing a nice expresso puck but some waste powder instead. Later I'll make a cup of black coffee and check again

JFI, I just watched YT and also noticed the De'longhi Rivelia Fully Automatic Coffee Machine also has this problem of coffee powder in the drip tray.

I drink the most 2 cups of coffee a day. So can wash up at the end of the day

I tell you straight - this is a design flaw … if you opened up your machine like me, you will see … the “chute“ that the ground coffee comes out of after passing through the grinder, is an oval shape, the length of the oval is the diameter of the inside of your brewgroup. But that’s not the problem … the problem is the distance from the chute the ground coffee comes out from into the brewgroup is ~8-10cm height, so it will scatter. Read your FAQ or read online forums about this issue … the solution is to increase your grind size so that the grind particles are bigger so heavier, so will drop straight down

FYI below the burrs, there is an impeller that pushes the ground coffee out from the grinder to the chute … this impeller is made of plastic, and someone in Europe GPGTed that his machine was faulty, he disassembled the grinder to find the impeller broken, and he 3D-printed a replacement to get his machine working again. I msged this guy about how to take apart the grinder after taking it out, tmd no reply me

And 1 more thing … at the point where the chute connects to the grinder (the chute piece is removable FYI, but it is plastic and there is risk of breaking the tabs if you are rough with pulling) there is a silicone flap … when the grinder runs and the impeller pushes the ground coffee out, it will lift the flap for the ground coffee to enter the chute … but once the grind stops the impeller also stops, so the flap ends up blocking about half a teaspoon or so worth of ground coffee from entering the chute so it is stuck there … every time you make a coffee, half a teaspoon or so of it was from your last grind

So yeah … managing expectations

 

[Apparatus]

Kitchen cabinet and counter jin ugly.

No money mah unlike you. You rich, right?

 

[Apparatus]

If your coffee puck is too watery and messy, it means the beans are not grinded fine enough

But I already set to the 2nd last fine setting. OK I'll try setting to the last setting the next time when making an expresso and see how

 

[deathan9el]

dun think me can reach to this coffee connoisseur level yet

 

[Apparatus]

I tell you straight - this is a design flaw … if you opened up your machine like me, you will see … the “chute“ that the ground coffee comes out of after passing through the grinder, is an oval shape, the length of the oval is the diameter of the inside of your brewgroup. But that’s not the problem … the problem is the distance from the chute the ground coffee comes out from into the brewgroup is ~8-10cm height, so it will scatter. Read your FAQ or read online forums about this issue … the solution is to increase your grind size so that the grind particles are bigger so heavier, so will drop straight down

FYI below the burrs, there is an impeller that pushes the ground coffee out from the grinder to the chute … this impeller is made of plastic, and someone in Europe GPGTed that his machine was faulty, he disassembled the grinder to find the impeller broken, and he 3D-printed a replacement to get his machine working again. I msged this guy about how to take apart the grinder after taking it out, tmd no reply me

And 1 more thing … at the point where the chute connects to the grinder (the chute piece is removable FYI, but it is plastic and there is risk of breaking the tabs if you are rough with pulling) there is a silicone flap … when the grinder runs and the impeller pushes the ground coffee out, it will lift the flap for the ground coffee to enter the chute … but once the grind stops the impeller also stops, so the flap ends up blocking about half a teaspoon or so worth of ground coffee from entering the chute so it is stuck there … every time you make a coffee, half a teaspoon or so of it was from your last grind

So yeah … managing expectations

I have checked with SMEG and they said I cannot open the grinder side. I know they can do that.

 

[CCCustom]

I have checked with SMEG and they said I cannot open the grinder side. I know they can do that.

Actually opening this machine is a bit like opening old school PC casing where the sides and top are a single piece But yeah, you’d probably want to wait till after your warranty expired … I self-imported no warranty, so I don’t care

 

[StoicGuy]

From here?

https://www.drcoffee.com/products-14.html

Any support service in Singapore?

I saw in china like selling at RMB10k+.

How can china product be more expensive than Western brand. Haha..

Not coffee enthusiast so dunno what good...

 

[Apparatus]

I tell you straight - this is a design flaw … if you opened up your machine like me, you will see … the “chute“ that the ground coffee comes out of after passing through the grinder, is an oval shape, the length of the oval is the diameter of the inside of your brewgroup. But that’s not the problem … the problem is the distance from the chute the ground coffee comes out from into the brewgroup is ~8-10cm height, so it will scatter. Read your FAQ or read online forums about this issue … the solution is to increase your grind size so that the grind particles are bigger so heavier, so will drop straight down

FYI below the burrs, there is an impeller that pushes the ground coffee out from the grinder to the chute … this impeller is made of plastic, and someone in Europe GPGTed that his machine was faulty, he disassembled the grinder to find the impeller broken, and he 3D-printed a replacement to get his machine working again. I msged this guy about how to take apart the grinder after taking it out, tmd no reply me

And 1 more thing … at the point where the chute connects to the grinder (the chute piece is removable FYI, but it is plastic and there is risk of breaking the tabs if you are rough with pulling) there is a silicone flap … when the grinder runs and the impeller pushes the ground coffee out, it will lift the flap for the ground coffee to enter the chute … but once the grind stops the impeller also stops, so the flap ends up blocking about half a teaspoon or so worth of ground coffee from entering the chute so it is stuck there … every time you make a coffee, half a teaspoon or so of it was from your last grind

So yeah … managing expectations

Now the guy above you said if my puck is messy ie. not a nice puck but powdery I need to set my grinding finer. So you said to avoid coffee ground dropping I need to set to a coarser grind.

I thought for expresso the grinding should be set to fine or very fine?

 

[Apparatus]

had this machine for more than a year (bought it upon release in fact).

well, its decent. not too bad. i still patronise starbucks (not that frequent nowadays like once a month now since I get my daily 2 dose). just that the cleaning's a little bit of a bitch at times.

its so easy that even my 9yr old can operate it, kinda like a nespresso machine (I've got the creatista).

nothing much to fault about though. just that my only bitch is a portion of 250g of coffee beans that runs out real quick.

You drink many cups of coffee per day?

 

[CCCustom]

If your coffee puck is too watery and messy, it means the beans are not grinded fine enough

Now the guy above you said if my puck is messy ie. not a nice puck but powdery I need to set my grinding finer. So you said to avoid coffee ground dropping I need to set to a coarser grind.

I thought for expresso the grinding should be set to fine or very fine?

This machine need to experiment to find sweet spot … too fine the ground coffee scatter all over the place instead of going into the brewgroup … too coarse you get wet puck.

Unfortunately it seems different brand different roast also got different sweet spot … Starbucks beans I set to finest I don’t have any problems, this batch of Zero beans I never change the settings but I open up the side door see inside, my ground coffee all over the place.

 

[Bumblebee Man]

Kitchen cabinet and counter jin ugly.

Knn. Ppl spent over 1k on kopi machine happily share news with you, and you only criticised her ugly kitchen cabinet and counter!

 

[Emperor_Hippo]

dun think me can reach to this coffee connoisseur level yet

i think its just coffee.

compared to folks who grind, tamp, spend like tens of thousands for "that perfect brew" like a connoisseur at home, this machine is decent for everyone.

but that's me. coffee purists and connoisseur will sniff at the nespresso and smeg bean-to-cup machines in my home. all I know is, my 9yr old volunteers to make my usual 1 cup for me enthusiastically with a kiss. That alone, makes for great coffee instead of a $20,000 machine with all its great promises of "that perfect espresso that reminds you of italy."

 

[Emperor_Hippo]

This machine need to experiment to find sweet spot … too fine the ground coffee scatter all over the place instead of going into the brewgroup … too coarse you get wet puck.

Unfortunately it seems different brand different roast also got different sweet spot … Starbucks beans I set to finest I don’t have any problems, this batch of Zero beans I never change the settings but I open up the side door see inside, my ground coffee all over the place.

maybe like 2nd or middle point.

that appears to be the sweet spot though. i open up to wash and don't see grounds all over the place.

i throw all kindsa beans at it so far. starbucks, hoshino, tasogare, coffee beans from turkey, beans from italy and that popular coffee cafe from England that sells tee shirt that has a bear mascot at MBS and Shaw.... rudolph, randall, r.... something.... can't recall.

yah, that middle dot or the 2nd finest dot actually works well.

 

[Emperor_Hippo]

You drink many cups of coffee per day?

average about 2 cups max nowadays. nothing like what young people do nowadays like 4 or 5 cups a day as if they are trying to make their hearts explode and its a crowning glory to down so many cups a day.

getting old so too much coffee makes this old man feel like he'd snorted a tonne of coke and i'll end up being so full that i end up not eating but swirling coffee in my stomach all day long.

 

[Emperor_Hippo]

From here?

https://www.drcoffee.com/products-14.html

Any support service in Singapore?

looks suspiciously like a Jura.

maybe an "inspired" design.

 

[Apparatus]

average about 2 cups max nowadays. nothing like what young people do nowadays like 4 or 5 cups a day as if they are trying to make their hearts explode and its a crowning glory to down so many cups a day.

getting old so too much coffee makes this old man feel like he'd snorted a tonne of coke and i'll end up being so full that i end up not eating but swirling coffee in my stomach all day long.

For your 250g of coffee beans and 2 cups per day how many days do the coffee beans last, roughly?

 

[Emperor_Hippo]

For your 250g of coffee beans and 2 cups per day how many days do the coffee beans last, roughly?

don't stick to the smeg everyday since i have a nespresso machine as well. plus my office have nespresso machines too.

shortest about 2.5wks. longest was abt 2 to 3mths.

yah, the 2 to 3mths is quite WTF and the flavour isn't as strong but there were times I have to stop drinking altogether for a few days or a week.