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Smeg built in machine at Work - Can i get good coffee from it?

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  • Smeg built in machine at Work - Can i get good coffee from it?

    Hi all!
    I work for a not-for-profit, and someone generously donated a Smeg 'in wall' coffee machine to us. There was much excitement around the office, but some people have tried to make a few coffees with it and it is very very average coffee. I have played with the grind, and will work on adjusting the pour time next - but I am unsure where to go from there. Any tips? Thanks in advance!

  • #2
    Welcome to the forum. Not many here use automatic machines which may account for the lack of replies. Keeping it clean would be the first thing to attend to as stale coffee oils taste rancid. Fresh beans - not supermarket beans would be the other. Some other Snobs may know more about auto machines.

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    • #3
      As Stan has stated give it a good clean but probably more important find the instructions to descale it, the scale will taint the water greatly affecting taste, I have had coffee from machines with scale and it is not nice very sour/bitter taste.

      The only possible disagreement is that supermarket beans can make an acceptable coffee especially for a work machine, try Lavazza or Grinders, obviously fresh local roast will be better but on an auto I don't know how much the average users will notice, so maybe give them a go if trying to keep costs down as they will still be 1000 times better then instant

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      • #4
        First, buy good quality fresh beans. Fresh means roasted within the last month which you are unlikely to get at a supermarket.
        If that still doesn't help, even after tweaking grind contact Smeg. They can advise how to calibrate and clean. Assuming this is a new machine, I seriously doubt that scale is the problem and you wouldn't want to void any warranty by doing it yourself.

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        • #5
          Originally posted by geebee666 View Post
          As Stan has stated give it a good clean but probably more important find the instructions to descale it, the scale will taint the water greatly affecting taste, I have had coffee from machines with scale and it is not nice very sour/bitter taste.

          The only possible disagreement is that supermarket beans can make an acceptable coffee especially for a work machine, try Lavazza or Grinders, obviously fresh local roast will be better but on an auto I don't know how much the average users will notice, so maybe give them a go if trying to keep costs down as they will still be 1000 times better then instant
          Using supermarket bought coffee and descaling a brand new machine are two things I definitely wouldn't do. Is it a new machine? I'm guessing so, but it'd be good to know 'Larissa82'. Also is it a full 'push button' auto or does it have a portafilter? I'm guessing being a Smeg it's an auto (I think maybe it's Nuova Simonelli that do the manual built in machines) and in that case follow Flynn's advice above.

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          • #6
            I assumed it was a secondhand machine, obviously descaling would be pointless if new.

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