Specialty coffee in a bean-to-cup machine: how to get a better cup

A bean-to-cup machine grinds and brews at the touch of a button. That is exactly why so many people love it, at home and at the office. Many of our customers order whole beans for a machine like this, and the question we hear most is simple: does specialty coffee still make sense in it? It does. Below we explain what a bean-to-cup machine does well, where it falls short, which beans suit it and which settings make the biggest difference in the cup.

01 · Sim, mas

Can you taste specialty coffee in a bean-to-cup machine?

The honest answer is yes, with a few conditions. Specialty coffee starts with better beans: carefully picked, well processed and freshly roasted. That quality is still in the bean when it goes into your machine. What changes is how much control you have over the brewing.

So a bean-to-cup machine rewards coffees with body, sweetness and a soft acidity. Those flavours come through well, black or with milk. Delicate, very fruity filter coffees show more of themselves in a hand brew or a filter machine.

02 · Os grãos

Which beans work best in a bean-to-cup machine

A bean-to-cup machine brews short and strong, a lot like espresso. Coffees roasted for espresso are the natural fit: they have more body and taste round and sweet, also with milk.

Brazilian coffee makes a good base. It usually has a full body, a natural sweetness and a soft acidity, with notes of chocolate, nuts and caramel. That makes it easy to like and forgiving on different machines.

Which of our coffees for which drink

Your drink	Our suggestion	Why
Espresso	Paulista Blend or Mistura Fina	Full and sweet, with chocolate
Cappuccino, latte, flat white	Paulista Blend	Almond and chocolate hold up well in milk
Americano or a big mug	Mistura Fina	Chocolate, roasted chestnut and red apple
Evening, or without caffeine	Swiss Water Decaf	Nuts, chocolate, toffee and fudge
Not sure yet	Explore Espresso Box	Four espresso coffees to taste side by side

03 · Moagem

Grind setting: one step at a time

The grind size decides how much flavour the water takes from the coffee. Finer means more contact and a stronger, fuller cup. Coarser means a lighter cup, and too coarse tastes thin and sour.

1. Start in the middle

   Set the grinder to the middle of its scale, unless the manual of your machine advises otherwise.

2. Make a few cups

   The first cup after a change can still contain coffee ground at the old setting. Make two or three cups before you judge.

3. Taste and adjust

   Thin or sour? Go one step finer. Bitter or harsh? Go one step coarser. Change one thing at a time, so you know what made the difference.

4. Turn the dial while grinding

   On many machines you should only change the grind setting while the grinder is running. Check your manual before you turn the dial.

04 · Força e volume

Strength and cup size

The strength setting usually changes how much coffee the machine grinds per cup. For a richer cup, choose a higher strength and a smaller volume. A very long coffee from one dose of beans tastes watery, because the water keeps running through coffee that has already given its flavour.

For a large cup, an americano works better: a short, strong coffee topped up with hot water. You keep the taste and still get a full mug. Many machines have a button for it; otherwise, make a short coffee and add hot water yourself.

05 · Ajuste

Adjusting to taste

Use the taste as your guide. These are the most common problems and what to change first:

06 · Água e temperatura

Water and temperature

Your coffee is almost all water, so the water matters. Filtered water often tastes cleaner and also helps against limescale. Descale the machine as often as the manufacturer advises, especially if you live in an area with hard water.

If your machine has a temperature setting, start high. If the coffee tastes bitter even after adjusting the grind, try one step lower.

07 · Com leite

Milk drinks

Most bean-to-cup machines also make cappuccino and latte. Coffee with body and chocolate notes stands up to milk best, which is why a fuller, chocolatey coffee such as Paulista Blend works so well here. Use cold, fresh milk, and clean the milk system after every use: milk residue spoils the taste quickly.

08 · Limpeza

Keep the machine clean

Old coffee oils and grounds give a dull, bitter taste. These habits help:

• Empty the drip tray and the grounds container every day.
• Rinse the brew unit once a week if your machine has a removable one.
• Clean the milk system after every use if you make milk drinks.
• Run the cleaning and descaling programmes as your manual advises.
• Switching between regular coffee and decaf? Clean the grinder, so no caffeine from the previous beans ends up in your evening cup.

09 · Frescor

Keep your beans fresh

Coffee needs to rest for about a week after roasting to come into its own, and it is at its best up to around six weeks after roasting. So look for a roast date on the bag. We roast every week in Amsterdam: the coffee we send was roasted 2 to 12 days earlier, and orders leave within 1 to 2 working days.

Fill the bean container with enough for a few days, and keep the rest closed in its bag or an airtight container, somewhere dark and cool, but not in the fridge.

Do you drink a lot of coffee at home? Then a 4 x 1 kg pack of Paulista Blend is the best value. Not sure what you like yet? Start with our Explore Espresso Box and taste four espresso coffees side by side.

10 · No escritório

A bean-to-cup machine at the office

In many offices the bean-to-cup machine is the heart of the coffee corner. The same rules apply, with one extra: agree who empties the trays and cleans the machine. Read how to choose coffee beans for your business, or see how our coffee for cafés and offices works, with free samples to taste on your own machine first.

11 · Perguntas

Frequently asked questions