Maintenance
EssentialDescaler
Limescale is what most machines die of, and vinegar attacks the seals. A liquid descaler declared suitable for espresso machines does the same job as the maker’s own branded fluid, usually for less.
€19.95
Go to bolAccessories that matter
What you need straight away to keep the machine healthy, what makes the coffee better, and what can wait.
Order with the machine
This is what most machines die of. Count them into the budget for the machine itself.
Milk
EssentialMilk jug
A stainless jug of around 600 ml is the difference between milk that froths and milk that boils. The shape of the spout decides whether you can pour anything with it.
€12.95
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Grinding
EssentialCoffee grinder
Without a grinder in the machine this is not an accessory but a second purchase. Budget something close to the machine itself — on pre-ground coffee no portafilter machine gives you what it can do.
€191.00
Go to CoolblueYou notice soon enough
Not strictly needed, but the difference in the cup is large enough that most people buy them anyway.
Maintenance
RecommendedCleaning tablets
For flushing the brew group. Coffee oils settle where you cannot reach, and a bean-to-cup with a cleaning programme expects a tablet to go with it.
€13.99
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Brewing
RecommendedTamper and distributor (Sage)
The tamper Sage includes is light and plastic. A heavy one with a distributor gives a flatter bed and a more even extraction — the step that most often goes wrong when brewing by hand.
€39.95
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Brewing
RecommendedKnock box
The puck has to go somewhere, and the bin clogs with wet coffee within a week. A box with a rubber bar is quieter than it sounds.
€21.95
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Maintenance
RecommendedAquaClean water filter
Philips counts a considerably longer descaling interval when this filter is fitted. Replace it on time: a saturated filter does nothing, and the machine keeps counting regardless.
€23.38
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Maintenance
RecommendedCLARIS Smart+ water filter
Jura builds the filter into its maintenance schedule; with one fitted the machine no longer needs descaling at all. That saves work and costs a subscription in filters.
€42.99
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Maintenance
RecommendedBRITA Intenza water filter
The filter Siemens and Bosch share. It stretches the descaling interval and takes the off-notes out of hard tap water.
€24.99
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Maintenance
RecommendedDLSC002 water filter
De’Longhi’s own filter, and on most of their machines the cheapest maintenance part there is. It stretches the interval between descalings.
€9.99
Go to bolCan wait
Useful, but your kitchen probably already has something that does the same job.
Brewing
Can waitCoffee scale
Dosing by eye is why the same machine tastes better on one day than the next. A scale accurate to a tenth of a gram, with a timer, turns pulling espresso into something repeatable.
€44.95
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