Buying a coffee machine: which one suits you?

A coffee machine is more than a kitchen appliance. It is part of your morning, your ritual, your home. Before you start thinking about specifications, ask yourself a different question: what kind of coffee moment do you want? The only thing that counts in the end: the coffee has to taste good to you. Everything else is trimmings.

What you are reading here is our view as a coffee roastery. We roast ourselves, we use the machines every day, we advise from our own experience. But our opinion is one of many in the coffee world. Every path to good coffee is valid. If you would rather browse straight away: you will find the full range under portafilter and coffee machines and coffee grinders.

Why buy from us?

The Coffee Coaching Club is a coffee roastery with showrooms in Bern (Gerberngasse 44) and Zurich Oerlikon (Hagenholzstrasse 50b). We are not pure retailers. We roast our own coffee beans, we run cafés, and we use the machines and grinders we sell ourselves every day. When we recommend something to you, it is because we know it, not because it is in the catalogue.

For numerous brands we are the exclusive Swiss importer, among them Flair Espresso, Weber Workshops, Varia, Normcore, Acaia and Subminimal. In addition we carry La Marzocco, Rocket, ECM, Arkel, Profitec and many other brands.

What kind of coffee person are you?

There is no right or wrong path. There is only your path. Here are a few points of orientation that may help you.

You love the ritual. You want every step in your own hands. The grinding, the tamping, the pull. For you the process matters just as much as the result in the cup. Manual machines from Flair Espresso offer exactly that: a deliberate, slowed-down experience in which you control the pressure with your own hand. No power, no noise, just you and the bean.

You want comfort and reliability. In the morning it simply has to work. Machine on, espresso out, done. Machines from Profitec, ECM or Rocket deliver exactly that: proven engineering, solid build quality, reliable day after day. Espresso and cappuccino without any head-scratching.

You want the sensory maximum. You want the full aromatic spectrum of your beans in the cup. Refined, layered, complex. Machines with a saturated group from La Marzocco or Arkel deliver an aromatic picture that we perceive as particularly refined and rich in flavour. The thermal stability of these groups allows an even extraction that makes nuances visible which can get lost in other systems. That is our observation. How you weigh it up for yourself is something we are happy to work through with you in a conversation.

You simply want a beautiful machine. One that stands in your kitchen and makes you happy before you have even had the first coffee. That is a perfectly good reason too. Design and feel shape how you experience the coffee before the first drop has landed in the cup.

The grinder matters just as much

Freshly ground coffee changes everything. Pre-ground coffee loses a large part of its aromatics within minutes. Your own coffee grinder is therefore not optional, it is part of the setup.

Our honest recommendation: spend at least as much on the grinder as on the machine, if not more. That is our experience, not a law. Others weigh it differently, and that can lead to the goal too.

Hand grinders from Comandante, Timemore or Varia deliver excellent grounds and make the grinding part of the ritual. Electric grinders from Eureka, Mazzer, Fiorenzato or Mahlkönig offer comfort at the touch of a button. If design and sensory detail are what excite you, Option-O and Weber Workshops build grinders that are precision instrument and design object at once.

Our comparison and consultation helps you find the right combination of machine and grinder.

Single boiler, heat exchanger, dual boiler: what does that mean?

These terms describe how the machine heats its water. That shapes the workflow, but it says little about whether the coffee will taste good to you in the end.

A single boiler has one boiler. You switch between brewing and steam. A heat exchanger lets you brew and steam at the same time. A dual boiler has two separate heating systems for maximum temperature control. None of these systems is better or worse. They are different and they suit different daily routines.

What shapes the taste more than the heating system is the brew group. A saturated group, as used by La Marzocco and Arkel, delivers a result that we perceive as more refined and richer in flavour than that of a classic E61 group, regardless of whether the E61 sits in a single boiler, a heat exchanger or a dual boiler machine. But that is our perspective. Others see it differently, and that is just as valid. More on this in our deep dive on heating systems and our brew group comparison.

Great coffee at every price level

There is no minimum amount for good coffee. And the most expensive setup is not automatically the best one for you. Every one of the following paths delivers great espresso, as long as you enjoy the way you get there.

A manual machine from Flair Espresso with a hand grinder from Comandante or Varia is deliberate, hands-on, unhurried. A machine from Profitec, ECM or Rocket with an electric grinder from Eureka or Fiorenzato brings daily consistency and comfort. A machine from La Marzocco or Arkel with a grinder from Option-O or Weber Workshops offers maximum sensory control and equipment that is a design object at the same time.

Each of these paths is equally valid. What counts is not the price, but whether the coffee tastes good to you and the process gives you pleasure. You will find every model in the overview portafilter and coffee machines.

Showrooms in Bern and Zurich

Our showrooms in Bern (Gerberngasse 44) and Zurich (Hagenholzstrasse 50b) show a wide selection, but not our entire range – the display changes. Drop us a quick line at [email protected] before your visit, and we will check whether the model you have in mind is currently on display.

Where to find us: showroom and café in Bern, Gerberngasse 44 in the Matte quarter, and showroom and roastery in Zurich Oerlikon, Hagenholzstrasse 50b. Both pages list opening hours, directions and everything else about that location.

You can order in three ways: online in the shop, with us in store, or by phone on +41 76 789 15 79. If you want to take your time, arrange a consultation appointment — we put your situation in context instead of leaving you alone with data sheets. If you want to see a particular model, let us know briefly beforehand: not every product is permanently set up. For a first orientation in between, our comparison and consultation helps too, or Jackson, our AI advisor, around the clock.

Our coffee beans

The best machine in the world can't get more out of a bean than the bean has to give. That is why we roast our own coffee beans in Zurich Oerlikon. From cocoa and chocolate through nutty to berry and floral. The coffee travels to Bern several times a week. Pick a profile and find out what makes your cup.

Workshops and courses

We currently give barista workshops, coffee tastings and latte art courses exclusively in private form: on your own, as a pair, or as a group from your own circle or team. That means no off-the-shelf programme, but a course that follows your equipment and your questions. In German or English, and at your place if you prefer.

Delivery

Within Switzerland and to Liechtenstein in 2 to 4 working days. Free from CHF 60 order value.

Frequently asked questions about buying a coffee machine

Which coffee machine suits me?

That depends less on the technology than on your daily routine. If you want the ritual by hand, reach for a manual machine. If it simply has to work in the morning, take a solid portafilter machine with an E61 group. If you want the full aromatic spectrum, look at machines with a saturated group. All three paths deliver great coffee.

How much should I spend on the coffee grinder?

Our honest recommendation: at least as much as on the machine, if not more. Freshly ground coffee changes the result more than almost any other component. That is our experience, not a law.

Single boiler, heat exchanger or dual boiler: which is better?

None of the three systems is better or worse, they simply suit different daily routines. The single boiler switches between brewing and steam, the heat exchanger can do both at once, the dual boiler has two separate heating systems. The brew group has a stronger effect on taste than the heating system.

Can I see the machines before buying?

Our showrooms in Bern (Gerberngasse 44) and Zurich (Hagenholzstrasse 50b) show a wide selection, but not our entire range – the display changes. Since not every model is set up at the same time, it is best to let us know briefly beforehand; we are glad to show you individual machines. If you'd like to test several espresso machines and grinders side by side at your own pace, there's our Espresso Machine and Grinder Comparison for that: an hour reserved just for you, in Bern on Mondays and in Zurich Oerlikon from Tuesday to Saturday. Because that can't happen spontaneously in a working café, the comparison is by appointment.

How can I order?

In three ways: online in the shop, with us in store in Bern or Zurich Oerlikon, or by phone on +41 76 789 15 79. Within Switzerland and to Liechtenstein we deliver in 2 to 4 working days, free from CHF 60 order value.