Espresso Machine & Grinder Comparison in Our Showroom – Bern & Zurich, 1–4 People

Espresso Machine and Grinder Comparison in Our Showroom – Bern & Zurich

Two glasses of espresso stand side by side on the counter: the same bean, two different paths through grinder and machine. A sip from one, then from the other – and suddenly you can grasp what no product page can describe: where there is more body, where the sweetness feels rounder, which finish lingers longer.

Sometimes the difference is clear, sometimes subtle – you notice it when the glasses stand right next to each other.

That is exactly what this hour in our showrooms in Bern and Zurich is for: testing espresso machines and grinders in direct comparison, together with an introduction to the machine classes. With us, the machines don't sit on a pedestal – they are in use, and we work with them every day.

Why a direct comparison reveals so much

Taste memory is fleeting. An espresso from last week can hardly be set reliably next to today's, but two glasses in the same moment can. The comparison tests used in sensory science rest on exactly this principle: side by side, differences become perceptible that blur in memory.

On top of that, aroma arises to a large extent through the nose. As you swallow, volatile compounds rise through the throat to the olfactory mucosa – retronasal olfaction – and turn basic taste into what we experience as aroma. Coffee contains over 800 such compounds, and every combination of machine and grinder brings them into the glass a little differently.

Grinder, machine and the machine classes

In the glass, grinder and machine always work together. Particle size and the uniformity of the grounds determine how evenly the water extracts the coffee. Burrs are a bit like car engines: each set has its own character, and there is no objectively best one. That is why it is so revealing to test one machine with several grinders.

The hour includes an introduction to the machine classes, from single-circuit machines through heat exchanger machines to dual boilers. The heating system determines how a machine handles temperature, and temperature helps decide which compounds dissolve: slightly higher tends to bring more body, slightly lower more complexity and aroma.

If you'd like to dive deeper, you'll find the background in our deep dive on single-circuit, heat exchanger and dual boiler machines.

One of our observations becomes especially tangible in the comparison: a saturated group, as built by La Marzocco and Arkel, delivers a more refined aroma profile for us than an E61 – regardless of the heating system. Others see it differently, and that is exactly why the machines stand side by side: so you can form your own view. Our opinion is one of many.

No right, no wrong

We don't have espresso laws. We think of espresso in weight ratios, with 1:2 as a starting point, never by time alone – and we know that no shot can be repeated exactly. The bean, the humidity and you yourself are never quite the same as yesterday.

That is not a limitation, it is the beauty of it. Espresso is complex, but it isn't rocket science, and in the end all that counts is that you enjoy it.

Sometimes the comparison also shows something no data sheet can. The differences in the glass may turn out subtler than expected, and yet one machine simply feels right: the sound during extraction, the way the portafilter sits in your hand, its presence on the counter.

Design and feel shape the enjoyment before the first sip. Nobody needs the more expensive machine – you want it or you don't. Both are legitimate.

At a Glance

Who the comparison is for

For everyone facing a decision who would rather taste than read – on your own, as a pair or as a group of four, with any budget and any level of experience. For couples and flatmates who share a kitchen and therefore a machine.

For everyone who already owns a machine and would like to test what a different grinder can bring out of it. And for everyone who simply wants to understand why single-circuit machines, heat exchanger machines and dual boilers are built so differently.

If you want to buy an espresso machine in Switzerland, you don't need this comparison – it is an option, not a requirement. For reading up beforehand, our online comparison of coffee machines and grinders is a good place to start. And whether you order afterwards or not: if you're here, you're part of the Coffee Coaching Club community.

What fits afterwards

Once it's clear after the hour where the journey is heading, you'll find all espresso machines online. For everyone who wants a grinder that is affordable and precise: the VS3 from our Varia collection. If you want more: the EG-1 from Weber Workshops. We import both brands ourselves.

Because every gram counts in espresso, a scale belongs in the setup. For everyone who wants to weigh affordably and precisely: the Normcore scales – compact, precise, reliable. If you want an app, a flow rate display and Bluetooth: the Acaia scales. And if you'd like to practise at the machine yourself afterwards, you'll find the private barista course among our workshops and team events.