- The Philips Baristina is a new compact espresso machine
- Claims to brew coffee from beans in one minute with a “single swipe”
- It should be much easier to maintain than a typical automatic coffee maker.
Philips has launched a new coffee maker that promises to make authentic espresso from fresh beans with the speed and convenience of coffee capsules, but without the expense.
According to the company, the Baristina will prepare your drink “with a simple movement of the portafilter handle.” I have yet to see it in action, but judging from the description and photos shown, it appears to operate similarly to a bean-to-cup coffee maker, but without the hassle of having to take the machine apart to clean the brew group and empty the used grounds container.
Instead, the Baristina uses the same type of portafilter handle as a manual espresso machine. Push it into place and the machine will grind the appropriate dose of coffee directly into the filter, tamp it, and then extract your shot of espresso once the boiler has reached the ideal temperature and pressure.
The entire process apparently takes just a minute, after which you simply remove the portafilter handle and tap out the used coffee grounds, just as you would with a conventional coffee maker.
There’s no steam wand, but if you want to make lattes and cappuccinos, there’s a separate Baristina milk frother that can produce hot and cold milk foam.
Espresso without the mess
I’m not sure how many customization options Baristina will offer (hopefully you’ll be able to at least adjust the grind size to suit different coffees), but it certainly looks intriguing. My biggest problem with super-automatic coffee makers is that although they save you time and effort in the short term, they require much more effort to clean than a manual espresso machine.
It looks like Baristina will give you the best of both worlds, handling all the technical and potentially complicated parts of the brewing process for you, without any coffee mess inside.
I will be testing the Philips Baristina soon and will bring you a full review once I have put it to the test. If it works as well as Philips claims, it might even earn a spot in our roundup of the best espresso machines.
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