The market for home espresso machines is much more welcoming than it was a few years ago. But what are the differences between semi automatic and fully automatic coffee machines?
Affiliate disclosure
This page may contain affiliate links – we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through these links. This is at no extra cost to you.
Up until very recently, home espresso machines were for fanatics, and a whopping 90% of the US used strictly drip coffee machines.
Today, only about 40% of the country uses drip coffee machines.
Espresso has taken over thanks to the many new advances that home espresso machines have introduced.
They are convenient, ever more easy to use, and in general much more accessible. In many cases, one button is all you need to brew your coffee.
However, there’s still a bit of confusion regarding espresso machine types.
These are the semi automatic espresso machine and the fully automatic espresso machines.
We’re going to explain some of the most telling differences that will help you never mix those two up again and find the best for you.
By the way, have you had a look at our deals page yet?
Differences Between Semi and Fully Automatic Espresso Machines
Differences when pulling a shot
Pulling a shot, which has its roots in a time where a shot of espresso had to literally be pulled using a lever, is the action of pressing the button to let water flow through the coffee.
You then press it again when you judge the coffee is ready.
The amount of time you let it brew has an effect on flavor.
It is also how you get a ristretto or a lungo instead of an espresso; by playing around with the length of the shot.
Semi automatic machines depend on you to pull the shot. You tell them when to start and when to stop pulling the shot.
Fully automatic machines come with preset settings.
depending on the coffee maker, you may have very little control over them. They may have “strength” settings that add a few more seconds to the extraction, but that’s about it.
Each one has its advantages.
Some people like doing it analog style and having it all be up to them while others really appreciate not having to worry about getting the time right.
Differences in control over variables
While a semi automatic machine gives you more control over the actual pulling of the shot which—some people may argue—is the most important thing you can do with an espresso machine, that doesn’t mean that this type of machine gives you more control.
In fact, in most aspects, the case turns out to be quite the opposite.
Fully automatic machines have a lot of features which enable you to tweak small settings and aspects of every coffee.
Many of them have a temperature feature that lets you adjust the water temperature: a feature mostly unheard of in semi automatic machines.
On top of that, many fully automatic machines offer a lot of options when it comes to dosing, letting you choose the exact amount of coffee you want.
When they froth milk, they let you choose the level of frothing and even the temperature of the milk.
To make it more clear in your mind, we’re going to go over a few espresso machines of each type.
Show don’t tell, right?
Rancilio Silvia
Rancilio Silvia has been one of the best names in the coffee game for more than a decade.
They don’t release many machines, but all their stuff is absolutely fantastic.
Their espresso machine is considered by many to be one of the best semi-automatic machines of all time.
You need to do all of the work—start the shot, stop it. Turn on the steam wand and turn it off. Oh, and all this done by switches.
The thing is so analog it doesn’t even have buttons or dials, except for the steam wand.
The Rancilio Silvia is the perfect example of a semi-automatic machine. It is operated almost completely by the barista, and it doesn’t offer any sort of flashy feature.
It makes coffee and steams milk. That’s it.
Breville Infuser
The Infuser is a great example of an “ambitious” semi automatic espresso machine.
A lot of semi automatic machines, particularly in recent years, are coming out with extra features to make them more attractive to customers.
This can cause a little bit of confusion.
The main cause for confusion is that the Infuser has preset shot functions; you don’t really get to control the shot.
It does, however, have a “volumetric control” feature that lets you adjust the amount of water that goes into each shot.
It isn’t ideal, but it’s more than most do.
At the end of the day, most newer semi automatic machines are kind of like this one.
They are a bit of a bridge between semi and fully automatic ones.
MEROL Automatic Espresso Machine
MEROL Automatic Espresso Machine
The true fully automatic espresso machine.
You are offered a range of different coffee drinks on a touchscreen and all you have to do is touch the drink you want and, a few machine sounds later, there you go; an actual cappuccino is in front of you.
What’s even better is that you don’t even need to know what the beverage looks like; the screen shows you what it looks like.
A great advantage for those of us who don’t have the brain to memorize all the Italian names.
Besides brewing, pouring, and so on, the MEROL does everything for you. It even grinds the beans.
That, in a nutshell, is the definition of a fully automatic espresso machine. The ability to make a one-touch beverage other than black coffee.
Nespresso Expert – Original Espresso Machine
Nespresso Expert – Original Espresso Machine
The Nespresso Expert is a real wonder of an espresso machine.
It isn’t technically an espresso machine because it works with coffee capsules and not actual ground coffee nor coffee beans.
And yet, the Expert is everything you want in a fully automatic espresso machine without having to use cheap methods like touchscreens and so on.
It has, for example, an incredibly easy to use dial to control the brewing water temperature. This, combined with LED lights, make it really easy for you to customize your coffee.
It has a similar way of choosing your coffee drink; a dial with a set of LED lights. No screens, no flashy functions.
The design is classy, low-key, and in very good taste.
It avoids all of the overkill, over-the-top things that a lot of fully automatic machines have.
