Smeg EGF03 Coffee Maker with Grinder Review: Style Over Speed

For the freshest coffee at home, made with one device, many of us reach for an automatic bean coffee maker. Meanwhile, those who enjoy the ritual of making coffee are left with two devices on the counter: a grinder and a coffee maker.

The Smeg EGF03 Espresso Machine with Grinder combines these two elements, allowing you to grind just the right amount of beans, tamp them down and brew a flawless espresso in one attractive and stylish package. What’s more, its hopper is detachable, so you can swap beans for a different flavour without having to dig through an entire bag.

Design and construction

Whether you’re a fan of Smeg’s instantly recognisable design or not, there’s no denying that this shiny, chrome-laden machine makes a statement in the kitchen. It’s packed with detail, from the central pressure gauge for measuring espresso pressure to the shiny, retro-style handle for operating the steam wand.

While the machine is quite immense on the worktop (H44.3 x W33.4 x D43cm) and challenging to move (it weighs over 12kg), it is roomy in the essential ways, such as a coffee bean container that can hold an entire packet, and a 2.4-litre water tank that doesn’t need constant refilling.

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

Rachel Ogden / The Foundry

The inside of the machine is just as clever: behind the drip tray, you’ll find storage for four filters, a cleaning disc, and a cleaning brush designed to get coffee grounds out of nooks and crannies – meaning none of those little accessories are in danger of getting lost.

The controls are, unsurprisingly, as elegant as the rest: two buttons for grinding, two buttons for brewing, and a circumspect button on the side for turning the device on and off (though the machine also has an adjustable, 10-minute eco mode that will turn the machine off if you forget to turn it on).

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

Performance and Features

While the initial setup of the EGF03 Espresso coffee maker is fiddly, involving setting the water hardness and wading through reams of coffee advice in the manual (fascinating for coffee connoisseurs, less so for casual drinkers), the machine isn’t all that challenging to employ. Thankfully, a quick reference guide is included for those who want to skip the more detailed information.

The only issue we ran into was the portafilter baskets—they’re not straightforward to tell apart, and while the instructions call them single-cup and non-pressurized, the only label on two of them is double-walled single-cup and double-cup. In case you didn’t know, the pressurized (or double-walled) basket is better for novice brewers: you’ll get a more consistent, drinkable espresso every time, without having to grind it finely.

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

We eventually figured out that the pressurized ones were the unperforated ones, but deciding which was which could have made making that first, eye-watering espresso of the day quite the challenge.

Once the bean container was filled and inserted, it was straightforward to select the grind by twisting the container. The grind ranges from medium to very fine and as such could probably be used as a coffee grinder if you were in the mood for a piston coffee. By selecting the medium grind, we opted for a two-cup portion to make a double espresso with the double-walled two-cup filter in the filter holder.

There’s a handy rest for the filter holder, so you don’t have to hold it by hand or guess where the right position is to get the grounds. However, the two-cup option tended to dispense a bit too much coffee, as we struggled to get the filter holder into the machine after tamping. Once we cleared the grounds from the top, it slid into place.

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

The pressure gauge indicates whether the coffee is being extracted correctly – if so, it remains within the espresso range. We found this useful for helping to eliminate any issues with tamping or the amount of coffee in the portafilter. As expected, the double espresso we made had an excellent aromatic crema and slightly sweet notes. It also had a good temperature – not too balmy, but not lukewarm – although this is a parameter that can be adjusted. Another feature that can be adjusted is the pre-infusion, which varies from compact to gradual, depending on the beans used.

It was a similar story when we switched to the single-cup filter: again, the amount of ground coffee dispensed was a tad too immense to fit in the machine, but after adjustments, the single dose was perfect.

One of the aspects we liked was the milk frothing. There are two steam intensities: lower, when you need less foam (e.g. caffe latte), and higher, suitable for cappuccino. They are well marked on the steam handle, as is the balmy water option when tilted: ideal for Americano.

A metal jug was provided for frothing milk. Our first attempts resulted in hot milk with a little foam, and the milk frothed quite quickly and overflowed, although with practice it was possible to obtain hot frothed milk.

Just like making coffee, you need to put in the time to keep this machine ready to employ: from daily cleaning, such as the filter holder, frothing nozzle and drip tray, to occasional cleaning, including the hopper, grinder and dosing unit.

Price and Availability

In the UK, the Smeg EGF03 coffee machine is available to buy in a range of colours including black, white, red, cream, pastel blue and pastel green from a range of retailers including John Lewis AND Curry. It is priced at £849.95 and at the time of writing there is no price advantage when purchasing from any retailer.

There are fewer places to buy this product in the United States, but Williams-Sonoma currently has it in all color options for an MSRP of $899.95. You can also check the Smeg website to find retailers in your area.

It’s a pricey machine, but compared to similar machines, it’s really worth the money. For example, we reviewed and rated the Barista Touch Impress (from Breville/Sage, depending on where you live) highly. Like the Smeg machine, the Barista Touch Impress has a built-in grinder, as well as manual espresso and milk frothing, but at around $/£1199, it’s more steep than the Smeg model.

Of course, you can buy a separate grinder and coffee maker for much less. We’ve reviewed a few of the best coffee makers, as well as two excellent grinders: the Smeg CGF01 and the Moccamaster KM5 burr grinder.

Is it worth buying a Smeg Espresso coffee machine with a grinder?

The Smeg EGF03 Espresso Machine with Grinder is more niche than most. For example, it might not suit someone who is novel to coffee unless you have a modicum of patience, and it’s definitely not for those who value a spotless countertop – there will be coffee grounds strewn everywhere unless you have a special skill. And if you’re on a tight budget, it’s time to start saving.

Where it is likely to win fans, however, is in its elegant combination of hand grinding and precision brewing: simultaneously delivering the satisfaction of an legitimate Italian espresso with the knowledge that you have made it by hand. It is ideal for those who entertain or enjoy spending time perfecting the art of good coffee: an uncompromising antidote to the fast-paced, fully automated world around us.