KitchenAid - Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF7, KES8557 - Stainless Steel

All I have to say after purchasing almost every espresso machine. This is the best i ever used.

-Initial Thoughts- KitchenAid consistently proves why they excel in producing efficient, elegant, and premium-quality kitchen appliances. If you enjoy coffee as much as I think you do, feel confident in spending your hard-earned dollars on this product. As a fellow coffee connoisseur, I can attest that the KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF7 has become a staple in my morning routine. -First Impressions- Foremost, I must give credit to the packaging department. The product was treated with great care, utilizing every bit of space efficiently. While it may seem trivial, peace of mind during transit is crucial when you're spending a significant amount of money. The unboxing process was seamless, and KitchenAid included all the necessary paperwork to get you on your way to becoming a (somewhat) professional cafe barista. The product, including the box, weighs around thirty pounds, so keep that in mind. However, these machines are designed to stay put, so it’s a temporary concern. The machine's overall height and width are also advantageous, fitting comfortably under most cabinets and occupying minimal countertop space. -Ease of Use/Design- Classy, but modern, the KF7 strikes a balance between industrial and state of the art design. Each individual layer looks and feels premium, from the water reservoir to the grinding system. Upon powering on, I was greeted with an intuitive touchscreen and easy-to-follow instructions. The responsiveness feels smooth, and the variety of options is delightful. You can enjoy a range of coffee-related beverages, from macchiatos to lattes and cortados, with the capability to brew two cups simultaneously. The grinding/brewing process is equally impressive as this is the quietest espresso machine I’ve ever heard. This was my first machine with milk-capable recipes, and my excitement was palpable. -Favorite Features- One standout feature is the ability to add enough user profiles for the whole family, making it easy to save and brew your preferred beverages. Another convenience is the separate milk container, which can be stored in the refrigerator when not in use. Reconnecting it is as simple as plugging in the included straw. The self-cleaning function notifies you when it's time to rinse the milk steamer, ensuring easy and no-mess cleanup. This is in addition to the automatic rinsing when starting up and shutting down. Additionally, the side ventilation prevents moisture buildup under cabinets, a common issue with top-venting units. The drip and puck tray require minimal effort to remove and are dishwasher safe. The KF7 is also equipped with wheels, making it hassle-free to move without risking countertop scratches. -Missed Opportunities- While the KF7 is impressive, a few areas could be improved. A standby mode with a clock would be a nice touch for aesthetic purposes. Additionally, the lack of WiFi connectivity is a bummer as scheduling a brew, especially in the morning, would have been ideal. There is also limited space for larger cups and mugs, making it impossible to brew directly into a thermos. Despite these minor inconveniences, the KF7 remains my top choice for espresso machines. -Conclusion- I highly recommend the KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF7. Just a few minor inconveniences, but easily rectifiable in future models. I feel it's important to know what you're paying for, especially at the current price point. Without its flaws, the unit could truly shine, which is why I rate it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Before I start the review I wanted to say that this is not my first or second fully automatic espresso maker. A had a number of them before. Over the course of time my initial impressions went from the typical “wow it does it all, no labor required to make a coffee drink” to “how good you’re really are from the standpoint of usability and coffee making abilities”. Not only how tasty the coffee is but also whether it is to live with over time (will it fit under the cabinet, how easy it is to access the coffee bin, add water, clean it without fuss and service the machine over time). The machine was packaged very nicely. There was nothing to put together, the only item not already installed into the machine was the water filter. The KF7 exterior is made out of steel, good looking stainless steel grade, except the very top is made out of plastic which closely matches in color the stainless steel look below. It is 14 1/2 inches high, 10 1’4 inches wide and 18 3/8 inches deep, all sizes approximate. The front drip tray is 4 inches deep. The available range of the height for the cup is between approximately 3 1’2 and 5 1/2 inches. The power cable goes out in the rear, but it does not required much more extra space in the back, I would say having 19 inches available counter depth should work. The stainless steel body is not finger-proof type but the fingerprints can be clean easily with a moist cloth. The screen is also a fingerprint magnet, again relatively easy to clean. The top cover over the coffee bin is entirely removable and does not require much much extra space above the machine to remove it or put it back. The top does not offer a functional mug warmer. The top side door that allows access to the water container is hinged, meaning not removable and when fully open requires about extra 3 1’2 inches, making to max high of the machine at approximately 18 inches total with the water door in its most upward position. But in order to take the water container out you don’t need to open the top door completely up as the water container slides out sideways after being picked up maybe half an inch up. The water container can hold up to 2 liters of water or 64 oz with the water filter inserted. That large volume of water reduces the refilling frequency, which is great. The water container has a nice handle inside that makes grabbing it easy in order to take it out or put in. The handle folds down when not in use. There is a vertical narrow see through window that shows the water level. If the water level goes too low the machine will display a message to add water. In the water container there is a proprietary water filter that is screwed in into the water container with the measuring spoon attachment, very easy to install and remove. The manufacturer suggests changing the filter every 50 liters of water or at least four times a year. The power on/off button is on the right side. On the same right side there is a door to the brew unit. The door feels solid and is easy to open and remove and to put it back on and close. The start up process takes less than 10 seconds from the moment you push the power button to machine being ready to make a coffee drink. The start up process is very quiet. The coffee bin container is removable. That helps if we want to switch from one kind of coffee to another, makes it easier to empty the container and add new coffee type. There is also the so called coffee purge function that allows to remove the remainder of the prior coffee beans from the grinder so the new coffee bean type does not mix together with the prior one. What’s different with KitchenAid is that to adjust the grind level you don’t adjust it in the coffee container area (how it is typically done with many other espresso makers) but you have to open the side door on the right and use the adjustment there. The adjustment there does not provide any numbers to easily set your preferred grind level, rather it slides left or right and you need to eye ball where you want to set it. You can also alternatively put one spoon of ground coffee in the opening next to the bean container if you don’t want to use the beans. The milk container is relatively large, allowing to store up to 800 ml of milk (3 1/3 cup). The hose between the milk container and the unit detaches from both when needed, both ends look identical. There are two different cycles of cleaning the milk connection called Easy Milk Cleaning and Deep Milk Cleaning. The Easy is recommended after each use when a milk based drink was generated, the Deep one is recommended to be completed once a month. After you make the first milk based drink you will be asked on the screen if you want to clean the milk system now or later. If you select “later” then you will no longer be prompted to do the milk system clean and you will have to select the milk system clean from the menu manually. The advantage of having a larger milk container versus a smaller one is that with the larger container you can put more milk in and then when stored in the fridge the more milk you have in the container the less likely the milk will go bad soon. Regarding the automatic cleaning the machine cleans automatically at the machine start and before shutting. The amount of water used for cleaning is about 30 ml for the coffee only based drinks and about 120 ml for the milk based drinks when you clean the milk system with the Easy cleaning level. The Easy milk system cleaning starts first with running the water through the system (including the hose connecting the milk container with the machine) then pushing steam through it. For maintenance there is a dedicated icon displayed on the side menu that allows to select descaling, Easy and Deep Milk Cleaning, brew unit rinsing or cleaning, purging beans from the grinder and evaporating moisture from the unit (if we want to store the unit for longer durations and avoid the accumulation of water related issues like mold). Menu also allows for turning on sounds for button touching and alerts (on or off), selecting volume units (ml or oz), duration of the standby time (before unit shuts off itself after the last interaction) for either 8 minutes, 30 minutes, one hour, 4 hours or 8 hours. You can also select from 4 available colors of coffee progress display. There is menu for water filter operations and water hardness levels (unit comes with one water hardness test stick which is easy to use). The following drinks are available on the menu. Caffe latte, espresso, cappuccino, Americano, Macchiato, Latte macchiato, espresso lungo, coffee, cortado, flat white, frothed milk (only 120 ml volume), warm milk (same 120 ml only) and hot water with temps settings of low, medium and high and volume from 80 ml to 260 ml. The average puck size came to 18 grams in my experience. If it comes to the coffee drink customization the following options are available. Strength from 1 to 3, water temperature (low, medium, high), drink volume (for coffee drink and milk selected separately) with coffee minimum volume set at 30 ml, milk minimum from 30 ml for cortado only, 40 ml for caffe latte and cappuccino, 60 ml for flat white and latte macchiato. The maximum milk volumes are as follows, cortado topping at 100 ml of milk, cappuccino at 140 ml, latte macchiato at 190 ml and caffeine latte at 240 ml. For Americano the coffee volume goes from 30 to 45 ml and water volume from 80 to 260 ml. You can adjust volumes by either 5 or 10 ml up and down, which is nice as some other manufactures only offer levels (like low, medium, high) but not actual measurements. You can also set the body level from light through medium to strong. Finally for the milk based drinks you can define which one goes first, coffee or milk for certain milk based drinks. All of these personal preferences for each drink type can be added to the personal profile for easy access later on. The machine allows up to four different profiles. There is an easy access to the profiles menus from the front of the machine. If it comes to the quality of the drinks, I had a chance to compare the K7 drinks to my prior fully automated espresso maker. Overall the coffee drink flavor from K7 came out quite solid, however I was somewhat disappointed with the crema which was just okay, on the weaker side (again side to side comparison using the same beans in both machines). The milk froth came out nicely structured, though the foam was not as robust as I was hoping for, closer in structure to the steamed milk in my view. You cannot adjust the froth density like it can be done with other espresso makers. You also cannot adjust the milk level temperature though the milk gets somewhat warmed in the process, it is not very hot but it is warm once in the drink. Only regular type of milk (no almond or soy or the type of milk) can be used on the K7 as per manufacturer. For the other milk types consider the K8 model, which also offers even more drink types. The level of noise this machine generates is very low relative to other fully automated espresso makers I had a chance to work with. Grinding, making the drink or the cleaning process, they all are very quiet relative to other espresso makers in my experience. In conclusion, based on the initial impressions the KitchenAid K7 espresso maker looks like a well designed and quality product. It is also very quiet relative to other fully automated espresso machines which can help in the household settings with others present. The coffee based drinks taste great. The milk froth feels mostly right and it comes out warm, though not hot. There is a great range of drink customization and up to four profiles are offered to store individual preferences. The large sizes of the water and milk containers require adding water or milk less frequently, which in turn makes it easier on the use. Recommended.

This is the ultimate automatic espresso machine. It comes with everything you need except coffee beans, water and milk. It’s easy to use and essentially cleans itself. The system would work well in a small office or reception area as well as in the home of anyone who likes espresso-based drinks. This espresso machine comes with a handy quick start guide (plus a full use and care manual and a recipe booklet). Plus, the machine has an on screen “first use” guide built in. Basically, you wash the water reservoir, and the milk container, lid and connecting tube. Then turn on the machine. It goes into its “first use” menu and guides you through installing the water filter, filling the coffee bean hopper and water reservoir. It guides you every step of the way. The controls are mostly via the touch screen, with a few touch controls on the front alongside the screen. There is a good selection of coffee beverages built into the menu. You can also set up individual profiles with favorite drinks and control the coffee strength, proportions of milk, and even how hot it is. Then touch the check mark to save and you can recreate the exact same drink easily. After struggling with my old manual (very unpredictable) espresso machine, this one is a breeze! The machine even prompts you to clean it afterwards. That works great, too. But I have one very small complaint. It prompts you to empty the drip tray and the remove the coffee pucks. But it isn’t exactly clear that you pull out on the drip tray to find the discarded pucks and remove the drip tray to make it easy to pour out the accumulated liquid. It took me a bit to figure that part out. But once I did, it was simple. Pro tip, have a bowl handy for the rinse processes. Mine does a brief rinse when I first turn it on, a rinse on the milk pipe after I prepare drinks using milk, and another rinse as part of the shut off process. I like clean so this is good, just have something handy to catch the rinse water in. One simple but really handy feature is that the dispenser part can be adjusted up and down to accommodate a taller cup. I didn’t find this for a couple of days, and I was so happy when I did. This espresso machine is not all bells and whistles. It makes really good espresso-based drinks. So far, I’ve tried the cappuccino, espresso, flat white and latte modes. (There are many more.) All were every bit as good as the expensive ones at the neighborhood coffee shop. So, if you are thinking, “that’s a lot of money for a coffee maker”, consider that for less than 50 cents worth of coffee beans and milk you can make the same coffee drink you have been paying $5 or more plus tip. The savings could add up quickly.

TLDR: I’ve got similar machines from competing brands. This KitchenAid produces a hot drink far better than any other machine I’ve used. While labeled as a “Fully Automatic Espresso Machine” this machine does far more than just espressos. INTRODUCTION / SET-UP The KitchenAid KF7 handles all aspects of the coffee brewing process. From measuring the beans, grinding, extracting with water, frothing milk, rinsing, etc. The KF7 does it all with little to no human intervention. Assembly is straightforward with minimal requirements. Set your machine on the counter, remove some packing material, add water, add beans, and turn it on. A machine with this many features and options and this amount of complexity has an intimidatingly large owner’s manual. Large and thorough enough that I’m sure some folks would find it off-putting. Not to worry. With the KF7, the onscreen display walks you through the entire set-up process. It is concise, but not frustratingly complicated. EVERYTHING required to get the machine up and running and making coffees and espressos is included in the first start-up menu. KitchenAid should be commended for making a machine so complicated so easy to set-up and get working. USE / EXPERIENCE You don’t have to be a coffee “connoisseur” to appreciate the quality of beverage produced in the KitchenAid. The problem with owning this machine is that other in-home appliances do not live up to the standards produced by the KitchenAid. I know I’ve already sung high praise for the KF7, but so far it has deserved it. I’m far from a connoisseur. Honestly, I use my “pod” coffee maker nearly every morning. The ease and simplicity, especially when tired, is just hard to beat. Users of the pods will likely agree that no matter what brand, flavor, or strength, most just leave you wanting. It’s coffee, but it isn’t the greatest. A short time ago, I was provided another model similar to the KitchenAid to test. While not as sophisticated as the KF7, it too grinds its own beans and makes fresh ground coffee. Users are more or less committed to Americanos with some form of milk available, but the selections are limited. While this machine produced better results than ANY pod I’ve ever tried, I still felt like there was something weird about it. No matter what bean I tried, it just was off. I tried different strengths, water amounts, etc. It was good, but just not great. I’ll go ahead and say it now. The first cup of coffee (Americano) I made with the KitchenAid KF7 tasted better than any cup of coffee I’ve ever made in my pod machine or the competitor’s coffee grinding machine. The hardest part I’ve found with the machine is the amount of customization available. You can customize any available drink to your liking. Strength, temperature, water amount, milk amount, milk frothing, foaming, everything is customizable. You would be hard pressed to find a coffee drink this thing can’t make to your liking. CONCLUSIONS I find no real issues with the KitchenAid KF7. It makes a great cup of coffee or espresso or nearly any other form of coffee-based drink imaginable, even some I didn’t know existed. The touchscreen display is intuitive and self-explanatory. First time users will have no problem finding their desired drink. KitchenAid claims 20+ different “recipes” are built-in. I haven’t tried them all, but the drink list is extensive. Even some lesser-known coffee drinks are included. Being fully automatic, there isn’t much to do, and I REALLY like that. Keep a sufficient supply of water, keep the beans filled in the sealed hopper, and after 10 or so drinks, empty the used grounds bin and water that’s been flushed from the system. The machine takes care of cleaning itself after use. Even the milk tube and reservoir are easy to use and clean. KitchenAid has spent a TON of time and research to make a machine that is user-friendly and easy to maintain. Unlike my competitors’ products, KitchenAid includes a water filter, a measuring spoon for using ground coffee, cleaning tabs, and even a hard water test strip with purchase. Aside from some beans and water, the product is complete and ready to go. My Americanos, my espressos, my cappuccinos have all turned out excellently. While it did take me a couple of times to get them just right, once I did, the drinks have been great. So far, everyone I’ve made drinks for have all agreed that they tasted great, many saying that if they had this, they wouldn’t need to spend $8 on their name-brand drink anymore. That’s high praise in my book. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED