Everybody, please buy Vessi, so they get rich enough to start wolrldwide distribution. I can't find any waterproof and comfortable shoes that are not "techical", meaning ugly.
Good video and the shoes look nice. Look up a balance knot vs an unbalance knot for your shoes. I did not realize until my late 20s that I wasn't tying my shoes right and had to retie them often.
Your comment implies the existance of professional, semiprofessional and sweaty coffee drinkers, and now I can't not imagine a very aggressive teenager trying to become a pro by making coffee 16 hours a day everyday without any rest screaming at everyone that they are noobs.
@@apollyon4578 professional just means you're being paid for it - which arguably the coffee tasters and blenders, or youtubers filming themselves drinking coffee are
@@RJ-wx3fh man, its a gamers joke, there are professional (the ones that go to tournaments), semi-pro (content creators that gaming is most but not all of their livelihood), casuals (the average joe that enjoys playing) and sweats (people that try way too hard and think everyone else is inferior to them in every single way without earning any money in the process and an actual pro would run them over). So, Baristas, hobbyists, casual enjoyers and snobs in that order
That smeg looks like it shares a lot of pieces with the semi-cheap DeLonghi espresso machine, even the one I've had for years. I looked up the more modern ones, and it seems like the steam wand, drip plate and top plate come directly from the DeLonghi EC680M. Just saying, the DeLonghi is half the price of the Smeg too.
Fun fact, that's the exact espresso machine I have, and I kinda wish I didn't. Cause even though it was cheap, it feels much much cheaper than it's cost
I was just going to mention this in the comments. This looks, feels, even sounds like the DeLonghi! The DeLonghi is a really nice affordable starter or great for a small kitchen. This is just overpriced. Nice design, but overpriced.
That's the main problem with the majority of SMEG products. They aren't neccessarily awfull, they are just way too overpriced for their quality. You pay a lot for the 50's style looks of the product
Hi Morgan, I have this SMEG machine! When I bought it I didn't know anything about making espresso, but thanks to this machine I have found a new hobby that I really enjoy. Knowing what I know now, I would not have bought it, but it has been OK though. I improved my espresso by getting a bottomless portafilter with a basket that can hold 18g. I played with shot timing, grind settings, etc... I also got myself a real tamper, and finally I changed the steam wand. It is compatible with the Rancillio Silvia V1/V2 steam wand. It was not the easiest thing to change, but totally worth it as it gives you the control you were looking for, and I can now try to learn to create some latte art. (although I have not been successful yet). I think the big downsides though is inconsistent brew temperatures, and having no idea if it's anywhere close to 9 bars of pressure. In general I really like the machine, but I know I will certainly upgrade from it someday, possibly to something like your Rancillio Silvia Pro or a HX machine
Or if you are tight on a budget you can purchase a manual brew espresso secondhand such as flair for a better espresso experience in my opinion (not a barista though)
I highly recommend the Breville Barista Express! It's a hefty price tag but is truly amazing and has the whole package which includes a grinder, temp control, pressure gage, several baskets, a tamp and a pitcher. It was about $650 with sales tax.
That's kind of my experience with the Gaggia (though I am of the opinion that the Gaggia Classic Pro I have is a superior espresso machine). *getting* a real machine was an important learning experience to recognize what features I would want in the future. I now have a machine with far more adjustments and gauges - which I would not have considered necessary before. Espresso is something of a lifestyle.
Yep. Even worse - it's rebranded EC680, which didn't get switchable panarello ("hot milk" makes much better microfoam), large cup insert like EC685 and pitcher and usable tamper like EC785.
I have a Smeg! It was a gift, and I appreciate it - a free, flawed espresso machine is better than no espresso machine at all. A few notes after a year of use: - Say what you will about the style, I think it looks cute on my countertop - The default volume is 25ml for the single shot button and 50ml for the double. I haven't bothered to changed this, it's easier to just hit the button again and stop it when you've reached your preferred output. - Technically it's a thermoblock machine, not a single boiler, so you definitely do want to get any filter you can, it'll scale up real quick - I can get acceptable frothy milk about one in five attempts. I use a 375ml pitcher and there's a sweet spot that swirls the milk just the right way, but it's hard to hit. - The pressurized portafilter really only accepts a coarse grind. A proper espresso grind in the included basket won't work very well, as you found - Maybe I'm a caveman but I immediately broke the cheap plastic tamp(er). I replaced it with a $20 metal one from Amazon and my life is much improved - I'm pretty sure the 1940s Smeg company went out of business, and this modern iteration of Smeg is a new company that is rebranding other manufacturers' products with the Smeg name and look, and a significant price bump.
The minute I saw the plastic tamp I was pretty sure the intent was never for users to use it for very long. If I were designing a 500$ machine, of any kind, I would assume the buyer had a better accessory than anything I could reasonably include. (And a $20 Amazon one is still a lot more expensive than most manufacturers would ever consider for something like this.) It's there to say it's there, so it isn't technically impossible to pull a shot with only what's included in the box, but nobody in the design team really thought users were going to use that more than once, maybe, if they couldn't find their other tamp. XD
@@octo448 zactly ... it is noteworthy the tamper is barely useful. but it would be a really sad note if there were no tamper included at all. it's just enough to check off the box, because there is infinite choice out there already... good chance the buyer already owns a tamper in the first place.
Hey! Can I have an update on your machine? I have this one but barely use it. Was wondering if it is worth keeping or selling and getting a different one)
I'm so glad I watched this video before buying this machine! Thanks for the super detailed video and the multiple tries with this machine. I saved myself hundreds!
OOF, I am SO excited for the dead shots myth video! As a former employee of the buck, it was interesting to see how the "live" shot time I learned in training kept decreasing over the years. My parents are also huge smeg fans so I loved this review! Also, speaking of the buck: the way this machine steamed milk reminded me so much of what our steamed milk looked like, lol.
I know it's not being covered here, but the myth frustrates me so much. I can't imagine how much espresso has been wasted because employees are trained it's "dead" because they had to idk wipe something up for 5 seconds
Yes! Bucks is where I received my only espresso drink training, and they also 100% taught us to expect two entirely separate milk textures, with hot milk at the bottom and foam on top. Had no idea the goal was a combination until this video! Lol
It's rare on MDC that tea gets spilled along with coffee lol, but honestly I think half of SMEG's price tag comes from the form factor/name plate. Also they have a $200 standalone milk frother. I'm just saying...
”Tamp” is the activity. “If you want a compressed coffee puck you need to tamp”. “Tamper” is the thing. “When you tamp, using a good tamper is essential”. Interestingly, in Swedish it is the other way around.
I call the item a Tamper and use Tamp as a verb. Also, this machine gives a feels like you could have pulled the machine from the '70s. Great video, I love your videos.
Webster’s dictionary allows for tamp as a noun (but also tamper). The OED does not, but also doesn’t specifically acknowledge the coffee context for either ‘tamp’ or ‘tamper’
It is a tamp, if you use a tamp to tamp something then you are the tamper I suppose but it is a tamp both in the world of coffee and agriculture or anywhere else you might use a tamp.
So, I misread the title as "The SMUG Espresso Machine" and I imagined some sort of hipster espresso machine that judges you based on your (inevitably inferior) brewing preferences.
everyone with smug products are pretty smug though... have you ever been to a friends house and they have a smeg fridge? damn I can see their smug face right now.
I used to own a Delonghi Dedica, eventually I got fed up with the pannarello wand and did a little surgery on the mashine, to fit a Gaggia Classic steam wand on there. Relatively simple job and the results were so much better. It was still lacking some power, but I ended up with pretty nice microfoam. I also hacked the portafilter to accepts regular baskets, essentially I transformed it into a bottomless portafilter. I was pretty happy but eventually I sold the thing to someone who was just getting into home espresso. Upgraded to a Rancilio Silvia and never looked back. Thanks for your content, I'm really enjoying it. Greetings from Germany
Exactly what I thought as well, I suspect that De'longhi OEM this machine for SMEG. I used own the dedica , for steaming, remove the metal thing, and just use the rubber tube would make good enough micro foam milk for latte art. I also got myself a bottomless portafilter as well. in general Dedica was nice machine especially for the space .
@@AlexanderLong I was just thinking how much this looks like a dedica with a Smeg covers slipped over it. I've played around with the steam wand enough that I've been able to get decent milk, but it still has days where it doesn't want to cooperate.
@@crushedlush I actually even saw a De'Longhi official Marketing/how-to video on the dedica that suggest "Pro" user to remove the metal panarello , leaving only the rubber tube to get more latte art type of milk. I think in general, with a good grinder Dedica would be very nice entry machine for those get into home espresso I since went up to Breville Barista touch 3 years ago, next step would be a dual boiler or Breville Oracle maybe.
It's how Lister came up with that epithet. He grew up with a vintage Smeg coffee machine, but the coffee it made (due to user error) was so bad, every time he drank it, he'd say, "smeg." Coincidentally, Rimmer grew up using a Classic Gimboid. Same problem.
I bought this product 2 years ago. Admittedly, its cool look is what originally attracted me, as I searched for a better (but not too expensive) alternative to the beginner, fully manual models. I am no coffee, much less espresso, expert like yourself as most of your followers are, and I’m too old now to care to become one. I do however like to be able to pull a decent espresso at home. I liked the hybrid nature of this unit, where I don’t need to hover to time the stop of the brew, yet I control the grind and tamping. Two things you didn’t seem to notice in your review: 1) the basket design is NOT for the espresso purist, as it forces the final product through a single hole, which artificially produces the crème, rendering tamping an optional activity, and 2) look inside the removable steamer wand and you’ll see a steam dissipater. Anyway, it’s certainly not a Saeco or Jura, but it’s different ( agree not necessarily better) than an entry level unit. Thanks for your review! I enjoyed it.
21:12 This just sums up this review so well to me. You walked off with a coffee made by a construction tool company coffee maker, but the Smeg couldn't manage even an acceptable drink.
Everything about this machine screams a Delonghi Dedica EC685...the portafilter is identical (although thje Delonghi is aluminum) the control buttons are identical, the steam wand is identical, the water reservoir looks the same, the power button is the same...I say it's the same exact brewer with a different candy coating (the bulbous shell) and much more costly.
I have a dedica EC685 that I use everyday and I complete agree with you. It does even sound exactly the same, the programming of the buttons and its functions, the position of all the buttons and the steam wand. I bet that inside it's just the Delongui. $500 for that machine is robbery at gun point. That should not cost more than $200.
So, I've had one of these for around 3 or so years and I agree with everything said in the review. That said, I do get pretty good coffee out of it with a few additional adjustments. There is a small parameter for changing the water temperature, on occasion the coffee may dictate playing with light depending on the roast level. Also, you can change how much water flows through on the machine by re programming (press and hold button to re time water flow and the next time you just press it, it'll replicate the last operation). This machine is basically a EC685BK Delonghi Dedica Pump Espresso Coffee Machine, but Smeg have upgraded a number of the components and accessories. Most notably is the Portafilter. The Smeg version is a massive step up from the Aluminium horribleness that comes with the Delonghi. I have hardly ever found a good home machine for streaming milk, you are having to go well into the 1k area to find units that preform this well. Your Rancilio in the background one notable exception. If I'm using a home machine, I'll tend to cheat and use a milk frother. Home machines do my head it in with their lack of power and as you said, often terrible design for the milk wand. The Smeg benefit for me was it's small footprint on the worktop. It does take some time to get it right, it isn't perfect but I can make it work for me in the environment I keep it.
Agreed. I had my smeg for 2 years now and it does give me good coffee shots everyday. To your point its about dialing in. The milk frother however is another story, i either do that with a wand or a french press but probably - 1 out of 5 tries the smeg frother gives me a microfoam i need for a decent latte. But yes i wish it could have been better form wise. I like the size and the look as well. For the price i got it (sale) im not complaining and totally liking the machine. Its been fueling me since the pandemic and mornings are always better with coffee 😍☕
It’s a tamper but you tamp down the puck with the tamper. For me tamp is a verb. However I could see folks use tamp as shorthand for tamper. Keep up the great work,
You don't go get a shoveler to shovel a hole. You go get a shovel to shovel a hole. Likewise you wouldn't go to the kitchen to get the Tamper to Tamp coffee. You are the Tamper; the person doing the tamping with the tamp.
@@NoZenith you dig a hole, you don't shovel a hole. There's also plenty of examples that do end in -er, one arbitrary example doesn't make a great argument
@@argus456 He is shoveling coal. She shoveled dirt around the base of the tree. Please shovel some stone into this depression in the driveway. I will shovel snow off the sidewalks this winter. In NONE of these instances would SHOVELER be acceptable. He was the Shoveler. She was the Shoveler. I will be the Shoveler.
I always love your videos. Informative and humorous. Also, I started watching the video before it popped up in my notifications. I say tamper because it is a device used to tamp.
Hi Morgan, Thanks for another nice video! I would call it a tamper by the way. Two remarks: This machine actually has a thermoblock, not a single boiler. So it heats the water as it flows through. A benefit being the very short heat up time and the ability to switch between pulling shots and steaming milk fast. So you can easily steam the milk and within 10 seconds after make your espresso. Secondly, the steamwand is designed to "cheat", it always froths the milk however you put the wand in the milk. No possibility to control it yourself.
5:03 That is, for me at least, the biggest problem I have with SMEG. We have one of their fridges, and it feels cheap, the gloss gets fingerprints all over it, and its extremely hard to open, so you kinda have to touch it to open it. It also doesn't feel like it costs 1300$
So, as you'd say, I have a few thoughts. - This machine is a rebranded De'Longhi Dedica, which you can buy for much cheaper. I own one and will be basing my experiences off of that. - The steam wand is called a "paranello" wand. It has these odd little channels in the cover that will aerate the milk. It requires a different technique. Insert the wand as you would to incorporate and swirl the milk from the beginning. That will give you okay milk. To get good milk, you'll need to steam without the cover, using the rubber tip using a traditional technique. To get great milk, you'll have to open up the machine and replace the entire wand with a rancillio wand. There are guides online to do that. - I believe the baskets it comes with are pressurized (the Dedica does), which is why you aren't getting great coffee. You'll have to buy a bottomless portafilter and non pressurized basket for a better experience. - The tamp is aweful. Luckily, you can buy regular looking 51mm tamps online. I do not recommend this machine. I even hesitate to recommend it's cheaper De'Longhi cousin. I'd save up your money for something a little nicer.
@@KlearlyIMme Good is subjective. If all you want is to use ESE pods and drink frothy cappuccinos, the Dedica is a good option in stock form. The upgrades are if you're stuck with this but you want the ability to dial in your espresso the way you want it.
@@melodiesoflegend I don't recommend an espresso machine unless you really know you're into it. If you are set on making espresso as a hobby, you should definitely check out the Espresso Aficionado Discord server for exhaustive help. If that's all too much work, the general consensus for complete beginners is a Gaggia Classic Pro.
I bought this machine a few years back only coz of its look to match with other smeg appliances. I never used the steam function until very recently when I started to get interested in coffee making. I've never been able to get good milk texture from this and have blamed myself for lacking the skill. Now a bit more relieved that it's quite impossible even for professionals like yourself. Thanks for the comprehensive review.
It looks like it has an extra tube over the wand to get more air into the milk. If so, remove it (it's in the cleaning instructions), it does not help, to the contrary. But the wand is too short too, so cannot help you with that one...
I bought a delonghi few days back and your video was the perfect tutorial. Everything is the same, even the buttons. You're right about the steamer. Terrible. Btw your video can be a tutorial for the delonghi model. I've been searching RUclips for days, this is the best tutorial. Great work!! Thanks.
Ahh the shot being dead. This was 100% true at Starbucks. It was even part of our training. The shot would “die” pretty quickly. Now I’m a barista at a local shop and the shots don’t die anymore.
I was initially impressed with said “ bulbous” shape and retro, classic design making me think quality products like, say, Kitchen Aide mixer. As you went into your well thought analysis of product review I had to hit pause to whip up a cuppa that Morgan would surely consider swill, and sit down to hear her drive a 500 dollar machine into the ground. Quite honestly, at that price point I would expect a LOT and I mean like pass it down to my grateful children kind of quality. How sad. I’m sad for all of us. Sorry, kids.
Another good day. Morgan and James video in one morning, work is buying pizzas for lunch, we get a super casual Friday so I can wear boots, and my coffee was gooood this morning
I'm really glad you reviewed this. I own the SMEG drip coffee maker and it is not that much different than any other drip coffee maker I've had that was 1/10th the price. But I did get mine at a nice discount used! The way my eyes rest in my home matters to me more than the quality of my coffee. I'm deep into nuclear age interior design. And this looks good to me. I don't mind it being out on my counter. I dislike the look of these much higher quality machines. Also, I live in the PNW where there is always opportunity to have amazing coffee if I want it... And I guess also I would never be able to make coffee as good as the people who work at the coffee shop around the corner, even if I had the same equipment I frequent that place lol! So for me, the look of the appliance mattered more than the quality. And well... I also had the budget for it. I didn't always have this kind of budget (it replaced a $15 Mr. Coffee and honestly doesn't make anything remarkably different) so I understand that this might sound nuts.
@@226iamacake I also use it almost every day. Like I said, I don't mind diner mud. And I like the way the appliances look. I've got the matching toaster and kettle and I like what I like hahaha 🤷
Hi Morgan, So I have one of these machines and I totally agree with everything you said. It is nearly impossible to steam milk well in a pitcher just because of how short the wand is. The way I get around this is just by steaming the milk directly in the mug (which I know sounds ludacris) and then pouring the espresso into the mug. Because the mug is much smaller and more shallow, you can move it around a lot more. Also, this machine has a big learning curve and will take a couple uses to figure out exactly what works, as you showed. It gets the job done if you just want a cappuccino or latte at home, but definitely is not great if you are trying to make professional quality drinks.
I'm pretty sure that's an automatic wand, isn't it? Gaggia call them panarello wands, I'm not sure what anyone else calls them. It draws air into the milk by itself, so it doesn't need the milk aerated manually. It doesn't give great milk, but it makes it easy for people that can't be bothered to learn to steam properly, so they just dunk the wand in as far as it'll go, turning the steam on, and turning it off when hot.
About 14 minutes in I realized that the song playing in the background is actually "Happy Birthday To You" and then I lost my train of thought. Now I have to watch the video again. It was a nice surprise though.
I have trouble making my espresso drinks at home, I never know how much of what to add and something always tastes, off. There’s surprisingly a lack of step by stop coffee videos that are in depth, I think that would be an awesome thing to do
I am very new to the world of espresso and machines such as this Smeg and Breville. I only fairly recently in the past year "discovered" Morgan and her videos through my niece Haley who lives in Portland and I have been educated by Morgan, who has a wonderful presence and delivery. I am intrigued to get my own espresso machine sometime in the future and having just finished watching this episode I think I am leaning towards getting a Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine when the time comes to get my own appliance. It looks relatively simple to use and seems to be more versatile. Thanks very much Morgan for your views and expertise!
tremendously helpful! I'm a barista also in oregon and i've been trying to find an espresso machine for me, I definitely like your take on milk steamer too, practically nodding along with you the entire time thank you for your review!
Hi, Morgan! Thank you so much for this review! It couldn't have come at a better time - we love the retro-styling of the entire Smeg line and were so close to purchasing this espresso machine. You've saved us a bunch of money which we will spend on a different machine. Btw, I noticed your shoe laces don't sit horizontally across your shoes. I don't know if it bothers you (or whether you're OCD like me), but I had this "problem" for 50 years until I discovered a simple fix: when you first start crossing your laces, cross them opposite from how you would normally do it i.e. if you start with the right lace on the bottom and the left lace on the top, try doing the opposite. This should result in your laces laying horizontally across your shoe :)
My brother has one of these and I've always wondered how this compares to other espresso machines at a similar size and price point. The Breville Bambino seems like a much better choice for someone looking for this kind of machine. Personally, I think I'll stick with my Gaggia Classic.
This demonstrates the issue that I have always had with Smeg products. Here in South Africa people go crazy for Smeg products because it is seen as a "status symbol" due to how stupidly expensive it is and also because it looks good, I guess. I have however always wondered what the hype is about seeing as despite the price there really isn't anything innovative or special about it. This seems to be true no matter which of their products you look at, whether it is an oven, toaster, kettle or a fridge. My very first espresso machine was a very cheap Russel Hobbs machine and the moment you showed us the porta filter, baskets and tamper I was immediately taken back to my days of using that machine. The results you got from this even looks similar. Im thinking a company like Breville will have a machine in this price range that will deliver MUCH better results.
Yes, Breville has the $500 Bambino Plus. I have one and it’s solid and nice, although I’m very much an amateur. Still, I can tell it’s better than this Smeg!
The milk sent me. I've been a barista for 7 years and I'm just now starting to research different machines. I've never seen such a vile steamwand in my entire life lmfao. VILE! Thanks for the review. Your videos are my fave :)
I have this exact same machine and love it. Don't even care what people may think it is derived from although, I may check that out when I get back to the office.. I got rid of my Delonghi for various reasons and replaced it with this and no issues. If it is a rebranded machine then c'est la vie. Not sure about costs where others may live but this is around an average price machine for it's size.
It would be interesting to see you compare this to the (way cheaper) Delonghi Dedica. Most of the parts seem really similar to it, from the drip tray right down to the tamp/scoop thing.
Oddly enough, my friends and I had a hot minute laughing about the naming of these cute retro appliances. All with S M E G boldly labeled upon them. It's interesting to see someone actually talk about these round fever dreams, other than some niche blogger saying she's always wanted a Smeg (refrigerator).
I came to the comments specifically to see if anyone was gonna mention the name...it's odd branding, to be sure. I actually kinda like the design of them otherwise, but I would be quite embarrassed to have something with "SMEG" written in giant letters across it in my home. They could have chosen any other name...
@@jocelynprier9115 that is how people decode to name their products I am sure if you decide to name yours other people would be emabarrased....take the t time to go to their website and be less ignorant on how you express yourself
They feel cheap. I was eyeing a kettle and just handling it at the store the handle squeaked and the lettering dropped off. I will stick to the other brands and the SA stated lots of complaints that it died right after the warranty so they don’t even last till you feel like you got your moneys worth before replacing it.
I want to make a point here about using a single boiler and whether to pull a shot first or steam the milk. What I do personally is I allow my machine to heat up properly (15 minutes or so), then switch it to the frother to allow that to heat up and build steam. While that is heating more, I grind and tamp into the portafilter then set it aside. Froth the milk and set that aside. Run water through the group head, insert portafilter, pull my shot while polishing the milk, then pour milk into said espresso.
I would LOVE a full video on the dead shots myth! I’ve mostly heard it in one specific 🧜♀️coffee chain, but I never got a good explanation from any of the baristas. It seemed like they couldn’t because nobody ever gave them a real explanation. But I saw multiple nasty customers demand new “live” shots for their drinks because they heard that shots die after 10 seconds.
I'm convinced they use tell their baristas that to try increase the..."urgency" with which drinks were made. You're going to try and get the drink totally put together as fast as possible if you think it's literally going to spoil in 10 seconds if you don't get the milk in the cup with the espresso.
I’m definitely not a heavy coffee drinker but from my experience when I do drink espresso it just goes very bitter after a few minutes. Didn’t know people say it died after 10 seconds though. That doesn’t make sense to me cause it usually takes 1 to 2 minutes to make a drink anyways and I usually pull the shot first before steaming milk
To get an acceptable drink from this machine you have to: 1. Replace the pressurized filter basket with a 51mm non pressurized filter basket. (Together with a different portafilter if you don’t want to cut the plastic within the included portafilter in order to make the non pressurized filter basket fit) 2. Remove the metal cover from the steam wand and cable tie the rubber nozzle to the top of the wand. And yes it is indeed identical to the Delonghi Dedica EC685.
"It's interesting to look at, and it's kinda pretty." Maybe it's for people who have La Cornue range, Bob Kramer cutleries, and granite countertops out the wazoo, but never actually cook anything.
As someone who has smeg products for sale at my job, yes. Unfortunately their products are flimsy and poorly thought out. Can’t tell you how many customers have broken $500 stand mixers😬
I have this machine at home and their grinder as well. I found that using their scoop and tamper was bad but when I added my own puck prep stuff (WDT, other tamper etc...) it consistently makes really good espresso
I literally can't belive they haven't rebranded. Sure, you'll get a few dozen sales off of red dwarf fans but 99% of people aren't going to buy the smegma brand.
I can't take their products seriously BECAUSE I've seen Red Dwarf. Even in the show the word is used as a blanket expletive/curse/insult. Can't even look at their stuff without thinking of Dave Lister drinking a beer milkshake.
They have a pretty powerful brand by this point, a lot of people love them, so they definitely don't want to change the name now. I don't get it either.
Omni means "every" or "all". So omnidireccional means in all or every direction. You were looking for the prefix "uni" as in 1. Unidirectional, one direction
You might be right, but the main issue with this steam wand is the aperture rather than how many holes in the tip. The steam wand is not directional enough to create a vortex so she might have really meant omni (all directions). Even though she was explaining the benefits of multiple steam tip holes, the resulting force with those is quite directional which allows you to spin or roll the milk. The wand on this machine is so wide and the flow not high enough that it just splutters and bubbles out. A bit confusing I know. A single steam tip of an appropriate aperture can produce good milk texture. Your description of the terms is right though, I just wanted to elaborate on the issue with this particular wand. On this model I think you can try steaming without that silver sheath on and get a truly unidirectional experience 😆
I have a Delonghi Dedica that is basically this machine and cost 200$. The steam wand is a "Auto" steam wand and you have to use it differently than the classical steam wand. There is a small pin hole that sucks the air in and incorporates it into the milk. You don't have to break the surface as you would do with a classical steam wand. It doesn't have a boiler, it has a termoblock to head the water/steam. I have my Delonghi Dedica modified with the classical steam wand. I love it because the machine is super small and it fits in a small kitchen.
Even that last shot you pulled, looked thin.. the Crèma was subpar! I wanna cryy! Is that the best you can extract from this Smug (smeg) machine.?? Dial it in Morgan! Don't settle for lesss.. give us your bessst!
Tamp, and love your reviews. Honest and thorough. Was disappointed that that machine didn’t knock it out of the park. But to be honest it is a bit out of my price range. Have been using my Delonghi for about 10 years now and it hasn’t failed me , ever . So I will probably just go with them when I retire this one. Thanks
Love your videos, both entertaining & educational! Definitely helpful for someone like me, who wants to learn more about coffee, who likes the drink coffee, but doens’t really know a lot about the art of making coffee. Please do a review on the Kitchenaid Espresso machine. I would love to see you compere the Smeg & Kitchenaid machines.
I actually managed to snag a quite old Kitchenaid machine that I’m going to be refurbishing for a video. It’s an absolute beast and I’m super excited about it.
This is a kitchen appliance that looks good if you have a smeg fridge and other smeg appliances in your kitchen, which you will overpay due to design that today is kind of outdated too. As many other appliance manufacturers that also manufacture coffee makers, smeg just completed the lineup of their appliance portfolio with another moderate in performance appliance. An espresso Machine is what stands at the counter behind!
i have had this machine for about 3 years now and i do agree that its not perfect - however it works for me because i don't really use the milk feature at all and just add in cold milk straight from the carton to my espresso. i had also found that a smaller amount of coffee grounds worked better for the espresso result. i do have one friend who loves the milk that comes out of this machine and i really don't understand why but ill do it for her anyway. thanks for the review! :))
@@natfailsyoutube8163 pretty sure smeg from red dwarf refers to smegma, a term which dates back a lot further than the 40s. like i dont have a specific year, but wikipedia gives an ancient greek derivation in the opening sentence
Thanks for this review! I was thought to slightly tamp the coffee in the pad, so learned something here. All reviews in my area give it 5/5 stars. Good to see someone giving some valid points. Really hoped this was a perfect product since it is so pretty!
This machine is De'Longhi Dedica in different coating and double the price of the original machine. You can also steam quite a good milk but without the plastic "tube" on the steam wand. Just with the rubber tip.
I don't know why RUclips suddenly and for no clear reason recommended to me a video by an attractive and very well-spoken androgynous person reviewing a coffee machine with an extremely unfortunate and slightly gross brand name, but I'm here for this. (the ironic thing is, I don't even drink coffee!)
I watched this video after I had just bought the smeg coffee machine. I was very disappointed at my choice after watching a mainly negative video. I noticed nobody noticed the few videos in favour of this machine. I also noticed a lot of the people were more interested in your hairstyle and coffee mug than the appliances review:) I tried my smeg coffee machine today for the first time. I must say I have no issues with it. Made a great coffee. The milk frother worked fine (I used a small jug). All in all a great result. I am happy with my machine
I'm owning the Dedica which is about $150 here in Germany. There are some good tutorials on YT how to enhance the machine by changing some components (portafilter, the steaming thingy, etc)
Yes, I was just going to say it all seems very similar to a Dedica a friend has. New casing and colours and knobs, but the rest, including the buttons etc seems identical. "Hello, is that Delonghi? Yes, Smeg here. Would you make us a bulbious machine and then we will sell it for $200 more? Great, thanks!" Has the basket got a strange pressure hole and the holder a wacky plastic thing underneath?
I have this machine in black. I bought it second-hand. I am a long-time coffee lover. I disagree with your comments regarding the steam wand - it works fine for me. Maybe I got lucky, but the way this machine steams the milk is just how I like it. Hey ho.
Was almost about to buy one, but then I watched this review. Thank you Morgan, you saved me some money. Any same price range recommendations? This one costs now around 300 euros/dollars.
I don’t know what to comment. Literally sitting here throughout the video but can’t think of anything to write 😅. Love your hairstyle and personality ❤️👍🏼. That’s all I am gonna say!
Even though Morgan had trouble in the above video with frothing because she did not have enough room for the pitcher, the above Smeg machine that I bought the other day has a wand that easily moves sideways giving you heaps of room for your pitcher and frothing.
Thank you for keeping me slightly more spill-proof than usual, Vessi! Click vessi.com/mdc and use code MDC for $25 off your order!
How is this comment 8 hours old??
The video has been up for 10 minutes
Everybody, please buy Vessi, so they get rich enough to start wolrldwide distribution. I can't find any waterproof and comfortable shoes that are not "techical", meaning ugly.
If you ever stopped spilling coffee, I don’t know if I could watch your channel anymore 😭😭😂
Good video and the shoes look nice. Look up a balance knot vs an unbalance knot for your shoes. I did not realize until my late 20s that I wasn't tying my shoes right and had to retie them often.
@@Hesselaer On RUclips you can set your video for release in a time you would like to publish.
Morgan: The steam wand is very difficult to work with.
Me, a casual coffee drinker who will never buy an espresso machine: Well, I've seen enough! 😤
Your comment implies the existance of professional, semiprofessional and sweaty coffee drinkers, and now I can't not imagine a very aggressive teenager trying to become a pro by making coffee 16 hours a day everyday without any rest screaming at everyone that they are noobs.
@@apollyon4578 professional just means you're being paid for it - which arguably the coffee tasters and blenders, or youtubers filming themselves drinking coffee are
@@RJ-wx3fh man, its a gamers joke, there are professional (the ones that go to tournaments), semi-pro (content creators that gaming is most but not all of their livelihood), casuals (the average joe that enjoys playing) and sweats (people that try way too hard and think everyone else is inferior to them in every single way without earning any money in the process and an actual pro would run them over). So, Baristas, hobbyists, casual enjoyers and snobs in that order
That smeg looks like it shares a lot of pieces with the semi-cheap DeLonghi espresso machine, even the one I've had for years. I looked up the more modern ones, and it seems like the steam wand, drip plate and top plate come directly from the DeLonghi EC680M. Just saying, the DeLonghi is half the price of the Smeg too.
EDIT: it looks like many other people caught that too haha!
Hah, that's crazy. Definitely the same components in a different shroud 🤣🤣
Fun fact, that's the exact espresso machine I have, and I kinda wish I didn't. Cause even though it was cheap, it feels much much cheaper than it's cost
I was just going to mention this in the comments. This looks, feels, even sounds like the DeLonghi! The DeLonghi is a really nice affordable starter or great for a small kitchen. This is just overpriced. Nice design, but overpriced.
That's the main problem with the majority of SMEG products. They aren't neccessarily awfull, they are just way too overpriced for their quality. You pay a lot for the 50's style looks of the product
Hi Morgan, I have this SMEG machine! When I bought it I didn't know anything about making espresso, but thanks to this machine I have found a new hobby that I really enjoy. Knowing what I know now, I would not have bought it, but it has been OK though. I improved my espresso by getting a bottomless portafilter with a basket that can hold 18g. I played with shot timing, grind settings, etc... I also got myself a real tamper, and finally I changed the steam wand. It is compatible with the Rancillio Silvia V1/V2 steam wand. It was not the easiest thing to change, but totally worth it as it gives you the control you were looking for, and I can now try to learn to create some latte art. (although I have not been successful yet). I think the big downsides though is inconsistent brew temperatures, and having no idea if it's anywhere close to 9 bars of pressure. In general I really like the machine, but I know I will certainly upgrade from it someday, possibly to something like your Rancillio Silvia Pro or a HX machine
Or if you are tight on a budget you can purchase a manual brew espresso secondhand such as flair for a better espresso experience in my opinion (not a barista though)
I highly recommend the Breville Barista Express! It's a hefty price tag but is truly amazing and has the whole package which includes a grinder, temp control, pressure gage, several baskets, a tamp and a pitcher. It was about $650 with sales tax.
Its crazy how you would have to upgrade from this machine when it costs $500 🤭
@@kt_jpg you can find them on sale all over the place for $50-$150 off
That's kind of my experience with the Gaggia (though I am of the opinion that the Gaggia Classic Pro I have is a superior espresso machine). *getting* a real machine was an important learning experience to recognize what features I would want in the future. I now have a machine with far more adjustments and gauges - which I would not have considered necessary before. Espresso is something of a lifestyle.
So, it's a rebranded Delonghi Dedica that sells for $500.
Also, size matters.
I said the same.
Yep. Even worse - it's rebranded EC680, which didn't get switchable panarello ("hot milk" makes much better microfoam), large cup insert like EC685 and pitcher and usable tamper like EC785.
I have a delonghi, noticed that terrible power switch right off, they break really easy
This does look nicer tho
I had the dedica and it’s exactly the same machine.
@@TheSherri27 Exactly.
I have a Smeg! It was a gift, and I appreciate it - a free, flawed espresso machine is better than no espresso machine at all. A few notes after a year of use:
- Say what you will about the style, I think it looks cute on my countertop
- The default volume is 25ml for the single shot button and 50ml for the double. I haven't bothered to changed this, it's easier to just hit the button again and stop it when you've reached your preferred output.
- Technically it's a thermoblock machine, not a single boiler, so you definitely do want to get any filter you can, it'll scale up real quick
- I can get acceptable frothy milk about one in five attempts. I use a 375ml pitcher and there's a sweet spot that swirls the milk just the right way, but it's hard to hit.
- The pressurized portafilter really only accepts a coarse grind. A proper espresso grind in the included basket won't work very well, as you found
- Maybe I'm a caveman but I immediately broke the cheap plastic tamp(er). I replaced it with a $20 metal one from Amazon and my life is much improved
- I'm pretty sure the 1940s Smeg company went out of business, and this modern iteration of Smeg is a new company that is rebranding other manufacturers' products with the Smeg name and look, and a significant price bump.
The minute I saw the plastic tamp I was pretty sure the intent was never for users to use it for very long. If I were designing a 500$ machine, of any kind, I would assume the buyer had a better accessory than anything I could reasonably include. (And a $20 Amazon one is still a lot more expensive than most manufacturers would ever consider for something like this.) It's there to say it's there, so it isn't technically impossible to pull a shot with only what's included in the box, but nobody in the design team really thought users were going to use that more than once, maybe, if they couldn't find their other tamp. XD
@@octo448 zactly ... it is noteworthy the tamper is barely useful. but it would be a really sad note if there were no tamper included at all. it's just enough to check off the box, because there is infinite choice out there already... good chance the buyer already owns a tamper in the first place.
Hey! Can I have an update on your machine? I have this one but barely use it. Was wondering if it is worth keeping or selling and getting a different one)
I'm so glad I watched this video before buying this machine! Thanks for the super detailed video and the multiple tries with this machine. I saved myself hundreds!
Wow he sure is… a shape. The shapiest shape I ever did see.
favorite comment
This word tottaly exists
Looks like a kitchen-aid mixture
Wait.....what???... she's a he!!!!!????????, I kinda started to fell in love with her🥺🥺😭😭😭😰😥
@@lavanyajain2722 you were falling in love with the coffee machine?
OOF, I am SO excited for the dead shots myth video! As a former employee of the buck, it was interesting to see how the "live" shot time I learned in training kept decreasing over the years. My parents are also huge smeg fans so I loved this review! Also, speaking of the buck: the way this machine steamed milk reminded me so much of what our steamed milk looked like, lol.
I know it's not being covered here, but the myth frustrates me so much. I can't imagine how much espresso has been wasted because employees are trained it's "dead" because they had to idk wipe something up for 5 seconds
However shots without a drop of milk get bitter if left alone for a period of time.
That's what milk looked like until they told us to use microfoam for every latte
Yesss me too, very excited! I was always told 10 seconds at starbs
Yes! Bucks is where I received my only espresso drink training, and they also 100% taught us to expect two entirely separate milk textures, with hot milk at the bottom and foam on top. Had no idea the goal was a combination until this video! Lol
It's rare on MDC that tea gets spilled along with coffee lol, but honestly I think half of SMEG's price tag comes from the form factor/name plate. Also they have a $200 standalone milk frother. I'm just saying...
Which doesn’t work as well as the $40 one I had before it, probably gonna return…
”Tamp” is the activity. “If you want a compressed coffee puck you need to tamp”. “Tamper” is the thing. “When you tamp, using a good tamper is essential”.
Interestingly, in Swedish it is the other way around.
I call the item a Tamper and use Tamp as a verb. Also, this machine gives a feels like you could have pulled the machine from the '70s. Great video, I love your videos.
Team Tamper here too!
I agree totally! Tamper is the noun, tamp is the verb! You use a tamper to tamp the grounds.
Webster’s dictionary allows for tamp as a noun (but also tamper). The OED does not, but also doesn’t specifically acknowledge the coffee context for either ‘tamp’ or ‘tamper’
Yes, I also use tamp and tamper similarly
It is a tamp, if you use a tamp to tamp something then you are the tamper I suppose but it is a tamp both in the world of coffee and agriculture or anywhere else you might use a tamp.
So, I misread the title as "The SMUG Espresso Machine" and I imagined some sort of hipster espresso machine that judges you based on your (inevitably inferior) brewing preferences.
Imagine. Just a machine that’s mildly condescending every morning X)
Thank you for the business idea, I will learn how to program just to make a machine that does it
everyone with smug products are pretty smug though... have you ever been to a friends house and they have a smeg fridge? damn I can see their smug face right now.
I'm pretty sure there's a SMUG fridge in British claymation Wallace and Gromit
@@jimboshizz yes there is!
I used to own a Delonghi Dedica, eventually I got fed up with the pannarello wand and did a little surgery on the mashine, to fit a Gaggia Classic steam wand on there. Relatively simple job and the results were so much better. It was still lacking some power, but I ended up with pretty nice microfoam.
I also hacked the portafilter to accepts regular baskets, essentially I transformed it into a bottomless portafilter. I was pretty happy but eventually I sold the thing to someone who was just getting into home espresso. Upgraded to a Rancilio Silvia and never looked back.
Thanks for your content, I'm really enjoying it.
Greetings from Germany
Exactly what I thought as well, I suspect that De'longhi OEM this machine for SMEG. I used own the dedica , for steaming, remove the metal thing, and just use the rubber tube would make good enough micro foam milk for latte art. I also got myself a bottomless portafilter as well. in general Dedica was nice machine especially for the space .
@@AlexanderLong I was just thinking how much this looks like a dedica with a Smeg covers slipped over it. I've played around with the steam wand enough that I've been able to get decent milk, but it still has days where it doesn't want to cooperate.
@@crushedlush I actually even saw a De'Longhi official Marketing/how-to video on the dedica that suggest "Pro" user to remove the metal panarello , leaving only the rubber tube to get more latte art type of milk.
I think in general, with a good grinder Dedica would be very nice entry machine for those get into home espresso I since went up to Breville Barista touch 3 years ago, next step would be a dual boiler or Breville Oracle maybe.
Red Dwarf had forever ruined my ability to not snicker when Smeg is mentioned.
😂 Me Too!
It's how Lister came up with that epithet. He grew up with a vintage Smeg coffee machine, but the coffee it made (due to user error) was so bad, every time he drank it, he'd say, "smeg." Coincidentally, Rimmer grew up using a Classic Gimboid. Same problem.
The machine looks like its a Skutter.
I wonder if the head of the company is a CEO or a Smeghead?
SMEEE......
@@rampapandiontinling HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
I bought this product 2 years ago. Admittedly, its cool look is what originally attracted me, as I searched for a better (but not too expensive) alternative to the beginner, fully manual models. I am no coffee, much less espresso, expert like yourself as most of your followers are, and I’m too old now to care to become one. I do however like to be able to pull a decent espresso at home. I liked the hybrid nature of this unit, where I don’t need to hover to time the stop of the brew, yet I control the grind and tamping. Two things you didn’t seem to notice in your review: 1) the basket design is NOT for the espresso purist, as it forces the final product through a single hole, which artificially produces the crème, rendering tamping an optional activity, and 2) look inside the removable steamer wand and you’ll see a steam dissipater. Anyway, it’s certainly not a Saeco or Jura, but it’s different ( agree not necessarily better) than an entry level unit. Thanks for your review! I enjoyed it.
21:12 This just sums up this review so well to me. You walked off with a coffee made by a construction tool company coffee maker, but the Smeg couldn't manage even an acceptable drink.
Everything about this machine screams a Delonghi Dedica EC685...the portafilter is identical (although thje Delonghi is aluminum) the control buttons are identical, the steam wand is identical, the water reservoir looks the same, the power button is the same...I say it's the same exact brewer with a different candy coating (the bulbous shell) and much more costly.
I have a dedica EC685 that I use everyday and I complete agree with you. It does even sound exactly the same, the programming of the buttons and its functions, the position of all the buttons and the steam wand. I bet that inside it's just the Delongui. $500 for that machine is robbery at gun point. That should not cost more than $200.
@Sandra Modzelewska And more than double the price "Rounded" up? 🤣
98% sure it is an rebranded dedica 685, what a rip-off xD
@@dm976 it's actualy ec680 with that steam wand!
So, I've had one of these for around 3 or so years and I agree with everything said in the review. That said, I do get pretty good coffee out of it with a few additional adjustments.
There is a small parameter for changing the water temperature, on occasion the coffee may dictate playing with light depending on the roast level.
Also, you can change how much water flows through on the machine by re programming (press and hold button to re time water flow and the next time you just press it, it'll replicate the last operation).
This machine is basically a EC685BK Delonghi Dedica Pump Espresso Coffee Machine, but Smeg have upgraded a number of the components and accessories. Most notably is the Portafilter. The Smeg version is a massive step up from the Aluminium horribleness that comes with the Delonghi.
I have hardly ever found a good home machine for streaming milk, you are having to go well into the 1k area to find units that preform this well. Your Rancilio in the background one notable exception. If I'm using a home machine, I'll tend to cheat and use a milk frother. Home machines do my head it in with their lack of power and as you said, often terrible design for the milk wand.
The Smeg benefit for me was it's small footprint on the worktop. It does take some time to get it right, it isn't perfect but I can make it work for me in the environment I keep it.
Agreed. I had my smeg for 2 years now and it does give me good coffee shots everyday. To your point its about dialing in.
The milk frother however is another story, i either do that with a wand or a french press but probably - 1 out of 5 tries the smeg frother gives me a microfoam i need for a decent latte. But yes i wish it could have been better form wise.
I like the size and the look as well. For the price i got it (sale) im not complaining and totally liking the machine. Its been fueling me since the pandemic and mornings are always better with coffee 😍☕
It’s a tamper but you tamp down the puck with the tamper. For me tamp is a verb. However I could see folks use tamp as shorthand for tamper. Keep up the great work,
Nah you tamp with a tamp which makes you a tamper
@@fuxstar666 nah, you tamp with a tamper which makes you a tampist
You don't go get a shoveler to shovel a hole. You go get a shovel to shovel a hole. Likewise you wouldn't go to the kitchen to get the Tamper to Tamp coffee. You are the Tamper; the person doing the tamping with the tamp.
@@NoZenith you dig a hole, you don't shovel a hole. There's also plenty of examples that do end in -er, one arbitrary example doesn't make a great argument
@@argus456 He is shoveling coal. She shoveled dirt around the base of the tree. Please shovel some stone into this depression in the driveway. I will shovel snow off the sidewalks this winter.
In NONE of these instances would SHOVELER be acceptable.
He was the Shoveler. She was the Shoveler. I will be the Shoveler.
I'm pretty sure the 10 second 'dead shot' rule was created by Starbucks to increase barista speed/efficiency
I always love your videos. Informative and humorous. Also, I started watching the video before it popped up in my notifications. I say tamper because it is a device used to tamp.
Hi Morgan,
Thanks for another nice video!
I would call it a tamper by the way.
Two remarks:
This machine actually has a thermoblock, not a single boiler. So it heats the water as it flows through. A benefit being the very short heat up time and the ability to switch between pulling shots and steaming milk fast. So you can easily steam the milk and within 10 seconds after make your espresso.
Secondly, the steamwand is designed to "cheat", it always froths the milk however you put the wand in the milk. No possibility to control it yourself.
5:03 That is, for me at least, the biggest problem I have with SMEG. We have one of their fridges, and it feels cheap, the gloss gets fingerprints all over it, and its extremely hard to open, so you kinda have to touch it to open it. It also doesn't feel like it costs 1300$
So, as you'd say, I have a few thoughts.
- This machine is a rebranded De'Longhi Dedica, which you can buy for much cheaper. I own one and will be basing my experiences off of that.
- The steam wand is called a "paranello" wand. It has these odd little channels in the cover that will aerate the milk. It requires a different technique. Insert the wand as you would to incorporate and swirl the milk from the beginning. That will give you okay milk. To get good milk, you'll need to steam without the cover, using the rubber tip using a traditional technique. To get great milk, you'll have to open up the machine and replace the entire wand with a rancillio wand. There are guides online to do that.
- I believe the baskets it comes with are pressurized (the Dedica does), which is why you aren't getting great coffee. You'll have to buy a bottomless portafilter and non pressurized basket for a better experience.
- The tamp is aweful. Luckily, you can buy regular looking 51mm tamps online.
I do not recommend this machine. I even hesitate to recommend it's cheaper De'Longhi cousin. I'd save up your money for something a little nicer.
So basically to get good coffee you have to pay more for upgrade pieces
@@KlearlyIMme Good is subjective. If all you want is to use ESE pods and drink frothy cappuccinos, the Dedica is a good option in stock form. The upgrades are if you're stuck with this but you want the ability to dial in your espresso the way you want it.
What machine do you recommend?
@@melodiesoflegend I don't recommend an espresso machine unless you really know you're into it. If you are set on making espresso as a hobby, you should definitely check out the Espresso Aficionado Discord server for exhaustive help. If that's all too much work, the general consensus for complete beginners is a Gaggia Classic Pro.
I bought this machine a few years back only coz of its look to match with other smeg appliances. I never used the steam function until very recently when I started to get interested in coffee making. I've never been able to get good milk texture from this and have blamed myself for lacking the skill. Now a bit more relieved that it's quite impossible even for professionals like yourself. Thanks for the comprehensive review.
It looks like it has an extra tube over the wand to get more air into the milk. If so, remove it (it's in the cleaning instructions), it does not help, to the contrary.
But the wand is too short too, so cannot help you with that one...
The shoe washing 3.5 minutes in is excellent. Very good rinse, 10/10.
I bought a delonghi few days back and your video was the perfect tutorial. Everything is the same, even the buttons. You're right about the steamer. Terrible. Btw your video can be a tutorial for the delonghi model. I've been searching RUclips for days, this is the best tutorial. Great work!! Thanks.
Ahh the shot being dead. This was 100% true at Starbucks. It was even part of our training. The shot would “die” pretty quickly. Now I’m a barista at a local shop and the shots don’t die anymore.
As a British person, I don't want to know how to utilise smeg properly, and I am very glad you are in no way affiliated with smeg
I was initially impressed with said “ bulbous” shape and retro, classic design making me think quality products like, say, Kitchen Aide mixer.
As you went into your well thought analysis of product review I had to hit pause to whip up a cuppa that Morgan would surely consider swill, and sit down to hear her drive a 500 dollar machine into the ground. Quite honestly, at that price point I would expect a LOT and I mean like pass it down to my grateful children kind of quality. How sad. I’m sad for all of us. Sorry, kids.
Another good day. Morgan and James video in one morning, work is buying pizzas for lunch, we get a super casual Friday so I can wear boots, and my coffee was gooood this morning
I'm really glad you reviewed this. I own the SMEG drip coffee maker and it is not that much different than any other drip coffee maker I've had that was 1/10th the price. But I did get mine at a nice discount used!
The way my eyes rest in my home matters to me more than the quality of my coffee. I'm deep into nuclear age interior design. And this looks good to me. I don't mind it being out on my counter. I dislike the look of these much higher quality machines.
Also, I live in the PNW where there is always opportunity to have amazing coffee if I want it...
And I guess also I would never be able to make coffee as good as the people who work at the coffee shop around the corner, even if I had the same equipment I frequent that place lol!
So for me, the look of the appliance mattered more than the quality. And well... I also had the budget for it. I didn't always have this kind of budget (it replaced a $15 Mr. Coffee and honestly doesn't make anything remarkably different) so I understand that this might sound nuts.
@@226iamacake I also use it almost every day. Like I said, I don't mind diner mud. And I like the way the appliances look. I've got the matching toaster and kettle and I like what I like hahaha 🤷
Such an expert. The most thorough review I’ve ever seen
That's just a rebodied DeLonghi Dedica. I have the DeLonghi and I can attest to the fact that the Smeg is my machine's brother from another mother.
Hi Morgan,
So I have one of these machines and I totally agree with everything you said. It is nearly impossible to steam milk well in a pitcher just because of how short the wand is. The way I get around this is just by steaming the milk directly in the mug (which I know sounds ludacris) and then pouring the espresso into the mug. Because the mug is much smaller and more shallow, you can move it around a lot more. Also, this machine has a big learning curve and will take a couple uses to figure out exactly what works, as you showed. It gets the job done if you just want a cappuccino or latte at home, but definitely is not great if you are trying to make professional quality drinks.
I'm pretty sure that's an automatic wand, isn't it? Gaggia call them panarello wands, I'm not sure what anyone else calls them. It draws air into the milk by itself, so it doesn't need the milk aerated manually. It doesn't give great milk, but it makes it easy for people that can't be bothered to learn to steam properly, so they just dunk the wand in as far as it'll go, turning the steam on, and turning it off when hot.
Smeg produces the most wonderful crema. Its so good we had to invent our own word for it. We call it smegma
I bought one two years ago and love it. I must say it's a lot cheaper over here in the Netherlands (300 Euro's), because it's Italian.
About 14 minutes in I realized that the song playing in the background is actually "Happy Birthday To You" and then I lost my train of thought. Now I have to watch the video again. It was a nice surprise though.
I have trouble making my espresso drinks at home, I never know how much of what to add and something always tastes, off. There’s surprisingly a lack of step by stop coffee videos that are in depth, I think that would be an awesome thing to do
I am very new to the world of espresso and machines such as this Smeg and Breville. I only fairly recently in the past year "discovered" Morgan and her videos through my niece Haley who lives in Portland and I have been educated by Morgan, who has a wonderful presence and delivery. I am intrigued to get my own espresso machine sometime in the future and having just finished watching this episode I think I am leaning towards getting a Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine when the time comes to get my own appliance. It looks relatively simple to use and seems to be more versatile. Thanks very much Morgan for your views and expertise!
Finally, a machine for me.
tremendously helpful! I'm a barista also in oregon and i've been trying to find an espresso machine for me, I definitely like your take on milk steamer too, practically nodding along with you the entire time
thank you for your review!
Great review, as always! I love SMEG's Industrial design. I agree with other commenters, the "thing" is called a tamper, the verb is tamp.
pretty sure the debate is tamp or tamper.. never heard them called a temp or temper
@@djhart25 thanks for catching my typos. I’ve fixed them.
So excited when I get the notifications!
Hi, Morgan! Thank you so much for this review! It couldn't have come at a better time - we love the retro-styling of the entire Smeg line and were so close to purchasing this espresso machine. You've saved us a bunch of money which we will spend on a different machine.
Btw, I noticed your shoe laces don't sit horizontally across your shoes. I don't know if it bothers you (or whether you're OCD like me), but I had this "problem" for 50 years until I discovered a simple fix: when you first start crossing your laces, cross them opposite from how you would normally do it i.e. if you start with the right lace on the bottom and the left lace on the top, try doing the opposite. This should result in your laces laying horizontally across your shoe :)
I love how seriously you take your coffee I love this video thank you
My brother has one of these and I've always wondered how this compares to other espresso machines at a similar size and price point. The Breville Bambino seems like a much better choice for someone looking for this kind of machine. Personally, I think I'll stick with my Gaggia Classic.
I have the Bambino (for over 18 months now), and yea based on her review I would say it’s the better machine for that price point.
Yep the bambino is better and cheaper
Audio quality has improved! Enjoying watching the channel grow and evolve.
This demonstrates the issue that I have always had with Smeg products. Here in South Africa people go crazy for Smeg products because it is seen as a "status symbol" due to how stupidly expensive it is and also because it looks good, I guess. I have however always wondered what the hype is about seeing as despite the price there really isn't anything innovative or special about it. This seems to be true no matter which of their products you look at, whether it is an oven, toaster, kettle or a fridge. My very first espresso machine was a very cheap Russel Hobbs machine and the moment you showed us the porta filter, baskets and tamper I was immediately taken back to my days of using that machine. The results you got from this even looks similar. Im thinking a company like Breville will have a machine in this price range that will deliver MUCH better results.
Their quality control is trash, I trust Breville far more than anything by SMEG
Yes, Breville has the $500 Bambino Plus. I have one and it’s solid and nice, although I’m very much an amateur. Still, I can tell it’s better than this Smeg!
The milk sent me. I've been a barista for 7 years and I'm just now starting to research different machines. I've never seen such a vile steamwand in my entire life lmfao. VILE!
Thanks for the review. Your videos are my fave :)
What maniac wants to think about smegma every time they brew their morning coffee?
Same lol
@@plow9719 spurt
I gaged when I heard the name out loud...lol I was thinking the same thing.
Best question I've ever seen on RUclips.
I have this exact same machine and love it. Don't even care what people may think it is derived from although, I may check that out when I get back to the office.. I got rid of my Delonghi for various reasons and replaced it with this and no issues. If it is a rebranded machine then c'est la vie. Not sure about costs where others may live but this is around an average price machine for it's size.
It would be interesting to see you compare this to the (way cheaper) Delonghi Dedica. Most of the parts seem really similar to it, from the drip tray right down to the tamp/scoop thing.
This is so much like the Dedica that I learned new things about mine by watching this video 😅
(namely, the water filter slot being a thing)
i love watching these as a person who doesn’t drink coffee and i know nothing about it, it’s fun :]
Oddly enough, my friends and I had a hot minute laughing about the naming of these cute retro appliances. All with S M E G boldly labeled upon them. It's interesting to see someone actually talk about these round fever dreams, other than some niche blogger saying she's always wanted a Smeg (refrigerator).
Our appliance supplier (he’s a neighbor) does not have a high opinion of the quality of Smeg appliances
I came to the comments specifically to see if anyone was gonna mention the name...it's odd branding, to be sure. I actually kinda like the design of them otherwise, but I would be quite embarrassed to have something with "SMEG" written in giant letters across it in my home. They could have chosen any other name...
@@jocelynprier9115 that is how people decode to name their products I am sure if you decide to name yours other people would be emabarrased....take the t time to go to their website and be less ignorant on how you express yourself
They feel cheap. I was eyeing a kettle and just handling it at the store the handle squeaked and the lettering dropped off. I will stick to the other brands and the SA stated lots of complaints that it died right after the warranty so they don’t even last till you feel like you got your moneys worth before replacing it.
Yoooo we have the DeLonghi Dedica (
I am fairly sure, that they just used the Delonghi Dedica and their own design over it😅
Well the Delonghi would only cost around 180 -200🙃
I want to make a point here about using a single boiler and whether to pull a shot first or steam the milk. What I do personally is I allow my machine to heat up properly (15 minutes or so), then switch it to the frother to allow that to heat up and build steam. While that is heating more, I grind and tamp into the portafilter then set it aside. Froth the milk and set that aside. Run water through the group head, insert portafilter, pull my shot while polishing the milk, then pour milk into said espresso.
I would LOVE a full video on the dead shots myth! I’ve mostly heard it in one specific 🧜♀️coffee chain, but I never got a good explanation from any of the baristas. It seemed like they couldn’t because nobody ever gave them a real explanation. But I saw multiple nasty customers demand new “live” shots for their drinks because they heard that shots die after 10 seconds.
I'm convinced they use tell their baristas that to try increase the..."urgency" with which drinks were made. You're going to try and get the drink totally put together as fast as possible if you think it's literally going to spoil in 10 seconds if you don't get the milk in the cup with the espresso.
I’m definitely not a heavy coffee drinker but from my experience when I do drink espresso it just goes very bitter after a few minutes. Didn’t know people say it died after 10 seconds though. That doesn’t make sense to me cause it usually takes 1 to 2 minutes to make a drink anyways and I usually pull the shot first before steaming milk
To get an acceptable drink from this machine you have to:
1. Replace the pressurized filter basket with a 51mm non pressurized filter basket. (Together with a different portafilter if you don’t want to cut the plastic within the included portafilter in order to make the non pressurized filter basket fit)
2. Remove the metal cover from the steam wand and cable tie the rubber nozzle to the top of the wand.
And yes it is indeed identical to the Delonghi Dedica EC685.
"It's interesting to look at, and it's kinda pretty."
Maybe it's for people who have La Cornue range, Bob Kramer cutleries, and granite countertops out the wazoo, but never actually cook anything.
As someone who has smeg products for sale at my job, yes. Unfortunately their products are flimsy and poorly thought out. Can’t tell you how many customers have broken $500 stand mixers😬
I have this machine at home and their grinder as well. I found that using their scoop and tamper was bad but when I added my own puck prep stuff (WDT, other tamper etc...) it consistently makes really good espresso
I literally can't belive they haven't rebranded. Sure, you'll get a few dozen sales off of red dwarf fans but 99% of people aren't going to buy the smegma brand.
Haha the name is an acronym for their much longer company name but yes, the additional related words are quite unfortunate X)
I can't take their products seriously BECAUSE I've seen Red Dwarf. Even in the show the word is used as a blanket expletive/curse/insult. Can't even look at their stuff without thinking of Dave Lister drinking a beer milkshake.
It's because you're such a Crypto-Fascist 😂😂😂
@@morgandrinkscoffee Have you ever seen Red Dwarf? You might like it, British Sci-Fi Comedy 🙂
They have a pretty powerful brand by this point, a lot of people love them, so they definitely don't want to change the name now. I don't get it either.
I am sincerely glad they put the Espresso between the Smeg and the Machine.
Has a very Volkswagen Van/Bug kinda vibe
As a red dwarf fan, I can’t get past the name!
Omni means "every" or "all". So omnidireccional means in all or every direction. You were looking for the prefix "uni" as in 1. Unidirectional, one direction
You might be right, but the main issue with this steam wand is the aperture rather than how many holes in the tip. The steam wand is not directional enough to create a vortex so she might have really meant omni (all directions). Even though she was explaining the benefits of multiple steam tip holes, the resulting force with those is quite directional which allows you to spin or roll the milk. The wand on this machine is so wide and the flow not high enough that it just splutters and bubbles out. A bit confusing I know. A single steam tip of an appropriate aperture can produce good milk texture. Your description of the terms is right though, I just wanted to elaborate on the issue with this particular wand. On this model I think you can try steaming without that silver sheath on and get a truly unidirectional experience 😆
Awesome review Morgan! This is the machine I use daily.
This machine looks like and operates just like a delonghi dedica machine
because it is
Looks like a dedica with a different shell
@@ARGINVENTOR because it is
They are same.
It is De'Longhi Dedica with weird plastic around it and double the price.
I have a Delonghi Dedica that is basically this machine and cost 200$. The steam wand is a "Auto" steam wand and you have to use it differently than the classical steam wand.
There is a small pin hole that sucks the air in and incorporates it into the milk. You don't have to break the surface as you would do with a classical steam wand.
It doesn't have a boiler, it has a termoblock to head the water/steam.
I have my Delonghi Dedica modified with the classical steam wand. I love it because the machine is super small and it fits in a small kitchen.
I do genuinely love the aesthetics of this machine, it's a real shame they seem to be charging over $300 for their cheap plastic shell.
It’s an enameled metal shell. The M and E in ‘SMEG’ stands for Metal Enamelwork
It's like Apple you paying for the brand
You're actually paying £100 more for something £100 worse!
Even that last shot you pulled, looked thin..
the Crèma was subpar! I wanna cryy!
Is that the best you can extract from this Smug (smeg) machine.?? Dial it in Morgan!
Don't settle for lesss.. give us your bessst!
this feels weirdly similar to the delonghi dedica hmm
I am very, strongly of the opinion that they are the same machine with a different cover.
Tamp, and love your reviews. Honest and thorough. Was disappointed that that machine didn’t knock it out of the park. But to be honest it is a bit out of my price range. Have been using my Delonghi for about 10 years now and it hasn’t failed me , ever . So I will probably just go with them when I retire this one. Thanks
Look into the gaggia classic for an upgrade.
Love your videos, both entertaining & educational! Definitely helpful for someone like me, who wants to learn more about coffee, who likes the drink coffee, but doens’t really know a lot about the art of making coffee.
Please do a review on the Kitchenaid Espresso machine. I would love to see you compere the Smeg & Kitchenaid machines.
I actually managed to snag a quite old Kitchenaid machine that I’m going to be refurbishing for a video. It’s an absolute beast and I’m super excited about it.
@@morgandrinkscoffee I'm already excited!
This is a kitchen appliance that looks good if you have a smeg fridge and other smeg appliances in your kitchen, which you will overpay due to design that today is kind of outdated too. As many other appliance manufacturers that also manufacture coffee makers, smeg just completed the lineup of their appliance portfolio with another moderate in performance appliance.
An espresso Machine is what stands at the counter behind!
I want to know who THE HELL thought "oh you know what a great company name would be? SMEG!"
i have had this machine for about 3 years now and i do agree that its not perfect - however it works for me because i don't really use the milk feature at all and just add in cold milk straight from the carton to my espresso. i had also found that a smaller amount of coffee grounds worked better for the espresso result.
i do have one friend who loves the milk that comes out of this machine and i really don't understand why but ill do it for her anyway.
thanks for the review! :))
as an english person im sitting here being like "wait, theres a company thats existed since the 40s called smeg? do americans not know what smeg is?"
I'm fairly sure "Smeg" the company came before the made up swearword from Red Dwarf
@@natfailsyoutube8163 pretty sure smeg from red dwarf refers to smegma, a term which dates back a lot further than the 40s. like i dont have a specific year, but wikipedia gives an ancient greek derivation in the opening sentence
Only because of Red Dwarf.
It's an Italian company, and apparently an acronym for "Smalterie Metallurgiche Emiliane Guastalla"
@@CantankerousDave pretty sure the term "smegma" has been around for a bit longer :D
I find it satisfying that your shoes match the espresso machine.
I feel like this is the coffee machine they have on Red Dwarf.
Thanks for this review! I was thought to slightly tamp the coffee in the pad, so learned something here.
All reviews in my area give it 5/5 stars. Good to see someone giving some valid points.
Really hoped this was a perfect product since it is so pretty!
This machine is De'Longhi Dedica in different coating and double the price of the original machine. You can also steam quite a good milk but without the plastic "tube" on the steam wand. Just with the rubber tip.
I don't know why RUclips suddenly and for no clear reason recommended to me a video by an attractive and very well-spoken androgynous person reviewing a coffee machine with an extremely unfortunate and slightly gross brand name, but I'm here for this. (the ironic thing is, I don't even drink coffee!)
Thanks for this review! Seems like most of the $500+ is just paying for the brand name.
And according to most of these comments, it is just a rebranded DeLonghi Dedica.
I'm building this machine in 3d so i was looking for videos on it and I'm glad I found yours
I watched this video after I had just bought the smeg coffee machine.
I was very disappointed at my choice after watching a mainly negative video.
I noticed nobody noticed the few videos in favour of this machine.
I also noticed a lot of the people were more interested in your hairstyle and coffee mug than the appliances review:)
I tried my smeg coffee machine today for the first time. I must say I have no issues with it. Made a great coffee. The milk frother worked fine (I used a small jug).
All in all a great result. I am happy with my machine
Same. This review is crap. Has bad taste and can't use a steamer. Lol..
I'm owning the Dedica which is about $150 here in Germany. There are some good tutorials on YT how to enhance the machine by changing some components (portafilter, the steaming thingy, etc)
Hasn’t anyone realised this is just a reskinned Delonghi Dedica?
I’m not familiar with that machine personally but I’ll take a peek, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was
Yes, I was just going to say it all seems very similar to a Dedica a friend has. New casing and colours and knobs, but the rest, including the buttons etc seems identical.
"Hello, is that Delonghi? Yes, Smeg here. Would you make us a bulbious machine and then we will sell it for $200 more? Great, thanks!"
Has the basket got a strange pressure hole and the holder a wacky plastic thing underneath?
I have this machine in black.
I bought it second-hand.
I am a long-time coffee lover. I disagree with your comments regarding the steam wand - it works fine for me. Maybe I got lucky, but the way this machine steams the milk is just how I like it.
Hey ho.
Could you please review the Kerurig k latte machine? It makes regular k cup coffee and also espresso and it seems super interesting
Was almost about to buy one, but then I watched this review. Thank you Morgan, you saved me some money. Any same price range recommendations? This one costs now around 300 euros/dollars.
All SMEG products are really overpriced due to their cool designs.
I don’t know what to comment. Literally sitting here throughout the video but can’t think of anything to write 😅. Love your hairstyle and personality ❤️👍🏼. That’s all I am gonna say!
reminds me of Wall-E's mecha girlfriend
Even though Morgan had trouble in the above video with frothing because she did not have enough room for the pitcher, the above Smeg machine that I bought the other day has a wand that easily moves sideways giving you heaps of room for your pitcher and frothing.
What pitcher size is suitable, 350ml or 550ml ? tks
I will not, as a matter of principle, buy anything named “SMEG.”
prey, why? sincerely just a question
@@henrikadewell7711probably cause of smegma
@@henrikadewell7711bad name innit!
God I wish you would have been my barista trainer, I love how well versed you are in the science of coffee without being pretentious