Review on Miele CM6150 Countertop Coffee Machine: Stylishly Efficient Lotus White Brewer by Curtis Richardson

Overall I'm very happy with my 5300. Let's take a look at the pros and cons: Pros: Makes great drinks - I particularly like cappuccino and this machine can consistently make great drinks Thoughtful design - there are lots of nice touches - from the Way the machine automatically asks you to rinse the milk line after making a milk drink before guiding you step by step if cleaning is needed. Cons: The 5300's water tank is relatively small, meaning you'll have to refill it frequently. Because it frequently flushes itself (which helps with maintenance), it uses more water than you might expect. That, plus the fact that there are no user profiles, means it might not be a good choice if you have more than one coffee drinker in the family (I'm not married so that was fine with me, but I, I could see that it can be annoying when more people use the machine). Consider upgrading to the 6150 or 6350 if multiple people will use it. Although there are no user profiles, you can customize drinks and save your preferences. You just can't customize them for different people. Also, it doesn't have a touchscreen, which seems like a throwback these days. This is not a problem for me, but some users might find it frustrating. Additional Info: No pros or cons but worth checking the water hardness when setting up this machine. The machine comes from the factory assuming you have very hard water (which means it will ask to descale more often). It's probably the right default choice, but I was surprised when it asked to descale after less than a month of use. I received a test kit and confirmed that I have soft water, so I've changed that setting and assume I won't need to descale for a while. This machine is delivered without a milk carafe. You can just dip a milk pipe in a milk bottle (or glass), but I ended up buying a Míele glass carafe from their website for $50 to get a nicer milk flavor. (The 6350 series top comes with a trendy stainless steel heat-insulated milk carafe - this should be considered when choosing a model). Like all fully automatic machines, it requires more maintenance than conventional coffee machines. I'm from Nespresso so it was a bit of a surprise. As recommended in the owner's manual, I clean the milk lines weekly (using Míele milk cleaning tablets available from Revain) and I also clean the brewing unit and coffee dispensing unit weekly. I also run the dripper and waste collector through the dishwasher weekly. Again, not a big deal, but if this is your first supermachine this might come as a surprise. Try not to use flavored or fatty beans as these can damage your machine. I use Lavazza Espresso Roast from Costco and get good results. Overall I am very happy with this purchase. That would be 5 stars, except for the relatively small water tank - that can be remedied by choosing the 6150 or 6350 models.