To make coffee every day without expecting to replace your machine at the first sign of a fault, choose a type that fits your routine in terms of care and consumables. Before you buy, check the descaling process, then look up model-specific information about parts and after-sales service. Automatic brewing doesn’t mean you can skip cleaning the machine.
If you’d consider repairing your machine before replacing it, look for an accessible user manual, information about parts and an after-sales service contact. ADEME lists repair as an option for coffee makers and other small household appliances.
If you use your machine every day, it’s worth adjusting how often you descale it to suit your water and the instructions for your model. Eaufrance lets you check drinking water test results for each local authority area.
If you want to keep the steps involved in making coffee to a minimum, consider what you’ll need to do after each use, too. Depending on the system you choose, you may need to clean the machine, keep filters or capsules stocked and, where applicable, arrange for them to be collected for recycling.
First, choose between a filter coffee maker, a capsule machine, an automatic or manual espresso machine, or a method that doesn’t require a dedicated machine, based on the steps you’re happy to take every day. Then compare the care requirements, consumables and repair options for the model you’re considering.
| Criterion | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Repairability | User manual, after-sales service contact and stated availability of parts for the model. | If my machine breaks down, I want to know who to contact and whether parts are available before I consider replacing it. Around 31% of consumers would prioritise the option to repair. |
| Descaling | Instructions in the user manual and any option to adjust the water hardness setting. | With daily use, I want to be able to adjust descaling to suit the water I use rather than follow a one-size-fits-all schedule. This would be a priority for around 25% of consumers. |
| Daily routine | Steps involved in making coffee and the parts of the specific model that need regular cleaning. | I’m looking for a simple way to make coffee, without discovering later that the cleaning routine is more than I can keep up with. Around 25% of consumers would put ease of use at the top of their list. |
| Consumables | Compatible filter or capsule formats and accessible collection options. | If my coffee depends on filters or capsules, I want to be able to buy them and manage the ones I use; a manual method might also suit my habits better. Around 19% of consumers would put managing consumables first. |
According to De’Longhi, how often you need to descale depends, among other things, on water hardness and the number of coffees you make. A general schedule is no substitute for following your model’s instructions.
Check the information available for your local water supply, then follow the user manual and any alerts from your machine.
The list of product categories covered by France’s repairability index, published in July 2025 by the ministry responsible for ecological transition, does not include coffee machines. The absence of a rating doesn’t, on its own, tell you whether a particular model can be repaired.
Check the user manual, information about parts and how to contact the after-sales service team.
Automatic brewing can mean there are several parts to maintain, as well as a circuit to descale.
Before you buy, check the maintenance steps in the user manual and make sure you’ll be able to carry them out regularly.
Depending on the model, cleaning products, any required cartridges and the time needed to clean removable parts all add to the routine.
Compatible formats and collection options depend on the system you choose. Nespresso, for example, sets out collection arrangements for its own capsules and the options available locally.
Check which format your machine needs and whether there are collection options you could realistically use.
If the collection point isn’t on your usual routes, returning capsules takes extra planning.
If you want to make coffee from beans, this automatic bean-to-cup espresso machine is worth considering if its care routine suits you. Check the model-specific information before relying on the option to have it repaired.
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For anyone who wants to make coffee from beans with an automatic machine and can keep up with regular maintenance.
Check the user manual for descaling instructions and any option to adjust the water hardness setting. Also check the information about parts and after-sales service for this model.
The AquaClean filter is listed as not included.
Yes. As ADEME points out, descaling is part of routine coffee maker maintenance. To find out when and how to do it, follow your model’s instructions and alerts, taking the water you use and how often you make coffee into account.
Yes. Don’t assume it’s the same everywhere in France. Eaufrance provides access to drinking water test results for each local authority area, along with information about certain water quality parameters. Check these before adjusting the water hardness setting if your machine has one.
It doesn’t tell you whether the machine can or cannot be repaired. The list of categories covered, published in July 2025 by the ministry responsible for ecological transition, does not include coffee machines. Instead, check the model-specific information in the user manual and details about parts and after-sales service.
Ask which parts are listed as available for the model, for how long and how to get hold of them. In its guidance dated 16 October 2025, the DGCCRF distinguishes between providing information about availability and the obligation to make parts available, which applies only to certain product categories in France.