TechRadar Verdict
The Russell Hobbs Everyday Espresso Machine is a cheap and cheerful coffee maker that helps you transition from brewing with coffee pods to fresh beans by letting you use both. Unfortunately, while you can make decent espresso if you grind your beans very coarsely, its pressure is low and you’ll end up with a lot of water in the portafilter when brewing with capsules. The steam wand is the biggest disappointment, however, producing masses of bubbles so quickly that you can’t even heat your milk before your pitcher overflows. It’s a shame because this two-in-one coffee maker is an interesting concept, but you’ll be better served by a machine that only does one thing very well.
Benefits
- +
Prepare espresso with ground coffee and pods
- +
Espresso is brewed consistently when you dial in your grinder
- +
Very affordable price
Disadvantages
- –
The pressure is low, so you will need to grind your coffee very coarsely
- –
The steam wand cannot create fine foam and is too short
- –
Brewing with coffee pods is complicated, with water accumulating in the filter holder
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Russell Hobbs Everyday Espresso Machine: One-Minute Review
The Russell Hobbs Everyday espresso machine is an entry-level coffee maker with an unusual twist: in addition to a regular filter holder for ground coffee, it comes with a holder for Nespresso Original coffee capsules. A convenient option if you’re switching from pods to fresh beans or sharing a kitchen with someone who prefers a different brewing method.
It’s also very cheap, with a list price of just £149.99 / AU$189.95 (around $200). For comparison, my two top-rated budget coffee makers, the De’Longhi Dedica Duo and the Philips Baristina, cost $299.95 / £279.99 (around AU$600) and $449.99 / £299.99 / AU$599. respectively.
At this price, it’s no surprise that the Everyday Espresso Maker is made almost entirely of plastic, but it still looks stylish on your kitchen counter with its matte silver and black finish, and guests won’t guess how little you spent.
The budget price is reflected in the accessories, however, which are quite simple. In addition to the two portafilters, you only get two filter baskets, a lightweight spoon/tamper combo, and a pin tool for cleaning the steam wand. There is no milk pitcher, water filter, or water hardness test strip included in the box.
What really matters is performance, and I was happy to find that the everyday espresso machine could brew a good shot of fresh coffee once I identified the best grind size and the extraction was consistent. However, I found that I had to grind my coffee much coarser than usual to avoid under-extraction, and the coffee grounds puck was still quite moist at the end, suggesting that even though the pressure was lower than optimal, it would be fine.
Brewing with coffee capsules was easy, but again, it was a more soggy experience than I would have liked, and the used pod ended up sitting in a puddle in the portafilter after brewing.
However, the steam wand is the real problem. It feels flimsy, wobbles when you put it in place, and its bottom is too short, making it difficult to submerge in your milk pitcher. The worst part is that it has an air intake hole that creates so much foam that I had to stop steaming my milk while it was still cold to prevent the pitcher from overflowing. The big bubbles aren’t fine or stable enough for a latte, which is a shame when you’ve just made a perfectly good espresso.
If you take your coffee black and want to alternate between pods and grounds, this might be a good option for you. Otherwise, I would recommend saving a little more money and going with the much sturdier De’Longhi Dedica Duo.
Russell Hobbs Everyday espresso machine: price and availability
- Available in the UK and Australia for £149.99 / AU$189.95
- Not currently sold in the United States
- One of the cheapest espresso machines I’ve tested
The Russell Hobbs Everyday Espresso Machine is available in the UK directly from Russell Hobbs for £149.99 (around $200). It’s known as the Russell Hobbs Heaton espresso machine in Australia, where it costs AU$189.95. It is not sold in the United States as of this writing.
It’s one of the most affordable coffee makers I’ve tested here at TechRadar, and even cheaper than my favorite budget espresso machine, the De’Longhi Dedica Duo, which has a list price of $299.95 / £279.99 (around AU$600).
- Value rating: 4/5
Russell Hobbs Everyday Espresso Machine: Specifications
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|
Name |
Russell Hobbs Everyday Espresso Machine |
|
Type |
Manual espresso machine (ground coffee and pods) |
|
Weight |
6 pounds / 2.74 kg |
|
Water tank capacity |
1.58 pints / 1.5 liters |
|
Milk frother |
Manual steam lance |
|
User Profiles |
None |
Russell Hobbs Everyday espresso machine: design
- Accepts ground coffee and Nespresso Original capsules
- The steam wand is disappointing
- Plastic components have a strong odor
The Russell Hobbs Everyday espresso machine is compact and exceptionally lightweight. Weighing it, I found that the whole thing only weighs 6lbs/2.74kg including the cap and water reservoir, which could be a real advantage if you need a coffee maker you can store in a cupboard between uses.
The exterior of the Everyday espresso machine is all plastic except for the drip tray and steam wand, but as you can see in the photos here, it doesn’t look cheap and the silver panels on the front give a convincing brushed steel look.
It does, however, give off a noticeable plastic smell when new. The instructions run the machine without coffee to rinse it before making your first glass, but I actually suggest doing this a few times to remove any taste (and rinsing the steam wand carefully as well to avoid contaminating your milk).
As with all coffee makers, you should wash the water tank, filter holders and baskets before use. These are safe to hand wash with soapy water, and the tank has a reassuringly sturdy handle for easy carrying, which is a welcome touch.
The Everyday espresso machine comes with two filter holders: one for ground coffee and one for Nespresso Original coffee capsules. The one for capsules has a conical insert, which holds the coffee pod and pierces the bottom when pressure is applied so that water can penetrate.
There are only two filter baskets for ground coffee (single and double size). Both of these are pressurized, which makes sense for a beginner level machine, as they are more forgiving than single wall baskets if your grind isn’t perfect.
You get a double-ended tamper/coffee spoon, which is standard for a budget espresso machine. It’s not very satisfying to hold, and it’s not as easy to use as a sturdier tamper with a smooth metal finish, but it gets the job done.
The Everyday espresso machine’s steam wand swings out from the left side of the machine and is controlled using a large touch dial. Unfortunately, during testing I found that the bottom part of the wand was too short, meaning it couldn’t go far enough down into my milk jug.
The wand also features a pinhole on the side, intended to create extra foam when you steam your milk. Unfortunately, in my testing, I found that this created many very large bubbles and made it impossible to create a smooth, pourable microfoam. In fact, it created so much foam that I had to stop steaming before my milk was hot to prevent it from boiling over.
- Design rating: 3/5
Russell Hobbs Everyday espresso machine: performance
- Consistent results when grinder is activated
- Water pressure seems to be lower than usual
- Does not heat or froth milk properly
The Everyday espresso machine is simple to use, with just two brew buttons, but unlike most espresso machines, these do not correspond to a single or double shot. Instead, the first button brews a double shot and the second a quad (intended to be split between two cups). The volume of the drink is customizable, but it’s something to be aware of.
The machine heats up quickly, although the cup warmer on top is not very practical. Like the rest of the machine’s chassis, it’s made from insulating plastic, so it will barely be warm even half an hour after the machine has reached temperature.
I was pleased to find that although some components seem flimsy, the Everyday espresso machine feels more robust than the Casabrews 5418 Pro. The filter baskets fit securely into the portafilter handle without coming loose, and the handle locks securely in place.
My first few espressos were drawn very slowly and I found that I had to grind my coffee much coarser than usual to get good results. The puck of ground coffee was still quite wet after brewing, suggesting the pressure was low, but once I found the best size, the results were consistent.
Brewing with a Nespresso capsule is simple; simply place it in the conical holder provided, place the holder in the portafilter handle and continue as if you were using coffee grounds. The process is quick and easy, but more complicated than using a standard Nespresso machine. Usually brewing with pods is a neat process, but the Everyday espresso machine leaves water in the portafilter which tends to spill when you release the handle.
If you’re really only interested in brewing from capsules, I recommend choosing a simple dedicated Nespresso machine instead. The Nespresso Vertuo Pop (for Nespresso Vertuo pods) or the Nespresso Pixie (for Nespresso Original capsules) are two affordable options.
For me, however, the steam wand is the weakest point. As previously mentioned, this is an espresso machine with a dairy intolerance; it incorporates too much air into the milk, so you have to stop steaming before it’s heated enough, and it’s too short for comfortable use. The heat-resistant silicone handle is a nice addition, but the whole wand wobbles when you move it.
Whether I chose oatmeal or dairy, the wand just made a lot of very large bubbles, which may seem impressive if you’ve never used a coffee maker before, but are of no practical use. This may be an entry-level machine, but new users also need proper tools, and this steam wand misses the mark.
- Performance rating: 3/5
Should you buy the Russell Hobbs Everyday espresso machine?
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|
Attribute |
Remarks |
Score |
|---|---|---|
|
Value |
One of the cheapest espresso machines I’ve tested, it should cost a lot more, but some components are fragile to use. |
4/5 |
|
Design |
The plastic chassis is lightweight and easy to move, but gives off a strong aroma that takes some time to dissipate. The steam wand is not well designed. |
3/5 |
|
Performance |
Can brew decent espresso, but generates less than optimal pressure, so a very coarse grind is required. Milk froth is poor. |
3/5 |
Buy it if
If you’re not sure if the Russell Hobbs Everyday Espresso Machine is the right coffee maker for you, here are two other options for your shortlist. For more recommendations, take a look at my comprehensive guides to the best espresso machines and the best Nespresso machines.
De’Longhi Dedica Duo
I’ve mentioned this little espresso machine several times in this review, and it remains the standard by which all other budget coffee makers are judged. Its performance and build quality belie its bargain price, and you’ll often find it available at a discount now that it’s a few months old. Highly recommended if you only want to brew ground coffee and not pods.
Read our full De’Longhi Dedica Duo review
Nespresso Pixie
Do you prefer pods to beans? The Nespresso Pixie is a great no-frills machine that accepts original-style capsules and doesn’t make a wet mess when brewing them. If you want to make lattes, this machine is available with the Nespresso Aeroccino milk frother at a discounted price.
Read our full Review of Nespresso Pixie
How I Tested the Russell Hobbs Everyday Espresso Machine
I used the Russell Hobbs Everyday espresso machine in my kitchen for a week, comparing it with my regular Gaggia Classic coffee maker.
I used it with freshly roasted coffee beans, ground using a Sage Dose Control Pro coffee grinder, and adjusted the grind size until a double espresso was brewed in about 30 seconds. I used the steam wand with fresh dairy and oat milk.
For more details, learn how we test, review, and review products on TechRadar.
Cat is TechRadar’s homes editor, covering smart home technology, kitchen appliances, vacuums, hair care and more. She has been a tech journalist for 15 years, having worked on print magazines including PC Plus and PC Format, and is a certified barista with the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA). Whether you want to invest in smart lights, find your perfect hairdresser, or choose your dream espresso machine, she’s the right person to help you.