If you have to ask, then the answer is obviously no. 5K buys a lot of Starbucks.

I bought a "brew express" brand on Sears.com. It can be hooked up to a water line (we spliced into our fridge water line). It is low and narrow profile that sits under my cabinet, it sits all the way back to the wall. I think cost was about $200? I've had it two years and it's great. You can make full or half pot or individual cup and it has a timer. Only complaint is if power goes out you have to reset time.

A fully integrated grinder espresso/milk drink machine is in no way comparable to a plain drip coffee maker that has a water supply plumbed in. Whether or not pushing a button and having the perfect cappuccino in your cup is worth 25x more, probably not.

ghklm, i'm wondering if you did end up going for a built in coffee system and what you think of it (presuming that did get one) and whether it was worth it? i am a coffee lover and these beatiful coffee systems are so very tempting (i've heard great things about the coffee/espresso, but wonder if the flavor holds up to true coffee house coffees/espressos), but as you mentioned they are certainly an expensive luxury...just curious about your experiences a few months later. thanks for sharing!

lol, i wish i could say i'm at that stage but i haven't even started construction! i am negotiating the contract right now and am hoping to start construction in about a month.

Just a thought to share, but as a non-coffee drinking household, I would find a built-in coffee system a real negative in purchasing a home. It would mean the need for instant demo/reno for me. I would almost certainly pass on the house unless it had a lot of other positives to make up for it.

No, it's not worth it. I just bought one and all of my drinks involving milk are tepid, at best. When I use the 'hot milk' function, the resulting milk will not dissolve hot cocoa mix and I have to microwave it. I also have to microwave my lattes. Never had this issue with my $300 Nespresso. I called Miele and they sent out a technician who indicated that the beverages are supposed to be 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). According to his gauge, my milk was 110 but, he said, still within 'specs.' When I asked him what was I supposed to do with milk that won't even dissolve hot chocolate mix, he shrugged his shoulders. Complete waste of $5k. My model number is CVA6805. I emailed Miele customer service again yesterday, haven't heard back. I don't know if my experience is an anomaly but I wouldn't recommend purchasing one, and wish I hadn't.

I ended up with the 6805 and have been using it since we moved in, in 2017. It's one of my favorite things in our apartment. I love the coffee it makes, and it makes great cappucinos and lattes as well. We also use it to make hot chocolate for the kids. I don't seem to have the same tepid milk problem as lisaz23. However, the machine just malfunctioned - something to do with one of the parts in the door. I have heard that Miele has pretty bad customer service, and for now I can confirm that they are not good at fixing problems. It has been a couple of weeks and we still don't have a fixed machine. Will reserve final judgement for if/when they are able to fix it.

I know this is an old thread. Wondering if you still love your Miele. I am 99% done with my cabinet design and need to decide if I am installing a built in coffee maker or not.

would love to hear any other comments. or any other brands. THX

ghkim, just wondering what happened with your Miele coffee maker? Did the customer service people resolve your issue? I too am looking at installing one in a new build. Thanks!

Don't buy a BOSCH/ GAGGANEAU! It's been a giant pain to get service. I made ONE coffee a day and bought it mostly for aesthetics to go with my gourmet kitchen. The problem is, there will always be coffee bean oils (even if you buy the less-oily ones), along coffee bean debris that scatters to areas inside the machine that you can never reach. I am meticulous with keeping on top of maintenance (always cleaning/descaling when it recommends) and STILL I've had problems. I bought it from Appliance Canada and they offered no help to get resolved....said the machine was 8 years old even though I only bought it 3 years ago. Bosch recommended ANR SERVICE in Toronto who said the grinder needed to be replaced. That diagnosis ended up being incorrect but still cost me almost $200!! Grinder was working fine as soon as machine was taken apart and cleaned properly. Problem is, when you remove every part, the rubber washers don't fit back tightly and it creates a secondary issue. If you want that rubber washer, it happens to only be sold inside of a larger $350 part! DON"T BUY BOSHCH/GAGGANEAU!!

As a coffee aficionado, I would argue the ONLY reason to buy a built-in machine is "I like that doesn't take up counter space." These machines are utter garbage. First- NEVER buy a machine with an integrated grinder. It's just not something that makes any sense. For the $3000 to $5000 manufacturers charge, you could get a tremendous grinder and coffee machine from a reputable European manufacturer that will absolutely destroy the coffee these things make...but they will have to sit on your counter. Personally I bought an Olympia Cremina, the Rolex of espresso machines, for the same price. It's infinitely better and will last literally 50 years. I'd say 90% of these machines are sold to homeowners who don't know anything about making coffee. Don't let yourself get burned!

I have a very old Miele built in not plummet coffee machine. I love the coffee that it makes, and expresso. The milk froth has not worked in awhile, so Im looking to purchase a new machine. I would recommend it

I built one into my remodeled kitchen about 3 years ago. My whole family loves it and it's used multiple times a day by me and several coffee drinkers. I really enjoy the simplicity of pushing a button to get very good espresso. Perhaps a self-described coffee aficionado would point out all the minor flaws in a machine-made espresso like this but it has rich flavor and an amazing crema and considering all I have to do is push the espresso icon in the morning, it's very satisfying. My kids love all the milk drinks like the au lait and the latte macchiato. We even bought a second milk canister to keep an almond milk option at the ready.

It also has a very simple but effective cleaning program that reminds you with a countdown clock of the number of days or uses before your next cleaning task. Although I sometimes grumble about having to clean it, it's really quite simple and I like the fact that it keeps me on task to do it. It amounts to dissolving a packet of cleaner to flush out the milk pipes once per week and, if you have hard water like me, removing any scale with a different cleaner about once per month, and decreasing the Brewer once a month by popping in a different tablet. The same screen you used to make coffee prompt you for every cleaning step and makes it very simple.

It looks beautiful built into the wall as I have it and keeps the kitchen very sleek. I have it above my built-in microwave which is another item I recommend as I don't think there's anything that spoils a beautiful kitchen more than a of appliances sitting all over the place.

pros and cons about the machine but what about the quality of the coffee itself? Does this machine produce thick rich espresso like one would get from an Italian hand packed machine?

Thanks

Yes it does make a thick foam and the cappucino is great also. You might wait until Sept when they come out with a new countertop version. Its not available right now, but call one of their centers to get more information

thanks but my partner is all sold on the built in model.....for him, it's all about symmetry and balance as I am more interested in does it make a good rich cup of coffee! thanks

thanks but my partner is all sold on the built in model.....for him, it's all about symmetry and balance as I am more interested in does it make a good rich cup of coffee! thanks

I know this is an old thread, but I’m also seeking real-world reviews and experience with the built-in Miele machines. My husband is very keen on having one in the kitchen we are remodeling this year, and I’m open to it, but I admit I’m skeptical of whether a nearly $5k machine is worth it in terms of reliability, durability, and quality of the coffee it makes. We did French press for years and have been using a Nespresso Vertuo for the past year (recyclable pods helped convince me to give that a try, and we do like it). Each of us drinks at least two cups of coffee a day without fail, so I can justify the expense in a high-end kitchen remodel IF the appliance is truly worth it. I just don’t want an expensive pain in the ass if, for instance, excess coffee grounds or water filtration issues cause problems. Has anyone here had recent experience to share? Thanks in advance!

evidently the MIELE is one of only a couple of built in machines that can be plumbed, meaning you don't have to keep refilling the reservoir. Also, it is possible to retrofit it so that it drains so you don't have to keep emptying the cleaning drip reservoir. THERMADOR has a drain built in as well as being plumbed.

Chiming back in…. We had the Miele built-in machine installed as part of a major kitchen reno. We’ve been using it now for about three months, and it does do a great job. We had it plumbed for a water line so we do not need to fill the reservoir. We did not have the drain line included though, so we do have to dump the drain tray. It’s not a huge deal, we do it daily, and the coffee ground “pucks” need to be discarded then anyway. It requires only occasional cleaning of the brew unit, and at three months of frequent use, we are coming up to the point of needing the first descaling.

My husband was absolutely sold on this machine months before we pulled the trigger; I was less so, but I admit I do like it. I know it’s early yet to make a full assessment, but so far, so good! We do love how streamlined and clean it is in our kitchen. You can see it in this photo, with the Miele Speed Oven on the same wall.

We ultimately went with the THERMADOR because the appliance saleswoman said service on OAHU was so difficult. Does anyone have any experience with the THERMADOR built-in coffee maker?

A Cup of Coffee Not Worth of Trouble - Miele Buyer’s Remorse

I recent bought and installed a latest Miele coffee machine, CVA-7840, just about two months old. It makes nice coffees. But, the good stops here. It is poor in quality, especially considering its price tag (at almost $6,000) and extremely high-maintenance. But the worst part is Miele’s customer support. Let me explain.

The machine is extremely high-maintenance - and this is the least painful part of the experience.

The machine keeps rinsing itself, every time you turn it on or shut it off. And, you cannot adjust how often it does it. The machine would turn itself off automatically after about 5 mins if you don’t make another cup and it will rinse. If you turn it back on right after, it will rinse again. I estimate that it uses at least 2/3 of the water in the tank rinsing and less than 1/3 making coffee. You have to keep adding fresh water and dumping the waste water all the time.

That’s not enough. The machine has internal timers that will force you to perform major cleaning or descaling of different parts of the machine, every month or two for each. The entire machine will stop functioning if you don’t, no matter which part needs cleaning. You need 4 or 5 different types of chemicals or cleaning agents and Miele is the only place you can buy them from. They are not cheap either, unlike your dishwasher soaps.

And, don’t press the cancel button. If you do, perhaps changing your mind right after a selection, the machine will continue to dispense and grind the coffee and dump promptly. It will not use it for your next cup of coffee.

Now, the worse - poor quality.

The machine was installed at the beginning of this year. From the start, the milk dispensing did not work. After days of contacting Miele, a local contractor showed up and he tried everything to no avail, until he disassembled the back-panel and found the problem. Two thin copper plates to connect the sensor circuit were not engaged and did not make the contact. The circuit never closes and milk container signal not sent. This is a simple step that was apparently missed in the final assembly of the machine and still passed the testing, if there’s one.

As I just said, the machine performs mandatory cleaning on different parts on timers. After a little over a month of use, it decided to clean the milk pipework (with a special agent). However, it never completes the cleaning and goes right back to the beginning of the cycle and ask you to start again when it reaches to the last 2 mins of the 11-min cycle. The worst part is that this cleaning operation overwhelms the whole machine and stops everything else. The machine is in this deadlock loop and you cannot get rid of the menu or do anything else, not even getting to the main menu or setup. The machine is practically dead.

The worst - Miele customer service.

I called Miele customer services and talked to multiple agents. They talk to you from their given, standardized manuscripts. After much struggle they would schedule service calls from their Miele-certified local contractor and it would take two weeks before the contractor could come in. The first contracted service technician showed up and declared he does not service Miele coffee machines. In fact, he never saw a Miele coffee machine and never had training. (You wonder why he took the service call in the first place?)

I called Miele again and they “escalated” the call with a promise that the next service technician would be a Miele technician, a Miele employee not a contractor. Days later, they called back to inform me that there’s no Miele’s own technicians in the Washington Metropolitan area and that they had to schedule another contractor. It would take another two weeks. I am still waiting.

All in while the $6,000 Miele coffee machine is in coma and I cannot use it at all. I pulled out my near-10 years old Keurig coffee maker (cost me something like $50-100), which I’ve used at least 3 times a day and never cleaned, to sustain my daily coffee craving!

For those of you who are thinking about these expensive Miele machines, be aware. Hope my experience provides you at least one data point of warning and caution.

I've been using one for about two years now and aside from it having problems detecting beans in one of the hoppers no other issues to report. It will rinse the old water and coffee water every time it shuts down or boots up so that you don't have gnarley water in your coffee. Following the recommended cleaning procedure at the recommended intervals will probably keep the unit running reliably. The build quality is consistent with most of the espresso-based machines that offer similar features. If you want a better build quality I'd recommend looking at the La Marzocco Linea espresso machine and a decent burr grinder. It won't have all the features of the Miele but it's probably worth every penny if you're willing to do the extra work. You can adjust the time out function in the settings menu under the "Timer" heading. ; )

thank you!

Thank you all for your input

If you’re primarily making milk drinks and short on counter space and prefer “set and forget”, the built in system will be preferable- you may want to look into a home water filtration system to reduce scale depending on your water supply’s hardness / chemical makeup.

The taste of straight espresso shots are extremely sensitive to the rate of extraction relative to the amount of coffee and water flow through it, and “dialing in” those parameters really requires a high quality grinder, weighing the output of the grinds and the shot, and flow control you can’t get on a built in. A good semi automatic like a la marzoco, lelit or decent is a counterspace hog; there is a rabbit hole of puck / bean preparation steps to learn and associated tools (for which there is a vibrant community on YouTube ), but you have much more control over the results.

In the end it’s a combination of how deep you want to get into coffee, space, and aesthetics.

We are 3 months into it and so far we love our miele coffee machine. of course we need to clean even if there’s auto clean and auto descaling but we still love it so far. depends on what you want. it’s still high maintenance but it’s only our treat to ourselves. coming home after a hard day at work, in a single press, we get the drink we want.

Well in 2006 I bought a Miele machine and it was $4K then....it has just died after 10K+ coffees and being part of our morning ritual. Best coffee? Naah...good enough ...Yep. I am going to buy another at $7K.....will get another 10K coffees again I am sure...

thank you for your input