A bean-to-cup machine, the kind DeLonghi, Jura, Breville and Dr. Coffee make, grinds the beans, doses them, tamps and brews in one go. That convenience comes with a trade-off: the machine makes decisions you would otherwise make yourself, and some beans work far better in it than others.
The short answer
Use medium roast whole beans that look dry rather than shiny. They grind cleanly, flow through the hopper, and give the machine's fixed brewing process a balanced cup.
Why oily beans cause problems
Very dark roasts bring their oils to the surface of the bean. In a bean-to-cup machine that oil coats the hopper and the burrs, the beans stick together instead of feeding into the grinder, and the residue turns rancid. The usual symptoms are a machine that says the hopper is empty when it is not, weak coffee, and a grinder that needs cleaning far too often.
Flavoured beans are worse. The flavouring oils linger in the grinder and taint every coffee after them.
Why roast level matters more than in a manual machine
Automatic machines brew at a set temperature and a limited range of grind settings. A light roast often comes out sour because the machine cannot extract it fully. A medium roast lands in the range these machines are designed around.
Setting up the grinder
- Adjust the grind only while the grinder is running, a step or two at a time.
- Give each change two or three coffees before judging it.
- Go finer if the coffee is thin and watery, coarser if it drips slowly and tastes bitter.
Beans we recommend for bean-to-cup machines
Caffe Moda Cremoso is a medium roast, 100% arabica, with mild floral notes and a soft caramel finish. Bravo Excelsio is a bright, aromatic medium roast with citrus and nutty notes, and a medal winner in a milk coffee category. The Smuggler Colombian is a medium single origin arabica for people who drink their coffee black.
For offices and cafes, we also sell the Dr. Coffee bean-to-cup range, and the same bean advice applies to them.
Common questions
What coffee beans are best for a DeLonghi machine?
Medium roast whole beans that are not visibly oily. Avoid flavoured beans and very dark roasts, which clog DeLonghi grinders and hoppers.
Can I put ground coffee in a bean-to-cup machine?
Most have a bypass chute for a single scoop of ground coffee, which is useful for an occasional decaf. Never put ground coffee in the bean hopper.
Can I use decaf beans in a bean-to-cup machine?
Yes. A mountain water decaf works like any other medium roast bean.
How often should I clean the grinder?
Follow the maker's schedule, and clean sooner if you have used oily beans. A clean grinder is the difference between a machine that lasts and one that does not.
See all our medium roast coffee beans, which suit these machines best.
