Sage SDC450BSS the Precision Brewer Coffee Maker, 1.8L

Product Information

Steam the milk by filling the jug up to the bottom of the spout and texturing until the milk becomes warm. A Sage Espresso Machine is for those that want to make ‘coffee shop coffee’ at home. It’s not a push of a button coffee, so if you’re the sort to grab and go in the morning this may not be for you. We spoke to Luke Powell, Manager - Speciality Coffee EMEA at Sage Appliances, to find out more about the difference between filter coffee and other types of coffee that you might get from one of the best pod coffee machines, or an espresso machine."Espresso is any coffee brewed at pressure, often nine bars but pretty much anything above two bars can be termed espresso. Filter coffee is anything below involving a filter, so at regular atmospheric pressure." Dial in your machine as if you were a barista, grind the coffee and adjust the size of the ground easily with the dial on the side of the machine. On the flip side you can make as little as 200ml if you wish which is enough for 1 to 2 cups depending on the size of your cups.

The idea is very similar to the Creatista Uno, you have your Nespresso maker on the left of the machine where you insert your pods to extract coffee. Most people who have worked in a speciality coffee shop will know that commercial machines take at least 20 minutes to heat up and start operating at a decent level.We tested each filter coffee machine in the same way, assembling them from boxed then following the instructions to brew a carafe of coffee. We tested each machine (where possible) on both the immediate process as well as setting it up to start automatically. Testing involved looking at the appearance of the machine and how it would fit in your kitchen at home, as well as ease of use, practicality, and the finished product for its taste and flavour profile. We quite liked the status light that shows you how long it is since your coffee was brewed - basically how fresh it is. Apparently this machine uses ‘advanced showerhead technology’ for improved extraction, but we're not convinced that we would be able to tell the difference in the taste. Add the coffee and water and press go. Your coffee is delivered in just a few minutes. Quality Of Coffee 10/10

There are 8 texture levels achievable with the Creatista Plus alongside 11 temperature settings, so you can cater for even the fussiest of cappuccino drinkers. When it comes to choosing the best filter coffee machine, it really does depend on what you want. If you’re after something cheap and easy that just brews coffee when you want, then one of the simpler, cheaper versions might be best. If you are a coffee aficionado who wants to customise your brew, or opt for different strengths of brew at different times, you might want to spend more on a higher spec versions. Choose “my brew” from the menu and you can select the exact temperature that you want the water to be delivered at.There is a Sage coffee machine for everyone, from espresso to nespresso. All with varying degrees of functionality and control.

The LCD screen on the Pro Nespresso machine gives you the option to fully customise your milk based espresso drink with adjustable coffee volume, milk temperature and milk texture. They realise that you may want to just push a button in the morning without the faff, but also recognise that you also may want to tweek and tinker with the grind to make that perfect cup of coffee. Purge the steam wand first and then start steaming the milk in a revolving motion before pouring your best rosetta.

The verdict: Filter coffee machines

The best part about the Precision brewer for me though is the My Brew function that lets you program the bloom volume, bloom time, pour-over flow rate and temperature. Lastly and most importantly for me the digital temperature control or PID (proportional Integral Derivative) is another key difference between the two machines.