How we rank
A score comes from the marks on the criteria below. Their weights sum to 100. A shop, a network or a commission is not one of them.
The marks on this build are arbitrary samples so the tables and the quiz can sort. They are not tastings. The quiz can filter on your answers and shift these published weights. It cannot see who pays.
The price in the headline is separate: the lowest in-stock sample price. Sorting by price does not rewrite the merit rank on the name.
Espresso machines
- Espresso, 30%. Shot taste and temperature once a hands-on test exists. The marks on this build are samples.
- Milk drinks, 20%. Steam or automatic milk, and how repeatable a flat white is once we have tasted it.
- Ease, 20%. How forgiving the workflow is for someone new to espresso.
- Build and repair, 15%. Listed materials, spare parts, and a UK repair route.
- Counter space, 15%. Listed width and height. A higher mark means it asks for less counter.
Grinders
- Grind, 35%. Consistency for espresso once we have ground the same coffee through each. These marks are samples.
- Workflow, 25%. How quickly a dose can be weighed and moved to the basket.
- Noise, 15%. Noise at the counter. Not measured on this build.
- Retention and mess, 25%. Coffee left in the grinder, and grounds on the counter.
What is not ranked yet
Beans, subscriptions and accessories are explained, not scored. A bag or a tamper gets a rank only after the facts are checked. Paying for a link will not be how that rank is earned.