Beko CEG5311X Bean to Cup Coffee Machine review

The Beko CEG5311X Bean to Cup Coffee Machine is one of the most affordable bean-to-cup coffee machines on the market. With 19 bars of pressure, it grinds and brews either espressos or lungos with the touch of a button. It's powered by touch controls at the top of the machines, and there is only one physical button, which keeps it sleek and very easy to clean. Other design features which really elevate the design include the light-up dispenser, which illuminates the glass as your coffee pours. There is also a red light that shows when your milk steaming wand is in use.

I've reviewed dozens of coffee machines, and I'm confident that the Beko CEG5311X Bean to Cup Coffee Machine is one of best coffee machines on the market when it comes to value-for-money. Its slimline design is perfect for sitting in the corner of any kitchen, and it's refreshingly minimalist in how it looks. It's not perfect though. I used to work in a coffee shop and am confident in my milk steaming skills, but the steam wand with the Beko CEG5311X goes to the side and not towards you, which made it awkward to achieve the perfect micro-foam I look for when making lattes or flat whites.

Beko CEG5311X Bean to Cup Coffee Machine

Specs:

• Coffee type:bean-to-cup
• Control type: automatic
• Water tank capacity: 1.6 litres
• Pressure: 19 bar
• Dimensions: H38cm x W23.6cm x D43.6cm
• Weight: 8.8kg

Unboxing the Beko CEG5311X

The Beko CEG5311X comes in a somewhat small but quite heavy box. It's a hefty machine, at nearly 9kg, and I was disappointed as I removed it from the box to find just how much plastic and polystyrene packaging it came with. It would be really great to see some more sustainable packaging with this machine going forwards.

The buttons include a physical 'on' button and four light-up touch buttons that power the two coffee sizes, espresso and lungo, and steam and hot water. The hot water button is great for topping up an espresso to pour an americano. You can hold down the coffee presets to customise your own ideal drink length, which is also useful for those who drink long coffee.

There are also a selection of icons behind the main row that illuminate when there's an error with your machine. It shows when you need to top up on beans, which is a really nice touch that I've not seen on some more expensive machines, and it means you won't waste coffee by pouring a shot only to run out of beans halfway through grinding. The same applies to the water level sensor, and the machine will also alert you when the grounds container is full of used coffee.

To get started with the Beko CEG5311X you need to plug it in using a removable power cord. It's quite short, so you might struggle to reach if you plan on placing your machine far away from the power socket.

There is also a removable drip tray which needs to slide into place. Once there it moves around quite easily because there's nothing holding it into place. It has slats to catch any drips of coffee and a hole underneath the water dispenser which comes in useful once you flush the wand.

Other bean-to-cup coffee machines come with dispensers that you can slide up and down to fit a selection of mugs, but the Beko CEG5311X's dipenser sits quite low and can't be moved. I didn't find a mug that wouldn't fit under it, but if you're using a travel mug it could be an issue.

Getting started

Once plugged in I had to put beans into the machine and press the lid into place. There is a dial that you can turn to adjust the grind level, from fine to more coarse. I went for the middle level to start, and this did a good job throughout in creating mellow coffee with low acidity and bitterness. From there I was ready to go.

I did wish that I could flush out the machine more thoroughly before I started brewing, but because you can't run the cycle without coffee beans, I let the pre-cycle run and got started with a lungo.

The coffee looked promising, with a consistent foamy stream of coffee that formed a layer of crema at the top of the cup. I like that the machine only pours one stream at a time, because I rarely make two coffees at the same time, but if you want to do this then the single dispenser could be a downside.

Unfortunately, as soon as I took a sip, I knew that the inner workings of the machine needed to be properly flushed out before I made a brew. It tasted very chemical and I had to pour it straight out and run the cycle a few more times (aware of the beans I was wasting) before I started drinking.

Making espresso in the Beko CEG5311X Bean to Cup Coffee Machine

With 19 bars of pressure, the Beko CEG5311X Bean to Cup Coffee Machine certainly isn't lacking in power. I was keen to see how well it would make espresso. I turned the machine on and let the system flush itself out before pressing the first touch button to begin pouring my shot. The buttons work well, but be aware that you don't need to press hard. They actually work best with a light touch.

The coffee came out strong and hot. If I had one complaint, it might have been a little too hot, but not to the point of bitterness. The crema was very thick, and there were only a couple of drips once it had finished brewing, so I wasn't concerned that the drip tray would fill up too fast.

Making long coffees

The lungo is typically twice the size as an espresso, but I held down this button to try and customize the length of my coffee shot. My partner likes long coffees so I thought it would work if we could have an espresso mode for my lattes, and an americano button for his morning coffee. This worked very well, and it was simple to set up.

You can also turn on the hot water button to top up your espresso once it's poured. It only takes a second or two to head up.

Using the milk wand with the Beko CEG5311X

I have a lot of experience steaming milk, so a quality milk wand is very important to me. The Beko CEG5311X Bean to Cup Coffee Machine's wand looks well made, and it automatically comes right to pressure with one touch, and then beeps and stops to let you know it's ready to start steaming. The top of the wand also turns red. You need to then take your milk jug (not included, which is a real shame) and place it at an angle so the spout is just under the top layer of the milk.

However, the steam wand goes out to the right side of the Beko CEG5311X Bean to Cup Coffee Machine, and it doesn't pull out towards you like with many of the best bean-to-cup coffee machines. I prefer when steam wands pull out towards you, because it makes it a lot easier to get the right angle when steaming your milk. With the sideways angle I found that it was hard to achieve the micro-foam I was looking for, and had to tap the milk a lot to get out some of the larger bubbles before I poured.

The milk was also a little on the hot side when I poured it, and it definitely heated a lot quicker than in my Sage Bambino. This might have also been down to my technique because I spent a while waiting for the texture I was looking for before I realised it wasn't going to get there. After I was done steaming I would press the water button to flush out the machine, and it was very easy to keep it clean.

After some repeated use I was able to get a little better at working with this steam wand. It's more than adequate for those who aren't fussy about their latte art, but the sideways design does make it tricky.

Cleaning

The Beko CEG5311X Bean to Cup Coffee Machine is very easy to clean. It flushes itself out before and after every drink you make, and the stainless steel front panel also wipes clean easily. The warning light will show when the machine needs deep cleaning, but it takes you through the process to make it easy and straightforward.

Should you buy the Beko CEG5311X Bean to Cup Coffee Machine?

The Beko CEG5311X Bean to Cup Coffee Machine is a really great value coffee machine. Machines with this set of specs can typically cost up to £500, but at just over £250, this might be the best option for those who want a machine that can grind, brew, and steam all in one. It's also got some excellent features that really elevate the design and make it look expensive (after all, while it's good value it's not cheap) and the machine keeps itself in clean condition throughout day-to-day use.

If you want something a little more advanced, I'd recommend taking a look at the De’Longhi Dinamica Plus ECAM370 review to find something with automatic milk steaming and a lot more smart functions. If you're willing to skip out the in-built coffee grinder, take a look at my Breville Bijou Espresso Machine review for a capable espresso machine with a slightly better steam wand, that costs a lot less.

About this review, and the reviewer

Millie Fender is small appliances editor at Ideal Home. She reviews everything from coffee machines to air fryers from her own kitchen, meaning these tests have been carried out in the same conditions that you’ll be using the machine.

The Beko CEG5311X Bean to Cup Coffee Machine was kindly sent to Millie by Beko, and she tested it for a month before returning it. This gave her the chance to test all of its functions as well as cleaning and check for any troubleshooting. While she prefers a frothy latte or an iced cappuccino, her partner is never running on less than three americanos, so the Beko CEG5311X Bean to Cup Coffee Machine was very thoroughly tested.