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There are very few items that permanently live on our kitchen counter—cookbooks, cooking oil, and paper towels are about the extent of it. The only appliance I allow out 24/7 is the coffee maker, which, as someone who works full-time from home, gets daily use. I’m not picky about my coffee, especially the cups I brew at home; I like it hot, black, and fast. What I do care about is having a machine that doesn’t soak up precious counter space. As a longtime apartment-dweller, visual clutter has always been my arch nemesis, plus I need room for food prep.
For the last few years, we’d been pretty happy with our Philips Series 1200 espresso machine, but I always felt a bit guilty that I never once used the milk frother. And while it fit between our stove and fridge, its 9.5-inch-wide frame only left a sliver of countertop for setting down a mug. I was craving something chicer, slimmer, and even easier to use, and in walks Terra Kaffe’s compact Demi espresso machine. It’s three inches narrower than our old coffee maker, which might not sound like a whole lot, but in a 800-something-square-foot apartment, every centimeter matters.
Terra Kaffe Demi Compact Automatic Espresso Machine
The Demi is marketed as the brand’s most intuitive espresso machine, instantly appealing to me as a drip coffee lover. It grinds fresh beans, meaning zero flavor compromise and zero plastic pod waste, and none of the brew options—espresso, lungo, americano, and drip—require milk. Plus, there’s a hot water spout for when you’re in a tea mood.
The Demi measures 7.5 inches wide, which is about the same size as a basic pot coffee maker, and uses a sleek dot matrix font on the display screen. It comes in four colors: slate black, blue-gray, dark green, and creamy beige. Admittedly, the machine is on the pricier side of mini espresso makers, retailing for $795. The good news is that when Terra Kaffe throws a sale, you can usually snag it for $250 off.
The Pros
Starting off strong: setup is a breeze. The Demi arrived with minimal packaging and once you have it sitting on a flat surface, plugged into a nearby outlet, you’re only a few steps away from sipping a hot drink.
My favorite detail is that all of the settings (drink type, shot volume, sleep mode, self-cleaning, etc) are controlled by a single stainless-steel dial on the side. I repeat: There is one knob to operate the entire machine once you’ve hit the power button. The dial system is so intuitive that I know I won’t have to tiredly explain how to use the coffee maker when we have guests stay with us.
I was a little worried about the upkeep, as our last coffee maker started looking grimey after a year of use. But so far the Demi is great at automatically notifying us when it’s time to rinse the brew unit or change the water filter.
The Good-to-Knows
While unpacking and turning on the machine took mere minutes, getting to that first drink took me a little longer. Plan to discard your first two brews (I assume to avoid any lingering plastic-y taste). Also important to note: The drip tray is shallow, which is awesome for saving space, but results in more countertop splatter than our last machine. Terra Kaffe’s tip is to stick an empty glass under the spout when the machine is going to sleep or waking up to catch the spray, but it’s an extra step I’ve yet to actually take.
Speaking of messes, knowing when to clean the Demi isn’t difficult, but I’ve found actually cleaning it to be tedious. None of the parts, including the drip tray, are technically dishwasher-approved, so you’ll have to do the scrubbing by hand. Plus, the brand suggests removing and rising the brew unit weekly, and I’m already way behind on this.
Lastly, unlike the brand’s souped-up TK-02 model, the Demi cannot connect to Terra Kaffe’s app, so you won’t be able to unlock that suite of features or drink recipes.
The Final Word
If you’ve ever referred to yourself as a coffee snob, the Demi’s limited drink range means it’s probably not the machine for you. But I’d recommend it to anyone who is tight on kitchen space and isn’t particular about access to fancy beverages at home. When the Demi is on sale (like it is at this very moment!), it makes for a great holiday gift; the apartment-dwellers and college grads in your life will thank you.