Not much can compare with a cup of coffee on a morning, and treating yourself to a coffee machine is a great way to enjoy even better quality coffee. The thing is, a lot of coffee machines can set you back £100 upwards, which is a pretty substantial cost.
This is where the Progress Scandi Coffee Maker comes in; a coffee maker that doesn't cost a fortune, but should still make a great cup of coffee. As a filter coffee maker, it may be no good for making a coconut-milk vanilla macchiato with whipped cream, but it can make up to 10 black coffees at once.
I enjoy a good black coffee so I was more than happy to test one of these to see if this coffee maker is up to scratch.
Features:
1.25-litre capacity
Keep warm function
Anti drip feature
Nordic-inspired design
First impressions
Despite the ample 1.25-litre capacity, this machine is fairly compact and should easily fit in even the pokiest of kitchens. It's also very stylish, the wooden handle is Scandi-inspired and works well visually with the grey finish (black is available, too).
The overall quality is excellent for this price. The external plastics, for the most part, feel sturdy and the glass pot has a good weight to it. The plastic pot lid feels a bit flimsy at times and will rattle as you carry it, but this is a minor if slightly irritating issue.
My only initial real criticism of this coffee maker was the need for filter paper. Some filter coffee makers include a mesh filter, and the lack of one in this machine is annoying.
Related: The best gifts for coffee lovers
The review
The most important thing about a coffee machine is how well it makes coffee, and this machine excels here. The worry with making filtered coffee is that it's easy for the coffee to become bitter if the water cannot move through the filter quickly enough, but not once did my coffee taste bad.
One of the biggest benefits of a filter coffee maker is that you aren't as limited in coffee choice as other coffee machines. I used Pact coffee, but any of our top coffee subscription services will work with this coffee maker.
Being the only black coffee drinker in my home, I never needed to fill the pot more than a third full (enough for three coffees). A nice feature this coffee maker offers is a keep-warm function that'll ensure that your coffee stays warm for longer. This meant I always had some warm coffee on hand when I needed it.
It's also a doddle to clean, the filter housing is removable, so can be easily cleaned with warm water, along with the glass pot. The filter paper (complete with used coffee) can be placed in your compost or food recycling after use. It'll also help keep your kitchen clean thanks to the anti-drip function that prevents rouge splashes from staining your kitchen worktop.
Final verdict
For the price, this is an excellent coffee maker and is a great choice for pretty much any kitchen. This coffee maker is best suited to a larger household thanks to the keep-warm feature and large coffee capacity. These features were a bit overkill for me but would be much appreciated in a home with multiple coffee drinkers.
It's a solid option if you're after a basic coffee maker at a good price. Just remember to buy some filter paper.
Pros:
It'll suit larger households where multiple people drink coffee
Keep-warm feature is a great addition
Sleek design
Cons:
It requires paper filters to work
Limited to black coffee only