The dad who drinks two or three coffees a day and is ready to stop buying them, and not the once-a-week drinker or anyone allergic to rinsing a portafilter.
What it is
A semi-automatic espresso machine in brushed stainless steel with an integrated adjustable conical burr grinder, a 250g bean hopper and a 2L water tank. Model BES870BSS. It draws 1850W at 220-240V, measures 33.8 x 31.3 x 40.7cm and uses electronic temperature control on the brew water.
Why we picked it
This is the machine that turned home espresso from a hobby into a normal kitchen appliance, and the reason is the integrated grinder: beans go in one end, coffee comes out the other, with nothing else to buy. For a dad currently on pods or supermarket pre-ground, almost the entire jump in cup quality comes from grinding fresh seconds before extraction, which is exactly what this does. The 2L tank and 250g hopper mean he is not refilling it halfway through a Sunday morning with visitors in the house. Be honest about him before you buy, though: it needs a minute of cleaning after every session, and a dad who will not do that should be given a pod machine and left alone.
