Late last year, Melitta got in touch and they sent over their latest coffee machine at the time, the Epos, it was a bean to cup, pour-over machine. It looked fantastic and it did make a good brew. They’ve now released another new machine, an alternative option to the Epos, maybe after user feedback and that’s the Epour. It’s a mini version of the Epos, and essentially, they’ve just removed the coffee grinding part of the Epos, to make the Epour. I’ve been using it every day for a while and here is the review.
Features
- 360degree rotating water spout
- Pre brew option available
- LED limescale indicator
- Removable water tank
- Hot plate to keep your coffee warm for 40 minutes
- 1L tank, makes upto 8 cups
- 3 year warranty (nice!)
The machine itself looks pretty sleek to me, I like it. Black finish with highlights of gold, which may not be for everyone but I like the modern colours and shape of the machine. At the top of the machine and the front, you have the rotating water outlet, which has four holes, 3 are used to make the coffee, the fourth is an overflow outlet, in case of any blockages etc. Below that, you have the cup, where you put your filter paper in. You get a few filters provided with the machine, then you can purchase more from anywhere, you don’t need to use the Melitta ones. Below that is the electric heating plate and section for the glass jug. Next to that, the touch controls. To the rear of the machine, you’ve got the clear plastic water container, holding up to 1L of water or roughly 8 cups. The machine fits on four rubber feet.
Set up was very straightforward, unbox and plug it in. Do check the instructions before using for the first time, it does advise flushing the machine through fully, twice, before making a brew.
Using the machine has been a joy, it’s ever so easy to use and you can press a couple of buttons, walk away and let it do its thing. The machine is dumb in a sense, as it won’t deliver it set quantity of coffee that you choose. Instead, you fill the water tank up with 2,4,6,8 cups of water and that’s how much coffee you’ll receive, the machine will just use all the water within the tank.
Next, put your filter in and coffee. The amount of coffee you use will depend on how many cups you’re making and ultimately, how you like to drink your coffee. You’ve got to use ground coffee, from a pack or grind the beans yourself. Melitta recommends between 7-8grams of coffee per cup.
The machine has a number of touch controls on the base and you touch them firmly to activate one. Turn the machine on via the power button and then either go for pre brew or not, then get brewing. All the controls are detailed within the instructions and you need to be aware of the beeps and flashing speed of the buttons.
That’s it, you’re ready to brew. Sit back, relax and enjoy the show, or wander off to continue your day. Once the process has finished, the coffee will be ready to drink (although very hot so give it a couple of minutes) and will remain hot for maybe up to an hour, as the hot plate will stay on for 40 minutes, unless turned off. This duration of time cannot be changed and you cannot turn it off just the plate off either, but you can of course turn the whole machine off. The machine has an auto-off feature, so it will turn off after the 40 minutes is up. The hot plate is very hot, do not touch it and if you remove the jug, make sure you turn the machine off or keep your hands away.
The water is heated up (1.5kw heater) and passed through the three outlets I mentioned earlier. This allows for a very good spread of water and pressure, across the entire surface of the coffee grounds and produces a nice bloom. The time taken to brew varies in how many cups you’re making but during that time, the head will rotate clockwise and anticlockwise, plus release water out of the three different outlets at varying times. Experts say this is a better way of brewing, it ensures an even coverage is produced and doesn’t leave any wastage on the sides. If you were doing this manually, you should be distributing the hot water in the same way.
I’ve used it several times now, varying doses of coffee, some more, some less than the 7-8grams and after a while, I found the perfect coffee to water ratio, for the brew I wanted. Aromatic aroma’s, lovely bloom to the coffee. The coffee tasted good, it was very hot, not boiling and the plate does a great job of keeping it warm too. The Epour is small, it looks good on my kitchen counter without taking up too much space. Overall, it works well and it’s convenient.
Melitta has a lot of filter machines like this and the Epour is by far their most expensive, by a long way and generally, this is an expensive machine when comparing the market. Also, it’s £100 less than the Epos, which I guess is about right, as you’re not getting the grinder but that option is there if you wanted to grind your own beans to their desired consistency. A word on cups, their measurements are quite small, it’s a small cup in my mind when compared to a standard UK mug, so bear that in mind.
For more info and to purchase, go check out the official Melitta Epour webpage.
