Smeg Espresso & Cold Brew Machine ECF03 review: a chic machine that makes espresso and cold brew look effortless

The Smeg Espresso & Cold Brew Machine ECF03 is exactly what you’d expect from the world renowned Italian kitchen brand – beautifully built, effortlessly stylish and designed to make your countertop look straight out of a magazine spread. But with this machine, Smeg is not just appealing to the espresso purists, it’s going after the cold brew crew, too.

That’s because the ECF03 is the first machine in Smeg’s line-up to offer both espresso and cold brew in one neat package, promising cafe-quality coffee at the touch of a button. No more waiting 12 hours for a batch to drip to life, and no more pricey coffee shop runs.

After spending time testing it and sending myself into a daily caffeine spiral in the process, what really stood out is how Smeg has blended design with accessibility. There’s nothing complicated about this machine, even Smeg says it’s simple enough for beginners. But that’s where an issue comes up for me – this machine is expensive, and for the same price point, you can get one of the best bean to cup coffee machines, so is it really anything special to justify the high price tag?

Read on to find out whether this coffee machine is all style over substance, or a genuine must have for coffee lovers.

Smeg Espresso & Cold Brew Machine ECF03 Review: Price and availability

The Smeg ECF03 retails at £499.95 and can be purchased directly from Smeg online or at one of their flagship stores. There are plans for it to be rolled out to other retailers which we expect to see by Christmas but at the time of writing, it’s only available from Smeg.

There are also some perks to buying from Smeg directly, as you get a standard 2-year warranty and free shipping.

Smeg Espresso & Cold Brew Machine ECF03 Review: Design and Features

There is no way you could review a Smeg appliance and not talk about the design. The Smeg Espresso & Cold Brew Machine ECF03 is unmistakably Smeg with its trademark retro 1950s styling with smooth curves and polished chrome. It comes in a range of nostalgic colours including pastel blue, black, white and cream. This is a machine that you’d be happy sitting on your countertop as it doesn’t look like just another boring appliance.

But it does take up some serious countertop space, measuring 36.4 x 20.5 x 29.5cm, so you will need a dedicated space. Height-wise, I was pleasantly surprised, my low cabinets usually make coffee machines awkward to fit, but this model doesn’t have a grinder attachment so it fits perfectly.

The water tank is a generous 1.4 litre, and it sits to the back of the machine, so if you're pushing it up against the wall, you may want to consider how you’re going to get that on and off. It fits snugly, and during testing, I didn’t find any leaks or drips coming from the tank. The drip tray is also removable, so you can empty it out and keep it clean with ease. I did find that when using the wand, the drip tray filled up quite quickly, so this is something to keep an eye on.

The controls sit at the top of the machine, and true to Smeg’s word, they are incredibly easy to fathom out. There are four buttons in total, a program button, single shot, double shot and wand, so there’s no chance you’ll feel overwhelmed. The only button you’ll find elsewhere is the on/off button, which is to the side and just blends in with the design (took me a while to realise it was there).

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You do get a serious bit of kit with this coffee machine. It uses a 58mm professional portafilter, which is the same diameter that’s often found in commercial machines and that comes with both pressurised and non-pressurised filter baskets. There’s also a 15-bar pump, a steam wand and a hot water function so you can warm up your cup or turn your espresso into an Americano with ease.

The headline feature is, of course, the Cold Brew mode. Traditionally, Cold Brew can take up to 12 hours or more to brew, so it’s not exactly something you’d do on the hop. But with this machine, you can get a perfect cold brew coffee in under five minutes - also a good shout if you enjoy an espresso martini. When the cold brew program is selected, the Thermoblock system Smeg uses for heating up the water is bypassed, so it uses room-temperature water for extraction.

The ECF03 also comes with a handy maintenance kit, cleaning brush, and water hardness strip. There’s a QR code etched under the drop tray which gives you access to the MySmeg Assistant app that has plenty of how-to videos ranging from how to make the perfect cup of coffee to how to clean the machine. You probably won’t need to download it, but if you do need extra help, at least you know it’s there.

Smeg Espresso & Cold Brew Machine ECF03 Review: Performance

Right from the first shot, you can tell the ECF03 means business. This machine does both espresso and cold brew, which means before you can start brewing, you have to select your programme. This is incredibly easy to do, just toggle the programme button between the two selections and choose your shot size (single or double). You’ll be able to tell which programme you’re on due to the light system. For espresso, a white light will show, and it’s blue for cold brew.

You can also change the water temperature and water hardness, this is done easily by pressing and holding the shot size buttons. The water hardness is factory set to hard, so unless you’ve got soft water you shouldn’t need to worry about this feature.

What I really love about this machine is that it’s really easy to use. If you’re like me and you’ve come from a pod machine, it can feel daunting at first. But once you’ve mastered which filter you need – this machine comes with three: a pressurised, non-pressurised and a non-pressurised double filter, that's used for the cold brew – then it’s super simple.

When making an espresso, I found that using the pressurised filter gave the best results. The coffee was smooth, drinkable, and with a decent crema. I also really liked that the coffee was hot. I’ve tested so many machines where the results are tepid, and for someone who likes hot drinks to be hot, it makes them undrinkable, but this was the perfect temperature, whether I had espresso or an Americano.

The Cold Brew mode is impressive. Whilst it’s never going to replicate the deep, rich flavours of a 12-hour steeped coffee, it does deliver a balanced coffee with minimal bitterness. The single shot took around two and a half minutes whilst a double shot was just under five minutes. This is ideal not just if you like cold brew, but, if you’re like me and live for an iced latte or espresso martini, you won’t have to hang around waiting for your espresso shot to cool.

The steam wand also performed brilliantly. It did take me a little while to get the hang of, but once I did, I was making hot milk for my lattes and thick foam for cappuccinos with ease. The wand is also where you’ll find the hot water function. It’s operated by using the lever on the side, one side is steam, the other is hot water, but before it works, you’ll have to select the steam function on the top of the machine so don’t worry about accidentally setting it off.

Cleaning is straightforward thanks to the tools provided. The portafilter does create a bit of a mess when you’re trying to get used coffee grinds out, but I guess that’s part of the process. If you’re using cow’s milk with your steamer, always have a damp cloth to wipe it off with because it dries on incredibly quickly.

It’s not the most feature-packed coffee machine at this price point, but it is reliable, easy to use and delivers consistently good coffee.

Smeg Espresso & Cold Brew Machine ECF03 Review: Verdict

It’s easy to look at the Smeg Espresso & Cold Brew ECF03 and think it’s just another stylish espresso machine with little substance but it is one of the easiest and most versatile machines that I’ve tested. The ability to be able to switch from a shot of espresso to a smooth cold brew at the touch of the button doesn’t just appeal to a wider range of users but also will change how you use your coffee machine day to day.

It does demand a fair bit of room on the counter space, so you will need to make sure you have plenty of space for it. It’s not cheap, coming in at just under £500, this is an investment. But it feels as though it’ll last, its build quality is superb and it looks and feels every inch the premium appliance that it is.

It’s easy to look at the Smeg Espresso & Cold Brew ECF03 and think it’s just another stylish espresso machine with little substance but it's one of the easiest and most versatile machines I’ve tested. The ability to be able to switch from a shot of espresso to a smooth cold brew at the touch of the button doesn’t just appeal to a wider range of users but also will change how you use your coffee machine day to day.

It does demand a fair bit of room on the counter space, so you will need to make sure you have plenty of space for it. It’s not cheap, coming in at just under £500, this is an investment. But it feels as though it’ll last, its build quality is superb and it looks and feels every inch the premium appliance that it is.