This $2,000 coffee machine just went to the top of my wishlist because of this feature

I’ve always loved coffee, potentially to my detriment. I started drinking coffee at age 12, and at one point, was up to four cups a day, so I’d like to say I know a thing or two about making a good cup of coffee, especially now that I’ve tested multiple pod, drip and bean-to-cup models as T3’s Home Editor.

That has come with a slight downside though – I’m now a complete coffee snob. It’s probably not something to be proud of, but I’m very particular about my coffee, and prefer using my at-home, barista-level machine over anything else. What’s worse is I’m easily taken by luxury-looking machines, and I recently came across the Meraki Espresso Machine which has gone to the top of my wishlist.

The first generation of the Meraki Espresso Machine came out in early 2025 following a Kickstarter campaign. In 2026, the Gen 2 version of the Meraki Espresso Machine came out, with refined details built off the Gen 1, including more grinder adjustments and portafilter support, and an improved interface.

The Meraki Espresso Machine caught my attention in lots of ways. As a dual boiler espresso maker, the Meraki Espresso Machine brews and steams at the same time, with its 350ml brew boiler and 550ml steam boiler.

With its commercial-grade, 9-bar rotary pump, the Meraki Espresso Machine offers steady, rich extraction, and its built-in espresso-tailored grinder has 45 grind settings to choose from. While it might look a little intimidating at first, the semi-automatic machine has multiple controls to play with, including grind size, dose, yield, pressure, temperature, pre-infusion, steam power and milk temperature.

The feature I love the most is its touchscreen. Lots of coffee machines come with touchscreen controls now, but the Meraki Espresso Machine does it in a unique way. The small, circular screen sits atop the main coffee dispenser, and allows you to customise your brew, from shot volume to temperature.

Aside from looking great, the Meraki Espresso Machine’s touchscreen talks you through the process, and gives accurate insights, including counting down extraction time, and weighing the grounds. The latter works alongside the machine’s dual scales that measure both grind and brew volumes.

While its name implies it’s only a coffee machine, the Meraki Espresso Machine has a 360-degree adjustable steam wand for making milky coffees. It comes with four control levels, and a milk temperature sensor which automatically stops steaming when it’s reached the right froth and temperature.

The Meraki Espresso Machine looks beautiful, and comes in black or white colours. While there’s a lot going on, it’s not too big, measuring just 370mm x 370mm x 415mm, and weighing 14.5kg. It also comes with filter baskets, a portafilter, tamper and cleaning kit.

The Meraki Espresso Machine is available to buy for $1,999 at Meraki. It’s not available in the UK but you can buy it in select European countries. It might take me some time to save up – and to wait for it to arrive in the UK – but the Meraki Espresso Machine has quickly gone to the top of my coffee wishlist.