I upgraded my old bean-to-cup coffee machine to the Siemens EQ500 and it transformed my morning coffee
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Siemens EQ500 TQ513GB1 Bean to Cup Coffee Machine promises café-style coffee at home with a wide choice of drinks, one-touch controls and the ability to make two coffees at once. Here's how it performed in everyday use.
After several years with an older bean-to-cup coffee machine that could only make a handful of different drinks, I decided it was time for an upgrade. I wanted something that offered much more choice without making the coffee-making process more complicated.
The Siemens EQ500 TQ513GB1 Bean to Cup Coffee Machine immediately caught my attention thanks to its impressive range of coffee specialities. Whether I fancied an espresso, cappuccino, latte macchiato or flat white, it promised far more variety than my previous machine.
Another feature that really appealed was its ability to make two coffees at once. That's ideal on busy mornings when both me and my other half are ready for our first coffee of the day, or when friends and family pop over and no one wants to wait for their drink.
But, all this convenience did come at a price (£629 or £597 if you’re an AO member). That’s a lot of money to spend, but the machine will get frequent use daily it felt justified. But, I was still expecting brilliant things for such a high price tag. So, did it live up to my expectations? Here's what I liked, what I didn't, and whether I'd recommend it.
What I like about this Siemens coffee machine
The Siemens EQ500 TQ513GB1 has been a fantastic addition to my kitchen and makes it incredibly easy to enjoy café-style coffee at home. One feature I really appreciated from the start was that it comes with a water hardness testing strip. During setup you test your water, and the machine can then be configured to suit your local water hardness, helping it brew coffee just the way it should be while also making maintenance reminders more accurate.
That was the first example of why this machine is so expensive. You just don’t get that kind of feature and attention to detail with cheaper coffee machines, and I have found it does make a difference to the taste of my drinks.
The variety of drinks is another big plus. Whether I fancy an espresso, cappuccino, latte macchiato, flat white or an Americano, everything is clearly laid out on the coffeeSelect display and can be selected with just a few button presses. The LED colour screen is bright, intuitive and easy to follow, making the whole machine feel very user-friendly, even if you've never owned a bean-to-cup machine before.
I also love how simple it is to customise each drink. Changing the coffee strength only takes a single button press, so it's easy to make a stronger morning coffee or something a little milder later in the day without getting lost with the menu.
The dual cup function has also been really useful. If two people want coffee at the same time, it's much quicker than making one drink after another. It can save time, especially when entertaining guests or during busy mornings, but there is a limitation with it - more on that below.
I have been pleased to find that the machine consistently produces smooth, flavourful coffee, and features like the ceramic grinder, automatic milk system cleaning and intuitive controls make it feel like a premium appliance that's been enjoyable to use.
What I don't like about this Siemens coffee machine
There are a couple of drawbacks that I've noticed, which I found disappointing but haven’t taken away from my overall enjoyment of the machine. They’ve just been midly inconvenient for me, but they are worth bearing in mind when spending such a large amount of money.
The first is the dual cup function. While it's very handy, standard-sized mugs are just a little too wide to sit comfortably beneath both coffee outlets at the same time. I usually have to angle the mugs slightly to make sure the coffee pours cleanly into each cup without running down the sides, which means I do actually have to stand by the coffee machine if I’m using this function - and that can feel like it somewhat defeats the object of an automatic machine.
The second limitation is that the two-cup feature isn't available for every drink option. You can make two black coffees and several milk-based drinks together, but it doesn't work with pre-ground coffee, extra-large drink sizes or certain aromaDouble Shot settings. It isn't a deal-breaker, but it would have been nice if every drink supported the feature.
My verdict
The Siemens EQ500 TQ513GB1 strikes an excellent balance between ease of use and coffee quality. The thoughtful setup process with the included water hardness test strip, wide choice of drinks, simple strength adjustment and clear LED display make it a pleasure to use every day. The dual cup function is a genuine time-saver, even if it has a few limitations.
The minor issues with mug spacing and the restrictions on which drinks can be made in pairs have been easy to live with considering everything else the machine does so well, and for me the positives outweight the negatives. I’m just going to buy some smaller cups.
If you're looking for a reliable bean-to-cup coffee machine that produces consistently great coffee with minimal effort, I'd happily recommend the Siemens EQ500 TQ513GB1 Bean to Cup Coffee Machine.
- Please note, delivery charges may apply.