Xiaomi’s crowdfunded coffee machine makes espressos, cappuccinos, and lattes in just three minutes – sort of

It’s not an espresso machine, and it might not actually be new either

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Xiaomi has launched a crowdfunding project for a two-in-one coffee machine that can make espressos, macchiatos, cappuccinos and lattes in just three minutes. Kind of.

The Seven & Me comprises a hot plate, a milk frother, and the coffee maker itself. According to Xiaomi, this will produce “authentic Italian espresso”, but as Deirdre O’Donnell ofNotebookcheckpoints out, the fact that the water is heated from the bottom and forced up through the grounds rather than pushed down means that this is actually a moka pot rather than an espresso machine.

A moka pot, as coffee grinder companyJavaPressenotes, produces a much stronger brew than thebest drip coffee maker, but the flavor profile isn’t the same because the pressure is much lower (around two bars compared for nine for thebest espresso machines).

Silky milks

The milk frother seems to work in a similar way to theDreo BaristamakerI reviewed recently. Rather than using pressurizedsteamto force air into milk while heating it, the Seven & Me appears to warm the milk from below, while whisking it to create foam. I found that the Baristamaker tended to create large bubbles rather than silky microfoam, which wasn’t ideal for latte art, but perhaps Xiaomi’s machine will perform better.

Like the Baristamaker, the Seven & Me has presets for different types of plant milk, including that are notoriously tricky to steam well. The Seven & Me’s brew time, pressure, and heating can be adjusted depending on your choice of drink as well, but despite Xiaomi’s assertion that this is the “smartest” coffee machine in the world, there are no features like wireless connectivity that I’d normally associate with such a claim.

Nevertheless, the idea is clearly proving popular. At the time of writing,the crowdfunding projectonly has one machine remaining at the early bird price of $199 (about £150 / AU$300) - a discount of 33% off the list price.

Strangely, the machine appears to be almost, if not entirely, identical to the Xiaomi Household Mini Latte Coffee Machine, which is currently available for only £38 in the UKfrom Xiaomi wholesaler MiOT(fitted with an EU plug), andhas reviews on Amazon.com dating back to 2021. The company has even re-used some of the same promotional images.

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Looking for something more conventional? Our roundup of thebest coffee makershas lots of options, including plenty of budget-friendly picks.

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Cat is TechRadar’s Homes Editor specializing in kitchen appliances and smart home technology. She’s been a tech journalist for 15 years, and is here to help you choose the right devices for your home and do more with them. When not working she’s a keen home baker, and makes a pretty mean macaron.

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