Should You Consider Buying a Wifi Coffee Maker for your Smart Home?

Most people can’t start their day without their cup of coffee or espresso in the morning.

20:28 09 August 2021

You’re not alone either! More than half of Americans drink at least one cup of coffee per day. In this age of smart home devices, many tasks are completed for us, even your coffee. It sounds like a dream to have your coffee ready before you wake up. Wi-Fi coffee makers have become popular in recent years. You may have considered purchasing one, but should you? Nunzio from Majesty Coffee believes they may not be worth it. Why?

 

Reasons You May Want to Avoid Wi-Fi Coffee Makers

1. You Don’t Want to Buy Alexa or Use an App – We live in a world where almost everything requires Wi-Fi or an app. However, not everyone uses smartphones or wants to install more apps on their phone. You may not have the extra space for an app. Some people may not have Wi-Fi at home. In this case, a Wi-Fi coffee maker won’t work with the wireless features.
   
   

You must be mindful of your purchase too. Some coffee makers will require you to have an Alexa to operate it wirelessly or respond to voice commands. Others may have distrust when it comes to an app or Alexa. It may ask for permissions you don’t feel comfortable allowing like access to your microphone or location.

2. You Like Customization – Wi-Fi coffee makers certainly have customization, but it’s limited. Some machines have preset options you can choose from and nothing else. Others might have full customization when it comes to pressure or water but lack extraction time options. You might not have automatic adding of extra ingredients like cinnamon or sugar.

Some Wi-Fi coffee makers can do most of what you want but they can’t do everything. For example, you may want to make drinks like cappuccinos or Americanos. Your coffee maker can make this if it takes K-cups or pods. However, it can’t make the drink for you otherwise. You’ll still need to manually do it yourself. Some have dual makers that can brew and froth the milk and make espresso on the other side which will cut down your time but if you don’t buy one of those, you’re on your own.

3. Wi-Fi Coffee Makers Can Be Hacked – Yes, it sounds ridiculous but it’s a reality. It’s not something that happens often or frequently. However, it can happen. These types of devices are easily hacked unless you set up secure access. Most people don’t think to set this up for a coffee maker. In some cases, they don’t have a secure connection at all.

 

You may think “What’s the big deal? All they can do is hack my coffee maker and make coffee.” It goes beyond that. If you have your phone or computer connected to the coffee maker, they will have access to that. Alternatively, if you have your Alexa or any microphone and location settings on, they can access that too. It seems harmless at first glance, but it can become a serious issue quickly. Again, this is a rare occurrence but one to become aware of.

4. They Can Get Pricey – A standard coffee or espresso maker might cost anywhere from $800 to $5,000-$15,000. They’re generally not very expensive unless you want added features like a preset program or if you buy a commercial one. Commercial ones will run from the hundreds to the thousands depending on what you want. However, most people are happy with a simple coffee or espresso maker.

Wi-Fi-operated coffee makers do cost significantly more than a standard maker. They usually start at around $300 and go up into the thousands. Now, you may have seen Wi-Fi-compatible coffee makers for $100 and under. However, many of these only allow you to turn the machine on or select a pre-set. It won’t brew the coffee for you like a Wi-Fi-operated one. These machines will cost more depending on the features you want. For example, you will pay more for one that has auto-warming or auto-start times.

5. You Won’t Gain Barista Skills – Now, the average person won’t care too much about this but some enjoy the act of making coffee themselves. If the machine does it all for you, how can you learn? You won’t have the option to experiment the same way you would with a manual or semi-automatic machine. Those interested in learning and creating new drinks might not love a Wi-Fi machine.

Those who pride themselves on recreating drinks or those that want to impress friends could opt to keep their current machine and opt to purchase a Wi-Fi one for their everyday use. However, if you have thought about purchasing a new maker to replace your old one, you may want to avoid these types of makers.

 

Final Thoughts

Many people love a Wi-Fi coffee maker because it offers the convenience of brewing coffee or espresso for you. Some can really benefit from the automation, but others might have concerns or disinterest in the customization. If you’re an avid coffee drinker that sees it more as a daily chore, you might enjoy a Wi-Fi maker. Those that love to create, or experiment might want to take a second and evaluate whether this type of maker will help or hinder them.