Design flaws

Common knocks: no touchscreen, milk container not included, no dedicated plant-milk profile, and a fixed milk-before-espresso cappuccino sequence. Some reviewers also find the pre-ground bypass results weaker and the drink menu smaller than certain competitors.

Noted drawbacks include a brew-basket switch that can feel stiff to set precisely and a lock position that, if forgotten, could contribute to an overflow on a subsequent brew.

Key compromises include the lack of a 3-way solenoid valve, a small drip tray, a misleading stainless-steel claim for the aluminum portafilter on the box, and a plastic insert in the portafilter that can trap rancid coffee if not removed.

Minor design drawbacks show up in daily use: the review points to needing to measure water for correct ratios, difficulty getting the last liquid out of the thermos-style carafe, and occasional single-serve splatter depending on mug height and fill level.

Key annoyances include overly sensitive soft-touch buttons and a capped dosing capability that limits how close it can get to higher-end machines. Milk texture is strong for a superautomatic but still won’t match a traditional espresso setup.

Noted drawbacks include an awkward reservoir refill opening that can cause spills, higher over-extraction risk with darker roasts (especially in Bold), and typical hot-plate tradeoffs if coffee is held too hot for too long.

Downsides include a frustrating carafe pour design, occasional bean-feed and grounds build-up that require manual nudging and rinsing, and parts that must be hand-washed; the filter door can spring open quickly and users report potential grinder clogs over time.

Noted drawbacks include a long steep time and a few practical quirks: the carafe lid can’t stay on under the brewer while draining, and skipping the paper filters may leave some fine sediment in the finished concentrate.

Some reviews flag design quirks, and this review focuses on smaller practical drawbacks: only four user profiles, a remote-brewing workflow limited by the pre-flush catch, and a water tank the reviewer wished were slightly larger, even while noting overall complaints are hard to find.

The main limitation is control: brew temperature and time aren’t adjustable because each capsule is designed to run a specific recipe via its barcode, so customization is mostly limited to pod choice.

Noted design drawbacks include awkward access to the removable water tank in tight cabinet spaces and an optional active cup warmer that is small, manually controlled and raises safety and practicality concerns. These issues don’t prevent use, but they chip away at the premium feel at this price.

Notable quirks include residual milk left in the LatteGo carafe, no airtight way to store the carafe between uses, and the mildly annoying need to grease the brew unit regularly.

Notable quirks include a lengthy first-time setup, hand-wash-only components (no dishwasher-safe parts), a somewhat confusing LCD control flow, and a reservoir that must be filled precisely to preset lines. The fixed (non-removable) water tank is another annoyance; overall, these are framed as tradeoffs rather than deal breakers for many buyers.

Main drawbacks noted are the high price, large footprint, and the need for experimentation to dial in ideal results; minor usability quirks can appear around using ground coffee and app options.

Beyond the commonly noted plunging effort/cleanliness sensitivity, this review highlights a practical limitation: overfilling with grounds can prevent the filter assembly from connecting and latching properly.

Design flaws center on workflow annoyances rather than coffee quality: there’s no pre-brew low-water warning, backing out of deep menu dives is tedious, and the control dial can occasionally miss inputs. The lack of a warming element also means hot coffee won’t stay at peak temperature for long after brewing.

Critiques focus on meaningful convenience and polish misses: the lack of a hot-water spout is a major omission, the cup area cannot accommodate two espresso cups despite dual spouts, and the machine has occasionally leaked; this review also reinforces that the 3-in-1 ambition brings uneven results, with drip and cold brew lagging behind espresso performance.

Key drawbacks called out include slow full-pot brew times, the lack of a thermal carafe (it relies on a glass carafe and hot plate), and only moderate heat retention on keep-warm despite avoiding burnt flavors.

Soft touch buttons are easy to press accidentally and the restricted maximum dose feels like an intentional limitation versus pricier models, and some users will also notice the short bean hopper, basic display, lack of user profiles, a milk spout that struggles with taller cups and a painted plastic housing with no way to adjust milk froth density.

Key annoyances include a hotplate that shuts off after 30 minutes with no extended option, a backlit display that can be hard to read in bright rooms, and a carafe lid that can flip open when pouring; missing guidance/accessories and limited spares add friction for some buyers.

Noted usability compromises include a non-removable water tank (awkward under cabinets), lack of programmability, and pre-infusion being optional rather than the default brewing behavior.

Notable drawbacks include a tendency to clog with very fine grinds (no-flow stalls), occasional temperature inconsistency, and weaker light-roast results versus premium machines—quirks that can frustrate users chasing higher-end espresso.

Notable design missteps include a frustrating hot-water implementation (oversized presets, no early stop, and tepid output) and UI friction for quick flushing, made worse by the lack of firmware updates to correct these issues.

Notable drawbacks include a large footprint, limited strength options, a short AccuBrew learning curve, and carafe and feature trade offs that feel underwhelming for the price.

Notable design compromises include a LatteGo lid that does not clip securely, the absence of a dedicated hot milk programme and reliance on a downloadable manual and hidden button sequences for some settings.

Notable workflow quirks include post-shot dripping due to no 3-way solenoid (often requiring a wait before removing the portafilter) and a narrow tank that’s easy to spill when filling; other reviews also note additional refinement/maintenance limitations that can add small annoyances over time.

Design flaws are significant for daily usability: hot water is poorly implemented with unhelpful presets you cannot stop early and consistently tepid output, and common tasks like preheating require extra touchscreen navigation instead of direct controls.

Reviewers see the manual parking brake and rear biased spray pattern as key design missteps that can cause overflow and uneven saturation unless the user pays close attention.

Some owners criticize aspects of the Z10’s interface design, saying the horizontally scrolling touchscreen makes it too easy to trigger drinks by accident, the cancel button does not reliably stop a brew once started, and the lack of a confirmation step or countdown feels like an avoidable design flaw on such a costly machine, and newer reviewers further describe the screen as oversensitive and frustrating to use, especially when it frequently selects the wrong drink before they can cancel.

Key design drawbacks include an extremely small drip tray that fills quickly, a cold grouphead and largely plastic portafilter that require flushing to warm, a tall drop from the spouts that encourages espresso to cool in the cup, and a lightweight chassis that can shift on the counter when locking in the portafilter, alongside an awkward double button sequence for hot water that can accidentally start a shot if mistimed.

Some design quirks include a crack between the hot plate and backsplash that traps grounds and splatters, an overzealous heating plate that can overheat coffee and a surface that easily develops hard to remove calcified rings.

Reviewers highlight several design quirks, including an oversized, very wide footprint, a tall dome lid that often needs to be pulled out from under cabinets, an awkwardly narrow water tank opening that clashes with the carafe shape and a half pot button that feels redundant when you can already control batch size by how much water you add.

Overheating after steaming, a loose rotating basket, non standard 51 mm parts, and a reversed shot before steam workflow that depends on flushing cycles are notable design drawbacks.

The design routes water through a single swivel spray arm and lacks auto shutoff, leaving much of the coffee bed dry and allowing coffee to burn if the machine is left on.