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SMEG 50’s Retro Style Drip Coffee Maker

Brand: SMEG
3.7
(5)
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Verdict

This Smeg retro drip coffee maker brews acceptable everyday coffee and offers an easy to use programmable timer, reusable filter, and charming midcentury styling, but its mostly plastic build, awkward water tank design, short one hour keep warm, hand wash only carafe, and high price mean it is best for buyers who prioritise looks over practicality and value.

Pros

  • Capsules, pods & consumables ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 5.0
  • Environmental packaging sustainability ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 4.8
  • Packaging quality ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 4.8
  • Filter ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 3 reviews 4.5
    Includes a reusable stainless steel cone filter but also accepts paper filters if you prefer a cleaner cup, and the conical basket helps it handle 1 to 4 cup brews more effectively than many flat bottom drip machines.
  • Assembly & Setup ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 4.5
  • Noise level ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 2 reviews 4.4
  • Design, ergonomics & footprint ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 reviews 4.1
    Iconic 1950s styling in bright colours and chrome accents gives this brewer a standout retro presence on the counter, but the very wide, tall body takes up more space than its modest 10 cup carafe requires and often needs to be pulled out from under cabinets to open the lid and fill it comfortably.
  • Capacity ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4 reviews 4.1
    10 cup or about 40 oz capacity suits most households, effectively translating to roughly five standard mugs, though the relatively small carafe feels a bit mismatched to the large machine body.
  • Espresso & beverage quality ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 4.0
  • Brewing performance & consistency ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4 reviews 3.8
    Brews smooth, consistent drip coffee with a decent 10 cup pot, and the 4 cup mode slows flow for better small batch extraction while intensity settings help dial in strength, though the flavor remains fairly standard and lacks the nuance of higher end specialty brewers.
  • Overall user experience ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4 reviews 3.6
    Simple front buttons, a clear LED display, and straightforward clock and timer controls make everyday brewing easy, and features like aroma strength and water hardness settings add some flexibility, but awkward water tank filling, the short non adjustable keep warm window, and a hand wash only carafe mean the overall experience can feel less convenient than other drip machines at this price.

Cons

  • Pot function ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4 reviews 3.3
    The programmable timer reliably has a pot ready when you wake up, but the hotplate only keeps coffee warm for about 60 minutes with no way to extend the time, and the keep warm function doesn't activate with the half pot mode or when a brew is stopped early, so its flexibility is more limited than some competing machines.
  • Cup, tray & carafe handling ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 3 reviews 3.3
    The 10 cup glass carafe has a secure click on lid and a pause and serve feature for pouring mid brew, but it is not dishwasher safe so it must be hand washed, which some owners find inconvenient.
  • Build quality & durability ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 3 reviews 3.2
    Some owners feel the body and cone filter are solid enough for daily use, but others are disappointed that the housing is mostly coloured plastic and does not feel as premium as the price suggests, so perceived build quality is mixed overall.
  • Accessories ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 2 reviews 3.1
  • Speed & time-to-cup ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 3.0
  • Warranty & Customer support ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 3.0
  • Value & Price ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 reviews 2.9
    Still positioned as a style first machine at a premium price, this brewer asks you to pay largely for the Smeg retro look rather than standout coffee performance or materials, and at well over 200 dollars many reviewers feel the cons and mostly plastic build make it poor value compared with more affordable drip machines, though sales can soften the sting.
  • Water system, maintenance & descaling ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4 reviews 2.4
    The built in water hardness monitor can prompt descaling more often than some users expect and the narrow water tank opening under the lid makes pouring water from the carafe awkward and messy for some, so both maintenance prompts and basic refilling can feel more finicky than on competing drip machines.
  • Design flaws ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 2.0

Reviews

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