What is the best Smeg filter coffee machine overall?

The best Smeg filter coffee machine overall is Smeg DCF02CREU, with an overall score of 8.04 points, a capacity of 10 cups, a power of 1050 W, and a price of around £140. The Smeg DCF02CREU is a 1050-watt drip coffee maker featuring an iconic 1950s retro cream design, a 1.4-liter water tank, and a 1.25-liter glass carafe capable of brewing up to 10 cups of coffee. Main characteristics and pros include its digital LED display with a clock, a programmable autostart timer, a 40-minute keep-warm hotplate, a reusable permanent filter, an anti-drip system, and a customizable aroma intensity selector (delicate or intense) alongside adjustable water hardness settings.

Best Smeg filter coffee machines in 2026 (1+ compared)

Are Smeg filter coffee machines good?

Buying Criterion

Smeg filter coffee machines are good if you value design and convenience, and less convincing if coffee taste is your top priority. The DCF02CREU brews up to 10 cups from a 1.4 l tank and adds a timer, an aroma setting and automatic shut-off for about £120.

The brand's strength is its 50's Style look. The DCF02CREU comes in cream with chrome trim and matches Smeg kettles, toasters and fridges. Daily use is easy too: a small display sets the start time, an indicator tells you when to descale, and the permanent filter saves buying paper filters for 10 cups at a time.

The main limitation is brewing power. At 1,050 W the heater is weaker than specialist brewers with around 1,500 W, so the water cools more over a full jug and the coffee tastes softer. The glass jug also sits on a warming plate, and coffee turns bitter there after 30–40 minutes.

What are the main advantages of Smeg filter coffee machines?

The main advantages of Smeg filter coffee machines are as follows:

Retro design: The DCF02CREU has the rounded 50's Style body Smeg is known for. It matches the brand's kettles and toasters and works as a feature piece on an open worktop.
Programmable timer: The DCF02CREU starts brewing at a time you set. You fill the 1.4 l tank the night before and wake up to fresh coffee.
Aroma setting: An aroma function on the DCF02CREU slows the water flow through the grounds. Longer contact gives a stronger, fuller cup from the same amount of coffee.
Family capacity: The DCF02CREU brews up to 10 cups in one go. That covers breakfast for three or four people without a second brew.
Low running costs: The DCF02CREU ships with a permanent filter, so you skip paper filters. Automatic shut-off also stops the warming plate from running all day.

What are the main disadvantages of Smeg filter coffee machines?

The main disadvantages of Smeg filter coffee machines are the following:

Modest heater: The DCF02CREU uses a 1,050 W element. A full jug takes longer to brew, and the water runs cooler than in specialist brewers built for exact temperatures.
Glass jug on hotplate: The DCF02CREU keeps coffee on a warming plate under a glass jug. Coffee that sits there for long starts to taste stewed and bitter.
Paying for looks: Part of the £120 price of the DCF02CREU pays for the retro styling. Plain machines with a timer and similar capacity cost noticeably less.
Limited choice: Smeg offers one filter design, the DCF02CREU and its colour versions. There is no thermal-jug version and no one-cup or grinder model to step up to.

Who makes Smeg filter coffee machines?

Manufacturer

Smeg filter coffee machines are made by Smeg, an Italian family company based in Guastalla near Reggio Emilia. The name stands for Smalterie Metallurgiche Emiliane Guastalla, and Vittorio Bertazzoni founded it more than 75 years ago as a metal enamelling firm. The Bertazzoni family still controls it, and the brand became famous for cookers and its colourful 50's Style fridges.

Small appliances such as the DCF02CREU came later as an extension of that retro fridge look. Smeg designs them in Italy and has them built by partner factories, mainly in China. The range now spans kettles, toasters, blenders, espresso machines and a 10-cup filter machine, all styled to match.

How do Smeg filter coffee machines compare with Moccamaster filter coffee machines?

Buying Criterion

Smeg filter coffee machines cost less and offer more features than Moccamaster filter coffee machines, while Moccamaster brews the better-tasting coffee. The Smeg DCF02CREU costs about £120, and the Moccamaster KBG Select costs £220. Both make around 10 cups, so the gap comes from heating and extras, not capacity.

The Moccamaster KBG Select uses a 1,520 W copper element and holds the water in the temperature range coffee experts recommend. The Smeg works with 1,050 W and relies on its aroma setting to slow the flow and boost strength. That helps, but it does not match the even extraction of a certified brewer.

Smeg leads on convenience. Its timer starts the brew while you sleep, and the Moccamaster has no timer at all. Moccamaster offers thermal-jug models and the one-cup Cup-One, while Smeg sticks to one glass-jug design. Pick the Smeg for a retro kitchen and coffee on a schedule, and the Moccamaster for flavour first.

How much do Smeg filter coffee machines cost?

Price Guide

Smeg filter coffee machines commonly cost about £120-£120, since the brand sells one filter design, the DCF02 series, in several colours. The cream DCF02CREU sits right at £120. That puts Smeg in the upper middle of the filter coffee market, above plain plastic machines and below specialist brewers.

That money adds mostly design and convenience. You get a 1.4 l tank, a timer, an aroma setting and automatic shut-off in a styled retro body. The brewing hardware stays standard, so you pay for the look and features rather than for a stronger heater or a thermal jug.

The chart below shows the price distribution of Smeg filter coffee machines.

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What should you consider when choosing a Smeg filter coffee machine?

Key Factors

When choosing a Smeg filter coffee machine, you should consider the following factors:

Colour: The DCF02 series comes in several finishes, and the DCF02CREU is the cream version. Matching it to an existing Smeg kettle or toaster gives the kitchen a uniform look.
How fast you drink: The DCF02CREU keeps coffee on a warming plate, so it suits households that finish the jug within half an hour or so. Slow sippers get a fresher cup by pouring the rest into a vacuum flask.
Morning routine: The DCF02CREU timer only pays off if you fill the tank and filter the night before. Pre-ground coffee works fine for this, and you wake up to a full jug.
Counter space: The DCF02CREU has a wide, rounded body, and the lid opens upwards to fill the 1.4 l tank. Low wall cabinets above the worktop get in the way when you refill it.
Taste expectations: The DCF02CREU runs on 1,050 W, which is fine for everyday coffee. Speciality beans show more of their character in a higher-power, temperature-controlled brewer.

Best Smeg filter coffee machines in 2026 (1+ compared)

How We Selected These Models

1. Smeg DCF02CREU

Smeg filter coffee machines: which one should you buy?

What defines the best Smeg filter coffee machines?