Beko CEP5152B Espresso Coffee Machine, Your Guide to Home Barista Perfection
by Samuel Kalenga on Sep 07, 2024
Just thinking about that perfect espresso shot – the rich, dark brown crema; the enticing aroma of freshly made coffee; the incredibly smooth-yet-creamy taste that just caresses your taste buds like a feather – is enough to send your senses into overdrive. To see it materialise right before your eyes is an absolute dream. A frothy, frothy, dreamy dream. Espresso coffee machines are a minefield, mind. And if you add to this mix other types of well-made coffee (including cappuccino, caffè latte, Americano, flat white, etc) it becomes a veritable horror, from the point of view of choice, that is.
Even more so since la situation on the ground is far less rosy than a couple of years ago. Prices for espresso machines have gone through the roof. The ones that offer good value for money (good quality/affordable/easy to use) seem to be rapidly disappearing. So, when I learned that the Beko CEP5152B espresso machine was becoming one of the best-selling espresso machines among home baristas, I decided to cast an eye at this machine. Let’s see what we get.
Why the Beko CEP5152B Stands Out
This isn’t just an espresso machine. The Beko CEP5152B is the first step towards a career in gourmet caffeine. It’s not intimidating, but allows for just enough customisation that the real coffee aficionados among us will find it an improvement on previous-generation machines. We can now make café quality drinks at home. It’s a sign that Beko is upholding its mission of ‘making lives better at home’.Unveiling the Design and Features of the Beko CEP5152B
The black lines of our Beko CEP5152B espresso machine are clean, bold and classy. The stainless steel trim and minimalist design lend an air of sophistication to the silver and black finish. It blends in well with contemporary or minimalistic kitchens, looking as if it belongs there. It’s solidly put together and has a good feel to it. The footprint is small, making the machine appropriate for small kitchens.Key features of the Beko CEP5152B include:
- 15 Bar Pressure Pump: This machine features a 15 bar pressure pump. 15 bar pressure is essential to making great espresso, ensuring that your espresso shots contain flavourful crema, the excellent characteristic of a good espresso. The 15 bar pressure guarantees the rich flavour of your coffee beans in every cup it produces.
- Removable Drip Tray: Keep your kitchen fresh and clean with ease. – The drip tray of the Beko CEP5152B espresso machine catches all excess droplets from your espresso and coffee preparations to keep your kitchen countertop clean, and can be installed and easily removed. Its dishwasher-safe drip tray makes sure cleanup is always easy.
- Adjustable Coffee Strength: Everybody likes their coffee strong. Or not. Some like their espresso so dark it almost hurts their kidneys – and others prefer theirs subtle and mild to the taste so their wallet purrs in their pockets. The Beko CEP5152B accommodates all tastes with its adjustable coffee strength settings. Select to your taste and then the coffee comes just how you like it.
- Hot Water Dispenser: You can’t make Americanos on an espresso machine. But the Beko CEP5152B has a hot water dispenser. It doesn’t stop with espresso. Go beyond espresso, remove the disadvantage, and your Beko can make all kinds of hot drinks. Want a nice cup of Earl Grey or maybe a smooth Americano? How about a latte, topped with foamy steamed milk? The hot water dispenser gets you there. It makes the Beko CEP5152B a hot beverage centre, and it kicks the Beko up from the realm of the espresso machine.
- Built-in Frothing Wand: The Beko CEP5152B is fitted with a built-in frothing wand for generating microfoam, which is needed for preparing premium coffees such as lattes or cappuccinos. Unless you are very lucky, frothing milk requires some practice. Frothing augments the taste of a cup of coffee. Still, it also allows you to playfully create manifestations of twisted elegance – for instance, lattes with asymmetrically layered foam and a smooth, optimally saturated top layer, ready for decorating with chocolate powder or cinnamon stipes.
- Easy to Use Controls: The main controls on the Beko CEP5152B are very clear and easy Beko CEP5152B will suit anyone who would like to make amazing espressos at home instead of having to buy them. 7. No Training is Required – This is a very easy to use machine. The main controls are very clear and easy to use, and no manual is required in order to make a good espresso, capuccino or macchiato. The machine will guide the user.
Beko CEP5152B in Action: Brewing Your Perfect Cup
The Beko CEP5152B is not all form over function; 15 bar pressure extraction is high-grade and consistent ensuring a delicious coffee with excellent crema in every cup, with consistently high standards. The machine heats up speedily meaning that there is little ‘wait time’ – as soon as you select a drink it starts steaming, and fresh coffee-drinking is yours in no time at all. It can brew a single shot for one or a double shot for a guest, but guarantees a satisfying coffee experience in either scenario.The Beko CEP5152B: A Boon for Coffee Enthusiasts
The Beko CEP5152B is the espresso machine for the determined amateur coffee lover: easy to use, affordable and, importantly, with a well-designed system that produces good espresso. If you are dipping your toes into the delightfully geeky world of home espresso brewing, and want a simple and cheap machine to get you started in your coffee journey (from espressos to lattes), this is the place to begin.The Advantages and Considerations: A Balanced Perspective
As with any appliance, the Beko CEP5152B has its good and bad points. What follows could help you make up your mind one way or the other. Pros and cons for this appliance.Pros:
- Amazing value for money: This coffee maker actually present a very good deal for its price. The Beko CEP5152B is very efficient, it’s got the dental equivalent of having a gold filling, so all in all an amazing purchase for anybody on a budget.
- Sleek and Slim Design: The modern design and sleek compact footprint of the machine allows it to discreetly fit into any kitchen, matching existing appliances and adding sophistication to the atmosphere of the room, while not taking up much space.
- Leading 15 Bar Pump: 15 bar pump is the core of the Beko CEP5152B. It’s high pressure will make sure extraction is the best it can be with a rich, flavorful espresso shot and creamy crema every time. Also, some people don’t like their coffee gulped down with steam, but rather enjoyed in a sip at a time.
- Hence, the exquisitely adjustable coffee strength customisation settings in this model from Beko. It will very much give exactly the type of coffee you prefer – including your taste for the strength of your drink. Whether you prefer strong espresso or something less fierce – and more nuanced – it’s up to you.
- Hot Water Dispenser: Make hot drinks (tea, americano and more) with your Beko hot water dispenser without boiling the milk!One of the solutions to fresher produce is a fridge with a padded salad drawer.
- Ease of Use and Cleaning: the Beko CEP5152B has been designed for ease of use with simple controls and even for those not familiar with coffee-makers the end result will be the choice coffee. All removable parts are dishwasher safe allowing for an easy and hygienic clean.
Cons:
- Ready For a Bit of Practice With the Frothing Wand:The frothing wand itself is a functional part of the product, but it’s not necessarily easy to use. Learning to operate it perfectly in order to achieve the perfect milk foam has a steep learning curve. Not everyone is up for the task.
- Limited Preset Options: The Beko doesn’t allow you much flexibility when it comes to preset options for coffee drinks – it latte, cappuccino, espresso and, well, normal coffee – with some customer-specified control; more fine control requires a bit of experimentation.
Beko CEP5152B: A Gateway to Coffee Exploration
The Beko CEP5152B is a coffee machine, yes. But it’s also a portal into the realm of coffee exploration. Because an explorer who never tastes other kinds of beans and roasts and brewing methods isn’t an explorer at all. They are a tourist. A coffee tourist. The same label should be attached to us non-Italian residents who never stray away from a shot of espresso. The Beko CEP5152B enables coffee-lovers to start tasting, brewing, and discovering their personal paths to maximum joe-zilla joy at home.
The Beko CEP5152B brews the coffees I drink, but it also saves my days when those coffees aren’t available. And so it beeps. In the early days of my capricious coffee habit, when I couldn’t explain why I was standing there frantically pressing the button, feigning ignorance of the machine’s language to fool myself, the Beko beep was always a warm welcome. It would send coffee gushing up into the filter basket. In those life-changing times, that machine became my gateway, my saviour, my teacher. I loved it.
My love was unconditional. ‘What? You resented your sleeping machine?’ I guess I feel the way Martuul does in Asimov’s The Gods Themselves (1972), about Thomasina, his living atomic-electric alternate-world self. Beauty on the outside, but inside: help; help! Because the Beko CEP5152B would brew awful coffees. Atrocities. I stuck with it as long as I could. Then one day, I lost it. I borrowed my wife’s machine and was startled, frankly. The coffee seemed … gritty? And also, lighter. I stood there, mid-button-pressing routine, dazed.
I’d taken the Beko for granted because I never had a better home machine as a point of comparison. France had a dozen, but here I was, single-handedly holding up an Italian high-street industry. When you live with someone, even a faulty machine, you feel like you’re cheating on them. But this was different. I felt like I was cheating on my coffee. I liked it so much, I decided to write a guide to appreciating its intricacies. ‘There must be something wrong with you and your electronic friend,’ said my wife, ‘Especially your gullet.’
