So there it is…. The new EQ900 series from Siemens. After unpacking the box, it is noticeable that it is slightly larger than our 7-year-old EQ6 series with already 11,000 cups on the counter. Fortunately, it fits perfectly in the place of this old member. Yes, we have been very satisfied with Siemens' fully automatic line for many years now and we are now very curious how this series will hold up. Giant touchscreen comes to life with beautiful graphics after the first "boot". Water reservoir is nicely recessed in the machine on the right side. What is striking is that the plateau on which the cups have to stand is now made of a combi stainless steel with upright plastic edges. This was on our old series of full stainless steel, resulting in scratching cup after cup. This will certainly not happen again. Thought out…! There is also more of a kind of funnel made so that all the water drains away neatly during rinsing. Previously, this stainless steel was sometimes wet, as the jet of water during rinsing never completely ends up in the holes. The touchscreen is also well-arranged and connecting to the homeconnect app was easy. We were already familiar with a washing machine and dryer in the same cloud. Without reading the manual you will find your way to your favorite hot drink here and you can personalize it yourself and save it as a favorite with your own name. The road to coffee exotics such as "flat white" are also a nice addition, with which the combinations are endless. Things like strength/temperature/grinding degree and quantity are easy to change at a time, but once you've tried the right bean type and cup, you'll notice that you don't actually arrive here anymore. The machine should be the quietest in its class .... when grinding the beans it is slightly quieter than its predecessor, but during the brewing process you still hear quite a few beeps and noise that we were not used to. Anyway, you don't buy such a device because it is silent. The sink and coffee grounds drawer are also combined in this series and are smaller than its predecessor. In other words, you have to empty the containers more often. Not a problem in itself and the emptying / cleaning up of this is also cleverly thought out and is therefore very easy. The separate milk unit that comes with the machine and can be integrated into the machine (left of the machine) is easy to open/solid. After filling up this unit and already enjoying a few cappuccinos, you tend to put them back in the fridge afterwards. Unfortunately, to clean the milk system, the milk unit must remain in the machine and rinsing water is even pumped back into it. So you will have to pour the milk back into the carton or throw it away? Since the unit is integrated, you cannot rinse the machine with a separate hose… this is very clumsy…..Oh wait, after reading the manual, a separate adapter is for sale for this (€30?-) so that you can use such a hose could also hang loose in a carton of milk. In my opinion, this is really bad for a device of more than € 2,000. Just add this adapter in the box as standard! The brew group in this series is different from the previous generations and I have not yet looked at / cleaned it while writing this review. Anyway, a lot of machine for your money and the first impression is very good. If it lasts at least as long as the previous one (is still not defective). Note: we have never used the Brita water filter as we are equipped with a water softener. So not installed in this machine either.
Device tested for Siemens.