Smeg BCC12 Bean-to-Cup Coffee Machine review: a semi-automatic delight

In late 2023, Smeg launched two new bean-to-cup coffee machines to complete its extensive coffee preparation collection, the Smeg BCC12 and the Smeg BCC13.

While both had very similar designs, the Smeg BCC12 caught my interest the most as it’s primarily an upgrade to the original Smeg BCC02 machine. But this iteration of the machine came with a manual steam wand, making it a semi-automatic machine.

Aside from its dashing good looks, I was intrigued to find out how the Smeg BCC12 performed, as all the components that you need in a bean-to-cup coffee machine are hidden away, including the grinder and water tank. So, I spent a few weeks testing the Smeg BCC12 and this is what I thought.

Smeg BCC12 bean-to-cup coffee machine review: price and availability

The Smeg BCC12 costs £699.95 / $799.95 and is available to buy at Smeg and select retailers like John Lewis and Amazon. It comes in three different colours, including matte black, matte white and emerald green – I tried the matte white model.

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Smeg BCC12 bean-to-cup coffee machine review: unboxing and setup

If you’re new to the world of bean-to-cup coffee machines, they might come across as a bit daunting, due to all their different parts. But you don’t have to worry about that with the Smeg BCC12 as it arrives all made up for you.

When you receive the Smeg BCC12, you get the coffee machine as a whole, and the only real ‘set up’ process is getting it ready to make coffee, rather than putting all the different parts together. After I unboxed the Smeg BCC12, I removed the water tank and filled it up before adding beans to the built-in grinder and slotting the drip tray in place.

To get started with the Smeg BCC12, all you have to do is press the on/off button on the side and it’ll start up by first expelling water as part of a quick cleaning and preparation process. The buttons located at the top – more on this below – will start flashing but once they stop, you can select your drink and the Smeg BCC12 takes care of it for you.

Smeg BCC12 bean-to-cup coffee machine review: design and features

The Smeg BCC12 is a semi-automatic bean-to-cup coffee machine that can make eight different types of coffee. Available in multiple colours, the Smeg BCC12 has many of Smeg’s key product characteristics, including its matte styling, curved lines and shiny Smeg logo printed across the top.

Many bean-to-cup coffee machines on the market today have overly elaborate buttons or touchscreens, but the Smeg BCC12 goes back to basics. Instead, the Smeg BCC12 has an on/off button located on the left side of the machine and five buttons on the top.

The buttons on top can be used to select your coffee type, water and steam. The smaller coffee icon on the far left is for ristretto and light ristretto, the second coffee button is for espresso and light espresso and the third coffee button is for coffee and long coffee. Users can differentiate between the different types of coffee with the menu button located below the four buttons. The steam button on the far right can also be used for milk steaming and hot water.

Behind the buttons, the Smeg BCC12 houses the 1.4-litre water tank and built-in bean grinder. The water tank can be removed for refilling and cleaning, and the grinder has a control knob within it so you can change the grind level. Located on the left side of the machine – and again, hidden away – is where the ground coffee goes before the hot water runs through it.

On the front of the Smeg BCC12 is the coffee dispenser and manual milk frother. The milk frother can be moved from side to side to better angle it for milk frothing. The front of the machine also has a brushed stainless steel design while the matte colour is displayed on the back and sides.

Smeg BCC12 bean-to-cup coffee machine review: performance

I’ve tested my fair share of bean-to-cup coffee machines, and have to say that the Smeg BCC12 is one of the easiest models I’ve used. I like the simplicity of the controls, although it might not be for everyone as it doesn’t completely ‘walk’ you through the process like other bean-to-cup machines with touchscreens do. But if it’s a semi-automatic maker you’re after, the Smeg BCC12 works admirably.

Once you turn the Smeg BCC12 on, it heats up very quickly and expels hot water before use to make sure everything is clean. From there, you select your drink of choice – I enjoyed the espresso and long coffee options – and it grinds your coffee beans before making your drink. It’s a pretty painless process, although it’s quite loud.

One issue I had with the Smeg BCC12 was the milk frother. A quick disclaimer that should be noted is that I’ve been using the Sage Barista Touch Impress that froths the milk for you without you having to do anything, so manually frothing the milk was something new for me and showed my sub-par milk frothing skills.

But regardless of my mediocre skills, I wasn’t massively impressed by the wand. It wasn’t particularly effective at frothing but rather just heating, so cappuccinos and lattes were out of the question for me. Aside from the steam wand, the Smeg BCC12 makes delicious coffee and it’s extremely good to look at – it might be a little style over substance but it performs amazingly well.

Smeg BCC12 bean-to-cup coffee machine review: verdict

The Smeg BCC12 is a brilliant semi-automatic bean-to-cup coffee machine that really takes care of everything for you, aside from the milk frothing and heating. While the milk wand did let it down a little, the overall design and quality of the Smeg BCC12 is undeniable, and I enjoyed the simple controls and self-cleaning modes.

Smeg BCC12 bean-to-cup coffee machine review: alternatives to consider

If you like the Smeg brand and simpler controls, the Smeg EGF03 Espresso machine is a great choice. It’s more quintessentially Smeg than the Smeg BCC12 with its bold colours and retro-inspired design and it has the same type of controls. You have to be a bit more hands-on with the Smeg EGF03 and it can be a little fiddly but it’s more of a classic model.

For a bean-to-cup coffee machine that has a similar price, the Ninja Luxe Cafe costs a little less than the Smeg BCC12, and it’s our favourite budget-friendly model.