Which is easier to clean?
The equipment we use to prepare coffee by hand, such as a French press or an Aero press, is relatively easier to clean. You can even wash them with mild soap and warm water, and quality versions of these devices are also dishwasher safe. The machines, on the other hand, are much more difficult to clean because of the large number of parts and the large cleaning area. Their individual parts need to be cleaned approximately every week. Otherwise, contamination can build up, which will require specialised products for cleaning.
Who is safer?
Coffee machines are equipped with isolators to prevent accidents. However, if you choose to make coffee by hand, you will not avoid boiling water and hot milk, which can cause injuries and burns. In manual units, you must always be vigilant to avoid burning the coffee or other disasters. However, coffee machines have a timer attached and automatically switch off when the coffee is ready. You can even set the time you want and the machine will switch off at the time you choose.
Which way causes more clutter?
If you make your coffee manually, you should be prepared to face a messy kitchen. You will have to deal with spilled coffee or milk, you will also have to deal with scalded dishes, you will need different pots to boil milk and water, which will fill up your sink and make your kitchen a mess. Plus, if you have guests, a coffee machine just makes it easier to serve them instant coffee without any hassle. The machines are clean, well-equipped to avoid any mess.
Of course, you should be prepared for the cleaning of the machine, which is inevitable. Because of the many parts that the machine has, cleaning it will take a considerable amount of time.
Which way makes a better coffee?
You have to use fresh products every time you make coffee by hand, and the machine keeps all the products for hours or even days. The quality of the milk decreases as it loses its nutrients while in the machine. Coffee tastes better when fresh ingredients are used.
Coffee lovers can recognise the best coffee as soon as they smell it, and the handcrafted coffee production methods give the best aroma. However, to achieve this result, the proportions of all the ingredients need to be correctly matched, which is almost impossible, and there is a good chance that, without experience, the coffee may not be the best.