For the environmentally-aware, design-conscious, caffeine-addicted coffee enthusiast, a morning brew comes with a long list of needs.
Naturally, said enthusiast is most likely producing that first morning cup themselves to cut down on cost and plastic waste. They’ll also want a plethora of choices for specialty coffee, water heated to just the right temperature for brewing, and beans ground to just the right level for flavor. Crucially, all of this should be automated—so their pre-caffeine brains can cope—and wrapped up in a beautiful, minimalist package that fits well on a design-forward countertop.
After testing, the TK-01 from upstart brand Terra Kaffe hits all those marks and more.
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The surprisingly compact TK-01 offers wonderful balance of the features and quality found in the upper echelons of the increasingly broad all-in-one grinder/brewer market at a very attractive price. With a sleek, easy-to-use, iOS-like interface that allows for nigh-endless tweaking and perfecting, it’s very much the coffee enthusiast’s smart choice.
Impressively, the process of creating everything from ristrettos to cappuccinos can be done with just one touch after learning the very, very simple basics here, making it just right for a morning routine. Milk frothing, which can be a somewhat messy experience with some of these all-in-ones, turned out to be seamless thanks in part to a nice mix of automation and temperature controls. It’s all very easy and the end result is very, very premium—not even a hint of burnt grounds here.
The cost, too, is just right. Starting at around $745, the TK-01 is several price tiers down from competing, super-automatic models while offering equal or better coffee with a far more user-friendly experience. Oh, and yes, design obsessives will be all over the look of the TK-01. The stunning white model is wonderfully reminiscent of Jonathan Ives’ better designs, but the sleek black model with silver detailing is sharp, too. It’s a beautiful package for an all-around winner.
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(Photos: Courtesy Terra Kaffe)
