Melitta Aromaboy filter coffee machine review: The cutest machine you ever did see

When it comes to filter coffee, Melitta has been in the game for longer than most. It was Melitta Bentz who is said to have invented the coffee filter paper in the early years of the 20th Century.

Fast forward a hundred years or so to today, and the German brand has a whole range of filter coffee machines, as well as bean-to-cup coffee machines, under its belt: one of these is the Aromaboy.

It’s the cutest coffee machine I’ve tested for Expert Reviews, not least because of its size. It makes a good cup of coffee too, and if you can deal with a couple of small limitations, it’s a great buy.

Melitta Aromaboy filter coffee machine review: What do you get for the money?

The Aromaboy costs £45. It’s the cheapest of Melitta’s coffee machines and also the smallest. In fact, it’s one of the smallest filter coffee machines I’ve ever come across, measuring just 168 x 128 x 198cm (WDH). It comes in a choice of two colours, Black and Retro, the latter of which is a creamy beige that gives it that classic – well, retro – look. It’s very similar to the original 1979 colour, if a bit less like egg yolk.

The Aromaboy is made up of three main parts: the main body, including the water tank, dispenser, hot plate and lid; the plastic filter cone, into which you put the filter paper; and a dinky glass serving jug. A single chunky switch, which looks just as retro as the rest of the machine, is the only button you need. It turns on the machine and starts the brewing process, shutting off automatically after 40 minutes. During this time, the hot plate will keep any coffee left in the serving jug warm. According to Melitta, the Aromaboy has the capacity to make two cups, with a maximum tank capacity of around 350ml. Helpfully, the tank has line markers for one and two cups, as well as a maximum fill line. 

Melitta Aromaboy filter coffee machine review: What does it do well?

As I implied above, the Aromaboy is very easy to use. Once you’ve filled the water tank, loaded the filter cone and pressed the switch, the machine will handle the rest. As someone who regularly enjoys filter coffee, this was one of the quickest and easiest ways to get my fix in the morning. When the tank was filled to the two cup mark, it took three minutes from pressing the switch to the end of extraction. And if you like to multi-task, you can easily leave the Aromaboy to do its thing during this time: when you return, the coffee will be kept hot in the serving jug.

The Aromaboy is a great option if you live on your own or you’re the only one who drinks coffee in your household, and its small size means it comes with a respectable sub-£50 price tag. I found that by filling the water tank to the max fill line, I could brew enough coffee to fill my 300ml mug more or less to the brim, which is an ideal amount for one serving. Beyond that, the machine is less ideal if you’re looking to make a batch of coffee for several people.

As for the coffee itself, I could get a very decent cup after experimenting a bit with measurements and grind size – eventually settling on a medium to medium fine grind, with Melitta’s own recommendation of 6g of ground coffee per cup level (so 12g for the two cup mark). A more nuanced flavour can perhaps be extracted with manual pour over methods such as the V60 or Clever Dripper, but for many the sheer convenience of the Aromaboy will win over this nuance.

READ NEXT: Why the Clever Dripper should be your next coffee maker

All this aside, the one thing that will draw many to the Aromaboy is the look, and I’ll admit it’s what first caught my eye. In my humble opinion, the Retro beige and brown is the only sensible colourway option. It looks great, particularly the design of the little serving jug. I’d go so far as to say that the Aromaboy is the cutest coffee machine I’ve ever seen.

Melitta Aromaboy filter coffee machine review: What could be improved?

As I said above, the Aromaboy is simply not suited for larger coffee servings. If you’re after something bigger that still has a retro look, an obvious option would be the Moccamaster KBG Select. It’s beautiful and comes in a wonderful array of colours, including a pastel beige similar to the Aromaboy. Be prepared to spend at least five times as much money on it, though.

The Aromaboy uses paper filters rather than a reusable filter basket like some filter coffee machines. This in itself is fine, but because of how small the machine is, your choices are limited. Melitta’s own size 100 filter papers, 40 of which will cost you around £3 on Amazon, are not even available from Melitta’s direct store at the time of writing. The only other alternative are these unbleached filters from Edesia Express (£6 for a pack of 80). I tried both types and found them to be very comparable, but their availability could present a logistical difficulty if you’re someone who, like me, doesn’t often realise they’re running out of filter papers until it’s too late.

Melitta Aromaboy filter coffee machine review: Verdict

Ultimately, these minor annoyances are very tolerable ones. And so long as Melitta doesn’t decide to stop manufacturing the size 100 filters outright, you’ll be okay.

Provided you’re not making coffee for the whole family or regularly serving up brews to your guests, I’d definitely recommend the Melitta Aromaboy – even more so if you’re the sort who is won over by that 70s charm. It makes good coffee, takes up next to no space on the kitchen counter and won’t cost you an arm and a leg either.