Swan Retro Espresso Machine review

If you’re a fan of vintage style kitchen appliances, the Swan range fits the bill. We’re reviewing a retro espresso maker that comes in nine different colors.

While not available in the US, we found a very similar model on Amazon that sells for $149.99.

Design and appearance

• tank 1.2 liters
• temperature sensor
• steam wand

This 3 kg machine is a lightweight instrument with a colored plastic body and a chrome dial, buttons and trim. It has a metal cup holder, a metal drip tray and a metal steam wand. Okay, the rest of the build is a bit ductile and the chrome finish may not last forever, but what you lose in strength you gain in style.

In the box you will get a 15 bar machine, a scoop and rammer tool, a pair of 1 and 2 serving filter baskets, a portafilter, a brush and a manual.

The machine itself is neat: 31 cm high, 20 cm wide and 27 cm deep, although you have to add another 8 cm for the portafilter handle. Its body color – cream in our case, but you can choose from sage, pastel blue, grey, pink, purple and more – means the car’s presence feels a lot less imposing than it could be in black or stainless steel. Indeed, it harmonized with our cream-colored tiles, which soothes the feeling of clutter on the worktop.

The transparent reservoir is inserted from behind and holds 1.2 liters of water. It can be poured from the tap or on site; the tank has a swivel hinge that can be confusing at first but means you’ll never lose the lid by accident. The cable also has a decent length of 97 cm.

The drip tray has a useful float valve so you can see when it’s full, and the grate is removable for easy cleaning. You can also place a 250 ml mug under the portafilter spout so you can pour espresso directly into your latte or cappuccino mug.

Interestingly, the manual lists recommended dispensing volumes for both espresso and cappuccino, with the latter containing recommendations for milk volume. We’ve noticed this precisely because manual dispensing coffee machines don’t always come with a helpful manual, and this will save you time searching.

The machine is controlled by three buttons on the front panel: steam, pump and power. You can also control the power of the steam wand using the dial, which is incredibly convenient and gives you that authentic barista feel.

There are also three indicator lights on the front for pump, power and steam that let you know when the machine is on and if the water temperature is high enough to dispense coffee or steam milk. There’s also a temperature sensor, which takes the hassle out of guessing the heated game.

Using the Swan Retro Espresso Machine

• The preheating process adds another step to the preparation of espresso.
• Compatible with ESE pods or ground coffee
• No preset volumes for dosing

Before doing anything, it is necessary to wash the accessories and pre-clean the machine, which involves running water through the machine and portafilter. Once it has been properly cleaned according to the instructions, you are ready to use.

Every time you turn on the machine, your first step is to pump some water into the cup to make sure the heating process has started. This is where a temperature sensor comes in handy, as you can see how it heats up.

Swan then suggests warming up the car, the portafilter, and your cup. When the temperature gauge reaches the red “cup” area, you pour hot water into the cup for twenty seconds, then turn it off and pour out the hot water.

At this point, you fill the filter basket, tamp it down, place the filter basket in the heated portafilter, secure the portafilter in place, and press the pump button to dispense coffee. When you have dosed long enough, simply press the pump button again to stop the flow.

So on a cold start, you turn on the machine, pump water to set the water heat, then wait until the temperature is right for coffee, pump more water to heat the machine, portafilter, and your cup. , pour out this water, and then fill the coffee basket and dispense the drink.

This is a three-step process, which means it takes longer and requires more effort than you might expect.

However, the resulting coffee was impressive: dark body, excellent foam, Guinness presentation. The smell was fragrant, and the drink was at a good temperature with a rich, strong taste.

What was noticeable was the compacted nature of the grind when it came to emptying the filter basket, indicating that the machine’s pump was working efficiently to penetrate the coffee.

Steam milk

• Adjustable steam wand
• Disk management
• Milk jug not included

To boil milk, turn off the pump button, press the steam button and wait until the steam indicator lights up. You can see the temperature arrow going up, which is helpful.

Swan suggests that you then turn on the steam knob for fifteen seconds to purge cold water from the system before inserting it into the milk jug (a metal jug is best because you can gauge the temperature of your milk from the side).

When you have done this, place the stick in the jug and slowly turn the dial to let the milk evaporate. The dial makes the steaming process very controllable and we must say that this is a very efficient milk steamer: fast and frothy. There is a removable cylinder at the end of the stick; we’re guessing it’s for protection against steam splashes.

The result is a really, really good cappuccino: one that rivals what most coffee shops offer.

Price and availability

You can’t buy it from US retailers, but we spotted a knockoff on Amazon for $149.99.

The Swan Retro espresso machine is available in the UK from a selection of retailers. The best price we could find is on Amazon where it is currently available for £75. it’s the same available at AO.com for the same price, although Amazon has more color options. Currently all (black, blue, cream, green, gray, orange, pink, purple, yellow) are in stock.

This espresso machine is part of a huge retro range that includes (wait) pans, jugs, kettles, toasters, slow cookers, deep fryers, fans, salt and pepper grinders, mixers, bread bins, microwaves, canisters, scales, mugs and mug trees, refrigerators, freezers, fridge freezers, frying pans, baking dishes and more, all available in the same colors. You can see the whole range on the site of the swan.

This is an unusually extensive range that will allow you to equip your kitchen with the right appliances and accessories.

Apart from this machine, Swan also manufactures a retro style One-Touch espresso machine. It’s available on Amazon for £125, it’s a little bigger, with an attached milk tank and more automatic features.

Swan espresso machines are also available in Nordic (simpler lines and woodgrain finish) and Gatsby (gold finish, slightly steampunk) styles.

Verdict

The Swan Retro espresso machine is a stylish appliance that makes a great cup of coffee and steams milk well. Okay, there’s an extra step and a bit of fiddling along the way, and you might prefer the One-Touch for its ease of use, but if style is your thing, you’re unlikely to find this design and color scheme. similarly priced options elsewhere.

For more espresso machine options, check out our roundup of the best espresso machines we’ve tested. If you want to see a wider selection of coffee makers, check out our best coffee machines of all kinds: pods, espresso, filter and coffee makers.