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KitchenAid KF8 Review – Real Espresso Control in a Fully Automatic
by Suzanne Kantra on February 13, 2026
After six months of heavy daily use in our tiny NYC kitchen, the KitchenAid KF8 fully-automatic espresso machine did something I didn’t expect. It permanently displaced our more manual DeLonghi La Specialista Arte – a machine we love – from the counter.
That surprised me. My husband loves making coffee, crafting the perfect cappuccino. I love drinking it. So for a fully automatic machine to take precedence, it had to come very close to what he can achieve with his barista skills. And that’s exactly what happened with the KF8.
Fully automatic machines like the KF8 aren’t for people who enjoy the ritual of tamping, dialing in shots, and steaming milk. They’re for coffee lovers who want excellent espresso and lattes without turning it into a hobby. You press a button. You get a great drink – every time.
And unlike most fully-automatics, the KF8 doesn’t lock you out of customization. For every drink, you can adjust the milk volume and type, the espresso temperature, volume, strength (how many beans are used), and body (faster or slower pull), and whether the milk or espresso goes in the cup first. If you want to go under the hood, you can manually adjust the internal burr grinder as well. It’s the rare machine that gives you both push-button ease and meaningful control.
I’ve used and tested many other fully automatic machines over the years, and after extensive testing, I found that the $1,999 KitchenAid KF8 is well worth the investment. It makes better espresso and higher-quality milk-based drinks than most other fully automatics, and it’s easy to use.
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Design and interface
First, let's address the elephant on the counter: the KF8 is massive at 18.5 inches deep, 14.3 inches high, and 10.2 inches wide. It dominated the space next to our sink, leaving room for just a single coffee mug in front. I was convinced we’d go back to our smaller DeLonghi within weeks. Instead, six months later, it’s still there because for a household where multiple people make multiple drinks every day, the convenience is transformative. You design your coffee space around this machine. Not the other way around.
The build quality matches the footprint. Ours is the beautiful Juniper green model, with a mostly stainless steel body, and it looks like a serious appliance. The color touchscreen is responsive and intuitive enough that guests can use it without instructions. And while it’s not silent, at approximately 62dB, it’s noticeably less jarring than most grinders first thing in the morning.
The interface is virtually foolproof. There are 16 core drink types (Cafe Latte, Espresso, Cappuccino, Americano, Macchiato, Latte Macchiato, Espresso Lungo, Cortado, Coffee, Ristretto, Cafe Au Lait, Flat White, Frothed Milk, Warm Milk, Hot Water, and Green Tea).
Once you pick your drink type, there are seven adjustments you can make to tailor it to your taste:
- Coffee strength (5 levels): Controls coffee grounds amount
- Coffee body: Adjusts extraction pressure for different flavor profiles
- Coffee temperature (3 levels: low, medium, high): Critical for brewing over ice or extra-hot drinks
- Coffee volume: Intelligently bounded by drink type – espresso (1-2 oz), macchiato (1-2.6 oz), latte (1-7.4 oz)
- Milk type: Dairy or Plant-Based, which reduces the frothing temperature and introduces more air
- Milk volume: Tailored to drink definition – macchiato (0.2-1.6 oz for just a "mark" of milk), latte (2.7-8.1 oz)
- Milk first or coffee first: Affects presentation
When you're done customizing a drink, you can save it to your profile. Everyone in our house taps their name and gets exactly what they like – the right temperature, strength, milk ratio, and volume – every single time.
The drink-and-milk delivery system is height-adjustable, so it can cleanly dispense into everything from espresso cups to those tall Costco 16-ounce to-go cups.
Coffee and milk foam quality
The KF8 has a 19-bar pump and a maximum 15-gram dose to produce rich, full-bodied shots with consistent crema. My household has made more than 1,400 drinks, and extraction hasn’t wavered. Compared to machines like the DeLonghi Eletta Explore, the KF8 pulls better espresso. Jura still has a slight edge here, but you’re paying hundreds more for that last 10 percent.
The removable bean hopper is another useful feature. If you go back and forth between caf and decaf, you can swap beans as needed. However, the process will still require a quick purge of the grinder to remove any remaining beans. The KF8 also has a bypass chute for pre-ground coffee, which is more practical if you just need to draw a cup or two of something different.
The KF8 produces soft, silky microfoam, the kind you need to make latte art – even for planted-based milks. If you prefer traditional stiff Italian foam that you can stand a spoon in; the KF8 will disappoint you. I strongly lean towards the former, so this machine makes me very happy. Unlike most other settings, there is no adjustment for foam density.
The detachable milk container with a hose looks less elegant than built-in milk systems, but in real life, it’s better. You make your drink, disconnect the container, and put the milk back in the fridge immediately. The hose also allows you to pull from any container, not just the one that comes with the machine. So, if someone wants oat milk, just pour some into a cup and the KF8 will pull directly from that.
Cleaning and maintenance
The machine is insistent about running a milk rinse cycle, reminding you after every milk-based drink (you can opt to clean “Later”); it feels pushy but helps keep the system clean. Initiating the milk cleaning also requires scrolling through four screens of instructions, which is helpful the first time and then just annoying.
One thing to know: this machine uses a lot of water. It rinses on startup, shutdown, and after milk drinks. We find ourselves refilling the large 2.2-liter tank every couple of days, along with emptying the drip tray and grounds container. In practice that works out to about every eight drinks. If you're just pulling espressos, without the need for milk cleaning, you may be able to get about 12-14 shots out of it.
It also reminds you about nearly monthly deep cleaning of the brew unit and milk system. But after six months of flawless performance, I can’t argue with the results.
The Competition: Where the KF8 Fits
vs. DeLonghi Eletta Explore (~$2,000)
The Eletta Explore is the KF8's closest competitor and most interesting competition. It's priced the same as the KF8, but has expanded cold drink capabilities, including cold brew and cold milk frothing for iced cappuccinos. I've tasted both hot and cold drinks from the Eletta Explore on multiple occasions.
Where DeLonghi wins:
- Cold drinks are genuinely superior. The dual milk carafe system (hot and cold) with "Cold Extraction Technology" produces iced coffee and cold brew in a different league. Cold foam is stable and properly chilled. The machine brews at lower temperatures specifically for iced beverages. You add ice cubes (the machine tells you exactly how many), and the result is properly balanced iced latte or cappuccino – not just hot coffee poured over ice.
- More drink variety: True 50+ recipes, including actual cold brew (under 3 minutes), iced cappuccino with cold foam, and travel mug modes
Where KitchenAid wins:
- Espresso quality is noticeably better. The KF8's larger 15g maximum dose (vs. DeLonghi's ~14g) produces richer, more full-bodied espresso with better crema
- Hot milk foam quality: The KF8's soft microfoam is more refined for traditional hot drinks
- Plant-based milk handling: The dedicated plant-based mode (reduces temperature, increases aeration) produces better oat/almond milk foam that doesn't collapse quickly
- Build quality: Metal-clad construction with steel frame vs. more plastic construction
The verdict: If you're primarily a hot espresso drink person who occasionally wants iced coffee, the KF8 delivers better quality where it counts. If iced drinks are a daily ritual – especially in summer – or you genuinely love cold brew, the Eletta Explore's dedicated cold systems justify choosing it despite slightly weaker hot espresso.
vs. Jura E8 (~$2,800) and Jura S8 (~$3,300, on sale now for $3,000)
I haven't personally tested the Jura 8 series extensively, but based on professional reviews and my own tastings of Jura espresso, the 8 series represents the next tier up in quality.
What Jura does better:
- Espresso has that smooth, velvety quality that's immediately recognizable – rich crema, plenty of body, and refined flavor profile with minimal bitterness that other machines struggle to match
- Milk foam is genuinely exceptional. Jura's fine foam technology produces microfoam consistently praised as best-in-class for automatic machines
- 16g maximum dose: Even larger than the KF8, enabling truly syrupy, intense espresso
- Pulse Extraction Process (P.E.P.): Proprietary brewing that pulses water through grounds for optimal extraction
- Sweet Foam function (S8 only): Can mix syrups directly into milk foam (novelty for some)
- Wi-Fi and app control: Included standard with J.O.E. app (some may consider a drawback)
- 31 specialty drinks: More variety than KF8
Why the KF8 might still be the better choice:
- Price: $800+ less or $1,000+ less than the Jura S8
- The quality gap isn't that significant : The 8 series makes better espresso and foam, but we're talking 10-15% better, not twice as good
- Dedicated plant-based milk mode: Jura has one setting for all milk types
Should you buy the KF8?
This machine is for people who love drinking espresso and lattes but don’t love making them. It’s for households where everyone wants their drink exactly their way without thinking about it. It’s also for people with large kitchens or who are willing to give up counter space in exchange for café-quality coffee at the push of a button.
[Image credit: Suzanne Kantra/Techlicious]
