We tested the Terra Kaffe TK-02 espresso machine that makes cafe-quality shots, lattes, and drip coffee — it earns the $1,500 price tag

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Making espresso is an art, but we don't all have the time to grind coffee beans, dose and tamp the grounds, pull the shot, and clean everything up before starting our day. An automatic espresso machine saves you time and effort, but you lose the ability to fine-tune your drink. That's what makes the Terra-Kaffe TK-02 so special amongst the best espresso machines we've tested.

The TK-02 is an automatic espresso machine that lets you adjust the grind size, dosage, water, and brew temperature, plus the milk volume in specialty drinks. You can save and name up to 100,000 drink recipes, so you just select "Monday morning" for the double-shot Americano and "Sunday Funday" for a frothy latte. Add to all that the app connectivity, drip and iced coffee settings, and the delicious coffee it brews, and we think the TK-02 earns its $1,500 price tag.

Read on for our full Terra Kaffe TK-02 review.

Getting started

The TK-02 comes in white and black; I chose white to match my kitchen. After testing, I'd suggest black for most users because coffee often splashed onto the machine. I easily wiped down the front after every brew, but the white surface could stain over time.

To set up the machine, all I had to do was add the power cord to the back of the machine, remove the cleaning brush (which was stored inside the water container), and place the filter in the water container. I love that the water container and the chute that catches the coffee grounds are hidden within the machine — assembly is quicker and the machine is sleeker.

The touchscreen lists all the different brews — espresso, Americano, Cappuccino, Latte, Flat White, Drip, Hot Water, and Steamed Milk. There is also a Pre-Ground button that can be chosen when using pre-ground coffee rather than coffee beans. You have to put ground coffee into the chute each time you brew like that, but the bean hopper holds 16 ounces of coffee beans and the machine will grind the precise amount per cup.

For the most part, I used the touchscreen to choose the drink I wanted to make and adjust the settings, like the number of shots and the water or milk volume. The screen also shows if the drip tray is full or the water tank is empty and your TK-02 needs maintenance.

The Terra Kaffe app has all of that information, including the ability to make drink adjustments and decide which drink profiles appear on the main touchscreen menu. However, using the app wasn't all smooth sailing. I had a recurring issue in which the app said it wasn't connected, but the machine said it was; I'd have to restart the machine or disconnect and reconnect the app.

Espresso

The Terra Kaffe gives you as much control as you want to have over making espresso. For hands-off brewing, you can start with the two pre-loaded espresso profiles. The TK Starter profile is a milder brew that I found a little watery. I preferred the TK Specialty profile because it has a brighter taste and a fuller body that amplifies different flavor notes.

When you're ready to create your own espresso profiles, you can adjust the dosage (9 to 14 grams), water (up to 5 ounces), brew temperature (between 190 and 205 degrees), and grind size (five coarseness options). It takes anywhere from 36 to 50 seconds to pull a shot on the TK-02, based on how much water you use: the less water, the quicker the pull. Of course, we shaved off a few seconds when we pulled an espresso from pre-ground coffee.

Once you select a drink, you can choose your custom profile or adjust the settings from the touchscreen or the app. My personal favorite drink is the TK-02's Americano. It's perfect for when you don't have time to adjust the espresso settings on the TK-02 but need a kick of robustly-flavored caffeine.

Drip coffee

Terra Kaffe claims that the TK-02 makes real drip coffee as opposed to just watered-down espresso, and our testing confirmed it. The TK-02 made great regular coffee that was strong without being bitter and had a balanced taste. Just as smooth, the iced coffee came out at a refreshingly chilled temperature and didn't taste watered down.

Like with the espresso, you can adjust the settings like water volume and brew temperature. The app will even tell you the strength ratio based on your adjustments; a higher water volume can decrease the strength of a drip coffee. I've set my current drip settings to a water volume of eight ounces and my dosage at 12, a strength ratio of 1:20.

Even though the Terra Kaffe makes great drip coffee, it can only brew two servings at a time. If you just want a pot of coffee to serve a group, stick with the best coffee maker.

Specialty drinks

To make a latte, I attached the milk carafe to the machine and selected a specialty recipe. I was impressed by the temperature and frothing of the milk. Whether it's a latte, flat white, macchiato, or cortado, I can adjust the milk volume between 0.4 and 10 ounces. No matter the amount, the milk is never burned and is always aerated.

You can also steam milk independently of making a specialty drink using the "steamed milk" menu option. To steam, you use the milk knob on the side of the machine: turned to the top or counterclockwise dispenses hot milk and dialed to the bottom or clockwise froths the milk. I noticed that when using the steamed milk setting, the milk appeared thicker and more thoroughly frothed than when I used a specialty recipe.

After using steamed or frothed milk, the machine prompts a short steam cleaning. You have to remove the milk carafe to do this. From there, it runs steam through the spouts. You'll need to clean the milk carafe by hand. While you can leave the tube on the machine, I never did, choosing instead to wash the carafe and the tube with water and soap in my sink.

Cons to consider

Admittedly, I ran into some technological issues. For one, you can only have 10 drinks displayed on the TK-02 screen at any time; you can add or remove them in the app. During the testing period, my app and machine had trouble staying connected. There were times I couldn't look at the various settings on the app and had to either restart the app or the machine.

Terra Kaffe is continuing to make beta phase updates. When I tested the machine, the bean hopper notification was in the beta phase. I had to manually set up the notification so that the machine would notify me when the hopper needed to be refilled. Once, the machine thought the bean hopper was low even though it was completely full, and I had to recalibrate it a second time.

What are your alternatives?

The Terra Kaffe TK-02 is undeniably pricey, but it's far under the Jura Z10, which is nearly $4000. Thankfully, the price tag delivers an automatic machine that pulls a phenomenal espresso, likely because the built-in bean grinder automatically adjusts the grind based on the type of drink you're making. There are 32 different programmable hot or cold beverages and an easy-to-use touchscreen.

If you're willing to sacrifice some quality, the Café Affetto is a more affordable fully automatic machine. For about $500, you can enjoy a built-in grinder, phenomenal frother, and some customization via the "My Cup" setting. Our reporters consider the Café Affetto a solid, beginner-friendly machine, but not enough to satisfy espresso aficionados.

The bottom line

Thanks to the Terra Kaffe TK-02, I have more control over my espresso pulls than I would with most other automatic espresso machines. And, unlike with a manual machine, I can precisely replicate my favorite drink or the perfect shot by using the personal espresso profiles. This is the ideal machine for those who don't have the time or inclination to brew manually, but occasionally want to tinker with water temperature or grind size.