KitchenAid KF2 review: this fully automatic coffee machine effortlessly takes the guesswork out of your morning brew

As a kitchen appliance reviewer, some of my favorite and top-rated products hail from KitchenAid. I've owned an Artisan Stand Mixer for years now, and use many KitchenAid appliances and accessories on a daily basis, so it's no surprise that when the opportunity arose to review the brand's new fully automatic coffee machine range, I volunteered immediately.

Now, I'm no stranger to a manual espresso maker — I love my Ninja Luxe Cafe more than anything else — so I really wanted to switch it up to see how a fully automatic machine compares to the manual control I'm used to. After all, these automatic coffee machines claim to deliver the perfect espresso in one touch, without worrying about grinds, milk or the like, so my curiosity was definitely piqued. (And spoiler alert: the KF2 did not disappoint).

Launched earlier this year, KitchenAid's new machines — the KF2, KF3 and KF4 — each have different functions, prices and colorways to suit every kind of one-touch coffee-lover. The machine reviewed here, the KitchenAid KF2, is the most affordable option and offers some hands-on time for hobbyist baristas who want manual control over their milk.

Over the course of a month, I put the KitchenAid KF2 through its paces and used it to make hot, iced and milk-based drinks.

KitchenAid KF2 review: Specs

KitchenAid KF2 review: Price and availability

The KitchenAid KF2 in Australia, where I'm based, is priced at AU$1,099. For those in the UK, it's £699 and in the U.S., it's $799.99. When compared to the other coinciding releases of the KF3 ($999.99 / £749 / AU$1,349) and KF4 ($1,299.99 / £899 / AU$1,599), this is the "budget" or entry-level option in KitchenAid's new fully automatic lineup.

Now the word budget is a bit of a stretch — it's still pretty expensive — and it doesn't quite dazzle compared to similarly priced automatic machines. I’m talking largely about De’Longhi here, as you can often pick up one of the esteemed brand’s machines for less, in return for more extensive features, like one-touch drink presets and automatic milk-foaming systems. That said, the KF2 offers six drink presets and a steam wand (which some 5-star automatic machines neglect entirely). And, I won't lie, the KF2's sleek, matte black design is nice to look at.

KitchenAid KF2 review: Design

KitchenAid's newest fully automatic machines, including the KF2, have a much smaller footprint than their predecessors. Measuring just 14.2" x 7.7" x 18.5" / 36.07cm x 19.56cm x 46.99cm, the KF2 takes up very little counterspace, making it ideal for those with smaller kitchens. The KF2 has five function buttons on the front of its backlit LED screen, as well as a power button on the right side. It also features a 1.8L water tank at the back, a Pannarello steam wand, a drip tray and a concealed 250g bean hopper.

Unlike the KF3 and KF4, which are both available in matte black and KitchenAid's signature Porcelain white, the KF2 is limited to the former. I quite like the simplicity of the black colorway, but it isn't as visually appealing as the white or Juniper green colorways that the KitchenAid KF8 offers, in my opinion. The stainless steel accents in the drip tray and the steam wand are a nice contrast to the matte machine body, but I didn't love the feel of the function buttons.

A fun surprise discovered during set up were two wheels under the machine, making it easy to move around if you needed to fill the water tank. It's also not that heavy, at just 22lbs / 10.1kg, so I could easily lift it and move it into place.

KitchenAid KF2 review: Performance

Grinder

The KF2 uses KitchenAid’s Intelligrind technology, which aims to take the guesswork out of selecting the best grind size for your chosen beans. For most users, it allows for a hands-off approach, just pour your beans into the top-mounted hopper and select a drink. If you do want to make some finer adjustments, you can open the machine's side panel, where you’ll find a slider to make the grind finer (to the left) or coarser (to the right). However, for most users, I don't think any adjustments would need to be made, as the automatic function takes away any manual hand tamping or grinding.

Regardless of whether you make adjustments or not, the KF2's grinder is so quiet. That's largely due to its Quiet Mark certification, meaning it won't make too much noise while you're brewing your early morning coffee.

If you prefer decaf or coffee grounds, the KF2 also has a 250g ground coffee section next to the bean hopper. It is worth noting that when you add in ground coffee, the machine will switch into its ground coffee mode and exclusively use it over any beans in the hopper. To fix this, you'll need to toggle the bean setting before every use.

Espresso

The KF2 can truly customise your coffee to your liking, thanks to its drink, strength and dosage settings. Once you choose your drink recipe — e.g. either an espresso, coffee or over ice — you can make your coffee or espresso shot as weak or strong as you'd like using the strength and dose buttons. If you make adjustments to the strength, the KF2 will grind fewer or more beans, resulting in a dose that’s between 7g and 14g.

Regardless of the strength setting you choose, the KF2 excels at pulling a consistently well-extracted shot of espresso. For the test brew, I used the double strength on the espresso setting to extract a single shot, and it was perfectly balanced. Just look at that crema! This was using medium-dark roast beans with notes of rich caramel, butterscotch and sweet red fruits. I'm not one to drink straight espresso — I prefer iced coffee all year round — but I really enjoyed the deep caramelly notes I achieved with the KF2.

When extracting an americano, I used the coffee setting with double strength, single cup dose, and it was pretty spot on for a black coffee. There was a bit of trial and error — initially, I opted for triple strength, and it was too strong for my liking — but the second time around, it worked a charm.

Milk

If you have milk with your coffee, then you’ll likely want to know how well the KF2 can froth milk. You may also have an opinion as to the best method for foaming milk. For me, the fact that the KF2 uses a conventional steam wand as opposed to a hose system on the KF3 and KF4 is a huge plus point. While it might not be as hands-off as the other KitchenAid models — you have to pour the milk into the jug (sold separately) and then pour it into your mug — the result, in my opinion, is much better milk foam. Conversely, when using the KF3 and KF4, milk was silky in texture and did have some froth, but it paled in comparison to what the KF2 could achieve.

What’s more, having manual control means the KF2 inherently performs better with plant-based milks. This is because you can easily check the temperature whilst milk is heating up and turn it off when it reaches the optimal heat.

I am a big fan of manual control when milk frothing, so I was very eager to try the steam wand, and as a plant-based milk drinker, I preferred the wand to the milk jug/hose set-up. I could easily check the temperature and make sure my almond milk didn't burn, as most plant-based milks will burn at lower temperatures than dairy. The wand also has a side toggle where you can adjust the foam to your liking, so you don't have to second-guess too much when heating milk to your preferred foaminess.

Before using the steam wand, you need to wait a short while for the internal water system to preheat. It’s not a long process, just something to be aware of. When you’ve finished frothing your milk, you’ll want to purge the steam wand to remove any residue. The purge process can get quite messy as the wand is rather powerful and sits an inch or so above the drip tray. I resorted to purging it a few times inside an empty milk jug, just to avoid powerful steam explosions.

My first test was an Aussie staple, a flat white, which is typically made from steamed milk with very little foam. To do this, I flicked the foam setting to ‘less’ and put the wand in just below the surface.

The result clearly speaks for itself, as I made the most perfect flat white to ever exist. Even in my teenage barista days, I've never made glossy steamed milk like this, so it was a true feat to be admired for KitchenAid's steam wand.

Next up was a latte, so I moved the toggle to the highest foam setting and made sure to keep the wand under the surface of the milk. There were some bubbles initially, but after a few attempts, I ended up getting an equally perfect latte with some great microfoam. (My latte art definitely needs work, though.)

Iced coffee

KitchenAid has given its new compact trio of coffee machines the ability to make iced drinks, although the method in which they make them gave me a little cause for concern, as they’re made ‘over ice’. By this, it means you still need to put ice in your cup or glass first, and the KF2 will then pour a shot of espresso over it. The company says it brews at a cooler temperature than a ‘regular’ shot of espresso, but it’s not quite the same as the Ninja Luxe Cafe I use daily, for example, which has dedicated settings for brewing cold shots of espresso.

The results were interesting to say the least. I was a little anxious before making my first iced drink, because I'm picky about iced lattes, and if it's too watery, I don't want it. The fact that an iced latte made with the KF2 has to include a few ice cubes indicated that it may indeed end up being a bit weak.

Fortunately, my worries weren’t necessary, as the KF2 did a commendable job of making an iced coffee. When coupled with cold milk and ice, it was particularly delicious, although it was, admittedly, on the weaker side due to the melted ice.

After the first try, I tweaked the strength higher as the machine automatically selects the lowest setting, and it made a better improvement to the taste. I also opted most days to not brew it immediately over ice to avoid watery shots, and that made the experience much more pleasant.

KitchenAid KF2 review: Storage and maintenance

When it comes to everyday maintenance of the KitchenAid KF2, it was pretty straightforward and I didn't need any handholding to keep the machine running. The drip tray has a handy full alert sign when it needs emptying, and can be easily removed. And if you need to add more coffee beans, the backlit screen will give you a helpful alert.

The KitchenAid KF2 comes with a couple of cleaning tablets for cleaning the brewing group and water filter inside the box. It also comes with a handy water filter insertion tool, which doubles as a ground coffee scoop. As per the manufacturer, the water filters will last two months if using tap water, but could last up to 6 months if you use filtered water. You will need to buy descaling solution separately.

KitchenAid's routine cleaning and maintenance is pretty easy, as the machine rinses itself before and after each use. This also clears the system of any blockages as well as warm the internal pipes to the right temperature before making a coffee.

If you need to descale the machine, clean the steam wand, add beans or water, the screen will give you an alert and guide you through the process if needed. Now, during my review period, I didn't need to descale the machine at all; however, I am certain that the machine would let me know if it needed an extra clean.

KitchenAid does sell additional water filters and brew units if you need more, and offers a 3-year limited warranty.

KitchenAid KF2 review: Verdict

If you prioritise time in the mornings, then the KitchenAid KF2 is something to consider and add to your routine. It's easy-to-use, delivers excellent crema, and offers some hands-on control for your milk. All you need to do is add your preferred beans (or grounds), and you've got the perfect morning brew.

That said, it doesn't offer full one-touch convenience — you'll need to tweak your strength and dose settings with each use — however, that doesn't knock too many marks off for me. And iced lattes could be better, but that won't matter to most non-iced coffee drinkers.

That being said, if you're interested in a fully automatic, low-maintenance coffee machine, the KitchenAid KF2 is hard to beat.