Spinn Coffee Maker Review

What is the Spinn Coffee Maker?

This machine is different from your typical coffee maker. Similar to the GE Café Affetto we tested, the Spinn connects to its own personal app, where you can choose from a variety of drinks—including hot water—and customize them to your liking. That way, every cup comes out tasting just how you like it.

It can also work with Alexa voice commands for hands-free brewing. But if you're not tech savvy, don't worry—Spinn also has (limited) gadget-free functionality, with three buttons right on the machine for a single espresso, double espresso, and regular coffee.

Apart from its high-tech features, what sets the Spinn apart from other automatic coffee makers is that it doesn't require special (and wasteful) pods in order to function. All you need is fresh, high quality beans and water. And you can toss the used coffee grounds right into your compost bin when it's time to empty it.

If you're partial to milk-based coffee drinks—like lattes, cappuccinos, and flat whites—you can also opt for the Spinn milk frother as an added accessory.

What we like

It makes great coffee

Sure, it's sleek looking and high tech. But what about the coffee? Is the Spinn really that much better than the average Keurig or Nespresso?

The answer is a resounding yes.

Any coffee lover will tell you that coffee made with freshly ground beans is superior to pre-ground, and especially superior to pre-packaged coffee pods.

The machine contains a steel conical burr grinder, which automatically adjusts bean coarseness to match the drink it's making. You can also upload a photo of your coffee beans via the app, so that the machine automatically adjusts each recipe according to the bean type and roast you're using.

The Spinn uses centrifugal brewing technology, which means the freshly ground coffee gets transferred to a chamber where it spins into water at up to 5,000 RPM. And individual recipes get unique treatment—stronger drinks like espresso make the coffee spin faster, while larger drinks like drip coffee have a slower speed. (This technique puts the spin in Spinn.)

Plus: There's a water filter that screws right into the tank, which removes chlorine and metals like lead and copper to increase the lifespan of your machine and produce better tasting coffee.

There are over a dozen drink options with recipes built into the app—from espresso lungo and Americano to cold brew and cortado—that you can customize according to your preferences. You can tweak the coffee strength and size of any beverage, and save and name several different recipes so that you and your partner can enjoy your respective drinks every day.

Plus, every once in a while, new drinks get added to the app that can automatically be made as soon as they're available.

The only drink I wasn't impressed by during testing was the cold brew; it came out too weak and frothy. It didn't have the bold flavor profile that's indicative of a good cold brew. But in all fairness, cold brew typically requires over 24 hours to steep in order to achieve that distinct flavor. And since Spinn's cold brew can be made in a few minutes' time, it still tasted good considering the speedy preparation (just not like a traditional cold brew).

It offers exceptional convenience

Once you've set up your Spinn, you'll never have to put any thought into getting your perfect cuppa again.

Your phone will send you notifications whenever it's time for maintenance, like refilling your water tank and coffee beans, or emptying your residue bin or drip tray. (Those notifications will also pop up on the machine itself, so they're pretty hard to miss.)

The Spinn app can set up automatic orders for whenever your coffee bean stash is running low. You can decide on your own re-ordering schedule and favorite bean roast, or browse the app's recommended roasts to try something new.

The Spinn requires a special maintenance kit for cleaning, which comes with a cleaning fluid and descaler. When it's time to deep clean or descale the machine—which is typically required monthly and every six months, respectively—the app will send you a notification to let you know.

We completed both cleaning processes while testing the machine. Both cleaning and descaling took about an hour to complete, but with only a few minutes of actual hands-on time, each process was a breeze. The app guides you through a step-by-step guide that's easy to follow—there are even videos at each step for reference.

It's sleek

You might not want to leave just any coffee maker out on display, but this one is definitely worth considering as a part of your décor.

At just 8.5 inches wide and 14 inches tall, this slim machine can be easily tucked away between other appliances or under cabinets without fuss. And it has a stylish look that has won several design awards in the past two years. So you won't feel the need to hide it away after use.

It's great for coffee lovers and newbies alike

Most espresso machines and coffee makers we've tested in the past are either great for coffee newbies (i.e., convenient and pod-compatible), or great for experts that don't mind a complex interface.

This machine is different—it's suitable for anyone.

If you're new to the world of coffee, you can take the coffee quiz in the Spinn app that matches you with coffee beans based on your flavor preferences and coffee drinking habits. And you don't have to know the ins and outs of brewing complex espresso drinks in order to enjoy them.

If you're fussy about your coffee, there are plenty of ways to customize the existing recipes to tailor them to your needs and preferences. The app is also a great way to explore new, local roasters you may have never tried before, or try out unique coffee drinks with built-in recipes (think cortado and espresso romanos).

What we don't like

The frother has limited functionality

We tested the Spinn's accompanying milk frother as well, to see if its functionality was as impressive as the coffee machine.

There are only three settings on the frother: Warm milk (no foam), cold froth, and hot froth. It includes three markers inside with maximum limits depending on which milk type you're making. And it couldn't be easier to use. There's just one button on the machine; press it once, twice, or three times, depending on which type of milk you'd like.

The downside? There's no way to customize milk types, like low-foam flat white milk or high-foam cappuccino milk. The results are actually closer to the latter—so if you like lots of foam, you won't be disappointed.

You also can't dictate how hot you prefer your milk to be; the machine decides for you. To me, this seemed like a significant departure from the ultra-customizable coffee machine beside it.

The frother manual also warns against using non-dairy milk, as it may not produce the same results—but I found that it produced decent froth when testing it with standard almond milk.

I was also disappointed to see that the frother has no pour spout built in, which made pouring milk into a cup of espresso a bit more of a struggle. It also makes it virtually impossible to be able to create any kind of latte art with this frother, a personal bummer for a retired barista like myself.

It's pricey

At a minimum of $999, this machine is on the high end of any similar coffee machines we've tested in the past. And that price doesn't include a milk frother or maintenance kit, which would need to be purchased separately if needed.

Although its functionality and coffee quality outrank a lot of other machines, it's still a factor to consider if money is tight.

The water tank is small

My one major complaint I had while using this machine? How often I had to replenish the water.

The Spinn water tank only has a 40 ounce capacity, a decently smaller size than most of our favorite espresso machines—and those typically pull single or double-ounce drinks at any given time, making the capacity last even longer.

Since I often chose to brew the coffee (6.8 ounces), mug (10.3 ounces), or cold brew (4.9 ounces) drinks, I found myself refilling the tank extremely often. Luckily, a water filter is built into the tank, so as long as your community water is decently safe to drink, you don't have to worry about adding filtered or bottled water into the tank.

Should you buy the Spinn Coffee Maker?

Yes—if it's in your budget!

If you're someone who values convenience and a good cup of coffee, the Spinn machine could be worth the investment. (Especially if it means saving on $5 drinks from your local coffee shop.)

It's definitely on the pricier side, but it's much more convenient to maintain than other espresso machines, more versatile than typical coffee makers, and—let's face it—it looks great while doing it.

If you're not ready to drop this much on one small appliance—but are still in the market for a convenient good coffee maker that can make a range of beverages—check out our roundup of pod coffee makers.