Review · Bean-to-cup machines
Melitta Barista TS Smart review: twin-hopper premium bean-to-cup
The Melitta Barista TS Smart has two bean chambers, 21 recipes and an app. UK prices, specs, TS vs T Smart and alternatives, checked 3 Oct 2026.
This Melitta Barista TS Smart review is for anyone weighing up a twin-hopper bean-to-cup. The TS Smart’s two-chamber bean container lets it pick the right bean for each drink, and Melitta lists 21 recipes and app control. We haven’t tested this in person. This review is based on Melitta UK’s product page and specifications, Currys’ listings and UK prices checked 3 Oct 2026. Read how we compare.
Melitta Barista TS Smart review: the short answer
Buy it if your household drinks two different coffees, for example a dark espresso blend and a decaf, and you want the machine to switch between them. Melitta UK says its Automatic Bean Select chooses the bean type for each drink, either automatically or on request.
Who it isn’t for: anyone who only drinks one coffee. You’d pay for a second chamber you don’t use.
Skip it if you don’t need app control. The De’Longhi Rivelia also has two hoppers but no app on De’Longhi UK’s spec list; it was from £594 at Currys, checked 3 Oct 2026 (prices can change), and De’Longhi UK lists it with 16 one-touch drinks. De’Longhi Rivelia EXAM440.55: See it at Currys for De’Longhi Rivelia EXAM440.55 (opens in a new tab)
Who it isn’t for: cold coffee fans. Melitta doesn’t list iced or cold brew drinks for the TS Smart.
What it costs right now
These are the prices we found:
- Silver (F85/0-101): £559 at Currys, checked 3 Oct 2026, shown as in stock. Prices can change. See it at Currys
- Black (F85/0-102): £609 at Currys, checked 3 Oct 2026, shown as in stock. Prices can change.
- Stainless steel (F86/0-100): £949 at Currys, checked 3 Oct 2026, shown as out of stock. Prices can change.
- Black at Melitta UK: Check price at Melitta UK. See it at Melitta UK
The Currys pages showed no Was price. John Lewis’s site didn’t respond when we checked.
Who it isn’t for: anyone set on stainless steel at a lower price. That finish cost £390 more than silver at Currys on 3 Oct 2026 and was out of stock.
TS Smart vs T Smart
Melitta UK also sells the Barista T Smart. On Melitta’s spec pages, the differences are:
- Recipes: 21 on the TS against 18 on the T.
- Saved profiles: eight against four.
- Bean selection: the TS has Automatic Bean Select. The T has Manual Bean Select, where you choose which chamber to use.
Both list a 270g bean container, a 1.8-litre tank and the same 372 x 259 x 467mm body. On 3 Oct 2026 Melitta UK showed the silver T Smart at £899.99, more than the TS Smart’s £649.99 there. That’s the price we saw, but check before you buy, because the lower-spec model costing more is unusual.
Who it isn’t for: budget buyers. The T Smart doesn’t save money at current Melitta UK prices.
Two bean chambers
Melitta UK describes a dual-chamber bean container with a total volume of 270g. The machine grinds only the beans each drink needs and then grinds the mill empty. Melitta notes that some mixing of the two beans can still happen after switching.
There’s also a chute for pre-ground coffee, and active bean monitoring warns you before a chamber runs out.
Who it isn’t for: heavy drinkers. Split across two chambers, 270g means more frequent refills than a single large hopper.
Drinks, settings and app
Melitta UK lists 21 recipes:
- One touch: espresso, café crème, cappuccino and latte macchiato.
- From the menu: 17 more, including flat white, ristretto, americano and espresso doppio.
Currys’ drinks list also includes long black, red eye and a latte macchiato triple shot. Melitta’s “Italian preparation process” adds ingredients in a set order, so a latte macchiato gets its espresso after the milk.
Melitta UK lists these settings:
- five strength levels
- five grind settings
- brewing temperatures of 85, 90 or 95°C
- water quantity from 25ml to 220ml
- eight saved user profiles
- a Double Cup mode for two drinks at once
Currys lists Bluetooth for the Melitta Connect app. Melitta says the app’s FreeStyle mode lets you set your own sequence and ratios of coffee, milk froth and hot water.
Who it isn’t for: anyone who wants wi-fi control from another room. Currys lists Bluetooth connectivity only.
Milk and cleaning
Melitta UK describes an Easy Steam Cleaning function that cleans the milk system with hot water and steam at the touch of a button. The milk system is removable. The supplied container connects on either side of the spout and can go in the fridge and the dishwasher. Currys lists the milk container at 950ml.
The brewing unit is removable for cleaning. Melitta’s feature copy says that with its Pro Aqua water filter you’d only need to descale about once a year, based on six 120ml drinks a day and six filter changes, though its own spec table lists once-a-year descaling as “No”. Plan to follow the machine’s descaling prompts. Melitta Pro Aqua water filter: Check price at Amazon for Melitta Pro Aqua water filter (opens in a new tab)
Who it isn’t for: anyone who wants nothing to do. The brew unit still needs rinsing by hand.
Downsides
- Small bean capacity: 270g in total, split across two chambers.
- Weight: 10.6kg on Melitta UK’s spec sheet. Currys lists 10.4kg.
- No cold drinks: neither Melitta nor Currys lists iced or cold brew recipes.
- Price swings: the black finish was £609 at Currys and £649.99 at Melitta UK, both checked 3 Oct 2026. Prices can change.
Alternatives
- De’Longhi Rivelia: from £594 at Currys (black EXAM440.55.B), checked 3 Oct 2026, prices can change. Currys lists two 250g hoppers, a LatteCrema hot milk carafe and a 1.4-litre tank. See our De’Longhi Rivelia review.
- De’Longhi Eletta Explore: £899 at Currys (ECAM450.86.T), checked 3 Oct 2026, prices can change. Currys lists hot and cold drinks, including cold brew, plus hot and cold milk carafes. De’Longhi Eletta Explore: See it at Currys for De’Longhi Eletta Explore (opens in a new tab)
- Philips 2200: a much cheaper single-hopper option. See our Philips 2200 review. Philips Series 2200 EP2220/10: See it at John Lewis for Philips Series 2200 EP2220/10 (opens in a new tab)
You can compare more machines in our bean-to-cup machines hub and our bean-to-cup machines under £500 guide. If you’re choosing beans for two chambers, our coffee beans page is a good place to start.
Who it isn’t for: the Rivelia isn’t for anyone who wants app control or a FreeStyle recipe mode, the Eletta Explore isn’t for anyone who doesn’t want to spend more than the TS Smart costs, and the Philips 2200 isn’t for anyone who wants two bean chambers.
Independent review: Trusted Reviews has published a review of the Caffeo Barista TS Smart. We haven’t summarised its findings here.
FAQ
Can you use two different beans in the Melitta Barista TS Smart? Yes. Melitta UK lists a two-chamber bean container with Automatic Bean Select, so you can keep, for example, a blend in one side and a decaf in the other.
What’s the difference between the Melitta Barista TS Smart and T Smart? On Melitta UK’s specs, the TS has 21 recipes, eight profiles and automatic bean selection. The T has 18 recipes, four profiles and manual bean selection.
Can you use ground coffee in it? Yes. Melitta UK lists a chute for pre-ground coffee.
Does the Barista TS Smart work with an app? Yes. It works with the Melitta Connect app, which Currys lists as Bluetooth.
Verdict
Melitta Caffeo Barista TS Smart (F85/0-101, silver)
A twin-hopper bean-to-cup with 21 recipes, eight saved profiles and app control, from £559 at Currys (checked 3 Oct 2026, prices can change). It suits households that drink two kinds of coffee; De'Longhi's Rivelia is the closest two-hopper rival at a similar price.
Pros
- Pro: Two-chamber bean container with Automatic Bean Select (Melitta UK)
- Pro: 21 recipes and eight saved user profiles (Melitta UK)
- Pro: Melitta Connect app with a FreeStyle mode for your own recipes (Melitta UK)
- Pro: Milk system steam-cleaned at the touch of a button (Melitta UK)
Cons
- Con: 270g bean capacity in total across both chambers (Melitta UK)
- Con: 1.8-litre water tank (Melitta UK)
- Con: Heavy, at 10.6kg on Melitta's figures
- Best for
- Households that switch between two beans, such as a regular blend and a decaf
- Who it isn't for
- Anyone who drinks one coffee and wants the lowest price
See it on the maker's site: Melitta's UK page for the Caffeo Barista TS SmartLink: Melitta's UK page for the Caffeo Barista TS Smart. Not an affiliate link.
Sources
- See it at Currys (currys.co.uk)
- See it at Melitta UK (melitta.co.uk)
- review of the Caffeo Barista TS Smart (trustedreviews.com)