Why you can trust TechRadar
We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
Smeg ECF03: one-minute review
The Smeg ECF03 is a stylish espresso machine that’s a significant upgrade from its predecessor, the Smeg ECF02. The key difference is a new cold-extraction feature, which takes around two minutes to produce smooth, sweet-tasting espresso that makes an ideal base for an iced americano, cappuccino, or cocktail.
Another important upgrade is the addition of a pressure gauge that helps you see if your espresso shot is properly extracted before it’s finished pouring. It’s surprising that this doesn’t show the exact pressure in bars, but it’s nevertheless a useful guide.
When you want to brew traditional hot espresso, the machine heats quickly, and its pump produces consistent pressure, so you get reliably well-extracted coffee once you’ve dialled in the grinder correctly. During my tests, the pump reached a maximum of 72dB, which isn’t as quiet as the noise-shielded BCC13, but it isn’t excessive.
Like all Smeg’s coffee machines, the ECF03 is controlled via a small set of buttons labelled with icons, which illuminate in different colors to show the machine’s status. Solid white means the machine is ready to brew hot, solid blue means it’s ready for cold-brewing. Flashing or orange lights mean the machine is either still heating or requires maintenance. You’ll need to keep the manual handy for reference when you first start using it, but you’ll soon learn what the different combinations signify.
The Smeg ECF03 is easy to maintain, and unlike most home espresso machines, it comes with a blank disc for backwashing the grouphead and water circuit. This makes it easy to clear out coffee oils and residue that might affect the taste of your drinks.
Overall, the ECF03 is an absolute pleasure to use, and during my testing, I found it difficult to fault. The only real drawback is the price, but it is justified by the quality and style. There’s a chance you can get a deal if you wait for the Black Friday sales, or if you’re not likely to use the cold-brew function, you could opt for the ECF02 instead.
Smeg ECF03: specifications
|
Name |
Smeg ECF03 |
|
Type |
Manual espresso machine |
|
Dimensions (H x W x D) |
14.3 x 8.1 x 11.6 inches / 36.4 x 20.5 x 29.5cm |
|
Weight |
24lb 11oz / 11.2kg |
|
Water tank capacity |
1.5qt / 1.4l |
|
Steam wand |
Yes, manual |
|
Max pressure |
15 bar |
|
User profiles |
1 |
Smeg ECF03: price and availability
- Only available in Europe at the time of writing (October 2025)
- Smeg ECF02, which lacks cold brew mode, costs considerably less
At the time of writing, the Smeg ECF03 is only available in Europe. It launched in the UK in September 2025 at a list price of £499.96. That works out at about $670 / AU$1,000, but official release dates and prices for the US and Australia have yet to be announced.
For comparison, the Smeg ECF02, which lacks a cold-brew function, has a list price of $600 / £399.95 / AU$699, but can sometimes be found at a significant discount. In the UK, for example, it’s currently reduced to £299.95 in Smeg’s online store.
You’ll find today’s best deals on both machines below, with prices updated daily.
Smeg ECF03: design
- Chic 1950s-inspired design
- Well-made, solid-feeling accessories
- Cleverly concealed storage compartment
The ECF03 is part of Smeg’s line of 1950s-inspired appliances, with smooth curved lines, stainless steel accents, and a choice of glossy retro colors: pastel blue, cream (shown here), white, and black. It’s a new sibling for the Smeg ECF02, with the biggest difference being the ECF03’s ability to brew cold-extracted espresso as well as hot.
It also has a slightly different shape, with convex sides rather than concave, and a gauge on the front that helps you see if you’ve achieved the optimum pressure for extracting a shot (a feature I always appreciate).
You’ll find a power switch on the left-hand side of the ECF03’s case, and its functions are controlled with a set of four buttons on the stainless steel top (for single shot, double shot, steam, and switching between hot and cold brewing).
The 58mm portafilter feels reassuringly solid in the hand, weighing about 240z / 676g with a basket fitted, and the tamper is a hefty 16z / 448g. This weight doesn’t just make it satisfying to use, it also helps you apply even pressure to produce an evenly compressed puck without fissures, resulting in more consistently extracted coffee.
Like all other Smeg espresso machines I’ve tested, the ECF03 comes with four filter baskets, including pressurized and single-walled options for single and double shots. Pressurized (double-walled) baskets are more forgiving if your technique isn’t quite perfect, producing reliably thick crema, while the single-walled baskets give you finer control over extraction.
The steam wand pivots out from the machine, with a good range of movement and an angle that’s ideal for creating a ‘whirlpool’ in your milk pitcher. It has a cool-touch silicone handle and is operated using a stainless steel knob on the machine’s right-hand side. Pull it towards you for steam, and push it away for hot water.
Pull out the drip tray and you’ll find a handy storage compartment, which holds the filter baskets you use less frequently, a stiff-bristled cleaning brush, a needle tool for clearing the steam wand if it becomes blocked, and a blank disc that you can place in the portafilter handle to backwash the machine using a cleaning tablet. That last item is a particularly nice addition that’s used daily in a commercial setting, but rarely included with home espresso machines.
The only item notable by its absence is a milk pitcher, which is a little surprising for an espresso machine in this price bracket.
Smeg ECF03: performance
- Brews consistently good hot and cold espresso
- Pressure gauge is useful, though the lack of numbers is surprising
- Easy to clean and care for
I found the ECF03 a joy to use, whether brewing hot or cold, and Smeg’s usual attention to detail and build quality are evident right from the start.
The machine’s water tank is robust, with a built-in handle that makes it easy and comfortable to carry. You’re given a water hardness testing strip so you can pick the correct water hardness setting to use (‘hard water’ is the default). Although no water filter is provided, compatible filters are available to buy from Smeg’s website, and they easily twist into place in the bottom of the tank.
The 58mm portafilter seems identical to the one supplied with the ECF02, which is fine with me; it’s excellent. The tamper, however, is a big upgrade. The base model ECF02 came with a plastic measuring scoop with a tamper on the end. It was fit for purpose, but its light weight meant it could be tricky to apply consistent pressure each time you used it. The ECF03’s tamper is much weightier, which gives it a more premium feeling and makes it easier to create a consistently well-formed puck.
As you’d expect from a premium home espresso machine, the ECF03 is an excellent performer. Once you’ve got your grinder dialled in, you can be confident that your shots will be perfectly extracted time after time. (If you’re in need of a grinder, the Smeg CGF03 matches the ECF03 in style and choice of colors.)
The ECF03’s pressure gauge is a particularly useful feature, letting you see whether your espresso is likely to be extracted properly before it’s finished pouring. However, it’s not labelled with the exact pressure in bars; instead, you just aim for the needle to be positioned in the black section marked on the dial. It’s a bit of a strange choice; there are markers around the edge of the dial, but no indication of what measurements they represent.
During brewing, the ECF03’s pump reached a maximum of 72dB, which is roughly equivalent to a vacuum cleaner. It’s noticeably noisier than the fully automatic Smeg BCC13, which has sound shielding and is QuietMark certified, but isn’t excessively loud and is about average for a manual espresso machine.
Most of the buttons on the machine’s top are labelled with icons, except for the one that switches between hot and cold brewing modes. When the machine is primed and ready to brew hot, the double-shot, single-shot, and steam buttons are all illuminated white. In cold-brewing mode, the first two are blue instead.
Cold-brewing is quick, taking around two minutes to extract a shot. Part of this time is taken up with an extended pre-infusion, which gives the ground coffee extra time to bloom. After that, the ECF03 will send pulses of cold water through the puck (in groups of three) until the shot is ready.
The result is a mellow-tasting and well-rounded drink that you can enjoy by itself or as the base of an iced americano. If you prefer chilled lattes or cappuccinos, take a look at the Smeg Mini Milk Frother, which matches the style of the ECF03 and can produce thick or thin cold foam.
Holding down one of the coffee-brewing buttons will let you customize its properties. If the buttons illuminate in orange or start to flash, it’s a sign that there’s a fault, or (more likely) it’s time for some routine maintenance.
The ECF03 is a piece of cake to clean and care for. You can keep the case and exterior of the milk wand looking pristine by wiping with a damp cloth. Purge the wand with a blast of steam after each use, and you’ll be unlikely to need the needle-like cleaning tool.
As I mentioned above, the inclusion of a blank disc is excellent when it’s time to give the machine’s grouphead and circuit a thorough clean to remove old coffee residue. To use it, insert the single-walled single-shot basket and place the disc in the bottom. Smeg doesn’t sell its own cleaning tablets, but you can use any detergent tabs recommended for home coffee machines. Press and hold the single and double shot buttons to pulse water through the machine, then empty the drip tray and repeat the process. For descaling, the company recommends its own-brand Anti-Kalk liquid.
The drip tray’s cup holder seems to resist scratches well (unlike some, which are easily scuffed by ceramic mugs), and the tray is nice and deep, so you’re unlikely to spill anything during emptying.
I’ve tested a lot of hot- and cold-brew espresso machines this year, but the Smeg ECF03 is easily one of the most refined. It’s a pleasure to use, looks great, and is extremely consistent. If your budget will stretch to it, you won’t be disappointed.
Should you buy the Smeg ECF03
|
Attribute |
Notes |
Score |
|---|---|---|
|
Value |
A premium espresso machine with a price tag to match, though it’s justified by the design and build quality. |
4.5/5 |
|
Design |
Smeg’s signature ’50s style looks as chic as ever, and there are some significant upgrades from the ECF02. |
5/5 |
|
Performance |
Generates consistent pressure for reliably well-extracted hot and cold drinks, and is a piece of cake to clean and care for. |
5/5 |
Buy it if
Don’t buy it if
Smeg ECF03: also consider
How I tested the Smeg ECF03
I used the Smeg ECF03 for two weeks in place of my usual Gaggia Classic espresso machine. I used it on the hard water setting, with fresh single-origin Honduran Swiss water decaf beans from a local coffee roaster, ground using my Sage Precision burr grinder.
I used the steam wand with full-fat dairy milk and barista oat milk, both of which were freshly bought and chilled.
I followed the directions in the instruction manual to set up and maintain the machine, and brewed a mix of single and double shots using both filter baskets, and used both the hot- and cold-brew options.
For more details, see how we test, review, and rate products at TechRadar.
First reviewed October 2025
Leave A Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.