Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Adrian Chiles

Banter is the last thing I want from a coffee machine. Yet here we are

A man with a grey beard and hair wearing a burgundy hoodie is using his espresso machine to make himself a cup of coffee.
Daily grind … do the manufacturers have focus groups? Photograph: Posed by model; Dimensions/Getty Images

I want to take a sledgehammer to my new coffee machine. It works very well. No complaints there. It’s just that I can’t bear the way it addresses me, or the way it refers to itself.

I had no such bother with my old machine, which was made by the same company. You put the beans in somewhere, selected what you wanted – long, short, strong, weak etc – pressed the button and Bob was your uncle. A tiny screen indicated your selections and how the process was progressing. Every now and then it issued a command such as “empty grounds” or “fill tank”. Clear, if terse. But that’s how I liked it. That’s what I want from machines: terse clarity. This machine never let me down so, when the time came, I chose the new version by the same manufacturer. I’m good like that, loyal.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.