‎Bosch TKA3A034 Filter Coffee Machine - Review 🏆

The Bosch TKA3A034 is a compact and stylish filter coffee machine designed for making delicious filter coffee at home. It features a 10-cup capacity glass jug and an easy-to-use control panel with LED display.

This Bosch coffee maker stands out with its high-quality German engineering and brewing technology that helps extract the optimal flavor from ground coffee. It has a keep warm function to keep coffee hot after brewing, along with other useful features like a programmable timer and adjustable aroma strength.

With its space-saving footprint, the TKA3A034 is ideal for kitchens where counter space is limited. Its premium look and polished finish allow it to fit into any modern decor seamlessly. This review will dive into the details of the Bosch TKA3A034, including an overview of its design, features, performance, pros and cons to help you decide if it's the right filter coffee machine for your needs.

Design and Build Quality

The Bosch TKA3A034 filter coffee machine features a sleek and modern stainless steel exterior that looks great in any kitchen. The overall build quality feels very solid and durable, with no flimsy plastic parts.

The water reservoir is constructed from BPA-free plastic, ensuring no harmful chemicals leach into your coffee. The drip tray is stainless steel and removable for easy cleaning. The filter holder and permanent filter are also stainless steel.

The materials used in the construction are high-quality and designed for longevity. The stainless steel exterior should resist scratches, fingerprints, and other signs of wear and tear.

Overall, the Bosch filter coffee machine has an excellent design and sturdy construction that should provide years of reliable service. The materials are safe and built to last.

In addition to the TKA3A034, the Bosch TKA6A043 model offers enhanced features, including a larger water reservoir and automatic shut-off function, making it an excellent addition for coffee enthusiasts. The design maintains the same high-quality stainless steel finish, ensuring both style and functionality. For more details, visit the ‎Bosch TKA6A043 page.

Features

The Bosch TKA3A034 filter coffee machine comes with a range of useful features that make the brewing process easy and convenient.

• Large 1.2L capacity: The sizable glass carafe can hold up to 15 cups of coffee, making it ideal for families or entertaining guests. No need to brew multiple pots.

• Keep warm plate: The hotplate keeps coffee warm for up to 40 minutes after brewing, so you can take your time enjoying each cup.

• AromaDouble feature: Uses a unique process that gently soaks and showers the coffee grounds to fully extract flavor and aroma from the beans.

• LED Control Panel: An easy-to-read digital display shows the selected settings and keeps track of the brewing time.

• 24-hour programmable timer: Set the machine to automatically brew fresh coffee whenever you want. Never wake up to an empty pot again.

• Variable temperature control: Customize the brewing temperature between 90-98°C to suit different types of coffee beans and achieve optimal extraction.

The Bosch filter coffee maker provides customizable brewing options while maintaining simplicity of use, making it a great choice for everyday coffee enjoyment.

For those seeking an alternative, the De'Longhi ICMJ210.BK also offers exceptional features, including a compact design that fits in smaller kitchens, a 10-cup capacity, and a unique drip-stop feature that allows you to pour a cup mid-brew. Ideal for coffee lovers, its sleek black finish adds elegance, while its user-friendly interface ensures convenience in every step of the brewing process. Elevate your coffee experience with the De'Longhi model, perfect for both solo sips and larger gatherings.

Ease of Use

The Bosch TKA3A034 filter coffee machine is very easy and intuitive to use. The controls are simple and straightforward with buttons for on/off, start/stop brewing, and keep warm. There is no digital display or programming options, just an indicator light that shows when the machine is heating up or brewing.

Cleaning the machine is also simple. The removable filter holder, glass carafe, and drip tray are all dishwasher safe. The heating plate can be easily wiped down after use. Descaling is recommended every 2-3 months to keep the machine running optimally, which involves running a descaling solution through the machine.

Overall, the Bosch filter coffee maker does not have a lot of bells and whistles, which makes it very easy to operate on a daily basis. The lack of complex programming or settings means anyone can use this machine to brew a pot of filter coffee with minimal fuss. Its simple and functional design focuses on ease of use.

Brewing Performance

The Bosch TKA3A034 filter coffee machine delivers excellent brewing performance that produces delicious coffee time after time.

The brewing speed is quite fast, with a full jug of coffee ready in around 5-6 minutes. This makes it easy to brew up a fresh pot quickly when you need your morning caffeine fix. The rapid brewing doesn't seem to negatively impact the flavor, as the coffee comes out tasting consistently great.

The TKA3A034 excels at extracting the full, rich flavor from the coffee grounds. The coffee has a wonderfully smooth and balanced taste without any harsh bitterness. It maintains the natural flavors of your favorite coffee beans.

The machine brews at the optimal coffee temperature between 195-205°F to properly extract the flavors and aromas of the grounds. This results in a hot, flavorful cup of coffee that is never burnt or overheated.

The permanent filter basket also helps extract the oils and full coffee flavor. With each cup, you get the full body and mouthfeel expected from a well extracted cup of drip coffee.

Overall, the brewing performance is excellent. The TKA3A034 makes a flavorful and aromatic pot of coffee with the right temperature and quick brew speed.

Pros

• Fast brewing time: The TKA3A034 has a fast brew time of around 4 minutes for a full 10 cup pot, meaning you can get your morning coffee ready quickly.

• Programmable timer: You can program the machine to start brewing at a certain time, allowing you to wake up to freshly brewed coffee. The 24 hour programmable timer is very convenient.

• Removable filter holder: The filter holder easily removes for fast and simple cleaning. No need to fuss with a built-in brew basket.

• Bypass doser: The bypass doser allows you to pour a cup of coffee mid-brew if you can't wait for the full pot, a handy feature.

Cons

• The water tank is small at 1.2 liters, requiring frequent refilling. This can be inconvenient for households that drink a lot of coffee.

• The bean hopper only holds 150g of beans. You'll need to refill it more often if brewing coffee for multiple people.

• Cleaning and descaling needs to be done regularly. The machine doesn't have reminders or an automated cleaning program.

• The drip tray fills up quickly and can overflow if not emptied in time. An anti-drip valve to stop flow when full would have been useful.

• The buttons are capacitive touch rather than physical buttons. Some users report the touch buttons can be finicky and unresponsive at times.

• There is no grinder built-in, so you'll need a separate grinder if using whole beans. The grind size can impact flavor.

• It lacks programmable settings, unlike some competitors. You can't schedule brewing times or set preferences.

Value for Money

The Bosch TKA3A034 filter coffee machine offers excellent value for money given its build quality, features, and performance. At around £50, it's very competitively priced compared to similar filter coffee machines.

The Melitta Look Timer filter coffee machine is a close competitor, priced at around £40. While it's slightly cheaper, the Melitta has a plastic housing that feels less sturdy and premium than the Bosch's metal housing. The Bosch also offers more advanced features like the keep warm plate and strength selector.

Other competitors like the Russell Hobbs Buckingham and Morphy Richards Pour Over filter machines are priced similarly to the Bosch at around £50. However, the Bosch edges them out with its superior brewing technology, resulting in hotter, better-tasting coffee.

Considering its solid stainless steel design, useful features like programmable timer and keep warm plate, and consistently great tasting coffee, the Bosch TKA3A034 provides remarkable value. It produces coffee shop-quality coffee at home for much less than a pod machine, making it a great budget-friendly option.

Final Verdict

Overall, the Bosch TKA3A034 is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a high-quality filter coffee machine that produces delicious coffee with minimal effort. It has a stylish and sturdy design, intuitive controls, and useful features like the keep warm function and removable filter holder.

The TKA3A034 brews coffee evenly and consistently, extracting maximum flavor from the grounds. The aroma and taste of the coffee it produces is rich, balanced and nuanced. It's easy to get a perfect cup every time thanks to the precise AromaExtract system and strengths control.

The only downsides are the high price point and lack of a built-in grinder. However, if you don't mind buying pre-ground coffee, the superb performance and premium build quality make the Bosch filter coffee machine well worth the investment.

Overall, I would highly recommend the Bosch TKA3A034 to anyone looking for the ultimate filter coffee experience at home. It delivers professional results with minimal fuss. If you can afford the premium price tag, you won't be disappointed. This is one of the best automatic filter coffee machines on the market.

Alternatives to Consider

The Bosch TKA3A034 is a solid filter coffee machine, but there are a couple other models worth looking at as alternatives:

Melitta AromaFresh Grind & Brew Coffee Machine

The Melitta AromaFresh is a similar grind and brew coffee maker that gets great reviews. It has a built-in conical burr grinder and timer so you can have freshly ground coffee ready when you wake up. The thermal carafe keeps coffee hot for hours. This model is easy to use, makes great-tasting coffee, and is very affordable.

Sage The Precision Brewer Glass

For those willing to spend more, the Sage Precision Brewer is a premium choice. It has precise temperature control, a bloom time setting, and a fast heating element. You can customize the brewing process to suit different beans and roast styles. It makes consistently delicious coffee and has a thermal carafe plus glass carafe options. Just keep in mind the higher price point.