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This latest Philips Senseo HD7860/60 is not strictly a Bean to Cup Coffee Machine, but is one of a new generation of extremely user friendly machines that provide fresh coffee at the push of a button from coffee pads.

We have reviewed the model. First impressions are ….well …. impressive. It’s described as a machine for people who prefer straight lines to curves. It does have one or two curves, as it happens, but is a very good looking, yet compact machine (standing around 17 cm wide, 22 cm deep and 25 cm high). It comes in black or white.

It’s a bit worrying when you prepare the machine for use for the first time as its very noisy whilst being flushed. However its much quieter when being used after that.

The most important considerations in reviewing the HD7860 are the ease of use and quality of the coffee it produces.

It has two spouts, so you can make either one or two cups at any one time. And has a height adjustable base for the cups, so different cup / mug sizes can easily be used. The height varies from 97 to 117 mm.In less than a minute, it will have 2 cups ready. In just thirty seconds it willmake 1 cup.

The water tank holds 1.2 litres, enough for at least 8 cups, very generous. The output for each serving is 120ml.

The HD7860 has an automatic shut-off feature after 30 minutes, which is very useful.

The coffee pads are much better value than the coffee pods that have been traditionally used in such machines. Although the Senseo ones are about 15p each, you can get other ones much cheaper, and being pads there shouldn’t generally be a compatibility issue. Any coffee pads need to be circular to fit the Philips Senseo HD7860.We’ve tried both and the quality of the coffee has been superb.

This is a great coffee machine. Its unique selling point is its looks. The HD7860 will look particularly good in a modern kitchen with darker worktop - much better, we think than the traditional, more curvy machines.

This latest Philips Senseo HD7860/60 is not strictly a Bean to Cup Coffee Machine, but is one of a new generation of extremely user friendly machines that provide fresh coffee at the push of a button from coffee pads.

Upon opening the box to look at your new HD7860/60, you’re likely to be very impressed by its looks. The sales blurb describes it as being designed for people who prefer cubes to spheres. And it certainly has a very modern, sleek design.It comes in either white or black, and measures approximately 25 cm high, 22 cm deep and 17 cm wide.

The first thing that you need to do is to prepare it for first use by flushing the whole system. This is very straightforward, albeit rather noisy for a couple of minutes. It is very quiet in normal operation.

So what is the Philips HD7860 like in day to day use?

The model comes with two nozzlesand so can produce two cups at one time as well as just one. And, unlike some previous models, the height of the base where the cups sit can be varied, enabling larger cup or mugs to be used if you prefer.. The height varies from 97 to 117 mm.It takes around 30 seconds to brew one cup, or 50 seconds for two.

The water tank holds 1.2 litres, enough for at least 8 cups, very generous. The output for each serving is 120ml.

The Philips HD7860/60 shuts itself off after thirty minutes - an invaluable feature I found!

In the past, many of this type of machine have used capsules. The HD7860 uses pads - a much cheaper alternative. Although the Senseo ones are about 15p each, you can get other ones much cheaper, and being pads there shouldn’t generally be a compatibility issue. Any coffee pads need to be circular to fit the Philips Senseo HD7860.We’ve tried both and the quality of the coffee has been superb.

The striking appearance of the HD7860 is the most notable feature of this coffee maker - combined, perhaps with the outstanding quality of the coffee it makes!. We think that the HD7860 comes into its own when placed in a relatively modern kitchen or one with dark work tops - it will generally fit in better than the more traditional machines. And it produces great coffee!.