Spinn Coffee Maker Review: What’s The Trick?

The Spinn coffee maker, as the name suggests, spins coffee and water. So, I had to test it out to find out how this works in practice.

Most new coffee makers get their five minutes of fame, and that’s it. After all, they all work on the same principle: water going through compressed grounds at high pressure, using a pump or gravity. But that’s not the case with the Spinn.

In this Spinn coffee maker review, I will break down everything from its modern look, smart features, and, most importantly, the brew flavor. 

The Full Spinn Coffee Maker Review

The Spinn coffee machine started in 2016 as a crowdfunding campaign. Over $40 million has been raised in venture capital since then (1).

Many coffee lovers need help finding an all-in-one coffee maker to make a variety of drinks. This is where Spinn comes in. It’s a smart brewer that can make virtually any coffee-based beverage.

Moreover, it has app-powered controls. In other words, the work required from you is minimal, and you can completely operate this brewer from your smart device. It’s a coffee maker for the hip and trendy crowd who like to vary their drinks or wow their guests.

Design – 4.5/5

You won’t know it’s a coffee machine unless you’re familiar with it. I think it resembles a speaker or an air purifier. 

Spinn’s minimalistic, rounded look will either appeal to you or not. Personally, it’s not the best-looking coffee brewer I have seen, but I liked the different approach to design. Another reason for the coffee maker’s rounded aesthetic is the technology it uses to brew coffee (more on this below).

I found the build sturdy enough. Spin’s main body is made of stainless steel, which is durable. The manufacturer gets a plus for making the drip tray steel as well. Plus, it is magnetic and easily slots in. 

I also like that it has a user-friendly interface with a touchscreen display. If your phone isn’t on hand, you can use the display to work the machine. However, you’ll mostly operate it from the app, as it has more features.

Finally, the water reservoir capacity is located at the back. Compared to most coffee makers I tried, the Spinn is on the smaller side with only 40 oz. Also, I found the reservoir needs to be refilled often, and the drip catch tray emptied daily.

Features – 4/4

The Spinn is chock-full of innovative features, and as a tech geek, I enjoyed these.

Innovative Centrifugal Brewing Technology

One of the main features of the Spinn is the centrifugal brewing technology. In case you used Vertuo Nespresso machines before, you’ll already be familiar with this. If not, here’s the breakdown.

Instead of traditional drip brewing or extracting coffee by pushing water at high pressure through a tightly condensed puck, centrifugal force is a spinning action. Think of it like a washing machine during a spin cycle. As the washing machine spins, the same kind of force is applied to wet clothes, so the water is pushed outwards and collected along the walls of the drum.

The Spinn works similarly. The spinning action uses centrifugal force on the ground coffee. The water spins and shoots from the center of the brew chamber through the coffee grounds. This system extracts the flavors and pushes brewed coffee against the wall of the chamber, which is a mesh filter. Essentially, just as the washing machine’s spin cycle removes excess water from the clothes, Spinn’s centrifugal brewing extracts flavors from the ground coffee.

This technology can be used for different brewing methods, such as drip coffee, espresso, French Press, etc. The minimum centrifuge speed is 1,500 RPM, and the maximum is 4,500, which is determined by the brewing method. For example, regular coffee uses 1,500 RPM, and espresso uses 4,500 RPM.

Freshly Ground Perfection With The Built-in Grinder

This coffee maker has a built-in grinder, so there’s no need to buy a separate one, which is a plus. It uses stainless steel 1.6-diameter burrs. The finest grind is 0.01 “, and I like that I was able to customize the grind settings. You get control over the coarseness of the grounds, and you can get the exact brew you like. I found that the grinder creates a fine enough grind for espresso and coarse for pour-over coffee. 

During my test, I loaded the whole coffee beans into the 18 oz hopper on top of the machine, and they were automatically fed to the built-in burr grinder when I chose the drink I liked. However, I was not able to replace the beans with ease. Meaning: I got stuck with beans I previously added, which was an issue for me at that time because I wanted a cup of decaf coffee.

Digital Barista At Your Fingertips

Does the thought of making a drink from your bed excite you? Well, it got me excited me, too. On the second day of my test, I tried making my morning coffee from my bed. The Spinn has Wi-Fi connectivity. Thanks to this feature, I was able to operate and monitor the brewing process from the Spinn app on my phone. Interestingly, the app has a much more extensive drink selection than the machine’s interface.

Just choose a drink you like from the app menu, and the machine will brew it. The app also lets you know if there are any issues, such as the empty water reservoir. Finally, you can use the app to brew coffee from afar as long as the machine is loaded.

Roast Recognition At Its Best

Use your phone camera to scan a bag of coffee. And your Spinn will update the brewing parameters accordingly. The brewing process is then optimized for the specific bean characteristics, and you have a perfectly extracted cup.

The app also has a marketplace; you can buy whole coffee beans from roasters all over the US. A roaster can specify how they think a bag of beans should be brewed. For instance, they can include the amount of water you should be using, the temperature, etc. The Spinn will automatically make your drink as the roaster specified. You can also change these parameters.

Water Filtration For A Better-Tasting Coffee

Water includes different amounts of minerals, chemicals, and sediment (2). These can build up over time and negatively affect your coffee. The Spinn has a built-in water filtration system that removes impurities from water, giving you a cleaner coffee.

There’s an ongoing cost of using the Spinn. While the water filter is a great inclusion, it automatically expires after every 250 cups and costs around $25 to replace.

Ease of Use – 4.5/5

Wondering how to use the Spinn? The touchscreen interface is user-friendly and lets you navigate through various brewing options. I liked that the icons are intuitive, and the instructions are clear. Overall, I like that I was able to adjust the brewing parameters and customize your coffee preferences with a few taps. 

The app is also easy to use. Even if you aren’t a fan of technology, you’ll easily navigate it. Moreover, there are plenty of pre-programmed brewing options. You’ll find all the most popular drinks, such as espresso, Americano, and more.

All you need to do is press a button.

How To Clean The Spinn?

Rest assured that you won’t have any difficulties cleaning this machine. This machine has removable parts, such as the drip tray and water reservoir. You can rinse and clean them separately. Plus, the machine sends you alerts for descaling. Spinn has an automatic cleaning cycle that cleans the inside of the machine.

Coffee Flavor – 4/5

Honesty check: if you like Nespresso, props to you. I am not exactly a fan of pod coffee, and considering Spinn uses a similar technique, I had my misgivings. But, I was positively surprised with the results. 

Suppose you want ristretto or doppio. The volume will change, but the flavor and concentration will remain unchanged. Spinn’s espresso, on the other hand, was more than solid. I noticed that it has sweetness and balanced flavors. Moreover, I brewed each shot to my preferred specifications, ensuring easy repeatability and quick back-to-back brewing. 

So, can you use any coffee with Spinn? Yes, you can use any type of coffee with the Spinn brewer. However, this also depends on the type of coffee you want to make. Americanos are somewhat thin since this coffee brewer first makes espresso and then dilutes it with hot water.

Cold brew is usually made by steeping coffee in water for at least 12 hours, which Spin obviously doesn’t do (3). It produces cold brew in about 30 seconds, so I wouldn’t call this a true cold brew.

As a result, both cold brews and nitro brews were excellent, better than the traditional cold brews. Coffee has chlorogenic acid, which turns more bitter the longer it sits in water (4). Spinn bypasses this by using a centrifuge to brew coffee in cold water quickly.

But the manufacturer warns against these, as they are oily and can make the machine malfunction.

Value for Money – 4.5/5

So, is Spinn coffee worth it? Yes, it’s durable, compact, equipped with smart technology, and easy to use. 

Even though the machine does all the work, it offers some impressive customizable options: burr settings, water temperature, water volume, and more.

Remember that the basic version doesn’t come with a milk frother. And you need a frother for most espresso drinks. The version with a frother is priced at just under $1,000, so this is a significant investment.

Do Not Buy The Spinn Coffee Brewer If…

• You don’t want to use the app — Our team did countless Jura reviews, and the Jura E8 came on top as one of the best from the brand. When comparing the Spinn coffee brewer vs. Jura E8, you’ll see both are easy to use and require minimal work from you. However, there’s no need to use the app with the E8. It has a large display on top, which you use to choose the brew strength and temperature of your drink. The screen walks you through what to do and when to do it.
• You want a traditional espresso brewing method — If you’re a traditional espresso lover, and want a machine that uses pressure and steam to make a rich espresso, check out the Terra Kaffe TK-01.

The Verdict

If you want good coffee at home without a ton of work, the Spinn is a great choice. But if you’re an espresso traditionalist who wants to tamp your own coffee puck, this isn’t the machine for you. Spinn has a sleek stainless steel build, a grinder, and smart technology.

For coffee enthusiasts who want convenience and a tasty cup of coffee, the Spinn coffee brewer is a good choice.

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