Maro Model 1 reviewed - the best espresso machine on the market in 2026?

Build Quality

The Maro Model 1 is built from a high-quality mix of materials. The casing consists of HIMACS®, a mineral material made of aluminum hydroxide, acrylic, and pigments. Known for its durability, hygiene, and scratch resistance, it is often used in luxury interior design; it is smooth but not cold, non-porous, and easy to clean. We know of no other espresso machine that uses this material.

• The drip tray holds 750 milliliters and is made of stainless steel. When full, it is a bit challenging to carry to the sink. The water tank is also stainless steel, holds 1.5 liters, and is dishwasher-safe. It can be pulled out from the front or filled while partially removed.
• The edges of both stainless steel modules are relatively sharp. Be careful with wet hands.
• The brew group is made of lead-free brass. The conductivity helps with consistent extraction temperature and fast heat-up times.
• The cup warmer is made of anodized aluminum and is easily adjustable.
• The steam wand is plasma-polished and stays cool during use. Cool-touch, safer, and easier to clean.
• The 7-inch touchscreen is responsive and fast. A real plus compared to other espresso machine displays.
• The Maro has a 2300-watt fast through heater (FTH) from the company Ferro. It only heats the desired amount of water. This is good for energy efficiency, fast heat-up times, and flexible temperature adjustment.
• The pump is a very quiet rotary pump from Fluidotech, model GB072, controlled via pulse-width modulation. More on this in the chapter on pressure and flow rate control.

We measure 38.5 cm in height, 30 cm in width, and 33.1 cm in depth. With the portafilter, it's 44 cm. Weight: 22.6 kilograms. Distance between the portafilter spout and the drip tray cover: 8.9 cm.

Evaluation of Build Quality: 9.0 / 10

Material selection is high-quality, workmanship is good to very good. Drip tray, body, and cup tray have a high-quality feel. Gaps are a foreign concept here. Points deducted for the sharp edges on the inside around the drip tray, water tank, and water tank cover.

Noise Level of the Maro: 10 / 10

Is the machine running? We asked ourselves this not just regarding the general ambient noise. Even during espresso extraction, if we were having a conversation at the same time, we had to listen actively. The rotary pump is extremely quiet, and the suspension and stability ensure that the machine purrs while brewing. We measured 48.8 decibels, the lowest value we have measured for an espresso machine so far. Full marks.

Accessories

The Maro Model 1 is delivered with a portafilter with a double spout as well as a bottomless portafilter. Both are stainless steel with a walnut wood handle. An IMS Competition 1-cup and 2-cup basket are also included. The tamper is stainless steel with a walnut wood handle and fits flush with the basket. We measured 0.65 mm of clearance between the basket and the tamper base.

The tamper has an additional function: the lid of the handle is also a hex key. This can be used to lift the water intake mechanism of the water tank on the left side of the machine.

Also included in the delivery is a cleaning kit with a blind basket, detergent, milk cleaner, and descaler.

Evaluation of Accessories: 9 / 10

The accessories are good and high-quality. Sensible and complete. However, Maro doesn't go the extra mile anywhere that we have seen with other manufacturers in the highest price category.

Usability and Target Audience

The Maro is one of the most complex espresso machines on the market in terms of control options. At the same time, it is perhaps the easiest espresso machine to operate. It allows people who have never stood in front of an espresso machine to make very good coffee.

This balancing act is adventurous. You decide at which level you start with the Maro Model 1 and which path you want to take with it.

Three Modes Pave the Way

• Explorer: The machine takes you completely by the hand. You choose a drink just like on a fully automatic coffee machine and are guided step-by-step, similar to the Thermomix. A smart mode "fixes" shots that are running too fast and makes the espresso more balanced if something doesn't go quite right.
• Expert: This mode is similar to a classic espresso machine with PID control, volumetrics, and pre-infusion. You set the temperature, pressure, and espresso output volume yourself. Optionally, the Smart Profiler runs alongside, correcting or slowing down shots.
• Extrem: Here, the machine calls up everything the best and most flexible espresso machines on the market can do. Variable flow and pressure control, phase or condition control. You can give a phase a flow target limited by a pressure target. Upon reaching a condition, the machine jumps to the next phase. The final condition is usually volume in the cup or total brew time.

Numerous shortcuts make operation easier. A double press on the flush button starts a group head flush for an adjustable time. A single press opens the selection window for backflushing and the cleaning program.

Recipes are saved for each roaster and coffee. Brew curves can be checked later on the display or, newly, in Maro Home.

The display during brewing shows how much water has flowed and whether the Smart Profiler has intervened. It is not obtrusive but presented as an option. Anyone who wants to can start a learning journey with the Maro and improve as a home barista.

Evaluation of Usability: 9 / 10

Very responsive display, all important settings, three modes for three skill levels, good routines for daily work and cleaning. What we are still missing for full marks is an inline water filter in the tank. This is a separate criterion in the new test protocol v2.3, as it noticeably reduces the effort required for descaling and machine maintenance in everyday life. We expect this for a 5,000-euro machine.

Heat-up Time

After 4 minutes, the Maro espresso machine indicates that it has heated up. This is one of the fastest values for high-end espresso machines. Some cheap thermoblocks keep up here, but then fail in various other test areas. Most espresso machines with a boiler require 20 minutes or more to really heat up fully and thus achieve a consistent temperature. There are few exceptions with small boilers and heating times of 15 minutes, and even fewer machines that reach the temperature target in under 10 minutes. We test this for all espresso machines using a sophisticated and precisely defined system.

The Maro Model 1 achieves this heat-up time because the machine only heats the necessary amount of water with a so-called fast through heater (FTH). Heating with the FTH is similar to the thermoblock principle we know from capsule coffee machines or filter coffee machines. However, the FTH can be regulated more accurately and quickly. Additionally, the Maro heats the brew group using a heating cartridge to also warm up the portafilter. In all systems, portafilters lag behind the heating elements in the machine. However, it should also be heated so as not to absorb too much temperature from the water during brewing and thus reduce the brewing temperature.

However, the fastest heat-up time is worthless without good temperature stability, which we will examine in the following chapter. But in advance: the temperature stability of the Maro is also unparalleled and unbeaten in this combination.

With the Maro Model 1, our wishes come true! We no longer have to adjust our clock and our daily rhythm to the espresso machine and start the machine 20 to 40 minutes before making an espresso (which is often the case for Faema E61 models). Instead, we can decide spontaneously if we want an espresso in 4 minutes! That is a quantum leap! And yet: we rate the heat-up time of the Maro "only" with 9 out of 10 points. This is because the espresso machine boots for a full minute before it even starts heating. The actual heating time is about 3 minutes. If the Maro is optimized here, it can push to the very front and catch up with the Zuriga. That one heats up even a little faster, but it is not as temperature-stable as the Maro.

Temperature Stability

Buckle up for superlatives. The Maro Model 1 is among the three best espresso machines in terms of temperature stability and precision. In many respects, it is the most precise machine on the market across all price categories and all espresso machines we have measured to date.

For verification, we perform two test series on each espresso machine. The KM protocol models a realistic scenario at home. Immediately after the determined heat-up time, we measure 5 extractions at one-minute intervals. We investigate standard deviation, consistency during extraction, and temperature difference during extraction. This is followed by the WBC protocol, which is normally used for commercial machines. This focuses on consistency under high performance.

In the KM protocol, the Maro achieves a standard deviation of 0.516 degrees. This puts it just behind the Dalla Corte Mina (0.43), the Dalla Corte Studio (0.51), and the Sanremo You (0.34). These machines all take longer than 12 minutes to heat up.(3) The Maro delivers this value after 4 minutes. By default, we compare the extraction from second 4 to 25. If we look at the extractions from second 9 to 25, the Maro takes the top position.

The Maro also convinces in the WBC protocol. We measure a 0.79-degree standard deviation over 14 extractions. That is very high consistency between extractions. For the WBC protocol, machines are left on for one hour to achieve thermal equilibrium. For the Maro, this actually contradicts the concept. It doesn't even have to remain turned on because of the short heat-up time.

If the machine is not used for a longer period, it switches to an eco-mode. It is reactivated from this in a very short time.

A strength of the fast through heater compared to boiler espresso machines is the flexible temperature adjustment. In boiler machines, the entire boiler water is always brought to one temperature. In fast through heaters, only the brewing water amount for the extraction is heated. Switching quickly between temperatures is no problem. Those who want to go down by more than 10 degrees should cool the portafilter with cold water. Portafilters and brew groups carry the temperature of the last extractions.

Evaluation of Temperature Stability: 10 / 10

The Maro is among the three best espresso machines we have tested so far in terms of temperature stability. Since it provides this consistency after just 4 minutes and allows quick changes between temperatures, we award full points. It should be noted that we did not observe any offset with the Maro.

Volumetrics: The Big Leap

Volumetrics was our only serious point of criticism of the Maro in 2024. The machine offers the option to define an exact output volume in the display. However, this is not measured classically by a flow meter in the hot water line but is calculated. A flow meter in the cold water area measures the flow. A pressure sensor in the brew group detects the effective pressure. From this data, the Maro calculates the output water amount in the cup.

In 2024, the machine could be 2 to 5 grams off with different profiles or different coffees in the cup. For a machine in this price range, that was too much. We rated it at 4 out of 10 points at the time and said, "Maro has room for improvement." Maro took the criticism seriously and kept working.

In May 2026, we remeasured everything using our new Volumetrics stress test from test protocol v2.3. Setup: Apas Espresso, Mahlkönig E64 GbW, brew ratio 1:2.5, target amount 45 grams. Five stages: Scace with simulated resistance, reference espresso, complex pressure profile, "coarser" stress, and "finer" stress.

First Measurement: Calculated Volumetrics without Scale

Calculated volumetrics have been steadily improved in the changelog. We first measure where it stands today without an external scale.

Mean total deviation across all five stages: 1.50 grams. It is already really close in the reference and profile check. As soon as the grind size and thus the resistance change significantly, the machine deviates more clearly, especially upwards when we adjust to a finer setting. In the new stress test, this is 7 out of 10 points. Nine points would be the maximum achievable in this configuration (without a bonus for an integrated scale). That is three points more than in 2024 and absolutely usable in everyday life without a scale.

Second Measurement: With Bluetooth Scale and New Software

On the hardware side, the Bluetooth interface was planned for the Maro for a long time. With the current update, it is activated. Maro talks to Felicita, Acaia, Bookoo, Difluid, and other Bluetooth scales.

Robin and Max have additionally solved something in this update that still bothered us in the first scale test: the machine had consistently brewed over the target because the calculated volumetrics were calibrated for the bottomless portafilter.

The new software does it differently: the machine takes the previous extraction as a reference and corrects by a certain percentage for the next extraction. Learning volumetrics. We measured the same five stages again.

Mean total deviation: 0.37 grams. Compared to 1.50 grams from the measurement without a scale, this is a significant leap. Even in the reference espresso, we are between 45.0 and 45.7 grams at a target amount of 45. The machine also remains within a very narrow corridor under "coarser" and "finer" settings. This is a level you can hardly achieve by hand. Anyone who stops manually under the scale has to anticipate because there is still dripping afterwards.

Even without a scale, the volumetrics are very strong in an everyday scenario and are among the best on the market. Anyone who has a Bluetooth scale gets the maximum out of it. With this, Maro nails everything we would expect. Even commercial machines do not deliver more in this discipline.

Foam Quality and Steam Performance

In 30 to 35 seconds, a 0.6l pitcher can be foamed with the Maro for two cappuccinos. After a short release of condensed water, the machine builds up steam power quickly. At full power, it lies in the upper midfield of home espresso machines, but it can be regulated downwards very easily and quickly. The 2300-watt fast through heater is responsible for this. The Maro does not noticeably slacken even when foaming several milk pitchers in a row. It does not depend on any heat storage capacity but generates the steam during foaming. This is an advantage over portafilter machines with small boilers.

The steam wand remains pleasantly tempered to the touch thanks to cool-touch. We did the test with the original steam wand tip and a prototype. The prototype develops more swirl and puts the milk in better motion. Since it will be delivered with the upcoming models, we evaluate the machine on this basis: 8 out of 10 points.

You cannot brew and steam at the same time. You can steam immediately after brewing. For home or smaller offices, this is not an issue. The evaluation of parallel steaming and brewing performance runs separately in catering capability.

Catering and Volume Performance

Anyone who brews coffee enthusiastically at home quickly finds themselves at the next school festival or their child's soccer tournament at the coffee stand. Is the Maro the right espresso machine for that? It depends.

The Maro does not run out of steam. Temperature stability and steam power allow for many extractions in a row. In the new test protocol, it therefore receives the full score in temperature stability under continuous load. The WBC protocol is clean, the foaming is powerful and consistent, and the drip tray is large. The problem remains: steaming and brewing do not work in parallel. The water tank cannot be filled while brewing, as is possible with machines with an embedded tank in the cup tray. The drip tray has no drain hose, and the water tank has no water connection.

A side note from catering use: the machine is TOO QUIET. What is otherwise a strength becomes an irritation at a noisy trade fair. The machine does not start immediately after the start of extraction and gives no acoustic feedback. We were unsure a few times whether it was brewing at all.

The Maro has other strengths than catering use. With the new protocol, we are at 5 out of 10 points, one point more than in 2024 because the performance under load is so clean. For a few cappuccinos at a birthday party twice a year, it fits. For regular catering, we would prefer espresso machines with a large boiler, water connection, and drain hose.(4)

Power Consumption

The interplay of fast heat-up time and precise energy-to-heat transfer allows the Maro Model 1 to consume very little energy. It does not heat up the room like many boiler machines. It does not have to heat 500 milliliters to 1.5 liters of water to use 80 milliliters. Instead, after four minutes, the water needed for the next double espresso is heated.

We measure 0.06 kWh for five double espresso extractions, including heat-up time. For comparison: a thermoblock with low power consumption like the Ascaso Steel Duo PID Plus needs almost double the value with 0.12 kWh. A dual-boiler espresso machine like the Lelit Mara X needs 0.28 kWh, i.e., 4.5 times as much. With the La Marzocco Linea Mini R, we land at 0.38 kWh (steam boiler on, as otherwise not temperature-stable). Only the Zuriga is better than the Maro with 0.058 kWh.

With additional foaming, the lead becomes even greater. The Maro needs 0.0568 kWh for heating and preparing two cappuccinos. The Ascaso Steel Duo PID Plus is at 0.24 kWh, the Linea Mini at 0.579 kWh.

10 out of 10 points.

Espresso Potential

We have drunk great espressos from the Maro. In Explorer, Expert, or Extrem mode, all provide the conditions for excellent espresso. The modes are the right counterpart for every experience level. The user interface creates the foundation in combination with the high-precision technology.

The sensor technology in the brew group measures pressure and temperature where it makes sense. The pump control is so precise that flow rates of 1 milliliter to 8 milliliters per second can be called up in Extrem mode.

Any pre-infusion time at freely selectable pressure and flow is programmable. From a blooming shot to a turbo shot to the simulation of a lever extraction, everything is possible, just like our Kaffeemacher Lungo or an allongé.

The brew water output of the Maro's shower screen is very even, thanks to a distribution design that Maro has applied for a patent for. The included IMS baskets are high-quality.

With the Maro, the espresso beginner, like the advanced home barista, can retrieve everything from roasted coffee that is inherent in it. In the spheres known to us, there are no limits. In the new protocol v2.3, this results in the full score: 10 out of 10 in the hybrid approach of temperature performance, profiling, and hardware hygiene plus sensory validation. Factor 3 in the overall evaluation, the most important category of all.

One point that still bothers us during espresso preparation: the machine takes a relatively long time after pressing the brew button until it actually starts brewing. Due to the contact of the hot, humid atmosphere when the portafilter is inserted, the reaction in the coffee grounds starts before the water comes. We recommend starting extraction within 4 seconds for all espresso machines. The Maro currently takes about this time before the first water arrives. Acceleration would be desirable here.

The Brewing Modes

Switching between modes takes two taps on the display between extractions. We mention this because the Maro works very well in a shared apartment, for example. While Vera, who works in a café and likes to brew with brew profiles, uses the Explorer mode, Markus uses it because he is inexperienced or wants to be guided through a flat white. Perhaps he also brews the double espresso confidently in Expert mode, with the help of the Smart Profiler.

Explorer Mode

The Explorer mode takes you completely by the hand if desired. You choose a drink from the brew recipes. Espresso, cappuccino, Americano, café latte, latte macchiato, and flat white are six drinks with instructions.

By clicking on Flat White, it is first shown that you need a small steaming pitcher and a medium cup in addition to the milk. Then the double espresso extraction is prepared. The machine says how much coffee should be ground and what the brew recipe looks like. Start extraction, visualize, remove, steam.

Choose foaming time and intensity, start. After cleaning the steam wand, evaluate the extraction. Is my drink way too sour? The machine suggests improvements, for example, a longer extraction time as a target.

This is saved for the selected coffee in Explorer mode. The next time I prepare an espresso with Apas, the machine guides me through the adjusted recipe.

If I want to start an espresso directly next time, without the guides, that also works. In Explorer mode, the Smart Profiler always runs in the background. If it determines that the espresso is running too fast because of too coarse a grind or channeling in the puck, it reduces the flow rate. Target: reach the set brew time.

What sounds like "cheating" at first glance makes sense. An espresso with an adjusted flow rate tastes better than one that shoots through the coffee because it was ground too coarsely. Sensorially, the Smart Profiler achieves significantly better results in our extractions.

Expert Mode

The Expert mode allows for the control of an espresso machine with PID and volumetrics and, if necessary, the Smart Profiler. Again, we select the coffee. Set brew temperature, see that we last brewed Apas with 18 grams, specify output to 36 grams, specify desired time, add Smart Profiler.

Via "Edit Profile," set pre-infusion time and brew pressure. Start extraction. The display shows flow in grams per second and real generated pressure. A final image shows the analysis of the extraction.

Anyone who has just started with portafilter espresso machines runs through the Explorer recipes initially and arrives in Expert mode. Anyone who wants to dive deeper switches to Extrem mode.

Extrem Mode

In Extrem, there are no limits. The library with pre-saved profiles allows for an easy start. Standard 6 or 9 bar, hand lever, long pre-infusion, slow ramp up, blooming shot, and constant flow are the names of the profiles.

Profiles are controlled in phases or stages. Each stage describes an action of the machine that continues until a condition is met. With a transition condition, the machine moves into the next phase. With the end condition, the extraction is terminated, usually brew time or amount of water.

Per phase, we decide whether we drive flow-controlled or pressure-controlled. In addition to the primary target, we can set a second limit. For example, 8 bar pressure as a primary target with max. 4 milliliters per second flow. Flow can also be a primary target and regulated by maximum pressure. Primary targets may be defined as increasing or decreasing. Limits are always linear.

The transition condition (exit) leads to the next phase. Three conditions are adjustable: time, grams in the cup, flow. A phase ends, for example, after 10 seconds, or at a flow target, or at 20 grams in the cup.

Almost any number of stages can be programmed. We stopped at 100.

Pulse-Width Modulation and Pump Control

To understand how flow and pressure are controlled in the Maro, we have to briefly digress. Classically, the pressure of rotary pumps is controlled via an expansion valve. The pump delivers a continuous flow of water through constant rotary motion and constant voltage. Effective pressure is created when the water flow encounters resistance, the coffee puck in the portafilter. Since the puck is variable (grind size, tamper pressure, channeling, erosion), the bypass valve ensures that the maximum pressure in the system remains constant. It typically sits in the outlet area of the pump and opens when the set maximum pressure is reached.

Quite different in the Maro. Here, pressure and flow are created by an interplay of sensors, calculations, and control. The pump is not operated by continuous voltage but by rapid switching on and off of the power supply, known as pulse-width modulation (PWM). The pulse width (duty cycle) determines how long the pump is switched on within a time interval. 80% means higher power, 20% lower. This is how the speed can be regulated and the flow rate directly controlled.

Sensors for Flow Monitoring

• Flow sensor behind the pump:
  • measures the water flow directly after the pump and before the fast through heater
  • records fluctuations to determine the actual flow rate
  • feedback allows for dynamic adjustment of the PWM control
• Pressure sensor above the brew group:
  • controls water pressure directly before the coffee bed
  • monitors whether the desired pressure rate is maintained
  • detects pressure changes due to the resistance of the puck and reports them to the control

The system works as a closed control loop. The sensors measure continuously. The microcontroller adjusts the PWM signals. Thus, pressure and flow remain at the target value in real-time.

Advantages of PWM Control

The GB072 rotary pump can be controlled precisely and flexibly with PWM. Fluctuations that lead to channeling are reduced. Smart Profiler and flow control are made possible in the first place. Energy is saved because the pump does not run continuously at full power.

Maro Home: Database, Profiles, Community

What was missing in 2024 and has been added since: Maro Home. This is a web platform that talks to your machine. Three things we use regularly.

Your Extraction Database

Every espresso you pull lands in your database. With all data: which coffee, which dose, which temperature, which brew ratio, which grind size (if you noted it), which extraction time, which profile. You look at an extraction in detail: pressure curve, stages, flow progression. You can overlay two extractions and compare whether a profile change paid off.

Beyond the machine, the statistics show you: how many extractions you have made in total, how many since the last descaling, how many since the last backflush, how much water has flowed through in total.

Share and Find Profiles

Anyone who has developed a profile can share it directly from the database. Other Maro owners adopt it with one click. In the profile search, we come across profiles from the community. And conversely, we share our recipes for the coffees that we currently roast at Kaffeemacher. Especially if you buy a new coffee and don't want to start from scratch every time, this is worth its weight in gold.

Community, Forum, and Maro Academy

Maro Home also contains a forum, a community section, and an area where Maro introduces new coffees that they have roasted. The Maro Academy on YouTube is growing. There you will find more and more content on the machine and espresso preparation.

Maro Home is not a finished product but grows with the community. For us, the extraction database is a much-used tool.

Maro Coffee Engineering

Behind the machine are two young men from Thuringia who are fulfilling a dream for themselves and many home baristas with this machine. Max Grimm and Robin Kuprat are partners, founders, and creators of the Maro Model 1. Maro Coffee Engineering GmbH is based in Suhl.

They not only developed the Maro but still assemble every single machine themselves to this day. For this reason, the available quantity is limited for the foreseeable future.

They are supported with expertise, premises, supply chain access, and tools like milling machines by Profectus GmbH from Suhl. Jürgen John, partner and managing director, acts as a business angel and mentor. Profectus specializes in circuit boards and electronics. The cooperation allows Maro to source many components locally and to benefit from the industrial base in South Thuringia. This gives the machine and the start-up stability for the future.

Who is the Maro the right espresso machine for?

"For almost everyone" is somewhat imprecise as an answer, but close. Let us turn the question around first. For whom is the Maro not the right espresso machine?

• For machine purists and lovers of classic Italian espresso machines, the Maro will not fit. It is the opposite of that, with electronics, a large display, and a complex interplay of sensor technology and control. It still has to prove its durability over the years.
• For cafés or catering, because there is no water drain and inlet and you cannot brew and steam in parallel.
• As low as the energy consumption is, the need at peak is high because a lot of energy is used in a short time. This limits use in settings with low energy availability. The Maro needs 2300 watts. With 38.5 cm in height, 30 cm in width, 33.1 cm in depth, and 22.6 kilograms, it is also anything but a lightweight.

And who is it for now?

The Maro adapts to its user and is therefore suitable for every skill level to begin with. No other machine is as accessible and beginner-friendly thanks to internal instructions and step-by-step guides. At the same time, the machine scales in Extrem mode into spheres where only 5 to 6 other machines on the market operate.

This span opens up a field for the Maro, alongside its use at home, that has been dominated by fully automatic coffee machines to date. With a good espresso grinder with a weighing function, the Maro Model 1 is perfect for offices, teachers' lounges, and shared apartments. The machine adapts and takes you by the hand or makes home barista hearts fly higher. In case of doubt, the Smart Profiler saves the extractions if the espresso runs too fast.

Some wishes from 2024 have been fulfilled. Others have been added.

• Inline water filter in the tank. Currently the only point that is missing for full marks in usability. We recommend it for every espresso machine because it improves water quality, machine maintenance, and descaling intervals in one step.
• Faster start of extraction. After pressing the extraction button, about 4 seconds pass until water actually flows. We would like the delay to be significantly shorter.
• Dark skin for display and touch. Fits better to the machine, is more pleasant when filming.
• KM skin in Explorer with our guides directly on the machine.
• Integrated scale. With an integrated scale, the Maro also gets the last bonus point in the new stress test. And the connection to the Bluetooth scale is omitted.

Overview of Evaluation