Its chromed stainless steel finish and streamlined, tactile controls make it a beautiful bit of kitchen kit.
There are cheaper drip coffee makers that also offer temperature control.
Its a clever trick that reflects the streamlined approach of the whole system.
Load beans into the hopper, and ground coffee into the chute (at the top right)
Just a single button manages the maker, its hot plate and the descaling mode.
What you dont get is a great degree of manual influence over the brew.
You might expect that option for the money, but the Aarke automatically regulates temperatures instead.
Thats because this system is more about making slick and efficient brews in style.
In that sense it excels.
Fill the tank and a light inside automatically illuminates so that you could see the water level.
Load beans into the hopper, and ground coffee into the chute (at the top right)
The result every time is an enjoyable pot of coffee with plenty of depth and flavor.
For such an expensive system, we encountered more niggles than wed expect.
The grinder jammed up twice, even with regular brushing.
The large, bright touchscreen makes it easy to fine-tune your perfect coffee
The supplied catch cup doesnt sit perfectly against the grinder, which can lead to overshoot.
And the carafe doesnt keep coffee especially hot once its off the plate.
So the Aarke Coffee System is an interesting proposition.
The milk dispenser is easy to attach, and unlike most fully automatic espresso machines, the KF8 keeps the container covered at all times.
Its beautifully built, simple to operate and has some clever automated features.
Yet its not quite automated enough for uninitiated users to master without a demonstration, nor is it faultless.
Its worth noting that the constituent parts of the Aarke system can also be bought individually.
Each member of your household can have their own profile for their custom drinks
Its yours for $99 / 80 (about AU$160).
The system is comprised of Aarkes Coffee Grinder and Coffee Maker.
These can be bought and used separately, but they work best when paired together.
Espresso was consistently well extracted, with rich, golden crema
If you want the two to sit side-by-side, youll need to clear a fair amount of counter space.
That said, the overall footprint isnt unmanageable.
Both units are weighty in the right way.
At 9.5lb/4.3kg, the grinder in particular has a heft that feels nicely premium.
So do its tactile controls.
This setup reflects the minimalist approach of the whole system.
That said, once youve got the hang of it, this is a very easy machine to use.
The hot plate also detects when the carafe isnt in place, turning off to save energy.
There are some oversights, though.
Chief among them is the included catch cup, which doesnt sit flush against the grinder.
As a result, ground coffee will often overshoot and spill around the base.
These imperfections detract from what is otherwise a beautiful coffee maker.
Once you know the process, the Aarke Coffee System is fundamentally straightforward and crucially makes good coffee.
Its pretty quick, too, taking just a few minutes to fill the carafe.
According to Aarke, water temperature and flow rate are optimized based on the quantity in the tank.
This automated approach means you dont get any modes for different coffee styles.
The system is simply designed to brew consistently good filter coffee.
In our experience, thats what it does.
We also found the hot plate temperature pretty much spot on.
Instead, the system gradually reduces power to the plate over 40 minutes.
As mentioned above, you get much more control over the grinder.
It is loud, but thats the nature of the beast.
This happened after only a few uses.
Should I buy the Aarke Coffee System?
KitchenAid KF8: also consider
Not completely sold on the Aarke Coffee System?
Here are a couple of alternatives to consider.
With just two buttons to push, its a seriously easy machine to operate.
It brews tasty coffee quickly and consistently, plus its functional design is strikingly industrial.
Find out we test.
