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Why Trust The Coffee Locator's Coffee Equipment Reviews?

Before spending $500 on an espresso machine or $300 on a grinder, it helps to know how the reviews behind the recommendations were made. This page summarizes the proof and links to the full policies on how we test coffee equipment.

  • Updated October 2026
  • Policy pages reviewed at least annually

The Short Answer

Four things you can check yourself on any review.

Named reviewers

Michael Anderson and Sarah Chen write the reviews and check each other's work before publication.

Stated test conditions

Every review gives its own testing period and brew or shot counts. Flagship reviews run 60-90 days.

Scores with criteria

0-10 category scores inform the 5-star rating, which is not a strict average.

Public corrections

Verified errors are fixed promptly and significant corrections are noted on the page.

How Are Products Tested and Scored?

The process in three stages. Protocols live on the methodology page.

Testing varies by product type. A typical process has three stages:

  1. 1. Initial testing

    Setup documentation, repeated test brews or shots (count stated in each review), temperature and extraction checks where relevant, a cleaning and maintenance evaluation, and comparison against category competitors.

  2. 2. Long-term testing

    Flagship reviews run 60-90 days of daily use, tracking performance, durability, and maintenance over time.

  3. 3. Blind comparisons

    Side-by-side taste and build-quality comparisons against competitors, where practical.

Scores run 0-10 on criteria that fit the product type and inform the 5-star overall rating, which also reflects editorial judgment.

A review is not published until the product has been used long enough to form an informed opinion. Full protocols: testing methodology.

What Keeps Reviews Independent?

Editorial decisions are made separately from affiliate revenue.

Products are bought with the site's own funds. Free samples, loaner units, and manufacturer-supplied review products are not accepted, so no manufacturer has a hold on what gets published.

Editorial decisions cover

  • All ratings, scores, rankings, and recommendations
  • Review update decisions
  • Content accuracy and corrections

Affiliate revenue does not

  • Change ratings or rankings
  • Remove negative findings
  • Buy better placement or override editorial judgment

Affiliate links do earn the site a commission on purchases. Details: how we make money and the affiliate disclosure.

Who Writes the Reviews?

Two named reviewers, 30 years of combined experience, with an example review each.

Michael Anderson

Lead Coffee Expert & Equipment Specialist · 17 years in specialty coffee

Example: AeroPress Original Coffee Maker review

Profile and all reviews

Sarah Chen

Senior Coffee Reviewer & Grinder Specialist · 13 years in specialty coffee

Example: Blue Bottle Coffee Three Africas review

Profile and all reviews

Each reviewer's work is peer-reviewed by the other before publication. See all reviewers.

What Happens When We Get Something Wrong?

Four steps. The full policy is in the editorial guidelines.

  1. Acknowledge

    Verified factual errors are acknowledged rather than edited quietly. Significant corrections, such as a score change or revised recommendation, are noted on the page.

  2. Verify

    Claimed errors are checked against the site's own data and independent sources before anything changes. Not every correction request is valid.

  3. Correct promptly

    Verified factual errors are corrected promptly. Score revisions based on new long-term data or widespread reliability issues follow once the evidence is confirmed.

  4. Thank the finder

    Readers who identify a genuine error are thanked in the reply. Corrections are not credited by name in the article.

Found an error? Use the contact page and include the article URL and the specific claim. The aim is to reply within 24-48 business hours. Policy: editorial guidelines.

What We Commit To

Behaviours stated across the site's policy pages.

  • Put accuracy ahead of affiliate revenue.
  • Not change ratings or rankings because of affiliate revenue.
  • Not remove negative findings or accept payment for better placement.
  • Not accept payment for positive reviews.
  • Disclose affiliate relationships (see the affiliate disclosure).
  • Update content when new information emerges, and show the last-updated date.
  • Aim to reply to reader feedback within 24-48 business hours.

Last updated October 2026. These policy pages are reviewed at least annually.

Frequently Asked Questions

Short answers, with links to the canonical pages.

No.

Reviews are not paid for by manufacturers, and no one pays for better placement.

The site does earn affiliate commissions on some links; how we make money explains the separation from ratings.

No.

The 0-10 category scores inform it, and it also reflects editorial judgment.

The testing methodology has the detail.

They are built to be checkable: named reviewers, stated test conditions in every review, products bought with the site's own funds, and a public corrections process.

Each point above links to the page that owns it.

Each review states its own testing period and brew or shot counts in its testing summary.

Testing periods vary by product type.

Use the contact page with the article URL and the specific claim.

Supporting evidence, such as an independent measurement or other credible source, helps.