Tag: Automatic

The premium coffee machine aims to set standards in terms of comfort and setting options. We tested the Severin Filka.

Table of contents

• Good filter coffee is a matter of attitude
• Stepless grinder
• Simple operation
• Excellent taste
• Hassle-free care
• Severin Filka: Prices and models
• Severin Filka KV 4850 in the test: conclusion

With Filter coffee machines You are often left with a few options: pour water into the tank, insert the filter and fill it with coffee powder, press the button and the device starts brewing. You can only influence the amount of coffee and the taste manually and by choosing the coffee powder. Severin Filka would like to offer you far more options at the touch of a button. That’s why the German manufacturer advertises its premium coffee machine with the snappy slogan “fully automatic for filter coffee”. We tested the Filka KV 4850 and revealed whether Severin keeps his word.

Good filter coffee is a matter of attitude

In fact, the Severin Filka KV 4850 is similar in terms of operation Fully automatic coffee machines. There are sensor buttons on an LED control panel that you can use to make all sorts of settings. This also includes choosing the vessel into which the coffee should flow. There are five programs to choose from: small cup, large cup, to-go container, Thermos flask (for two to eight cups) and glass jug (for two to ten cups) – extremely practical for everyday use. In addition, the desired amount of coffee for cups (100 to 150 milliliters), mugs (175 to 225 ml) and to-go containers (250 to 350 ml) as well as the coffee strength can be adjusted in three levels. You can also adjust the Filka to the water hardness level.

Another useful feature is the optional cup shelf, which you can use if necessary. To do this, remove the cup shelf at the top in front of the water tank and hang it under the spout. The shelf has two different sides, which offer enough space depending on the size of the cup or mug. Great: Depending on the vessel selected and the preset amount, the machine only draws the required amount of water from the tank.

Stepless grinder

The Severin Filka KV 4850 is one of them Coffee machines with grinders and therefore also has a round bean container. The container sits on the top, offers space for around 230 grams of coffee beans and can be removed from the machine for cleaning purposes. The lid has a rubber seal. Tip: Before adding fresh beans, you should wipe the container with a slightly damp cloth.

Below is the conical grinder made of stainless steel, which can be infinitely adjusted. You can change the grinding level by turning the bean container to the left (finer) or right (coarser). Small markings on the casing of the coffee machine provide a little help. To find the right grind level, select the middle position. If the coffee tastes too bitter, choose a coarser grind. If the brew is too sour, set a finer setting.

After the grinding process, the ground coffee ends up in the swivel filter, which swings out to the right. Here you will also find the filter holder, which can be easily removed with one handle. The scope of delivery includes a loose cover and a gold tone permanent filter (size 4), which also has a carrying handle. This saves you from buying paper filters and reduces the waste produced.

The water tank, which can be removed from the top, can be found on the back of the coffee machine. The capacity is just under 2 liters (l). With a standard cup size of 125 milliliters (ml), one filling is enough for around 16 cups – quite a lot. Great: You can install a water filter in the Filka. Only a few filter coffee machines offer this, which is why the Severin machine also gets a slight upgrade. However, the tank does not have any markings for reading the water level.

The KA 4850 model tested comes with a non-insulating glass jug that offers space for approximately 1.25 liters of coffee (equivalent to ten cups). To ensure that the bean infusion stays nice and hot for a long time after preparation, the premium coffee machine from Severin has a warming plate under the spout.

If you occasionally remove the pot from the warming plate to pour yourself a coffee, you can do so without worry. The drip stop function of the filter holder prevents coffee from dripping onto the hot surface. A small metal spring relaxes and the spout is locked. In our test, this mostly worked well. Every now and then a drop still slipped through.

Simple operation

Preparing filter coffee works without any problems with the Severin Filka KA 4850. First make sure that there are enough coffee beans in the bean container, the water tank is filled appropriately and a paper or permanent filter is inserted in the filter holder. Then select the container size and the coffee strength using the quickly responding sensor buttons. Last but not least, place the cup, mug or jug ​​under the spout and start the preparation using the start/stop button at the bottom center. Now the grinding process begins, which takes about 75 seconds for ten cups. However, the mill is not quiet at up to 76 decibels. The machine is even advertised with a PR image of a sleeping woman next to the device. At least the Filka doesn’t make any annoying screeching noises.
After grinding, the brewing process starts including automatic pre-brewing. After 9:15 minutes (for a pot with ten cups), the machine emits a loud beep and signals via the blue flashing LED ring above the grinder that the coffee is ready and the warming plate is activated. If you need a little help with the controls, you will find what you need in the detailed operating instructions. However, you will have to figure out some of the operating steps because they are almost only explained using pictures and not in writing.

If you occasionally use pre-ground coffee, for example for decaffeinated coffee enjoyment, you can also pour the coffee powder directly into the filter. Then press the ground coffee button (second button at the bottom from the right) and start preparation. Unfortunately, a coffee spoon is not included in the scope of delivery of the Severin Filka.

Excellent taste

Many functions or not: In the end, what counts most is the taste of the filter coffee. To test the Severin Filka KA 4850, we again used freshly ground specialty coffee for filter methods with notes of milk chocolate from a private roasting company at a ratio of 6 g per 100 ml. We put a 1.25 liter (ten cups) pot on and tried it.

The result after preparation is, in a word, excellent. The Filka produces extremely delicious filter coffee that beautifully emphasizes the milk chocolate flavors and has a full-bodied body. The coffee is neither sour nor bitter and smells extremely pleasant. In terms of taste, the filter coffee from the Severin machine is just as good as the one from the Moccamaster KBG Select from Technivorm.

Hassle-free care

If you use the Severin Filka KA 4850 mill, you must also clean it regularly. But it’s easy: First, remove the bean container by turning it as far to the right as possible towards the symbol with the open lock and removing it upwards. You can then remove the remaining coffee beans from the grinder cap. The use of a vacuum cleaner is recommended for this. Then turn the grinder cap to the right and pull it out. You can now remove coffee beans and grounds from the conical grinder with a vacuum cleaner and clean it with a cleaning brush (not included). The grinding cone of the mill can be loosened with a Phillips screwdriver and then removed for more thorough cleaning. Cleaning does not take more than five to ten minutes in total.

In addition to cleaning the grinder, the rest of the maintenance of the coffee machine is also easy. You can safely put the filter holder, gold tone filter and glass jug in the dishwasher. You only have to clean the water tank by hand, ideally with a bottle brush and a little dishwashing liquid. The Severin Filka also offers automatic programs for descaling and quick rinsing of the pipes. Not every device in this product segment can claim that.

Severin Filka: Prices and models

The Severin Filka is available in two technically identical model variants: KA 4850 with a glass jug (1.25 l) and KA 4851 with a thermos jug (1 l). Like the coffee from the filter machine, the price is also quite high: at the time of testing, the version with a glass jug cost just under 250 euros, and the sister model with a thermos jug even cost around 300 euros. There are already entry-level fully automatic coffee machines for this purpose.

Test results

Test results

	Severin Filka KA 4850
Manufacturer information	Variants: with glass jug (KA 4850), with thermos jug (KA 4851) Price: 250 euros Power / filter size: 1520 watts / 4 Water tank / coffee container capacity: 2 l / 1.25 l
Furnishing (35%)	Prepare 1 to 10 cups at once, to-go function available Glass jug (non-insulating) included Integrated grinder (stepless), removable bean container (230 g) Swivel filter, filter holder removable Permanent filter included Coffee quantity (1 to 10 cups and milliliters) and coffee strength (2 levels) selectable, automatic pre-brewing Drip stop, heating plate and timer available Anti-slip feet, automatic switch-off (15 to 60 minutes) and illuminated switches available, no child lock Grade: 1.8
Service & The taste (35%)	Easy to use via sensor buttons Detailed but somewhat confusing illustrated operating instructions Just one press of a button to start the brewing process (1.25 l in 9:15 minutes) Outstanding filter coffee taste Grade: 1.3
cleaning (15%)	Programs for cleaning and descaling available, water hardness adjustable Easy to clean surface Water tank a bit difficult to clean Filter holder and jug dishwasher safe Grade: 1.6
Technical tests (15%)	Average power consumption when making coffee, low in standby without the heating plate activated Quiet brewing process, very loud grinder A bit uncompact Grade: 3.3
Upgrading	Water filter can be installed -0.1
Test results	good (grade: 1.7)

Severin Filka KV 4850 in the test: conclusion

Fans of filter coffee who are also looking for the convenience of fully automatic machines will find what they are looking for and be happy with the Severin Filka. The coffee machine is easy to use and clean, offers many useful functions and is extremely versatile thanks to the adjustable vessel size. The integrated grinder also does a good job. And the coffee from the Filka tastes outstanding. For the high price between 250 and 300 euros, the accessories are a bit puny. But the bottom line is that the purchase is definitely worth it.