Miele CM 6160 review: four profiles, DoubleShot, tea programs and some of the best one-touch milk foam I have tested
The Miele CM 6160 Automatic Espresso Machine is a coffee machine for households that all drink something different. It makes dense, fine milk foam, keeps four profiles, brews stronger coffee with DoubleShot, makes two milk drinks at once and even times your tea. The milk container is optional, though, and some of its best features hide in menus and an app.

Jargon helpNew to espresso? Tap any dotted term to see what it means.
In this review
Yes, if milk drinks matter most and several people share the machine. The Miele CM 6160 made some of the finest, most consistent one-touch milk foam I've tested, and its four profiles, DoubleShot and OneTouch for Two make it easy to live with for a couple or a family. The espresso is smooth and balanced rather than intense, the milk container is an optional extra and the clever modes and Barista Assistant take some digging to find.
Miele CM 6160 at a glance
Miele CM 6160 pros and cons
- Dense, fine and consistent milk foam
- Four profiles, DoubleShot and OneTouch for Two
- Tea programs with a timer and a dedicated hot water option
- Milk container is sold separately
- Espresso is smooth rather than intense
- Modes and app features take digging to find
Who should buy the Miele CM 6160?
- Couples and families with different tastes
- Cappuccino and latte macchiato drinkers
- Households that drink tea as well as coffee
- Espresso lovers who want a very intense shot
- Anyone who wants a carafe in the box
- People who want everything on one screen
First impressions of the Miele CM 6160
The CM 6160 made its case with the very first cappuccino.
I dropped the stainless steel milk rod straight into a carton of milk, pressed the cappuccino button and watched.
The foam came out thick, glossy and so fine you couldn't see individual bubbles.
It sat on the espresso like a soft white cushion and was still there when I finished the cup.
That foam set the tone for the next four weeks.
The second thing I noticed was how much the Miele CM 6160 is built for sharing.
Four profiles, direct buttons for the six most popular drinks, a OneTouch for Two button and a tea menu.
Within a day, three of us had our own saved drinks and nobody touched anyone else's settings.
The third thing was what's hidden.
The clever operating modes, the DoubleShot option and the Barista Assistant in the app don't announce themselves.
I found them properly only in the second week.
The CM 6160 fits under standard cabinets with room to spare.
Where it sits in Miele's range
Compared with Miele's entry model, the CM 6160 adds a bigger tank, a bigger drip tray and grounds container, a hot water option, four profiles, more drinks and Wi-Fi.
It's the point in the range where the machine starts to suit a family rather than just a couple.
What surprised me most
I expected the milk to be good, because that's what this machine is named for.
I didn't expect to use the tea programs every single day.
I also didn't expect DoubleShot to matter as much as it did.
Weak coffee is the most common complaint about fully automatic machines, and DoubleShot fixes it without making the drink bigger or more bitter.
By week three, it was switched on in all three of our profiles.
What the Miele CM 6160 actually is
The CM 6160 is a fully automatic, bean-to-cup coffee machine with an automatic milk system.
It grinds the beans, doses and presses the coffee, brews it in an expanding chamber and drops the puck into a container.
For milk drinks, it draws milk through a steel rod and tube, heats it and froths it.
Miele's AromaticSystem✕AromaticSystemMiele's brew chamber that expands as water flows in. The coffee and water mix more thoroughly, which helps more flavor come out of the grounds. lets the brew chamber expand as water flows in, so the coffee and water mix more thoroughly.
It's built in Switzerland.
The drinks
The front has direct buttons for espresso, coffee, cappuccino, latte macchiato, long coffee and espresso macchiato.
Everything else is in the drinks menu.
| Drink | How it's made | Milk used |
|---|---|---|
| Ristretto and espresso | Short, concentrated brew | None |
| Coffee and long coffee | Longer brews for mugs | None |
| Espresso macchiato | Espresso with a spoon of foam | A little foam |
| Cappuccino and cappuccino Italiano | Espresso with foam, Italian version smaller and stronger | Foam |
| Flat white | Espresso with thin, silky milk | Milk and foam |
| Latte macchiato | Milk, foam, then espresso, layered | Milk and foam |
| Caffè latte and café au lait | Coffee or espresso with hot milk | Milk |
| Hot milk and milk froth | Milk only | Milk |
| Tea water | Hot water at the right temperature | None |
Miele CM 6160 design and setup
The CM 6160 measures about 14.1 × 9.9 × 16.8 inches, or 35.8 × 25.1 × 42.7 cm.
It's shallower than a lot of automatic machines, which helps on narrow counters.
My unit was Obsidian Black.
It also comes in Lotus White.
Light around the spout shows off the drink while it brews.
Tank, hopper and containers
The 1.8-liter tank lifts out by its handle.
The 300-gram hopper sits on top, with the pre-ground chute behind it.
The grounds container holds about ten pucks, and the drip tray holds about 0.8 liters.
Those are a clear step up from Miele's smaller machine, and they mean less daily emptying.
Our tip: Keep the milk rod in the carton and the carton in the fridge, so you never have to wash a separate jug.
First-time setup
Setup took about 15 minutes.
I picked the language, set water hardness, connected to Wi-Fi and ran the first rinse.
The app setup took another five minutes.
Light around the spout shows off each drink as it pours.
Milk foam: the CM 6160's best feature
This is why you buy a CM 6160.
The milk system works the milk twice, which is how Miele gets such dense, fine foam.
On cappuccinos, the foam was thick and creamy, with no visible bubbles.
On flat whites, the milk was silky and pourable, with a thin layer of microfoam✕MicrofoamMilk foam with bubbles so small you can't see them. It feels silky and blends into the coffee instead of sitting on top like froth..
On latte macchiatos, the layers were crisp: hot milk, a band of espresso and a cap of foam.
How it works
For a latte macchiato, the machine dispenses hot milk first, then foam, then grinds and brews the espresso into the glass.
For a cappuccino, the order and amounts are tuned for a stronger coffee taste.
You can change the amount of milk and foam for every drink and save it to your profile.
Which milk works best
Miele recommends cow's milk, and my testing matched the fat-percentage pattern you'd expect.
My ratings on a 10-point scale for texture, stability and temperature.
Whole milk gave the richest, densest foam.
2% was my favorite balance of density and lightness.
1% made a lighter, airier foam that some people preferred on lattes.
No container needed
The CM 6160 doesn't include a milk container.
It comes with a stainless steel milk rod on the end of the tube, which goes straight into a milk carton.
I ended up preferring that, because there was no jug to wash.
Miele sells a matching container if you want a tidier counter.
Cappuccino foam on the CM 6160 is dense, fine and long-lasting.
Miele CM 6160 espresso performance
The CM 6160's espresso is smooth, round and balanced.
With a medium-dark blend, I got a hazelnut crema✕CremaThe golden-brown foam on top of an espresso. It forms when pressure pushes gases and oils out of freshly ground coffee., flavors of cocoa and toasted nuts and low bitterness.
It isn't the thickest or most intense espresso I've had from a one-touch machine.
For straight shots, I preferred the ristretto, which was denser and sweeter.
What you can program
For each drink, you can set the coffee amount, water amount, temperature and pre-brewing✕Pre-brewingA short soak of the coffee before full pressure, also called pre-infusion. It lets the puck swell evenly so water doesn't rush through weak spots..
Pre-brewing has off, short and long options.
The highest temperature on special coffee preparations is about 89°C, or 192°F.
| Setting | What it changes | What I noticed |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee amount | How much coffee is ground | The biggest difference in strength |
| Water amount | How much liquid ends up in the cup | Shorter made shots denser |
| Temperature | Brewing temperature | Higher brought out more chocolate |
| Pre-brewing | Soak before full pressure | Long pre-brewing made shots rounder |
| Reset | Back to factory settings | Handy after experimenting |
My ratings on a 10-point scale for body, crema and flavor.
| What you taste or see | Likely cause | First change |
|---|---|---|
| Sour, thin, watery | Under-extraction | More coffee, less water or DoubleShot |
| Bitter, harsh | Over-extraction or very dark beans | Less water or one grind step coarser |
| Pale crema | Stale beans | Use fresh whole beans |
| Lukewarm | Cold cup | Use hot water to warm the cup and raise the temperature |
Our tip: Turn on long pre-brewing for espresso, because it rounded out the shot more than any other single setting.
Temperature and how hot the drinks are
Temperature is programmable per drink, and the highest setting on special coffee preparations reaches about 89°C, or 192°F, at the brew.
In the cup, my espresso on the highest setting read about 70 to 72°C in a warmed cup.
Milk drinks finished around 60 to 65°C, which is the sweet spot for milk: hot, but not scorched.
Probe readings straight after brewing.
Hotter isn't always better.
For milk drinks, I kept a medium temperature, because the milk tasted sweeter and the foam held up better.
For straight espresso, I used the highest setting and a warmed cup.
Our tip: Warm your espresso cup with a short shot of hot water first, because a cold cup costs about five degrees on a small drink.
DoubleShot and stronger coffee
DoubleShot is the CM 6160's answer to weak automatic coffee.
Instead of pushing more water through one puck, it uses two portions of ground coffee for the same size drink.
The result is noticeably stronger without being bitter.
I used it for my morning coffee and for cappuccinos when I wanted the coffee to cut through the milk.
Relative strength, based on my tasting and how much coffee went into each drink.
DoubleShot for iced coffee
DoubleShot also makes better iced coffee.
I brewed a DoubleShot coffee straight over a glass of large ice cubes.
As the ice melted, the drink stayed flavorful instead of turning watery.
OneTouch for Two and the coffee pot
OneTouch for Two makes two of the same drink at once, including cappuccinos and latte macchiatos.
For milk drinks, the machine pours milk into both cups, then splits the espresso between them.
Two cappuccinos took a little over two minutes.
You can also use it to make one big drink in a large mug.
The coffee pot
The coffee pot function brews three to eight cups in a row into a pot or thermos.
Miele sells a matching pot, but any container that fits under the spout works.
I used it twice to fill a thermos for a day out.
| Feature | What it does | My verdict |
|---|---|---|
| OneTouch for Two | Two drinks at once, including milk drinks | Excellent for couples |
| One big mug | Two-cup volume in one mug | Handy for a huge cappuccino |
| Coffee pot | 3 to 8 cups in a row | Great for guests and thermoses |
| DoubleShot | Stronger drink, same size | My favorite feature after the milk |
Our tip: Check that your pot or thermos fits under the spout before starting the coffee pot program, because the spout tops out around 14 cm.
Tea programs and hot water
The CM 6160 isn't just for coffee drinkers.
Its tea programs dispense water at a set temperature for each type of tea, including black, green, white, herbal and Japanese tea.
After dispensing, a timer counts down the steeping time and beeps when it's done.
I didn't expect to use it, but I did, every afternoon.
Relative temperatures by tea type. Delicate teas need cooler water to avoid bitterness.
Hot water is also handy for hot cereal or instant drinks.
For kids, a lower temperature setting is safer.
Our tip: Use the tea timer even for black tea, because it stops you leaving the bag in until it turns bitter.
Operating modes and the app
The CM 6160 has four operating modes, and they're worth knowing about.
| Mode | What it does | When I used it |
|---|---|---|
| Eco | Saves energy and switches off sooner | Weekdays when we were out |
| Barista | Prioritizes espresso and coffee | Mornings when I only made espresso |
| Latte | Prioritizes milk drinks | Weekends with lots of cappuccinos |
| Party | Fewer interruptions during many drinks | A dinner with eight guests |
Party mode was genuinely useful.
At a dinner, I made eight milk drinks in a row without the machine stopping for routine prompts.
I still ran the cleaning afterwards.
Wi-Fi and Barista Assistant
The Miele app connects over Wi-Fi.
Its Barista Assistant asks what you like about a drink and adjusts the settings for you.
I told it my espresso was a little thin, and it raised the coffee amount and turned on long pre-brewing.
That matched what I'd worked out myself in week two.
The app also handles software updates.
It's not essential, but it's a gentle way into the settings for people who don't want to experiment.
Cleaning and maintaining the Miele CM 6160
After milk drinks, the CM 6160 rinses the milk pipework automatically, using an internal valve so you don't need to put the tube in the drip tray.
The front milk spout comes apart for a proper wash.
Every week, I took the brew unit out through the side and rinsed it under the tap.
The machine prompts you for brew unit cleaning with tablets, milk system cleaning and descaling✕DescalingRunning a mild acid solution through the machine to dissolve mineral scale left by hard water. Scale slows heating and can block pipes..
Parts marked with a dishwasher symbol, including the drip tray, can go in the dishwasher.
| When | Task | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| After milk drinks | Automatic milk pipework rinse | Clears milk from the tube and spout |
| Daily | Empty the drip tray and grounds container | About 10 pucks before it's full |
| Every few days | Take apart and wash the milk spout | Removes dried milk |
| Weekly | Rinse the brew unit by hand | Removes coffee oils |
| When prompted | Cleaning tablet, milk clean, descaling | Keeps oils, milk and scale under control |
My estimate of hands-on cleaning time per day.
What daily use is really like
The CM 6160 is quiet, with a muffled grinder and a smooth pump.
I measured about 60 to 63 dB while grinding and about 55 dB while brewing.
Phone sound meter readings at about 50 cm.
With three of us making about eight drinks a day, I refilled the 1.8-liter tank daily and emptied the grounds container every day or two.
The 300-gram hopper lasted about a week.
Rough maths from a 1.8 L tank, allowing for rinse water. Actual numbers depend on cup size.
The CM 6160 is quiet enough for early mornings in a shared home.
A typical day with the CM 6160
By the end of the month, our day settled into a routine.
In the morning, I switched to Latte mode, because two of us drank cappuccinos.
I put the milk rod into the carton, picked my profile and pressed cappuccino with OneTouch for Two when my partner wanted one too.
After the automatic milk rinse, the carton went straight back in the fridge.
At lunch, I made a DoubleShot coffee in a big mug.
In the afternoon, black tea with the timer, and a hot milk with cocoa for the youngest.
In the evening, a decaf from the pre-ground chute.
| Time | What we made | Key setting |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | Two cappuccinos | Latte mode, OneTouch for Two |
| Lunch | Mug of coffee | DoubleShot |
| Afternoon | Black tea and hot milk | Tea program with timer, hot milk |
| Evening | Decaf | One scoop of pre-ground coffee |
Our tip: Switch to Latte mode on mornings when everyone wants milk drinks, so the machine is ready for milk straight away.
The whole morning, for two milk drinks and the rinse, took about three minutes.
Small details I came to appreciate
The light around the spout makes each drink look its best and helps you line up cups in a dark kitchen.
The direct buttons for six drinks mean most mornings never touch the menu.
The altitude setting adjusts the machine for your location, which matters more than you'd think if you live high up.
Display brightness and button volume can be turned down for quiet early mornings.
The reset option for each drink takes you back to factory settings after an experiment goes wrong.
| Detail | Why it helped |
|---|---|
| Light around the spout | Drinks look great and cups are easy to line up |
| Six direct buttons | Most drinks in one press |
| Altitude setting | Consistent brewing at higher elevations |
| Brightness and volume | Quieter, darker early mornings |
| Per-drink reset | Safe to experiment |
How the CM 6160 fits different households
| Household | How well it fits | Main reason |
|---|---|---|
| Cappuccino and latte drinkers | Excellent | Dense, fine foam |
| Couples | Excellent | OneTouch for Two, profiles |
| Families with tea drinkers | Excellent | Tea programs and timer |
| People who entertain | Very good | Coffee pot and Party mode |
| Intense espresso lovers | Good | Smooth rather than intense, use ristretto and DoubleShot |
The busy couple
Two cappuccinos at once in the morning, each to their own taste, is exactly what the CM 6160 does best.
Profiles mean you each get your own ratio, and OneTouch for Two means you don't wait for each other.
The family with a tea drinker
Tea programs with a timer make the CM 6160 more useful than most coffee machines.
Nobody needs to boil a kettle or guess the right temperature for green tea.
The host
Party mode, OneTouch for Two and the coffee pot make serving a table of guests easy.
I made eight milk drinks in a row at a dinner without a single interruption.
The espresso purist
This is the one group that may want more.
Use the ristretto and DoubleShot, and it gets close, but the shot is still smooth rather than syrupy.
For a household of two to four people who mostly drink milk drinks, this is one of the easiest machines to recommend.
For someone who lives on straight espresso, it's good rather than outstanding.
My four weeks with the CM 6160, week by week
Week one was about the milk.
I tried every milk drink with three kinds of milk and set up our profiles.
Week two was about the espresso.
More coffee, long pre-brewing and DoubleShot turned a pleasant shot into a good one.
Week three was about the extras.
Tea programs, the coffee pot, Party mode and the app's Barista Assistant.
Week four was about the routine.
| Week | What I focused on | Main change |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milk drinks and profiles | 2% milk, three saved profiles |
| 2 | Espresso | More coffee, long pre-brew, DoubleShot |
| 3 | Tea, pot, modes and app | Tea timer daily, Party mode for a dinner |
| 4 | Routine and cleaning | Milk rod in the carton, weekly brew unit rinse |
Beans, water and milk
Use whole beans within a few weeks of the roast date.
Medium and medium-dark roasts suited the CM 6160 best, especially for milk drinks.
Light roasts needed a finer grind and DoubleShot.
Avoid very oily or flavored beans.
| Bean type | Espresso | Milk drinks |
|---|---|---|
| Medium-dark blend | Very good | Excellent |
| Medium roast | Very good | Excellent |
| Light roast | Finer grind, DoubleShot | Good |
| Very dark, oily | Not recommended | Not recommended |
Use fresh, cold water and set the water hardness so descaling reminders are accurate.
Common mistakes to avoid
The Miele CM 6160 is easy to live with, but a few habits will hold it back.
| Mistake | What happens | Better habit |
|---|---|---|
| Judging espresso at factory settings | Pleasant but light shots | More coffee, long pre-brew or DoubleShot |
| Raising the water to make coffee stronger | Thinner, flatter cup | Raise the coffee amount or use DoubleShot |
| Ignoring the modes | Interruptions during parties | Use Party mode when entertaining |
| Leaving the milk carton out | Milk warms up | Back in the fridge after the rinse |
| A pot too tall for the spout | Spills | Measure first |
| Skipping the weekly brew unit rinse | Stale flavors | Rinse it every week |
What I would change
A milk container in the box would make it feel complete.
And the modes and DoubleShot deserve to be easier to find on the machine itself.
Is the Miele CM 6160 worth the money?
The CM 6160 is a premium machine, and it earns that mostly through milk drinks and flexibility.
The foam is outstanding, the profiles work well and DoubleShot fixes the usual weakness of automatic coffee.
Tea programs, the coffee pot and Party mode make it more of a household appliance than a coffee gadget.
Ask yourself three questions before you buy.
Do you mostly drink milk drinks?
Do two or more people share the machine?
Would tea and the occasional pot of coffee be useful?
If the answers are yes, the CM 6160 is easy to recommend.
If you mainly want intense straight espresso, look at a machine that focuses on the shot.
Living with it long term
Miele designs these machines to be maintained at home.
The removable brew unit, the automatic milk rinse, the take-apart milk spout and the dishwasher-safe tray cover the jobs that matter most.
Wi-Fi software updates mean the machine can improve after you buy it.
Running costs are cleaning tablets, descaler and filters, plus the optional milk container and pot if you want them.
The CM 6160 is built for households that share one machine.
How it compares with other espresso setups
The most useful comparison is with the kinds of machines you're likely choosing between.
The Miele CM 6160 stands out for its milk foam, profiles and household features.
| Feature | Miele CM 6160 | Espresso-focused automatic | Manual machine and grinder |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milk foam | Excellent, dense and fine | Varies | Excellent, skill-dependent |
| Espresso | Smooth, balanced | Often more intense | Excellent, skill-dependent |
| Profiles | 4 | Varies | No |
| Stronger coffee option | DoubleShot | Sometimes | Manual dose |
| Tea programs | Yes | Rare | No |
| Two milk drinks at once | Yes | Sometimes | No |
| Wi-Fi app | Yes | Sometimes | No |
| You mostly drink | Is the CM 6160 a fit? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cappuccinos and latte macchiatos | Excellent | Dense, fine foam |
| Flat whites | Excellent | Silky milk, adjustable |
| Mugs of coffee | Very good | DoubleShot for strength |
| Tea | Excellent | Programs and timer |
| Intense straight espresso | Good | Use ristretto and DoubleShot |
The full package: direct drink buttons, central spout and the milk tube.
Other Miele machines I tested
For a simpler, more compact option, see my Miele CM 5310 review.
The Miele CM 6360 adds a milk container and a premium finish.
For a dual-bean flagship, see the Miele CM 7750.
Which one is right for you: is the Miele CM 6160 your match?
4 quick questionsMiele CM 6160 specifications
From manufacturer data and my own testing.
How I tested and scored the Miele CM 6160
For four weeks, I used the Miele CM 6160 as the everyday machine for a household of three, with espresso, ristretto, coffee, long coffee, cappuccinos, flat whites, latte macchiatos, café au lait and tea.
I set up three profiles, tested DoubleShot, OneTouch for Two and the coffee pot, tried every operating mode, used Barista Assistant in the app and made milk drinks with 1%, 2% and whole milk plus barista oat milk.
I measured temperatures with a probe and noise with a phone meter at about 50 cm, timed the tea programs and ran every rinse, cleaning and descaling prompt.
Michael and a second HouseholdMe tester shared the machine and wrote the notes together. We then checked our notes against Miele's specifications and owner documentation.
- Espresso (8.5): body, crema, flavor and consistency, plus DoubleShot and long coffee.
- Milk drinks (9.0): foam density, texture, temperature and two-cup milk drinks.
- Ease of use (8.6): direct buttons, profiles, modes, app and tea programs.
- Cleaning (8.5): automatic milk rinse, brew unit access, dishwasher-safe parts and prompts.
The overall score of 8.6 is an editorial rating that reflects those four areas.
More Miele coffee machine reviews
We spent four weeks with each Miele automatic coffee machine in the range. Here's how the other models compare, review by review.
Miele CM 5310 review: A quiet, compact Miele with two-cup milk drinks, a coffee pot mode and a long coffee that works.
Miele CM 6360 review: Eight named profiles, a glass milk container and DoubleShot long coffee that actually tastes strong.
Miele CM 7750 review: Three bean hoppers, ten profiles, a touchscreen and automatic descaling in one flagship machine.
Miele CM 6160 FAQ
Is the Miele CM 6160 worth it?
Yes, if milk drinks are your main thing and several people share the machine. It makes excellent foam and keeps four profiles. If you want the most intense espresso, an espresso-focused machine may suit you better.
Does the Miele CM 6160 come with a milk container?
No. It comes with a stainless steel milk rod and tube that go straight into a milk carton or jug. A matching container is sold separately.
What is DoubleShot on the Miele CM 6160?
It brews the same size drink from two portions of ground coffee instead of one, for a stronger cup without extra water.
Can the Miele CM 6160 make two drinks at once?
Yes. OneTouch for Two makes two coffees or two milk drinks at once.
How many user profiles does the Miele CM 6160 have?
Four. Each saves the coffee amount, water amount, temperature, pre-brewing and milk settings for every drink.
Can the Miele CM 6160 make tea?
Yes. It has tea programs that dispense water at the right temperature for the type of tea, plus a timer that beeps when it has steeped.
What are the operating modes?
Eco saves energy, Barista prioritizes coffee and espresso, Latte prioritizes milk drinks and Party reduces interruptions when you make many drinks in a row.
Does the Miele CM 6160 have Wi-Fi?
Yes. The Miele app adds Barista Assistant, which suggests settings based on what you like, and it handles software updates.
Which milk works best?
Whole milk gave the densest foam, 2% the best balance and 1% the lightest foam. Barista oat milk also foamed well.
How big is the water tank?
About 1.8 liters, or 61 fluid ounces.
What is the coffee pot function?
It brews about three to eight cups into a pot or thermos. Miele's matching pot is sold separately.
How hot are the drinks from the Miele CM 6160?
On the highest setting, my espresso measured about 71°C in a warmed cup, and cappuccinos finished around 63°C. Warm small cups first for the hottest espresso.
How quiet is the Miele CM 6160?
I measured about 60 to 63 dB while grinding and about 55 dB while brewing from half a meter away.
- Four weeks of hands-on testing of the Miele CM 6160 MilkPerfection
- Miele product specifications and owner documentation
- General espresso brewing and maintenance guidance





