The Calphalon Temp iQ is not a bad espresso machine, but the Breville Bambino is better and usually costs about the same.
In this review I cover what I like and dislike about the Temp iQ, and answer three common questions:
- Is it the best espresso machine around this price? No, but it is one of the better ones.
- Is it good for beginners? Yes, especially if you mainly want lattes and cappuccinos.
- Should you get the version with a built-in grinder? No. Avoid it.
Should You Buy the Calphalon Temp iQ? (Quick Verdict)
I would buy the Breville Bambino instead. It makes better espresso at a similar price.
Breville Bambino
Its over-pressure valve lets it brew finer coffee for better-tasting espresso.
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That said, the Calphalon Temp iQ is still a solid machine if you find it at a good price. It is easy to use, and its steam wand is better than most at this price, which makes it great for lattes and cappuccinos with little effort.
| Calphalon Temp iQ ratings | Score |
|---|---|
| Espresso quality | 5/10 |
| Steamed milk quality | 8/10 |
| Features | 8/10 |
| Ease of use and cleaning | 8/10 |
| Design and build quality | 5/10 |
| Value for money | 7/10 |
Skip the version with a built-in grinder. It has no way to grind a set dose, so you have to weigh every shot on a separate scale. You are much better off pairing the grinder-less Temp iQ with a separate grinder that doses for you. See our pick of the best espresso grinders.
Calphalon Temp iQ Espresso Machine at a Glance
The Calphalon Temp iQ is a traditional portafilter espresso machine (not a super-automatic). It has automatic shot volumes and a single-hole steam wand for frothing milk.
| Specification | Calphalon Temp iQ (no grinder) |
|---|---|
| Dimensions (W x D x H) | 13.9" x 11.6" x 15.3" |
| Portafilter size | 58 mm |
| Heating | Thermoblock with PID |
| Pump | 15 bar |
| Automatic shot volumes | Yes, single and double |
| Over-pressure valve | No |
| Steam wand | Single-hole (pin-hole) |
| Built-in grinder | No |
| Water tank | 67 oz (about 40 double shots) |
| Accessories | Stainless steel milk jug, plastic tamper |
| Baskets | Single and double pressurized baskets |
| Buy | See on Amazon |
Pros
- Steam wand is better than most at this price and can make latte-art-quality microfoam
- PID keeps brewing temperature stable
- Switches quickly between brewing and steaming
- Drip tray drawer for sweeping away spilled grounds
Cons
- No over-pressure valve, which limits how fine you can grind and so caps espresso quality
- No non-pressurized baskets included
- Portafilter spouts are too wide for an espresso cup
- Replacement parts are hard to find
Espresso Quality
Decent, but not truly delicious. The lack of an over-pressure valve is the limiting factor.
Two machine features matter most for espresso quality:
- Temperature control. The best extraction happens at around 195 to 204°F. A PID controller keeps the water in that range throughout the shot.
- Pressure control. Espresso is ideally brewed at about 9 bar. Too much pressure makes channeling more likely. An over-pressure valve (OPV) caps the pressure.
Grind quality and bean freshness matter too, but those are down to you, not the machine.
Temperature Control
Excellent. The Temp iQ uses a thermoblock heater with a PID, so the water reaches about 198°F as it hits the coffee and stays there through the shot. That puts it ahead of many cheap espresso machines, like De'Longhi's entry-level models.
Pressure Control
Fairly crude. The Temp iQ uses a 15-bar pump without an OPV. It will not actually brew at 15 bar, but it probably brews somewhere around 11 to 13 bar, above the ideal.
That makes channeling more likely. Channeling is when water forces a path through the coffee puck and rushes through it, instead of flowing evenly through all the coffee.
Coffee around the channels over-extracts and turns bitter, while the rest under-extracts and tastes sour. The result can be undrinkable.
The way to avoid channeling at higher pressure is to grind coarser, which leaves more room for water to pass evenly. But coarser coffee also extracts less, so the shot tastes flatter. That is still better than a channeled shot, but it limits how good your espresso can get.
As a rule, if a machine has both a PID and an OPV, it can probably make better espresso than the Temp iQ.
What About the 58 mm Portafilter?
Many reviews praise the Temp iQ's 58 mm portafilter, which is the size used on commercial machines. A wider, flatter puck can help extraction a little. But I would take a 51 or 54 mm portafilter with an OPV over a 58 mm one without, every time. Grind size matters far more than basket diameter.
Espresso quality: 5/10
Steam Wand
The steam wand is the highlight.
The Temp iQ uses a single-hole steam wand, which makes much better milk than the panarello wands common at this price. You can spot a panarello by the plastic sleeve over the tip.
With practice, you can make silky microfoam for latte art, which you cannot do with a panarello.
Some Amazon reviews complain the wand is so powerful it sprays milk everywhere. In most cases, the tip is loose, which can happen straight out of the box. Tighten it and the problem goes away.
The wand is also ready in about 20 seconds, faster than most machines at this price.
Steam wand: 8/10
Functions and Settings
It can make almost any espresso drink.
It has preset single and double shots (about 1 oz and 2 oz). You can also pull a manual shot by holding the dial at the 1- or 2-shot position, which lets you make ristrettos and lungos.
The single-hole steam wand can texture milk however you like, unlike a panarello.
Two caveats:
- The espresso in those drinks will not match a good café's
- What you can make depends on your steaming skill
Machines that make any drink at the press of a button exist, but they cost around three times as much. See Breville Barista Touch vs Oracle Touch.
Features: 8/10
Day-to-Day Use
Very easy, even for complete beginners. Some of its convenience features do limit the espresso, though.
Making Espresso
You can pull a decent shot with no experience, thanks to its pressurized baskets.
A pressurized basket has a single exit hole. A non-pressurized basket has hundreds of tiny holes.
That single hole creates back-pressure, so you get a decent shot even with pre-ground coffee or an uneven tamp. A non-pressurized basket is less forgiving and will make sour shots if your grind or tamp is off.
The trade-off: pressurized baskets make it easy to get an OK shot but impossible to get a great one. They are great for beginners who do not want a pricey grinder or fresh specialty beans, but frustrating once you want to improve. Ideally you want both types, and the Temp iQ only comes with pressurized ones. Learn more in our guide to pressurized vs non-pressurized portafilter baskets.
The controls are a simple dial with every setting clearly labeled in plain English.
The machine stops each shot automatically at the right volume.
Using the Steam Wand
A little harder than a panarello, but it rewards the learning curve.
Calphalon did not make the steam wand as beginner-friendly as the brewing side. Instead, it gave you a wand capable of great milk. My Breville Barista Pro has a similar wand, and it took me about ten practice jugs to get consistent. After that, my milk was far better than any panarello could make.
That combination of easy brewing and a quality steam wand makes the Temp iQ especially good for people who mostly drink milk drinks.
Cleaning
Some smart design touches make it easy to keep clean. The main challenge is remembering to descale.
Daily Cleaning
The drip tray has two compartments: one to sweep spilled grounds into and one to purge the steam wand into. Beyond that, you just:
- Wipe grounds off the group head
- Wipe milk off the steam wand
- Knock the used puck into the bin
It does not have a three-way solenoid valve, so pucks can be a bit wet and sloppy. That is normal at this price.
Removable and Dishwasher-Safe Parts
| Part | Removable | Dishwasher safe |
|---|---|---|
| Drip tray cover | Yes | Yes |
| Drip tray | Yes | No |
| Water tank | Yes | No |
| Portafilter | Yes | No |
| Portafilter basket | Yes | Yes |
| Steam wand | No | No |
The steam wand is not removable, but running hot water through it cleans the inside, and a quick wipe cleans the outside.
Descaling
Calphalon recommends descaling every 4 to 6 months. Press the power button four times to enter descale mode. The "On" and "Ready" lights will flash together. It then runs a liter through the group head and a liter through the steam wand, which takes about 10 minutes. It does not remind you, so set a calendar reminder.
Ease of use and cleaning: 8/10
How Well Is It Built?
Several annoying design flaws, and replacement parts are hard to find.
Exterior
The front is metal, but the sides and top are plastic. The drip tray is plastic too.
The weakest part is the portafilter:
- Its spouts are too wide for an espresso glass, so espresso dribbles down the outside
- Its metal head is reportedly glued, not fixed, to the handle, and some owners say it can loosen with heat
- It locks into the group head with three lugs, an unusual design that makes replacements hard to find
The tamper is light plastic, but most machines at this price cut corners there.
Internals
The internals are good. The thermoblock heats from off to ready in about 25 seconds and switches from brewing to steaming in about 15, faster than most rivals.
The missing OPV is the one internal weakness. I suspect Calphalon left it out because the machine is aimed at beginners using pre-ground coffee, which is also why it only comes with pressurized baskets.
Known Issues
The only recurring problem I found was leaking where the water tank connects to the machine:
“The first machine was leaking water out the back... we had only had it for four days. Returned it to Amazon and got a new one and now this one is also leaking.”
Amazon reviewer
I only found a few reports among thousands of reviews, so it does not seem common. Calphalon offers a multi-year warranty, though some owners say customer support can be slow to respond.
Design and build quality: 5/10
Is It Worth the Price?
Priced about right, but there are better options.
Its steam wand lifts it above entry-level machines, but pricier machines make better espresso. I mark it down a point because replacement parts are so hard to find. If the portafilter breaks, you may wait a long time for a replacement.
Value for money: 7/10
Should You Get the Version With a Built-In Grinder?
No. Its grinder cannot grind a set dose, so you either guess or weigh every shot on a separate scale. That turns an easy machine into a fiddly one. Buy the grinder-less version and a separate grinder that grinds by dose or time. If you want an all-in-one, see the best espresso machines with a grinder.
A Better Alternative: Breville Bambino
The Breville Bambino usually costs about the same as the grinder-less Temp iQ, and it is better in several ways:
- Better espresso, thanks to its OPV, which lets you grind finer
- Easier to find parts
- Better customer support
- Easy to upgrade to non-pressurized baskets. Standard 54 mm baskets are cheap and easy to find, so you can grow your skills
Breville Bambino
A PID, an OPV and easy-to-find baskets at a similar price.
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Read my full Breville Bambino review, or compare it with its sibling in Bambino vs Bambino Plus.
Should You Buy It?
The Calphalon Temp iQ is not a bad machine, especially for milk drinks, but the Breville Bambino is better at the same price.
For more options, see the best espresso machines for beginners and best espresso machines under $500.
FAQs
Does the Calphalon Temp iQ have a PID?
Yes. It uses a thermoblock with a PID for stable brewing temperature.
Can you use non-pressurized baskets in the Calphalon Temp iQ?
It does not come with them, and its unusual portafilter design makes compatible baskets harder to find than for mainstream machines.
Is the Calphalon Temp iQ good for latte art?
Yes. Its single-hole steam wand can make microfoam fine enough for latte art once you have practiced.
Written by · reviewed by the Cicada Coffee Bar team
Daniel Voss
Lead Equipment Reviewer, Cicada Coffee Bar
Daniel leads the equipment-testing side of Cicada Coffee Bar. Every super-automatic, semi-automatic, and grinder featured on this site is bought or sourced independently, set up on the test bench, and brewed with daily for at least two weeks before a single word is written — tracking espresso quality, milk texture, ease of cleaning, and long-term reliability. Reviews are updated whenever pricing or firmware changes.
