Built-in coffee machine installation: niche size, water connection and checks

Short answer. The 45 cm built-in coffee machines with published niche sizes need a niche about 450 mm high and 560 mm wide, but the depth differs by model: from 376 mm (NEFF CL9TX11Y0) to 550 mm (Miele CVA 7445 and CVA 7845, Teka CLC 855 GM). Miele DirectWater models (Miele’s name for its plumbed models) have a fixed water connection and still have a water tank. Miele requires a cold-water line with a shut-off valve you can reach. Check the exact figures for your model before the cabinet is built.

This guide covers planning and installation. For choosing a machine, see our coffee machine buying guide. For descaling and cleaning, see the coffee machine care guide. All figures below are from the manufacturers’ datasheets, manuals and product pages.

1. Niche size per model

The front of a 45 cm class machine is about 595 x 455 mm. Height and width are close to identical between the brands that publish them. Depth is what changes. Miele’s DirectWater models need 50 mm more depth (550 mm) than its tank model (500 mm) with the same front.

The NEFF depth is much shallower than Miele’s; read it as the maker prints it. Gaggenau tells planners to plan the niche without a back wall, and says the 449 mm housing height means any combination must be planned carefully. Check Gaggenau’s documents for your model for the niche size. Ventilation clearances are not stated in the sources we used for any brand, so check your model’s manual.

2. Tank or fixed water connection

A tank machine is filled by hand. On the Miele DirectWater and Gaggenau water-connection models the tank is kept and topped up from the water line. Miele states that the tank fills automatically when the machine is switched on and can still be filled by hand.

Miele DirectWater requirements (Miele manual):

• cold water only, drinking-water quality;
• water pressure between 100 and 1,000 kPa (1–10 bar);
• a tap with a 3/4" thread and a shut-off valve that stays easily accessible;
• use the supplied 1.5 m stainless-steel hose; do not shorten, extend or replace it;
• connection by qualified personnel.

Gaggenau says the water connection for the inlet hose must always be accessible and must not be directly behind the appliance. Miele’s drawing also marks a zone where no electrical or water connection may be placed. No drain connection is described in the Miele documents we read; the Miele datasheet lists a drip tray and a dregs container.

3. Power connection

• Miele CVA: plug-ready for a Schuko socket, fuse at least 10 A, 2.0 m cord. The socket must stay freely accessible, or an all-pole isolator must be present.
• No multi-way sockets, extension cables or adapters (Miele’s fire-safety instruction).
• Gaggenau, NEFF, ASKO and Küppersbusch cables are 1.75 m, 1.7 m, 1.7 m and 1.8 m. Plan the socket within that reach.
• The Gaggenau, NEFF, Teka and ASKO sources we used give no fuse rating. Check the manual.

4. Tall unit: combining with other appliances

• Miele: keep a minimum installation height of 850 mm (bottom of the niche above the floor). When the machine sits above another Miele built-in appliance, a closed intermediate shelf is required under it. No shelf is needed over a Miele warming drawer or vacuum drawer. Ambient temperature must be 16–38 °C.
• Gaggenau: installation directly above a warming drawer is possible. Above a combi microwave oven only a standard furniture shelf is allowed, not the intermediate shelf GA 601 010. The datasheets for GC261130 and GC451120 give an ideal installation height of 95–145 cm (top edge of the niche bottom).
• For vacuum drawers see our vacuum drawer guide. For ovens see the oven buying guide.

5. Door clearance

• Miele: the door opens to about 120° by default; the hinge limiter can be removed to widen it to about 170°, if no wall is in the way. With at least 299 mm between the wall and the machine, the door opens wider and handling is easier. The handle is hidden. For the CVA 7845 Miele states a depth of 108 cm with the door open.
• Gaggenau: the door opens to the side and the hinge is not reversible. At about 110° (delivery state) it needs at least 350 mm to the wall. With the 92° restrictor (spare part 10020041) at least 100 mm is needed. Take this into account in corner kitchens.

6. How the main lines differ

• Miele CVA 7440: tank, two bean containers (2 x 300 g), manual descaling, niche depth 500 mm.
• Miele CVA 7445: the DirectWater model in the same Miele class as the 7440; niche depth 550 mm. For bean containers and descaling, check the datasheet.
• Miele CVA 7845: DirectWater, CoffeeSelect with three bean containers, and AutoDescale (Miele’s automatic descaling).
• Gaggenau Minimalistic and Expressive: GC251 and GC451 have a tank, GC261 and GC461 add the water connection. The front stands 21 mm out of the cabinet on Minimalistic and 42 mm on Expressive (Gaggenau).

Checklist: what to measure

• Niche height, width and depth against your model’s datasheet
• Floor to niche bottom (Miele: at least 850 mm)
• Water tap position, 3/4" thread and a reachable shut-off valve (DirectWater models)
• A reachable socket within the cable length
• Wall distance beside the door
• Closed shelf under the machine if another appliance sits below

In our range

Our coffee machine category includes the built-in machines named in this guide: Miele CVA 7440, CVA 7445 and CVA 7845, Gaggenau GC251, GC261, GC451 and GC461, NEFF N 90 CL9TX11Y0 and CL9TX11X0, ASKO CM8478G, Teka CLC 855 GM and Küppersbusch CKV 6550.0 S.

FAQ

What niche size does a built-in coffee machine need?

A 45 cm class machine needs a niche about 450 mm high and 560 mm wide; the depth is 376–550 mm depending on the model. For example, Miele CVA 7440 needs 500 mm depth and the DirectWater models CVA 7445 and CVA 7845 need 550 mm.

Does a built-in coffee machine need a water connection?

No, tank models work without one. Models such as Miele DirectWater or Gaggenau GC261 and GC461 can be connected to a fresh-water line (Miele: cold water only), and they keep a 2.7 l (Miele) or 2.4 l (Gaggenau) tank. Miele says its DirectWater unit is intended for operation with the fixed connection; with the connection switched off, the tank is filled by hand.

Miele built-in coffee machine water connection: what is needed?

The Miele DirectWater models need a cold-water tap with a 3/4" thread and a shut-off valve, pressure of 1–10 bar, and the supplied 1.5 m hose. Connection must be done by qualified personnel.

Can I install a coffee machine above an oven or a warming drawer?

The sources we used do not mention ovens specifically, so check your model’s manual. Miele requires a closed intermediate shelf under the machine over other Miele built-in appliances (none is needed over a warming or vacuum drawer) and a minimum installation height of 850 mm. Gaggenau allows installation directly above a warming drawer.

Read next: coffee machine buying guide · coffee machine care · small kitchen and compact appliances · vacuum drawer guide