The Best Coffee Machines For Home
There is no one-size-fits-all coffee machine. We've compiled our top picks, starting with an automatic that grinds your beans and packs them to semiautomatics that give you the best control over your espresso.
The Breville Oracle Touch strikes a perfect balance between automatizing the process while requiring you to be proficient in the art of espresso-making. It's our top pick for a bean-to-cup machine.
1. Rocket Appartamento
Rocket Appartamento is a fantastic choice for those who are looking to make espresso at home without losing quality. This small-footprint espresso machine was designed for those who have limited counter space. It combines excellent build quality with a compact footprint. It comes equipped with an 1.8-liter copper heat exchange boiler as well as a commercial E61 group head so you can steam milk and make espresso simultaneously.
The machine is also beautiful and has a circular design on the side panel with the steam engraved and hot water spouts. This is a fresh update on the classic look of Rocket, which is already pretty impressive for a small machine. It also includes a black boiler pressure gauge to indicate when the boiler is ready for use.
The drip tray and the water reservoir tray are smaller on this model than others. This means that you will need to be extra vigilant when emptying and refilling the machine, particularly when you use it often. This is a trade-off that comes with having a smaller footprint. This isn't something that is unique to this model.
You can still brew plenty of coffee with this machine, and it will easily keep up with your demands. We suggest investing in a quality grinder, such as the Baratza Sette Giante to improve consistency and taste. You can also pair this machine with a Rocket portafilter to enhance the process of tamping.
Rocket Appartamento, as a prosumer machine, can make some great drinks and it is simple to make Latte arts. However, it's worth noting that the machine isn't made for beginners and has an enlightening curve for those who are upgrading from appliance-grade machines. The heat exchanger can be difficult to operate and you'll have to master the art of cooling flushes.
Both the Lelit Bianca and the Rocket Appartamento provide the option of connecting to a water supply, which means you'll always have clean, cold filtered water on hand for your drinks. The latter has a smaller 2.25-liter tank that is harder to refill.
2. Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie
This machine is built to Lavazza's high standards. It is quick to reach the brewing temperature, which allows you to make your first cup of coffee in just 35 minutes. The water tank can be filled easily with ease, since the lid can be removed to create an enormous hole. You can fill it up with tap water, depending on what you prefer.
This is the smallest machine of the Lavazza A Modo Mio range, but it still is a powerful machine. At full price, it costs under PS100 - which is less than the Nespresso Essenza and similar machines from SMEG and Desea. This makes the Jolie an excellent choice for those who don't have the money or space for a traditional espresso maker, but are looking to enjoy the benefits of real Italian espresso.
The Jolie is extremely easy to use and takes up just a little counter space. You only need to press a single button to activate the machine, and then press it again to start dispensing your chosen pod. There's a backlight on the button so that you can clearly see how much has been dispensed and you can also manually stop the process in case you prefer drinking your pod in smaller doses.
There's no steam wand available on this model, however you can use an optional milk frother (available separately) to add some creamy froth if you like. The machine is also quite quiet and can be used to make coffee in a small kitchen or work space.
The pods aren't inexpensive, but they come in a range of blends that can be used by everyone - from the mildest espresso drinker to the most demanding. They are readily available in many supermarkets along with regular coffee beans and ground coffee and you can also buy Lavazza A Modo Mio compatible pods online.
The Jolie and Milk is a sleek capsule machine that includes a milk warmer and a frother. It comes with a 75cm power plug and power cable, a warranty sheet along with a quick guide and a tester pack comprising nine Lavazza pods. Six are roasted (two Qualita Rossa and two Lungo Dolce) and two are decaffeinated. The machine itself is small enough to be stored on an even surface or placed under the cabinet.
3. Breville BES870XL
The Breville Barista Express appears to be an expensive espresso machine. If you're willing put in the work to master its use, this is an excellent espresso maker for home use that performs better than many of the more expensive models available. It's among the best priced in its class, and it's especially suitable for those who don't have an espresso grinder yet--which can easily set them back another $100 or more.
The model is priced lower than the top-of-the-line Breville Oracle (the most expensive at $2199) However, it's a good choice for baristas working on a budget. It's loaded with options to customize and features, including an integrated burr mill to make it more affordable. It's also a one-boiler machine, which means that it can only do one thing at one time.
Despite being a relatively newcomer to the market of espresso machines, Breville has quickly made a name for themselves by offering top-quality equipment. This machine is no different, and it offers just enough control that it can be adjusted to let aspiring baristas develop their abilities without spending hundreds of dollars more than they should.
It's not without its quirks, though. The hopper is on the side, not the top, of this model. It's not a major issue, but it can be a hassle if you need to disperse several shots at a time. It's also difficult to determine the amount of water left in the tank, because of its position at the rear.
If you're willing to invest some time learning how to master the Breville Barista Express, it's an excellent, all-purpose appliance for anyone who is a coffee lover at home. The only drawback is the price, which can be a turnoff for some buyers. If you're looking for a less expensive option, check out our review of the Gaggia Classic or the La Pavoni Impresso. Both machines have similar capabilities and offer a bit more control than the Barista Express. However, they cost less than the price.
4. OXO Brew 9-Cup
A high-tech, intelligent coffee machine that makes great coffee using a simple interface. The sleek stainless steel design and backlit LED display provides your kitchen with a stylish appearance. It has one dial that lets you to set the amount of cups. There are two settings: 2-4 cups and 5-9 cups. Its brewing process is similar to pour over that many coffee enthusiasts believe produces the best tasting coffee. The water is heated up to the ideal temperature, and then evenly distributed over the coffee grounds with a shower head. The coffee is then brewed inside the double-walled thermal carafe for up to 60 minutes. The pause and pour feature allows you to remove the carafe in brewing and fill your individual cup. The machine pauses the brewing process and displays a red carafe light on its LED interface until you return it. It after which it resumes brewing and is finished.
The OXO Brew 9-Cup is an SCAA-certified coffee maker that means it is in compliance with the strict standards of SCAA's technical standards. Its brew time is approximately longer than the Bodum BISTRO and Technivorm Moccamaster KBT 741, but it offers greater control over temperature, brewing duration and also quality.
In our tests we found that the OXO Brew 9 Cup produced an excellent pot of drip coffee that filled an entire carafe in just 7 minutes and coffeee.uk 41 seconds. This is a bit longer than the 6 minutes or less that the Bonavita Connoisseur and the Moccamaster require but well within the range that experts in the field recommend for a great cup of drip.
You must also grind your beans before brewing. You can make use of a manual coffee grinder, or go for a more automated model like the Baratza Encore, which has various grind settings as well as the hopper can hold entire beans.
The only issue with this product is that it's not dishwasher safe. This could be a concern for some users. The stainless steel is still easily cleaned by hand, however. The OXO Brew 9-Cup's sleek aesthetic and user-friendly interface make it one of the top contenders among best drip coffee makers.