The Best Coffee Machines For Home

There is no one-size-fits-all coffee machine. We've put together our top picks, from a superautomatic that grinds your beans and packs them to a semiautomatic which gives you the most control over your espresso.

The Breville Oracle Touch strikes the perfect balance between automation and needing to understand the basics of espresso-making. It's the best bean-to cup machine we've found.

1. Rocket Appartamento

Rocket Appartamento is a top option for those who want to make espresso at home without having to make big sacrifices in terms of quality. This espresso machine for the prosumer is designed with a limited counter space in mind. It combines outstanding build quality with a very small footprint. It comes with an 1.8-liter copper heat exchange boiler as well as a commercial E61 group heads so that you can steam milk and make espresso simultaneously.

The machine looks fantastic and has a circular design on the side panel with engravings of steam and hot water spouts. This is a fresh update on the classic look of Rocket, which is already pretty impressive for a compact machine. It also has the black pressure gauge, which shows when the boiler is ready for use.

The drip tray and the water reservoir tray are smaller on this model than others. You will need to be careful when emptying and re-filling the machine. This is particularly true in the event that you frequently use it. This is a natural tradeoff for having smaller footprint, however it is not a problem that is unique to this model.

This machine is capable of handling your coffee needs. We suggest purchasing a high-quality grinder, like the Baratza Sette Gante, to improve consistency and flavor. You can also use this machine in conjunction with an Rocket portafilter to help improve the process of tamping.

Rocket Appartamento, as a prosumer machine, makes delicious drinks and it is easy to create Latte Arts. It's important to note that the machine was not designed for beginners and there's a bit of a learning curve for those who are upgrading from appliance-grade machines. The heat exchanger is difficult to operate, and you'll need to learn how to do cooling flushes.

Both the Lelit Bianca as well as the Rocket Appartamento have the option to connect to an water source, which allows you to always be able to drink cold, filtered water. The latter has a smaller 2.25-liter tank that is difficult to refill.

2. Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie

As you would expect from the Lavazza machine, this one is designed with quality in mind. The machine can reach the temperature of brewing quickly, so you can prepare your first cup in less than 35 second. The tank can be easily refilled with ease, since the lid can be removed to make the large hole. You can fill it with tap water if you prefer.

This is the smallest machine of the Lavazza A Modo Mio range, but it still has a lot of punch. It's priced at less than PS100 at full price and is much less expensive than the Nespresso Essenza or similar machines from SMEG or Desea. This makes the Jolie a great option for those with a limited budget or space for an espresso maker, but who want to get their fix of authentic Italian espresso.

The Jolie is extremely simple to use and occupies only a tiny amount of counter space. By pressing a single button, you can activate the machine. When you press it again, it will start dispensing the specific pod you've chosen. There's a backlight that's on the button to ensure that you can easily see the amount of dispensed, and you can manually stop the process if you prefer to drink your pod in smaller doses.

There's no steam wand included on this model, but you can make use of an optional milk frother (available separately) to add some creamy froth, if you'd like. The machine is very quiet as well and can be utilized in a small workspace or in a kitchen with flatshare without causing any disturbance to anyone else.

Pods aren't inexpensive, but there's an array of blends to choose from to satisfy everyone from mildest to the most demanding espresso drinkers. They are sold in most supermarkets along with regular coffee beans and ground coffee and you can also buy Lavazza A Modo Mio compatible pods on the internet.

The Jolie and milk is a sleek capsule that comes with an integrated milk warmer. It includes a 75cm plug and power cable, a warranty card and a quick reference, and a tester pack comprising nine Lavazza pods. Six are roasted (two Qualita Rossa and two Lungo Dolce) and two are decaffeinated. The machine is small enough to fit under a cupboard or flat surfaces.

3. Breville BES870XL

The Breville Barista Express appears to be a high-priced espresso machine. If you're willing to put in the work to learn how to use it, this is an excellent do-it-all home espresso maker that performs better than many of the more expensive models available. It's among the best priced in its class, and is especially good for novices who don't have an espresso grinder yet, which could cost them another $100 or more.

The model is just below the top of the range for Breville (their Oracle is the most expensive, costing $2,199), but it's still an excellent choice for baristas at home on a tight budget. It has plenty of customizable features, and comes with a built-in burr grinder to make the entire experience more affordable. It's also a single boiler, which means it can only be used for steaming or brewing at one time.

Despite being a relative newcomer to the market for espresso machines, Breville has quickly made an impact by offering top-quality equipment. This machine is no different and has enough control to let aspiring baristas develop their skills without spending hundreds more than necessary.

It's not without its flaws, though. For one, the hopper on this model is placed on the side of the unit instead of being on top. This isn't really a huge deal, but it can be frustrating if you're trying to give multiple shots at once. The rear position of the tank makes it difficult to know how much liquid remains.

But if you're prepared to spend some time learning how to master the Breville Barista Express, it's a great, do-it-all appliance for anyone who loves espresso at home. The only drawback is the price, which could be a nagging issue for some buyers. If you're seeking a cheaper alternative, read our review of the Gaggia Classic or the La Pavoni Impresso. Both machines are similar in capability and provide a bit more control than the Barista Express. However, they are a fraction of the price.

4. OXO Brew 9-Cup

A high-tech, intelligent cheap coffee machine maker that makes excellent coffee using a simple interface. Its sleek stainless steel design and backlit LED screen give a sophisticated design to your kitchen. It has one dial that allows you to set the amount of cups. There are two options: 2-4 cups and 5-9 cups. Its brewing technique is similar to pour-over brewing, which coffee aficionados believe produces the best small coffee machine-tasting coffee. The water is heated to the perfect temperature and then evenly distributed over the coffee grounds with a shower head. The coffee that is brewed is stored in a double-walled carafe, which can be stored for up to 60 min. The pause-and-pour feature allows you to remove the carafe during making your coffee maker machine and filling it with the right amount. The machine pauses the brewing process and shows the red light on its LED interface, until you return the carafe. The machine then begins the brewing process.

The OXO Brew 9-Cup coffee maker is certified by SCAA, that means it is in compliance with the rigorous standards of SCAA's technology. Its brew cycle is about as long as those of the Bodum BISTRO and the Technivorm Moccamaster KBT 741, but it provides greater control over temperature, brewing time and also quality.

In our tests in our tests, the OXO Brew 9 Cup produced an excellent cup of drip coffee with the carafe filled in 7 minutes and 41 seconds. It's slightly longer than the 6 minutes or less the Bonavita Connoisseur and the Moccamaster require, but it falls within the range of time that experts in the field suggest for a decent cup of drip.

It also requires that you grind your own beans prior to brewing. You can make use of a manual coffee machines makes grinder, or go for a more automated model such as the Baratza Encore, which has various grind settings as well as a hopper that holds whole beans.

The only issue with this product is that it's not dishwasher safe. This could pose a problem for some users. The stainless steel is still easy to clean by hand, but. The OXO 9-Cup is an excellent contender for the top drip coffee maker because of its sleek design and easy to use interface.