The Best Coffee Machines For Home

There's no one-size-fits-all espresso machine. We've rounded up our favorite picks for your home, from a fully automated that grinds and packs your beans to semi-automatic machines that give you the most control over your espresso.

The Breville Oracle Touch strikes the perfect balance between automatizing the process while making you knowledgeable about the art of espresso-making. It's our top pick for a machine that makes coffee.

1. Rocket Appartamento

Rocket Appartamento makes a great choice for those who are looking to make espresso at home without losing quality. This espresso machine with a small footprint was specifically designed for people who have small counter space. It combines excellent build quality and a compact footprint. It comes with a 1.8-liter copper heat exchange boiler as well as a commercial E61 group head so you can steam milk and make espresso at the same time.

The machine looks fantastic as well and features a round side panel insert with the engraved steam and hot water spouts. This is an update to Rocket's traditional design which is already impressive for a compact appliance. It also includes an black pressure gauge that will let you know when the boiler is ready to use.

One downside to this small machine is that the drip tray and reservoir for water are smaller than the majority of machines. This means that you'll have to be vigilant about emptying and refilling the machine, especially when using it frequently. This is a trade-off that results in smaller footprint. This isn't something that is unique to this model.

This machine is capable of handling your coffee needs. We recommend purchasing a high-quality grinder, such as the Baratza Sette Giante to improve consistency and taste. You can also pair the machine with a Rocket Portafilter to enhance the tamping.

As a professional espresso machine The Rocket Appartamento is capable of making great drinks, and is easy to create the latte art. It's important to note that the machine isn't made for novices, and there is an enlightening curve for those upgrading from appliance-grade machines. The heat exchanger is difficult to operate and you'll need to master the art of cooling flushes.

Both the Lelit Bianca as well as the Rocket Appartamento have the option to connect to an water source, allowing you to be able to drink cold pure, filtered water. The latter, however, comes with a 2.25-liter water tank that is more difficult to refill than its competitors.

2. Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie

This machine is built to Lavazza's high standards. It is quick to reach the brewing temperature, allowing you to prepare your first cup of coffee in less than 35 minutes. The water tank is able to be filled by removing the lid. be removed to make the large hole. You can also fill it up with tap water if you prefer.

This is the smallest machine within the Lavazza A Modo Mio range and yet it packs a punch. When you buy it at full price, it's priced at PS100 - which is less than the Nespresso Essenza and similar machines from SMEG and Desea. The Jolie is a great choice for those who do not have the space or budget for an espresso machine of the traditional type, but still want to enjoy the authentic Italian espresso.

The Jolie is easy to use and occupies very little counter space. It's as easy as pressing a single button to activate the machine, then again to begin dispensing your chosen pod. The button is illuminated to let you know the amount you've consumed. You can also manually stop the process in case you wish to drink the pod in smaller portions.

There's no steam wand available on this model, but you can make use of an optional milk frother (available separately) to add some creamy froth if you like. The machine is quite quiet, too and can be used in a small area or in a kitchen with flatshare without disturbing anyone else.

The pods are not inexpensive, but they come in a variety of blends that will suit anyone from the mildest espresso drinker to the most demanding. They are readily available in many supermarkets alongside regular coffee beans and ground coffee and you can also purchase Lavazza A Modo Mio compatible pods on the internet.

The Jolie and Milk is a stylish capsule machine with an integrated milk warmer and a frother. It comes with a 75cm power plug and power cable, a warranty card and a quick reference, and a test pack of nine Lavazza pods. Six are roasts (two Qualita Rossa and two Lungo Dolce) and two are decaffeinated. The machine itself is small enough to be kept on the floor or placed under your cupboard.

3. Breville BES870XL

At first glance, the Breville Barista Express looks like an espresso maker that's out of the budget of most average consumers. If you're willing and able to learn to use it, then this is a great home espresso maker. It's far superior to many of the more expensive models. It's the most affordable 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.

This model is priced below the top-of-the-line Breville Oracle (the most expensive at $2199) However, it's an excellent choice for baristas on a tight budget. It has a lot of options to customize and features, including an integrated burr mill to make it more affordable. It's also a single boiler that means it can only do steaming or brewing at the same time.

Breville is an incredibly newcomer to the market for espresso machines, has rapidly established a reputation for high-quality appliances. This machine is no different and has enough adjustability to let aspiring baristas develop their abilities without spending hundreds of dollars more than they should.

The unit does not come without its quirks. One example is that the hopper on this model is positioned on the side of the unit instead of being on top. This isn't really a huge deal, but it can be a little difficult to disperse multiple shots at a time. The rear placement of the tank makes it difficult to see how much is a good coffee machine much liquid is left.

If you're willing to learn how to master the Breville Barista Express, it's a great, do-it-all appliance for anyone who loves espresso at home. The only downside is the price, which could be a turnoff for certain buyers. If you're looking for an affordable alternative, we suggest the Gaggia Classic and the La Pavoni Impresso. Both are equally capable and provide a bit more control than the Barista Express, but they'll cost a fraction of what this Breville model can do.

4. OXO Brew 9-Cup

A high-tech smart coffee machines small machine with a user-friendly interface that makes great coffee. The sleek stainless steel design with backlit LED display provides your kitchen with a stylish look. It has one dial that allows you to program the amount of cups. There are two settings: 2-4 cups and 5-9 cups. Its brewing technique is similar to pour-over, which most coffee enthusiasts believe makes the Best Budget Coffee Machine tasting coffee. The water is heated to a perfect temperature and then poured over grounds using a showerhead to ensure uniform saturation. The coffee is collected in the double-walled thermal carafe, which can be stored for up to 60 minutes. The pause and pour feature lets you remove the carafe while brewing to fill your cup to the brim. The machine stops the brewing process, and displays the red light on its LED interface, until you return the carafe. Then, it resumes the brewing process.

The OXO 9-Cup coffee maker is SCAA certified, which means it meets the organization’s strict standards in terms of technology. The brew cycle is longer than the Bodum BISTRO and Technivorm Moccamaster KBT 741, but it offers more control over temperature, brewing duration and quality.

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

It also requires that you grind your own beans before brewing. You can opt for an manual grinder or a more automated model like the Baratza Encore. It has various grind settings, as well as an hopper for beans that are whole.

The only issue with this product is that it's not dishwasher safe. This could pose a problem for some customers. The stainless steel can be cleaned by hand. The OXO 9-Cup is a leading contender for the top drip coffee maker because of its sleek design and easy-to use interface.