The Best Coffee Machines For Home

There's no one-size-fits-all espresso machine. We've rounded-up our top choices, ranging from a superautomatic that grinds your beans and packs them into semiautomatics that give you the best control over your espresso.

The Breville Oracle Touch strikes the perfect balance between automatizing the process while making you knowledgeable about the art of making espresso. This is our top choice 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 for prosumers is designed with the smallest counter space in mind and combines outstanding build quality with the smallest footprint. It comes equipped with an 1.8-liter copper heat exchange boiler and commercial coffee machines E61 group heads so that you can steam milk and best coffee machines make espresso at the same time.

The machine also looks great and features a round panel on the side with engraved steam and hot water spouts. This is a new take on Rocket's classic aesthetic that is already impressive for a small machine. It also comes with an black gauge for boiler pressure to indicate when the boiler is ready to use.

The drip tray and the water reservoir tray are smaller on this model than others. This means that you will have to be vigilant about emptying and refilling the machine, particularly when using it frequently. This is a trade-off that is a result of having smaller footprint. It's not something that is unique to this model.

This machine can easily handle the demands of your coffee. We would suggest investing in a quality grinder, such as the Baratza Sette Gigante, for increased consistency and flavor. You can also pair the machine with a Rocket Portafilter to enhance tamping.

As a professional espresso machine, the Rocket Appartamento is capable of making great drinks, and is easy to create latte art. It's important to know that this machine was not intended for novices. There is a little learning curve for people who are upgrading from espresso machines that are appliance-grade. The heat exchanger is tricky to handle, 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, which allows you to be capable of drinking cold and filtered water. The latter has smaller 2.25-liter tank that is more difficult 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 prepare your first cup of coffee in just 35 minutes. The water tank is able to be filled with ease, since the lid can be removed to make an enormous hole. It can be filled with tap water, should you wish.

This is the smallest machine within the Lavazza A Modo Mio range and yet it packs a punch. It's priced less than PS100 at retail which is less than the Nespresso Essenza or similar machines from SMEG or Desea. The Jolie is a great alternative for those who do not have the space or money for traditional espresso machines however nevertheless want to drink a real Italian espresso.

The Jolie is incredibly simple to use and occupies just a little counter space. By pressing a single button, you can begin the process. After pressing it again, it will start dispense the pod you've selected. The button is illuminated so that you can see the amount you've consumed. You can also manually stop the process should you prefer to consume the pod in smaller amounts.

The model isn't equipped with a steam wand but you can add some creamy froth to your milk using an optional milk frother. The machine is very quiet as well and can be used in a small workspace or in a kitchen with flatshare without disturbing others.

The pods aren't expensive, but they are available in a variety of blends that will suit everyone - from the mildest espresso drinker to the most demanding. They are readily available in many supermarkets along with regular ground coffee and coffee beans and you can also purchase Lavazza A Modo Mio compatible pods online.

The Jolie and milk is a sleek capsule machine that has an integrated milk warmer. It comes in a box with an 75cm power cable, plug along with a quick-guide as well as a warranty sheet and a tester box that contains nine Lavazza pods that include six roasts (two Qualita Rossa, two Lungo Dolce and two Delizioso) and two decaffeinated (Dek Cremoso). The machine is small enough to be able to be stowed on a flat surface or slipped under your cabinet.

3. Breville BES870XL

At first glance, the Breville Barista Express looks like an espresso maker that's beyond the budget of many average consumers. If you're willing and able to learn to use it and make it work, then this is a fantastic home espresso maker. It performs better than most of the more expensive models. It's among the best priced in its class, and is especially good for novices who do not have an espresso maker yet, which could cost them another $100 or more.

The model is priced lower than the most expensive Breville Oracle (the most expensive at $2199), but is still an excellent option for baristas who are on a tight budget. It's loaded with options to customize and features, including an integrated burr mill, which makes it more affordable. It's also a single boiler machine, which means that it can only do one thing at the same time.

Breville, relatively new to the market for espresso machines, has rapidly established a reputation for high-quality appliances. This machine is no different and has enough adjustable control to let aspiring baristas improve their skills without spending more than they have to.

The unit has its quirks. One example is that the hopper on this model is positioned on the side of the unit instead of being on top rated coffee machines. This isn't really a huge deal however it can be a little frustrating if you're trying to dispense multiple shots at once. The rear position of the tank makes it difficult to know how much liquid remains.

If you're willing to learn how to master the Breville Barista Express, it's a great, do-it-all appliance for anyone who is a coffee lover at home. The only downside is the cost, which can be a nagging issue for some buyers. If you're looking for an affordable option, we recommend the Gaggia Classic and the La Pavoni Impresso. Both machines are similar in capability and offer a little more control than the Barista Express. However, they are a fraction of the price.

4. OXO Brew 9 Cup

A high-tech, intelligent coffee maker that makes excellent coffee using a simple interface. Its sleek stainless steel design and backlit LED screen add a sophisticated appearance to your kitchen. It features only one dial to program the amount of cups you want to make. It comes with two cup settings and a 5-9 cup setting. Its brewing technique is similar to pour-over brewing, which coffee lovers believe makes the best-tasting coffee. The water is heated to a perfect temperature and then poured over grounds with a shower-head for uniform saturation. The coffee is then brewed inside the double-walled thermal carafe for up to 60 minutes. The pause-and pour feature lets you remove the carafe while brewing and fill your cup. The machine stops brewing and shows a red light for the carafe on its LED interface until you return it. then it resumes and completes brewing.

The OXO Brew 9-Cup is certified by SCAA, which means it meets the strict standards of SCAA's technical standards. Its brew cycle is about the same length as the Bodum BISTRO and Technivorm Moccamaster KBT 741, but it offers greater control over temperature, brewing time and also quality.

In our tests we found that the OXO Brew 9-Cup brewed excellent drip coffee that was served in a full cup in 7 minutes and 41 seconds. It's slightly longer than the 6 minutes or less the Bonavita Connoisseur and the Moccamaster require but well within the range that experts in the field recommend for a great cup of drip.

It is also necessary to grind your own beans prior to making. You can opt for an manual grinder or a more automated model such as the Baratza Encore. It has different grind settings and it has a hopper that can be used for whole beans.

The only drawback is that the carafe as well as the water reservoir aren't dishwasher safe this could be a issue for some users. The stainless steel is easy to clean by hand, though. The OXO 9-Cup is a leading contender for the top drip coffee maker because of its sleek design and simple to use interface.