The Best Coffee Machines For Home

There's no universally-fit-all coffee machine. We've rounded up our top picks for your home, from a fully automated that grinds and packs your beans, to a semiautomatic that gives you the most control over your espresso.

The Breville Oracle Touch strikes the perfect balance between automation and having to understand the basics of espresso-making. It's our top pick for a bean-to-cup machine.

1. Rocket Appartamento

Rocket Appartamento makes a great choice for those looking to make espresso at home without losing quality. This espresso machine for the prosumer is designed with the smallest counter space in mind. It is built to last with a high-end build quality and a very small footprint. It is equipped with a 1.8 liter copper heat-exchange boiler and commercial E61 Group Heads so that you can steam your milk and brew coffee at the same at the same time.

The machine also looks great and has a circular panel on the side with the steam engraved and hot water spouts. This is a modernization of Rocket's original design that is already impressive for a compact appliance. It also comes with the black gauge of pressure in the boiler to let you know when the boiler is ready to use.

One downside to this small machine is that the drip tray and the water reservoir are smaller than those of other machines. It is important be extra cautious when emptying and Best Coffee Machines For Home re-filling the machine. This is especially the case if you use it frequently. This is a natural trade-off for having a smaller footprint, though it is not a problem specific to this model.

This machine is capable of handling your coffee demands. We recommend investing in a quality grinder, like the Baratza Sette Gante, to increase consistency and flavor. You can also use the machine in conjunction with an Rocket Portafilter to improve tamping.

Rocket Appartamento, as a prosumer machine, can create delicious drinks and it is simple to make Latte Arts. However, it's important to remember that the machine was not designed for beginners and there's some learning curve for those upgrading from appliances. The heat exchange boiler may be a bit difficult to manage and you'll need to master the basics 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 fresh, cold filtering water available for your drinks. The latter comes with smaller 2.25-liter tank that can be harder to refill.

2. Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie

As you might expect from the Lavazza machine this one has been designed with quality in mind. It is quick to reach brewing temperature, allowing you to make your first cup of coffee in just 35 minutes. The water tank is quick and easy to fill and the lid can be removed completely to reveal a large opening. You can even fill it up with tap water if you prefer.

This is the smallest machine in the Lavazza A Modo Mio range, but it still has a lot of punch. It costs less than PS100 at the full price which is less than the Nespresso Essenza or similar machines from SMEG or Desea. This makes the Jolie an excellent choice for those who don't have the money or space for an espresso maker, but want to get their fix of authentic Italian espresso.

The Jolie is incredibly simple to use and takes up just a little counter space. You only need to press one button to turn on the machine, then again to begin dispensing your chosen pod. The button is illuminated so that you can see how much you have consumed. You can also stop the process, should you prefer to consume the pod in smaller quantities.

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

They aren't expensive, but there's an array of blends to suit everyone from the mildest to the most demanding espresso drinkers. They are available 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 has an integrated milk warmer. It comes with a 75cm power cable and plug, a quick-guide and warranty card, as well as a test box of nine Lavazza pods which include six roasts (two Qualita Rossa, two Lungo Dolce and two Delizioso) and two decaffeinated (Dek Cremoso). The machine is small enough to be stored on a flat surface or slipped under your cupboard.

3. Breville BES870XL

The Breville Barista Express appears to be a costly espresso machine. If you're willing and able to master it and make it work, then this is a great home espresso maker. It's far superior to most of the more expensive models. It's an excellent price for the class and is particularly helpful for those who aren't experienced enough to have an espresso maker that costs up to $100.

This model is priced less than the most expensive Breville Oracle (the most expensive at $2199) However, it's an excellent option for baristas who are on a budget. It comes with a variety of customizable features, and even an integrated burr mill to make it more affordable. It's also a one-boiler machine, meaning it can only do one thing at a time.

Although it is a relatively newcomer to the market of espresso machines, Breville has quickly made an impact by offering top-quality equipment. This machine is no exception and has enough control that it can be adjusted to let aspiring baristas burnish their abilities without spending hundreds of dollars more than they should.

It's not without its quirks however. The hopper is located on the side, not the top, of this model. It's not a big problem, but it could be a problem if you wish to give multiple shots at once. The rear position of the tank makes it difficult to determine how much liquid remains.

If you're willing some time to learn how to use the Breville Barista Express then it's an excellent choice for any espresso lover at home. The only issue with the Breville Barista Express is its cost, which may be a deterrent for some buyers. If you're looking for a low-cost option, we recommend the Gaggia Classic and the La Pavoni Impresso. Both are similarly capable and offer a little more control than the Barista Express, but they'll cost a fraction of what this Breville model does.

4. OXO Brew 9-Cup

A high-tech, smart coffee machine that makes great coffee using a simple interface. Its sleek stainless steel design and backlit LED display add a sophisticated look to your kitchen. It comes with one dial that lets you to program the number of cups. There are two options: 5-9 cups and 2-4 cups. The brewing method is similar to pour over the grounds, which many coffee lovers believe produces the best tasting coffee. The water is heated to the perfect temperature and poured over the grounds using a showerhead to ensure uniform saturation. The brewed coffee then collects in the thermal, double-walled carafe for upto 60 minutes. The pause and pour function allows you to remove the carafe in brewing and fill your individual cup. The machine pauses the brewing process and displays the red light on its LED interface until you return the carafe. Then, it resumes brewing.

The OXO 9-Cup coffee maker comes SCAA certified, meaning it complies with the strict technical standards. The brew cycle is as long as those of the Bodum BISTRO and Technivorm Moccamaster KBT 741, but it offers more control over temperature, brewing time, 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 and 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 experts in the field recommend for a good cup of drip.

It also requires you to grind your own beans before making coffee. You can make use of an old-fashioned coffee grinder or choose a more automated model such as the Baratza Encore, which has various grind settings as well as an hopper that can hold whole beans.

The only issue is that the carafe and the water reservoirs aren't dishwasher safe and could cause problem for certain users. The stainless steel is easily cleaned by hand, though. The OXO 9-Cup is a leading contender for the top drip coffee maker due to its sleek design and simple to use interface.