The Best Coffee Machines For Home

There is no single-size-fits all coffee maker that is perfect for coffee machines every. We've rounded up our favorite picks for your home, ranging from a super-automatic that grinds and packs your beans to semi-automatics that give you the most control over your espresso.

The Breville Oracle Touch strikes a perfect balance between automatizing the process and requiring you to be familiar with the art of espresso-making. It's the best bean-to-cup machine we've found.

1. Rocket Appartamento

Rocket Appartamento is a top choice 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 is built to last with a high-end build quality and a very small footprint. It comes with a 1.8 liter copper heat-exchange boiler and commercial E61 Group Head so you can steam your milk and brew your coffee at the same time.

The machine looks stunning as well, and has a round side panel insert with the engraved steam and hot water spouts. This is a new take on the classic look of Rocket that is already impressive for a small machine. It also has the black gauge of pressure in the boiler to indicate when the boiler is ready for use.

The drip tray and the water reservoir tray are smaller on this model than other models. It is important be extra cautious when emptying and re-filling the machine. This is particularly true when you are using it often. This is a natural tradeoff to have smaller footprint, however this is not a problem particular to this model.

You can still brew a lot of coffee using this machine, and it is able to easily meet the demands of your customers. However, we would recommend investing in a quality grinder, like the Baratza Sette Gigante to ensure consistency and better flavor. You can also use the machine in conjunction with a Rocket Portafilter to increase the tamping.

As a professional espresso machine The Rocket Appartamento is capable of making delicious drinks, and is easy to make latte art. However, it's important to remember that the machine was not designed for novices and there's a bit of a learning curve for those upgrading from appliance-grade machines. The heat exchange boiler could be a bit difficult to manage, and you will have to master the ins and outs 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 always be able to drink cold, purified water. The latter, however, comes with a 2.25-liter water tank, which can be more difficult to refill than some of its competitors.

2. Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie

This machine is built to Lavazza's highest standards. It is quick to reach brewing temperature, which allows you to prepare your first cup of coffee in just 35 minutes. The water tank is quick and coffee machines simple to refill, with the lid detaching completely to create a large opening. You can fill it with tap water if you prefer.

The Lavazza A Modo Mio is the smallest model in the models, but it is a powerful machine. It costs less than PS100 at retail and is much less expensive than the Nespresso Essenza or similar machines from SMEG or Desea. The Jolie is a great option for those who don't have the space or budget for an espresso machine of the traditional type however, they still want to enjoy an authentic Italian espresso.

The Jolie is simple to use and occupies very small counter space. Pressing one button will begin the process. After pressing it again, it will start dispensing the pod you have selected. The button is illuminated so that you can see the amount you've consumed. You can also stop the process in case you wish to drink the pod in smaller amounts.

There's no steam wand available on this model, however you can add a milk frother (available separately) to add some creamy froth if you want. The machine is also quite quiet and can be used to make coffee in a small kitchen work space.

Pods aren't inexpensive, but there's a wide variety of blends that will satisfy everyone from the mildest to the most demanding espresso drinkers. They are available in many supermarkets, as well as regular coffee beans and grounds coffee. 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 and frother. It comes with a 75cm power plug and power cable, a warranty document along with a quick guide and a tester pack of 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

At first glance at first, the Breville Barista Express looks like an espresso machine that's beyond the budget of a majority of consumers. If you're willing to master it, then this is a great home espresso maker. It's far superior to many of the more expensive models. It's among the best priced in its class, and is particularly suitable for beginners who don't have an espresso machine yet--which can easily cost them $100 or more.

This model sits right in the middle of the range for Breville (their Oracle is the most expensive, costing $2,199), but it's still an excellent option for home baristas on a budget. It has plenty of customizable features, and comes with a built-in burr grinder, making the entire experience cheaper. It's also a single boiler machine that means it can only do brewing or steaming at one time.

Breville, a relative newcomer on the market for espresso machines, has swiftly established a reputation for high-quality appliances. This machine is no different, and it offers just enough adjustability to let aspiring baristas develop their abilities without spending more than they need to.

It's not without its quirks however. For one, the hopper on this model is positioned on the side of the unit instead of on top--which isn't significant, but it can be frustrating if you're trying to dispense multiple shots at once. The rear-facing position of the tank makes it difficult to determine the amount of liquid left.

But if you're prepared to spend some time learning how to master the Breville Barista Express, it's an ideal, all-purpose machine for anyone who is a coffee lover at home. The only drawback is the price, which can be a nagging issue for certain buyers. If you're looking for a low-cost alternative, we recommend the Gaggia Classic and the La Pavoni Impresso. Both are equally powerful and offer a bit more control than the Barista Express, but they'll cost you only a fraction of the price. Breville model does.

4. OXO Brew 9 Cup

A high-tech, smart home coffee machines coffee maker that makes excellent coffee with a simple user interface. Its sleek stainless steel design and backlit LED screen give an elegant design to your kitchen. It comes with a single dial that allows you to set the amount of cups. There are two settings available: 2-4 cups and 5-9 cups. Its brewing method is similar to pour-over, which most coffee enthusiasts believe makes the most delicious coffee. The water is heated to the perfect temperature before being poured over the grounds with a shower-head for uniform saturation. The coffee is then brewed in the double-walled, thermal carafe for up to 60 minutes. The pause-and pour feature lets you to take the carafe out while making your coffee and filling it with the right amount. The machine stops brewing 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 coffee maker is a SCAA-certified coffee maker, which means it complies 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 time, and quality.

In our tests we found that the OXO Brew 9 Cup produced an excellent cup of drip coffee with a carafe full in just 7 minutes and 41 seconds. This is a little more than the time that the Bonavita Connoisseur or the Moccamaster requires, but still within the time range that experts in the field recommend for making a quality cup.

It also requires that you grind your own beans prior to making coffee. You can choose either a manual grinder or a more automated model such as the Baratza Encore. It has different grind settings and a hopper for whole beans.

The only drawback is that the carafe and water reservoirs aren't dishwasher safe and could cause hassle for certain users. The stainless steel can be cleaned by hand. The OXO Brew 9-Cup's sleek aesthetic and user-friendly interface make it one of the top contenders among top drip coffee makers.