The Best Coffee Machines For Home

There's no universally-fit-all coffee maker that is perfect for every. We've rounded up our top picks for the home, from a super-automatic 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 the need to understand the basics of espresso-making. This is our top choice for a machine that makes coffee.

1. Rocket Appartamento

Rocket Appartamento is a top pick for those who wish to make espresso at home without having to make huge sacrifices in terms quality. This small-footprint espresso machine was designed for those who have little counter space. It has a great build quality and a 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 coffee at the same simultaneously.

The machine looks stunning too, and comes with a round side panel insert with engravings of steam and hot water spouts. This is a fresh update on the classic design of Rocket that is already impressive for a machine that is so small. 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 reservoir for water are smaller than the majority of machines. You'll need to be careful when emptying and refilling the machine. This is especially true in the event that you frequently use it. This is a cost that is a result of having a smaller footprint. It's not an issue that is specific to this model.

This machine is able to handle your coffee demands. We recommend investing in a quality grinder, such as the Baratza Sette Giante to improve consistency and flavor. You can also use the machine in conjunction with a Rocket Portafilter to increase the tamping.

Rocket Appartamento, as a prosumer machine, makes excellent drinks and is easy to create Latte Arts. However, it's important to remember that the machine isn't designed for novices and has some learning curve for those who are upgrading from appliances. The heat exchange boiler can be a bit tricky to manage and you'll need 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 be capable of drinking Cold Brew Coffee Makers and filtered water. The latter comes with a smaller 2.25-liter tank that can be difficult 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, which allows you to make your first cup of coffee in just 35 minutes. The water tank can be filled easily with ease, since the lid can be removed to make an enormous hole. You can also fill it up with tap water if you want.

This is the smallest machine within the Lavazza A Modo Mio range, but it still is a powerful machine. At full price, it's priced at PS100 - which is less than the Nespresso Essenza and similar machines from SMEG and Desea. This makes the Jolie an ideal choice for those with a limited budget or space to buy a traditional espresso maker, but would like to experience the pleasure of authentic Italian espresso.

The Jolie is simple to use and occupies very little counter space. You only need to press one button to start the machine and again to start dispensing the chosen pod. There's a backlight on the button so that you can clearly see the amount of dispensed, and you can stop the process at any time should you prefer to drink your drink in smaller portions.

This model does not come with a steam wand, but you can add some creamy froth to your milk using an optional milk frother. The machine is quite quiet, too and can be utilized in a small area or in a flatshare kitchen without disturbing others.

The pods aren't inexpensive, but they come in a range of blends that are suitable for anyone from the mildest espresso drinker to the most demanding. They are available in many supermarkets, as well as regular grounds coffee and coffee beans. You can also buy Lavazza A Modo Mio Compatible pods on the internet.

The Jolie and Milk is a sleek capsule machine with an integrated milk warmer and frother. It comes in a box with an 75cm power cable, plug, a quick-guide and warranty sheet and a tester box containing 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 placed under a cupboard or on a flat surface.

3. Breville BES870XL

The Breville Barista Express appears to be an expensive 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 on the market. It's the best value in its class, and it's especially good for novices who do not have an espresso maker yet--which can easily set them back another $100 or more.

This model is priced less than the top-of-the-line Breville Oracle (the most expensive at $2199), but is still an excellent option for baristas on a budget. It comes with plenty of adjustable features, and comes with a built-in burr grinder to make the entire experience more affordable. It's also a single boiler machine, which means that it can only do one thing at a time.

Breville is an incredibly newcomer to the market for espresso machines, has rapidly earned a reputation for its high-quality appliances. This machine is no different and has enough control to let aspiring baristas develop their abilities without spending a lot more than is necessary.

It's not without its flaws however. The hopper is on the side, not at the top of the model. It's not a big deal, but can be frustrating if you want to disperse multiple shots at once. The rear position of the tank makes it difficult to determine the amount of liquid left.

If you're willing some time to learn how to make use of the Breville Barista Express then it's an excellent option for any coffee lover at home. The only drawback is the price, which can be a nagging issue for some buyers. For those looking for a less expensive option, check out our review of the Gaggia Classic or the La Pavoni Impresso. Both are similarly capable and offer a bit more control than the Barista Express, but they'll cost less than the Breville model can do.

4. OXO Brew 9-Cup

A high-tech smart machine for coffee with a simple user interface that produces great coffee. The sleek stainless steel design and backlit LED screens gives your kitchen a sophisticated appearance. It comes with only one dial to program the number of cups you would like to make. It comes with the 2-4 cup setting as well as a 5-9 cup setting. Its brewing technique is similar to pour over coffee makers-over, which most coffee enthusiasts believe makes the most delicious coffee. The water is heated to the perfect temperature and then evenly distributed over the coffee grounds with a shower head. The coffee is stored in a double-walled carafe, which can be stored for up to 60 minutes. The pause-and-pour function lets you to remove the carafe during making your coffee and filling it with the right amount. The machine stops the brewing process and displays an red light on its LED interface until you return the carafe. It then resumes brewing.

The OXO 9-Cup coffee maker comes SCAA certified, which means it meets the organization’s strict technical standards. The brew cycles it uses are the same as the Bodum Bistro and the Technivorm Moccamaster 741 but it gives you more control over temperature and brewing time.

In our testing in our testing, the OXO Brew 9-Cup made an excellent drip coffee with a full cup in just 7 minutes and 41 seconds. This is slightly more than the time that the Bonavita Connoisseur or the Moccamaster requires, but still within the range of time that coffee experts suggest to make a great cup.

It also requires you to grind your own beans before brewing. You can choose an manual grinder or an automated model such as the Baratza Encore. It has multiple grind settings, and a hopper for whole beans.

The only downside to this product is that it's not dishwasher safe. This could pose a problem for some users. The stainless steel is easily cleaned by hand, though. The OXO 9-Cup is a top contender for the top drip coffee maker due to its sleek design and easy-to use interface.