The Best Coffee Machines For Home

There's no one-size-fits-all espresso machine. This is why we've compiled our favorite picks for your home, from a fully automated that grinds and packs your beans to semi-automatic machines that give you the best control over your espresso.

The Breville Oracle Touch strikes the perfect balance between automation and having to be able to master the art of espresso-making. It's our top choice for a coffee-to-cup machine.

1. Rocket Appartamento

Rocket Appartamento is a top pick for those who wish to make espresso at home without making huge sacrifices in terms quality. This espresso machine for the prosumer is designed with a limited counter space in mind. It offers top-quality build and a very small footprint. It comes with a 1.8-liter copper heat exchange boiler and commercial E61 group heads so that you can steam milk while making espresso simultaneously.

The machine looks stunning as well, and has an elongated side panel with the engraved steam and hot water spouts. This is an update to Rocket's original design that is already impressive for a compact appliance. It also comes with the black pressure gauge, which indicates when the boiler is ready for use.

One disadvantage of this tiny machine is that the drip tray and the water reservoir are smaller than the majority of machines. You will need be cautious when emptying and re-filling the machine. This is especially the case if you use it frequently. This is a natural tradeoff for having smaller footprint, however this is not a problem particular to this model.

This machine is capable of handling your coffee needs. We would recommend investing in a quality grinder, such as the Baratza Sette Gigante to ensure consistency and better flavor. You can also use this machine in conjunction with the Rocket portafilter to help improve the process of tamping.

As a professional espresso machine, the Rocket Appartamento is capable of making delicious drinks, and it's easy to create latte art. It's important to note that the machine isn't designed for beginners, and there is a bit of a learning curve for those upgrading from appliance-grade machines. The heat exchanger is difficult to work with and you'll have to learn how to perform 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 capable of drinking cold pure, filtered water. 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 was designed with quality in mind. It is quick to reach the brewing temperature, which allows you to make your first cup of coffee in less than 35 minutes. The tank can be filled easily with ease, since the lid can be removed to create an enormous hole. You can fill it with tap water if you prefer.

The Lavazza A Modo Mio is the smallest of the range, but it packs a punch. At its 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 option for those who don't have the space or money for an espresso machine of the traditional type however nevertheless want to drink the authentic Italian espresso.

The Jolie is extremely easy to use and takes up very little counter space. Pressing one button will activate the machine. After pressing it again, it will begin dispensing the pod you have selected. The button has a backlight so you can see how much you have consumed. You can also stop the process if you want to drink the pod in smaller amounts.

This model doesn't come with a steam wand but you can add some creamy foam to your milk with an optional milk frother. The machine is quiet, too and can be used in a small area or in a flatshare kitchen without causing any disturbance to anyone else.

Pods aren't cheap, but there is a variety of blends to choose from that will satisfy everyone from the mildest to the most demanding espresso drinkers. They are readily available in many 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 machine with an integrated milk warmer and frother. It includes a 75cm plug and power cable, a warranty document, a quick guide, and a tester pack comprising nine Lavazza pods. Six are roasted (two Qualita Rossa and two Lungo Dolce) and two are decaffeinated. The machine itself is small enough to be stored on the floor or placed under your cabinet.

3. Breville BES870XL

At first glance, the Breville Barista Express looks like an espresso machine that's beyond the budget of a majority of consumers. If you're willing to invest the time to master its use this is a fantastic espresso maker for home use that performs better than many of the more expensive models on the market. 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 set them back another $100 or more.

The model is priced lower than the most expensive Breville Oracle (the most expensive at $2199), but is still a good choice for baristas who are on a budget. It comes with plenty of adjustable features, and has a built-in burr grinder to make the entire experience more affordable. It's also a single boiler, which means it can only do steaming or brewing at one time.

Despite being a relative newcomer to the market of espresso machines, Breville has quickly made their mark through their top-quality machines. This machine is no different, and it has just enough control to let budding baristas hone their abilities without spending a lot more than they need to.

It's not without its quirks however. The hopper is on the side, not the top, of this model. It's not a huge deal, but can be a problem if you wish to give multiple shots at once. The rear placement of the tank makes it difficult to know the amount of liquid left.

If you're willing to invest 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 downside to the Breville Barista Express is its cost, Which Coffee Machine Is The Best may be a hindrance for some buyers. If you're looking for a lower-cost option, check out our review of the Gaggia Classic or the La Pavoni Impresso. Both are equally powerful and provide a bit more control than the Barista Express, but they'll cost only a fraction of the price. Breville model does.

4. OXO Brew 9-Cup

A high-tech smart coffee maker with a simple user interface that makes great coffee. Its sleek stainless steel design and backlit LED screen add a stylish appearance to your kitchen. It features only one dial to program the amount of cups you want it to make and includes the 2-4 cup setting as well as a 5-9 cup setting. Its brewing method is similar to pour-over, which most coffee aficionados believe produces the best coffee machine-tasting coffee. The water is heated up to the ideal temperature, and then evenly distributed over the coffee grounds using a shower head. The coffee is stored in the double-walled thermal carafe and can be stored for up to 60 min. Its pause and pour feature allows you to remove the carafe during brewing to fill your individual cup. The machine stops brewing and displays a red carafe light on its LED interface until you return it. It then it resumes and completes brewing.

The OXO 9-Cup coffee maker is SCAA certified, meaning it meets the strict technical standards. Its brew cycles are about the same as the Bodum Bistro and the Technivorm Moccamaster 741 but it lets you control the temperature and brewing time.

In our tests we found that the OXO Brew 9 Cup produced an excellent pot of drip coffee that filled a carafe full in just 7 minutes 41 seconds. That's a little longer than the 6 minutes or less the Bonavita Connoisseur and the Moccamaster require, but it falls within the range that experts in the field recommend for a good cup of drip.

You should also grind your own beans prior to brewing. You can select a manual grinder or a more automated model such as the Baratza Encore. It has various grind settings, as well as it has a hopper that can be used for whole beans.

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