The Best Coffee Machines For Home

There's no universally-fit-all coffee maker. This is why we've compiled our top picks for your home, from a fully automated that grinds and packs your beans to a semiautomatic that gives you the best control over your espresso.

The Breville Oracle Touch achieves the perfect balance between automation and having to know the ropes of espresso-making. It's the most efficient bean-to-cup machine we've found.

1. Rocket Appartamento

Rocket Appartamento is a top pick for those who wish to make espresso at home without having to make big sacrifices in terms of quality. This small-footprint espresso machine was specifically designed for people who have small counter space. It has a great build quality and a small footprint. It is equipped 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 at the same time.

The machine also looks great and features a round design on the side panel with engraved steam and hot water spouts. This is a new take on Rocket's classic aesthetic and is already impressive for a small machine. It also comes with 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 machine than others. You will need be extra cautious when emptying and refilling the machine. This is particularly true in the event that you frequently use it. This is a normal trade-off for a smaller footprint, though it is not a problem particular to this model.

You can still make a large amount of coffee with this machine, and it will easily meet the demands of your customers. We recommend buying a good grinder, like the Baratza Sette Giante, to improve consistency and flavor. You can also use this machine in conjunction with a Rocket portafilter to enhance the process of tamping.

Rocket Appartamento, as a prosumer machine, can create some great drinks and it is easy to create Latte Arts. It's important to note that this machine was not intended for novices. There is a little learning curve for those upgrading from appliance-grade espresso machines. The heat exchanger is tricky to handle and you'll have to learn how to perform cooling flushes.

Both the Lelit Bianca and the Rocket Appartamento offer the option of connecting to a water supply which allows you to always have cold, fresh filtered water on hand for your drinks. The latter comes with smaller 2.25-liter tank that is difficult to refill.

2. Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie

As you might expect from a Lavazza machine, this one is designed with quality in mind. It is quick to reach the brewing temperature, which allows you to make your first cup of coffee in just 35 minutes. The water tank is quick and simple to refill by removing the lid completely to reveal a large opening. You can even fill it with tap water if that's what you prefer.

The Lavazza A Modo Mio is the smallest model in the series, yet it packs a punch. When you buy it at full price, it's priced at PS100 which is lower than the Nespresso Essenza and similar machines from SMEG and Desea. This makes the Jolie a great option for those with a limited budget or space for an espresso maker, but would like to experience the pleasure of real Italian espresso.

The Jolie is simple to use and takes up small counter space. You only need to press one button to turn on the machine, and then press it again to start dispensing the chosen pod. There's a backlight on the button, so you are able to see clearly how much has been dispensed and you can choose to manually stop the process should you prefer to drink the pod in smaller amounts.

There's no steam wand included on this model, however you can make use of an optional milk frother (available separately) to add some creamy froth, if you'd like. It's also quiet and can be used to make coffee in a small kitchen or workspace.

The pods are not inexpensive, but they come in a range of blends that will suit everyone - from the mildest espresso drinker to the most demanding. They are available in most supermarkets alongside 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 comes with 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 that include six roasted (two Qualita Rossa, two Lungo Dolce and two Delizioso) and two decaffeinated (Dek Cremoso). The machine is small enough to fit under a cupboard or the floor.

3. Breville BES870XL

The Breville Barista Express appears to be a costly espresso machine. If you're willing to put in the work to master its use this is a great espresso maker for home use that is more efficient than some of the more expensive models available. It's an excellent price for the class and is especially useful for those who aren't experienced enough to have an espresso machine that can cost up to $100.

The model is just in the middle of the line for Breville (their Oracle is the most expensive, costing $2,199), but it's still a solid choice for home baristas on a tight budget. It comes with a variety of customizable features, and even an integrated burr mill to make it more affordable. It's also a single boiler machine that means that it can only do brewing or steaming at one time.

Breville, an incredibly newcomer to the market for espresso machines, has swiftly established a reputation for high-quality appliances. This machine isn't an exception and has enough control that it can be adjusted to let aspiring baristas improve their abilities without spending hundreds of dollars more than they need to.

There are some quirks however. For one, the hopper on this model is positioned on the side of the unit instead of being on top. This isn't really an issue however it can be difficult to disperse multiple shots at a time. It's also not very easy to know how much water is left in the tank, due to its rear placement.

If you're willing to invest time learning to use the Breville Barista Express then it's an excellent option for anyone who loves espresso at home. The only drawback to the Breville Barista Express is its cost which could be a deterrent for certain buyers. For those looking for a less expensive alternative, read our review of the Gaggia Classic or the La Pavoni Impresso. Both are equally powerful and offer a little more control than the Barista Express, but they'll cost you a fraction of what this Breville model can do.

4. OXO Brew 9 Cup

A high-tech smart coffee maker with a simple user interface that produces excellent cheap Coffee machine. Its sleek stainless steel design and backlit LED screen add a sophisticated look to your kitchen. It has a single dial that allows you to set the amount of cups. There are two options: 2-4 cups and 5-9 cups. Its brewing process is similar to pour-over the grounds, which many coffee lovers believe is the most delicious coffee. The water is heated to a perfect temperature and then poured over grounds with a shower-head for uniform saturation. The brewed coffee is then stored in the double-walled thermal carafe, which can be stored for up to 60 min. The pause and pour function lets you take out the carafe while brewing to fill your individual cup. The machine pauses the brewing process 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 coffee maker is an SCAA-certified coffee maker which means it meets the strict standards of SCAA's technical standards. Its brew time is approximately the same length as the Bodum BISTRO and the Technivorm Moccamaster KBT 741, however, it has greater control over temperature, brewing duration and also quality.

In our tests in our tests, the OXO Brew 9 Cup produced an excellent pot of drip coffee that filled a carafe full in just 7 minutes and 41 seconds. This is slightly more than the time that the Bonavita Connoisseur or the Moccamaster calls for, but it is within the range of time that coffee experts suggest to make a good cup.

It is also necessary to grind your own beans prior to making. You can make use of a manual 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 downside to this product is that it's not dishwasher safe. This could be a problem for some customers. The stainless steel is easy to clean by hand, though. The OXO Brew 9-Cup's sleek style and user-friendly interface make it an undisputed contender among the top drip coffee makers.