The Best Coffee Machines For Home

There is no single-size-fits all coffee maker. That's why we've rounded up our favorite picks for your home, ranging from a super-automatic that grinds and packs your beans, to a semiautomatic that gives you the best control over your espresso.

The Breville Oracle Touch strikes a perfect balance between automating the process and requiring you to be familiar with the art of making espresso. This is our top choice for a coffee-to-cup machine.

1. Rocket Appartamento

Rocket Appartamento is a top choice for those who want to make espresso at home, without making significant sacrifices in terms of quality. This small-footprint espresso machine was created for those with little counter space. It has a great build quality and a compact footprint. It is equipped with a 1.8 milliliter 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 fantastic as well and features an insert for the side of the Sage.Coffee Machine with the engraved steam and hot water spouts. This is an update to Rocket's traditional design, which is already impressive for a compact appliance. It also includes an black pressure gauge that shows when the boiler is ready to use.

One disadvantage of this tiny machine is that the drip tray and reservoir for water are smaller than most other machines. You'll need be extra cautious when emptying and re-filling the machine. This is especially the case when you are using it often. This is a normal trade-off for having smaller footprint, however, and not an issue particular to this model.

You can still brew plenty of coffee with this machine, and it will easily keep up with the demands of your customers. We recommend purchasing a high-quality grinder, such as the Baratza Sette Giante, to improve consistency and taste. You can also use this machine in conjunction with the Rocket portafilter to enhance the grinding process.

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 beginners and there's a bit of a learning curve for those who are upgrading from appliance-grade machines. The heat exchanger can be difficult to operate 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 fresh, cold filtering water available for your drinks. The latter has a 2.25-liter water tank, which could be more difficult to refill than its competitors.

2. Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie

This machine is built to Lavazza's highest standards. It is quick to reach the brewing temperature, allowing you to make your first cup of coffee in just 35 minutes. The tank can be easily refilled, as the lid can be removed to make a large hole. You can fill it up with tap water, should you wish.

The Lavazza A Modo Mio is the smallest model in the models, but it is a powerful machine. When you buy it at 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 choice for those who do not have the space or budget for an espresso machine of the traditional type, but still want to experience the authentic Italian espresso.

The Jolie is extremely easy to use and occupies just a little counter space. Pressing a single button will activate the machine. Pressing it again will start dispense the pod you've selected. The button is illuminated to let you know how much you have consumed. You can also stop the process if you want to drink the pod in smaller portions.

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

They aren't cheap, but there is a wide variety of blends available 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 machine coffee and you can also buy Lavazza A Modo Mio compatible pods online.

The Jolie and milk is a sleek capsule machine with an integrated milk warmer. It comes in a box with an 75cm power cable, plug along with a quick-guide as well as a warranty sheet, and a test box of nine Lavazza pods: 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 cabinet or on a flat surface.

3. Breville BES870XL

The Breville Barista Express appears to be a costly espresso machine. But if you're willing to invest the time to learn how to use it, this is an excellent espresso maker for home use that is more efficient than some of the more expensive models available. It's a great value for its class and is particularly helpful for those who aren't experienced enough to have an espresso machine that can cost up to $100.

This model is a bit in the middle of the range for Breville (their Oracle is the most expensive, costing $2,199) however, it's an excellent choice for home baristas on a budget. It comes with plenty of adjustable features, and it even has a built-in burr grinder, making the entire experience cheaper. It's also a one-boiler machine, which means it can only do one thing at one time.

Breville is an incredibly newcomer to the market for espresso machines, has swiftly earned a reputation for its high-quality appliances. This machine is no different and offers enough adjustable control to allow aspiring baristas to improve their skills without spending hundreds of dollars more than they have to.

The unit does not come without its flaws. For instance, Sage.coffee machine the hopper on this model is positioned on the side of the unit instead of on top. This isn't significant however it can be a little difficult to disperse multiple shots at a time. It's also not very easy to see how much water remains in the tank, because of its position at the rear.

But if you're prepared to spend some time learning how to master the Breville Barista Express, it's an excellent, all-purpose appliance for anyone who loves espresso at home. The only downside is the price, which could be a deterrent for certain buyers. If you're looking for a low-cost alternative, we suggest the Gaggia Classic and the La Pavoni Impresso. Both machines are similar in capability and offer a little more control than the Barista Express. However, they are a fraction of the price.

4. OXO Brew 9-Cup

A high-tech smart coffee machine that makes great coffee using a simple interface. The sleek stainless steel design and backlit LED screen provides your kitchen with a stylish design. It has a single dial to program the amount of cups you want it to make. It also comes with two cup settings and a 5-9 cup setting. Its brewing method is similar to pour-over, which most coffee enthusiasts believe makes the most flavorful coffee. The water is heated to the perfect temperature and then evenly poured over the coffee grounds with a shower head. The brewed coffee machine grind then collects in the double-walled, thermal carafe for upto 60 minutes. The pause and pour function allows you to remove the carafe in brewing and fill your own cup. The machine pauses the brewing process and shows the red light on its LED interface, until you return the carafe. It then resumes brewing.

The OXO 9-Cup coffee maker is SCAA certified, meaning it complies with the strict standards for technical quality. The brew cycle is the same length as the Bodum BISTRO and Technivorm Moccamaster KBT 741, but it offers more control over temperature, brewing duration and also quality.

In our tests, the OXO Brew 9 Cup produced an excellent pot of drip coffee with an entire carafe in just 7 minutes 41 seconds. This is a bit longer than the 6 minutes or less the Bonavita Connoisseur and the Moccamaster require but well within the range experts in the field recommend for a great cup of drip.

It is also necessary to grind your beans before brewing. You can make use of a manual coffee grinder, or go for a more automated model like the Baratza Encore, which has different grind settings and a hopper that holds whole beans.

The only drawback to this product is that it's not dishwasher safe. This could be a concern for some customers. The stainless steel is easy to clean by hand, however. The OXO Brew 9-Cup's sleek style and easy-to-use interface make it an undisputed contender among the best drip coffee makers.