The Best Coffee Machines For Home
There's no one-size-fits-all coffee machine. We've rounded-up our top picks, from a superautomatic that grinds your beans and packs them to semiautomatics that give you the most control over your espresso.
The Breville Oracle Touch strikes a perfect balance between automatizing the process while requiring you to be familiar with the art of making espresso. It's our top pick for a coffee-to-cup machine.
- Rocket Appartamento
Rocket Appartamento makes a great choice for those who are looking to make espresso at their home without losing quality. This small-footprint espresso machine was created for those with small counter space. It is built to last and has excellent quality with a compact footprint. It comes with an 1.8-liter copper heat exchange boiler as well as a commercial E61 group heads so that you can steam milk and make espresso at the same time.
The machine looks great too, and comes with a round side panel insert with the engraved steam and hot water spouts. This is a new take on Rocket's classic aesthetic that is already impressive for a compact machine. It also has an black gauge for boiler pressure to show when the boiler is ready for use.
The drip tray and the water reservoir tray are smaller on this machine than others. This means you'll have to be vigilant about emptying and refilling the machine, especially when you use it often. This is a sacrifice that is a result of having smaller footprint. This isn't an issue that is specific to this model.
This machine is able to handle the demands of your coffee. We suggest buying a good grinder, like the Baratza Sette Gante, to increase consistency and flavor. You can also use the machine in conjunction with an Rocket Portafilter to improve tamping.
As a professional espresso machine, the Rocket Appartamento is capable of making great drinks, and it's easy to create latte art. However, it's worth noting that the machine was not designed for beginners, and there is a bit of a learning curve for those who are upgrading from appliance-grade machines. The heat exchange boiler could be a bit difficult to manage, and you will have to learn the basics of cooling flushes.
Both the Lelit Bianca as well as the Rocket Appartamento have the option to connect to an water source, allowing you to always be capable of drinking cold and filter-filtered water. The latter, however, has a 2.25-liter water tank, which could be more difficult to refill than its competitors.
- Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie
This machine is built to Lavazza's top standards. It is quick to reach the brewing temperature, allowing you to prepare your first cup of coffee in less than 35 minutes. The tank is able to be filled with ease, since the lid can be removed to make the large hole. You can also fill it up with tap water if you want.
The Lavazza A Modo Mio is the smallest model in the series, yet it packs a punch. At full cost, it's less than PS100 which is less than the Nespresso Essenza and similar machines from SMEG and Desea. This makes the Jolie a great option for those who don't have the money or space for an espresso maker, but would like to experience the pleasure of real Italian espresso.
The Jolie is simple to use and requires little counter space. By pressing a single button, you can begin the process. Pressing it again will start dispense the pod you have selected. The button has a backlight so that you can see how much you have consumed. You can also manually stop the process, in case you wish to drink the pod in smaller amounts.
There's no steam wand on this model, but you can add a milk frother (available separately) to add some creamy froth if you want. The machine is quite quiet, too and can be used in a small area or in a kitchen with flatshare without disturbing anyone else.
Pods aren't cheap, but there is a wide variety of blends to suit everyone from the mildest to the most demanding espresso drinkers. You can find them in the majority of supermarkets, along with regular coffee beans and grounds coffee. You can also purchase Lavazza A Modo Mio Compatible pods on the internet.
The Jolie and milk is a sleek capsule that comes with an integrated milk warmer. It comes with a 75cm power plug and power cable, a warranty document, a quick guide, and a test 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 be kept on a flat surface or slipped under the cupboard.
- Breville BES870XL
The Breville Barista Express appears to be a costly espresso machine. If you're willing to learn how to use it and make it work, then this is a fantastic home espresso maker. It's more efficient than many of the more expensive models. It's a great value for its class and is especially useful for those who aren't experienced enough to have an espresso maker that costs up to $100.
This model is priced below the most expensive Breville Oracle (the most expensive at $2199) however it is an excellent option for baristas on a budget. It's loaded with customizable features, and even an integrated burr mill to make it more affordable. It's also a single boiler that means it can only do steaming or brewing at one time.
Breville, an incredibly newcomer to the market for espresso machines, has rapidly gained a reputation as a top-quality appliances. This machine is no exception, and it has just enough control to let budding baristas develop their skills without spending hundreds more than necessary.
The unit is not without its flaws. The hopper is situated on the side, not on the top, of this model. It's not a huge issue, but it can be a problem if you wish to dispense several shots at a time. It's also not very easy to know the amount of water left in the tank due to its rear placement.
But if you're prepared to learn how to master the Breville Barista Express, it's a great, do-it-all appliance for anyone who is a coffee lover at home. The only issue with the Breville Barista Express is its cost, which may be a stumbling block for certain buyers. For those looking for a less expensive alternative, take a look at our review of the Gaggia Classic or the La Pavoni Impresso. Both machines have similar capabilities and offer a little more control than the Barista Express. However, they are a fraction of the price.
- OXO Brew 9 Cup
A high-tech smart coffee maker that makes excellent coffee using a simple interface. The sleek stainless steel design and backlit LED screens provides your kitchen with a stylish design. It comes with one dial that allows you to program the number of cups. There are two options: 2-4 cups and 5-9 cups. The brewing method is similar to pour-over, which most coffee enthusiasts believe is the best tasting coffee. The water is heated to the right temperature, then evenly distributed over the coffee grounds using shower heads. The coffee brewed is then stored inside the double-walled thermal carafe, which can last up to 60 minutes. The pause-and-pour feature allows you remove the carafe while brewing and fill your cup. The machine pauses brewing and shows a red light for the carafe on its LED interface until you return it. after which it resumes brewing and is finished.
The OXO Brew 9-Cup is an SCAA-certified coffee maker which means it meets the rigorous standards of SCAA's technology. The brew cycles it uses are the same as those of the Bodum Bistro and the Technivorm Moccamaster 741 but it lets you control the temperature and brewing time.
In our tests, the OXO Brew 9 Cup produced an excellent cup of drip coffee with the carafe filled in 7 minutes and 41 seconds. It's slightly longer than the 6 minutes or less that the Bonavita Connoisseur and the Moccamaster require, but it falls within the range that experts in the field recommend for a great cup of drip.
It also requires that you grind your own beans before brewing. 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 drawback is that the carafe and water reservoir aren't dishwasher-safe this could be a hassle for certain users. The stainless steel is still easy to clean by hand, though. The OXO Brew 9-Cup's sleek design and user-friendly interface make it an undisputed contender among the top drip coffee makers.