The Best Coffee Machines For Home

There's no one-size-fits-all coffee maker. We've rounded-up our top picks, from an automatic that grinds your beans and packs them to semiautomatics that give you the best control over your espresso.

The Breville Oracle Touch strikes a perfect balance between automating the process and requiring you to be knowledgeable about the art of making espresso. It's the best 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 making big sacrifices in terms of quality. This small-footprint espresso machine was specifically designed for people with small counter space. It is built to last and has excellent quality with a compact footprint. It comes with a 1.8-liter copper heat exchange boiler and commercial E61 group heads so that you can steam milk and brew espresso simultaneously.

The machine looks fantastic and has a round insert on the side panel with engraved steam and hot water spouts. This is a modernization of Rocket's classic design which is already impressive for a compact appliance. It also includes a black boiler pressure gauge to show when the boiler is ready to use.

One drawback of this compact machine is that the drip tray and reservoir for water are smaller than those of other machines. This means you'll have to be vigilant about emptying and refilling the machine, especially when you are using it regularly. This is a natural trade-off to have less footprint, however, and not an issue specific to this model.

This machine is able to handle your coffee needs. We recommend investing in a quality grinder, like the Baratza Sette Gante, to improve consistency and flavor. You can also pair the machine with an Rocket Portafilter to enhance tamping.

As a professional espresso machine The Rocket Appartamento is capable of making some great drinks, and it's simple to make latte art. It is important to remember that this machine is not designed for beginners. There is a slight learning curve for those upgrading from appliance-grade espresso machines. The heat exchanger is difficult to work with and you'll have to learn how to do cooling flushes.

Both the Lelit Bianca and the Rocket Appartamento provide the option of connecting to a water supply which allows you to always have cold, fresh filtering water available for your drinks. The latter model has 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 has been made with quality in mind. The machine can reach the temperature of brewing quickly, so you can prepare your first cup in just 35 second. The water tank is also quick and simple to refill and the lid can be removed completely to reveal a large opening. You can fill it up with tap water if that's what you prefer.

This is the smallest machine in the Lavazza A Modo Mio range and yet it is a powerful machine. 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 who want to get their fix of authentic Italian espresso.

The Jolie is simple to use and takes up little counter space. It's as easy as pressing a single button to activate the machine, then again to start dispensing the chosen pod. The button has a backlight to let you know how much you have consumed. You can also stop the process in case you wish to drink the pod in smaller quantities.

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

The pods are not cheap, but they come in a wide range of blends that will suit all - from the lightest espresso drinker to the most demanding. They are sold in most supermarkets alongside regular ground coffee and coffee beans and you can also buy Lavazza A Modo Mio compatible pods on the internet.

The Jolie and milk is a sleek capsule with an integrated milk warmer. It comes with a 75cm power plug and power cable, a warranty sheet and a quick reference, and a test pack of nine Lavazza pods. Six are roasts (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 your cupboard.

3. Breville BES870XL

The Breville Barista Express appears to be an expensive espresso machine. If you're willing to take the time to learn how to use it this is a fantastic do-it-all home espresso maker that is more efficient than some of the more expensive models available. It's among the best priced in its class, and is especially good for novices who don't have an espresso machine yet--which can easily cost them $100 or more.

The model is just below the top of the line for Breville (their Oracle is the most expensive at $2,199), but it's still a solid choice for home baristas on a budget. It delivers plenty of tweakable features, and includes an integrated burr grinder, making the entire experience cheaper. It's also a single boiler machine, which means that it can only do brewing or steaming at one time.

Breville is a relative newcomer on the market for espresso coffeee machines, has swiftly established a reputation for high-quality appliances. This machine is no different and offers enough control that it can be adjusted to let baristas who are aspiring burnish their skills without spending more than they should.

It's not without its quirks, though. For one, the hopper in this model is located on the side of the unit, instead of being on top. This isn't really a huge deal, but it can be a little difficult to dispense multiple shots at once. It's also not very easy to determine how much water remains in the tank, because of its rear position.

But if you're prepared to learn how to master the Breville Barista Express, it's an excellent, all-purpose appliance for anyone who is a coffee lover at home. The only issue with the Breville Barista Express is its cost which could be a deterrent for certain buyers. If you're looking for a less expensive option, check out our review of the Gaggia Classic or the La Pavoni Impresso. Both are equally powerful and offer a bit more control than the Barista Express, but they'll cost less than the Breville model does.

4. OXO Brew 9-Cup

A high-tech smart coffee machine brands machine with a user-friendly interface that makes great coffee. The sleek stainless steel design with backlit LED screens gives your kitchen a sophisticated design. It has one dial to set the amount of cups you want to make. It comes with a 2-4 cup setting as well as a 5-9 cup setting. The brewing process is similar to pour-over brewing, which coffee enthusiasts believe makes the best-tasting coffee. The water is heated up to the right temperature, then evenly distributed over the coffee grounds using shower heads. The brewed coffee then collects in the thermal, double-walled carafe, which can last up to 60 minutes. Its pause and pour feature lets you remove the carafe while brewing to fill your own cup. The machine stops the brewing process, and displays a red light on its LED interface until you return the carafe. It then resumes the brewing process.

The OXO Brew 9-Cup is a SCAA-certified pro coffee machines maker, which means it meets the strict standards of SCAA's technical standards. 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 in our tests, the OXO Brew 9 Cup produced an excellent pot of drip coffee machine office 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 still within the range experts in the field recommend for a great cup of drip.

You should also grind your own beans prior to making. You can make use of an old-fashioned coffee grinder or go for a more automated model, such as the Baratza Encore, which has various grind settings as well as a hopper that holds whole beans.

The only downside is that the carafe as well as the water reservoir aren't dishwasher-safe and could cause hassle for some users. The stainless steel can be cleaned by hand. The OXO Brew 9-Cup's sleek design and user-friendly interface make it an undisputed contender among the top drip coffee making machine makers.