The Best Coffee Machines For Home

There's no one-size-fits-all espresso machine. This is why we've compiled our top picks for the home, ranging from a super-automatic that grinds and packs your beans to semi-automatics that give you the most control over your espresso.

The Breville Oracle Touch strikes a perfect balance between automating the process and requiring you to be proficient in the art of making espresso. It's our top choice for a coffee machine professional-to-cup machine.

1. Rocket Appartamento

Rocket Appartamento is a top pick for those who want to make espresso at home without making significant sacrifices in terms of quality. This espresso machine with a small footprint was specifically designed for people who have limited counter space. It has a great build quality and a compact footprint. It comes with a 1.8 Liter copper heat exchange boiler and commercial E61 Group Heads so that you can steam your milk and brew professional coffee machine at same simultaneously.

The machine looks fantastic and features a round design on the side panel with engravings of steam and hot water spouts. This is a modernization of Rocket's classic design which is already impressive for a compact appliance. It also comes with an black pressure gauge that indicates when the boiler is ready to use.

The drip tray and the water reservoir tray are smaller on this machine than most other models. This means you'll need to be extra vigilant when emptying and refilling the machine, particularly when using it frequently. This is a normal trade-off for smaller footprint, however it is not a problem particular to this model.

This machine can easily handle your coffee demands. However, we would recommend investing in a quality grinder, like the Baratza Sette Gigante, for greater consistency and flavor. You can also pair this machine with an Rocket portafilter to enhance the tamping process.

Rocket Appartamento, as a prosumer machine, can create excellent drinks and is easy to make Latte Arts. It's important to note that the machine isn't designed for novices and has an enlightening curve for those upgrading from appliances. The heat exchange boiler could be a little tricky 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, which allows you to always be able to drink cold and purified water. The latter comes with a smaller 2.25-liter tank that is harder to refill.

2. Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie

This machine is built to Lavazza's top standards. The machine can reach the temperature for brewing quickly, meaning you can prepare your first cup in just 35 seconds. The water tank is also fast and easy to refill by removing the lid completely to reveal a large opening. You can fill it up with tap water should you wish.

This is the smallest machine within the Lavazza A Modo Mio range, but it still has a lot of punch. When you buy coffee machine it at full cost, it's less than PS100 which is lower than the Nespresso Essenza and similar machines from SMEG and Desea. The Jolie is a great choice for those who don't have the space or money for a traditional espresso machine however, they still want to experience the authentic Italian espresso.

The Jolie is incredibly simple to use and takes up very little counter space. You just need to press one button to turn on the machine and again to begin dispensing your chosen pod. There's a backlight on the button so that you are able to see clearly how much has been dispensed, and you can stop the process at any time should you prefer to drink the pod in smaller amounts.

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

The pods aren't cheap, but they come in a wide range of blends that can be used by anyone from the mildest espresso drinker to the most demanding. You can find them in many supermarkets, as well as regular grounds coffee and coffee beans. You can also purchase Lavazza A Modo Mio Compatible pods on the internet.

The Jolie and Milk is a sleek capsule machine that has an integrated milk warmer and frother. It comes in a box with a 75cm power cable and plug along with a quick-guide as well as a warranty card, as well as 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 be able to be stowed on an even surface or placed under the cabinet.

3. Breville BES870XL

The Breville Barista Express appears to be an expensive espresso machine. If you're willing put in the work to master its use this is a fantastic do-it-all home espresso maker that performs better than many of the more expensive models available. It's a good value for the money and is especially useful for those who aren't experienced enough to have an espresso machine that can cost up to $100.

This model is a bit below the top of the line for Breville (their Oracle is the most expensive model at $2,199) however, it's an excellent choice for baristas at home on a tight budget. It has a lot of customizable features and even an integrated burr mill to make it more affordable. It's also a single boiler that means that it can only do steaming or brewing at the same time.

Despite being a relatively newcomer to the market for espresso machines, Breville has quickly made a name for themselves through their top-quality machines. This machine is no exception and offers enough control that it can be adjusted to allow aspiring baristas to improve their skills without spending hundreds of dollars more than they should.

It's not without its quirks however. The hopper is on the side, not the top of the model. It's not a major problem, but it could be a hassle if you need to disperse several shots at once. The rear position of the tank makes it difficult to see the amount of liquid left.

If you're willing to spend some time learning how to master the Breville Barista Express, it's a great, do-it-all appliance for any home espresso lover. The only issue is the price, which can be a deterrent for some buyers. For those seeking a cheaper alternative, take a look at our review of the Gaggia Classic or the La Pavoni Impresso. Both are equally capable 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 produces great coffee. Its sleek stainless steel design and backlit LED screen give a sophisticated look to your kitchen. It comes with one dial that lets you to set the amount of cups. There are two settings: 5-9 cups and 2-4 cups. Its brewing process is similar to pour-over the grounds, which many coffee lovers believe is the best budget coffee machine tasting coffee. The water is heated to a perfect temperature before being poured over the grounds using a showerhead to ensure uniform saturation. 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 take out the carafe while brewing to fill your own cup. The machine pauses the brewing process and displays a red carafe light on its LED interface until you return it, then it resumes and completes brewing.

The OXO 9-Cup coffee machines on amazon maker comes SCAA certified, which means it meets the organization’s strict standards in terms of technology. The brew cycles are the same as the Bodum Bistro and Technivorm Moccamaster 741 but it allows for more control over temperature and brewing times.

In our tests in our tests, the OXO Brew 9 Cup produced an excellent cup of drip coffee with a carafe full in just 7 minutes 41 seconds. This is slightly more than the 6 minutes the Bonavita Connoisseur or the Moccamaster calls for, but it is within the time range that coffee experts recommend for making a quality cup.

It also requires you to grind your own beans prior to making. You can select an manual grinder or an automated model, such as the Baratza Encore. It has multiple grind settings, and an hopper for beans that are whole.

The only issue with this product is that it's not dishwasher safe. This could be a problem for some customers. 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 best drip coffee makers.