The Best Coffee Machines For Home

There's no universally-fit-all coffee machine. We've rounded up our top picks for the home, from a super-automatic that grinds and packs your beans, to semi-automatic machines 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 familiar with the art of making espresso. It's the best bean-to-cup machine we've found.

1. Rocket Appartamento

Rocket Appartamento is a great option for those who want to make espresso at their home without losing quality. This espresso machine for prosumers is designed with a limited counter space in mind. It offers top-quality build and tiny footprint. It comes 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 at the same time.

The machine looks fantastic as well, and has an insert for the side of the machine with the engraved steam and hot water spouts. This is an upgrade to Rocket's traditional design, which is already impressive for a compact appliance. It also comes with the black gauge of pressure in the boiler to show when the boiler is ready for use.

One drawback of this compact machine is that the drip tray and water reservoir are smaller than the majority of machines. You'll need be cautious when emptying and refilling the machine. This is particularly true when you are using it often. This is a natural trade-off for smaller footprint, however it is not a problem particular to this model.

This machine is able to handle the demands of your coffee. That being said, we would recommend investing in a quality grinder, such as the Baratza Sette Giante, for increased consistency and flavor. You can also use the machine in conjunction with a Rocket Portafilter to improve tamping.

Rocket Appartamento, as a prosumer machine, makes excellent drinks and is easy to create Latte arts. It's important to note that this machine is not designed for beginners. There is a little learning curve for those upgrading from appliance-grade espresso machines. The heat exchange boiler could be a little tricky to operate and you'll have to master the ins and outs 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 in a position to drink cold pure, purified water. The latter, however, comes with a 2.25-liter water tank that could be more difficult to refill than its competitors.

2. Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie

This machine is built to Lavazza's highest standards. The machine is able to reach the temperature of brewing quickly, meaning you can make your first cup in just 35 second. The water tank is also quick and simple to refill, with the lid detaching completely to reveal a large opening. You can fill it up with tap water, should you wish.

The Lavazza A Modo Mio is the smallest of the series, yet it is a powerful machine. At its 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 an excellent choice for those without the budget or space for a traditional espresso maker, but who want to get their fix of real Italian espresso.

The Jolie is extremely easy to use and takes up just a little counter space. You only need to press one button to turn on the machine, then again to start dispensing your chosen pod. There's a light on the button so that you can easily see 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 frosting to your milk by using an optional milk frother. The machine is quite quiet also and can be utilized in a small area or in a kitchen with flatshare without causing any disturbance to anyone else.

They aren't inexpensive, but there's a wide variety of blends that will satisfy everyone from the mildest to the most demanding espresso drinkers. You can find them in many supermarkets, as well as regular grounds ground coffee machine and coffee beans. You can also purchase 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 plug and power cable, a warranty card and a quick reference, and a tester pack comprising nine Lavazza pods. Six are roasts (two Qualita Rossa and two Lungo Dolce) and two are decaffeinated. The machine itself is small enough to be able to be stowed on an even surface or placed under your cupboard.

3. Breville BES870XL

At first glance at first, the Breville Barista Express looks like an espresso machine that is out of the budget of a majority of consumers. But if you're willing to take the time to master its use, this is an excellent espresso maker for home use that performs better than some of the more expensive models on the market. It's the best value in its class, and it's especially suitable for those who don't have an espresso grinder yet. This could easily set them back another $100 or more.

The model is just below the top of the range for Breville (their Oracle is the most expensive model at $2,199) however, it's a solid choice for baristas at home on a budget. It comes with a variety of options to customize and features, including an integrated burr mill to make it more affordable. It is also a single-boiler machine, meaning it can only handle one thing at the same time.

Breville is a relative newcomer on the market for espresso machines, has rapidly earned a reputation for its high-quality appliances. This machine is no different and has enough control to let budding baristas improve their abilities without spending more than necessary.

It's not without its flaws however. The hopper is on the side, not on the top, of this model. It's not a huge problem, but it could be frustrating if you want to disperse multiple shots at once. It's also difficult to determine how much water remains in the tank, due to its rear placement.

If you're willing to invest some time learning how to master the Breville Barista Express, it's an ideal, all-purpose machine for anyone who is a coffee lover at home. The only issue with the Breville Barista Express is the price, which may be a hindrance for certain buyers. If you're looking for a less expensive alternative, take a look at our review of the Gaggia Classic or the La Pavoni Impresso. Both machines are comparable in their capabilities and offer a bit more control than the Barista Express. However, they cost a fraction of the price.

4. OXO Brew 9 Cup

A high-tech, intelligent coffee maker that makes excellent coffee with a simple user interface. Its sleek stainless steel design and backlit LED display add a stylish design to your kitchen. It features one dial to set 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 brewing, which coffee aficionados believe produces the most flavorful coffee machine home. The water is heated to a perfect temperature and 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. The pause and pour feature lets you take out the carafe while brewing to fill your cup to the brim. The machine stops brewing and displays a red carafe light on its LED interface until you return it. It then it resumes and completes brewing.

The OXO 9-Cup coffee maker comes SCAA certified, which means it meets the strict standards in terms of technology. The brew cycles are the same as those of the Bodum Bistro and Technivorm Moccamaster 741 but it lets you control the temperature and brewing time.

In our testing we found that the OXO Brew 9-Cup made an excellent drip coffee that was served in a full-carafe in just 7 minutes and 41 seconds. This is a bit longer than the 6 minutes or less that the Bonavita Connoisseur and the Moccamaster require but well within the range experts in the field suggest for a decent cup of drip.

It is also necessary to grind your own beans prior to making. You can make use of a manual coffee grinder, or opt for a more automatic model such as the Baratza Encore, which has various grind settings as well as a hopper that holds whole beans.

The only drawback is that the carafe and the water reservoirs aren't dishwasher safe and could cause problem for some users. The stainless steel can be cleaned by hand. The OXO 9-Cup is an excellent contender for the top drip coffee maker due to its sleek design and easy to use interface.