The Best Coffee Machines For Home
There is no one-size-fits-all coffee machine. We've rounded-up our top choices, ranging 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 and making you familiar with the art of espresso-making. This is our top choice for a machine that makes coffee.
1. Rocket Appartamento
Rocket Appartamento is a great option for those looking to make espresso at their home without sacrificing quality. This espresso machine with a small footprint was specifically designed for people who have small counter space. It combines excellent build quality and a small footprint. It comes with a 1.8-liter copper heat exchange boiler and commercial E61 group heads so that you can steam milk and make espresso at the same time.
The machine also looks great and has a circular insert on the side panel with engravings of steam and hot water spouts. This is a new take on Rocket's classic aesthetic that is already impressive for a machine that is so small. It also includes an black gauge for boiler pressure to indicate 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 the majority of machines. This means that you'll have to be vigilant about emptying and refilling the machine, especially when you use it often. This is a normal trade-off for a smaller footprint, though this is not a problem particular to this model.
This machine is capable of handling your coffee needs. We recommend investing in a quality grinder, such as the Baratza Sette Gante, to increase consistency and flavor. You can also use this machine in conjunction with an Rocket portafilter to help improve the tamping process.
Rocket Appartamento, as a prosumer machine, makes excellent drinks and is simple to make Latte arts. However, it's worth noting that the machine was not designed for beginners and has a bit of a learning curve for those who are upgrading from appliances. The heat exchanger can be difficult to work with and you'll need to learn how to do cooling flushes.
Both the Lelit Bianca as well as the Rocket Appartamento have the option to connect to an water source, which coffee machines are best allows you to be in a position to drink cold pure, filtered water. The latter comes with a smaller 2.25-liter tank that can be more difficult to refill.
2. Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie
As you would expect from a Lavazza machine this one has been made with quality in mind. It is quick to reach the brewing temperature, allowing you to make your first cup of coffee machine Automatic in just 35 minutes. The water tank is also quick and easy to fill by removing the lid completely to reveal a large opening. You can fill it up with tap water, if you like.
The Lavazza A Modo Mio is the smallest of the series, yet it packs a punch. When you buy it at full cost, it's less than PS100 which is less than the Nespresso Essenza and similar machines from SMEG and Desea. The Jolie is a great option for those who do not have the space or funds for a traditional espresso machine, but nevertheless want to drink an authentic Italian espresso.
The Jolie is simple to use and takes up small counter space. Pressing a single button will start the machine. Pressing it again will begin dispensing the pod you have selected. There's a light on the button, so you can clearly see the amount of dispensed and you can also manually stop the process if you prefer to drink the pod in smaller amounts.
This model doesn't come with a steam wand, but you can add some creamy foam to your milk with an optional milk frother. The machine is very quiet, too, and can be used in a small workspace or in a flatshare kitchen without causing any disturbance to anyone else.
Pods aren't expensive, but there's a variety of blends available to satisfy everyone from mildest to the most demanding espresso drinkers. They are available in most supermarkets alongside regular coffee beans and ground coffee machine pro and you can also buy Lavazza A Modo Mio compatible pods on the internet.
The Jolie and milk is a sleek capsule machine with an integrated milk warmer. It includes a 75cm plug and power cable, a warranty document along with 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 compact enough to fit under a cupboard or on a flat surface.
3. Breville BES870XL
The Breville Barista Express appears to be an expensive espresso machine. If you're willing to learn to use it, then this is a fantastic home espresso maker. It's far superior to many of the more expensive models. It's among the best priced in its class, and it's especially good for novices who don't have an espresso grinder yet--which can easily cost them another $100 or more.
This model is priced below the most expensive Breville Oracle (the most expensive at $2199) However, it's an excellent option for baristas on a budget. It delivers plenty of tweakable features, and it even includes an integrated burr grinder to make the whole experience much cheaper. It's also a single boiler machine, which means that it can only handle one thing at one time.
Breville is relatively new to the market for espresso machines, has swiftly gained a reputation as a top-quality appliances. This machine is no different, and it has just enough control to let new baristas hone their abilities without spending more than is necessary.
It's not without its quirks however. The hopper is on the side, not at the top of the model. It's not a big deal, but can be a problem if you wish to give multiple shots at once. The rear placement of the tank makes it difficult to know how much liquid is 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 drawback to the Breville Barista Express is its price, which may be a stumbling block 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 similarly capable and offer 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 machine with a simple user interface that produces great coffee. Its sleek stainless steel design and backlit LED screen add a sophisticated look to your kitchen. It has one dial to set the number of cups you would like it to make. It also comes with the 2-4 cup setting as well as a 5-9 cup setting. Its brewing process is similar to pour-over the grounds, which many coffee lovers believe produces the best tasting coffee. The water is heated to the ideal temperature before being poured over the grounds using a showerhead to ensure uniform saturation. The coffee is collected in the double-walled thermal carafe that can be kept for up to 60 minutes. The pause-and-pour feature allows you remove the carafe while brewing and fill your cup. The machine pauses the brewing process and shows a red light on its LED interface until you return the carafe. The machine then begins the brewing process.
The OXO 9-Cup coffee maker is SCAA certified, meaning it complies with the strict standards for technical quality. Its brew cycles are about the same as those of the Bodum Bistro and the 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 pot of drip coffee, with the carafe filled in 7 minutes and 41 seconds. This is a little more than the time that the Bonavita Connoisseur or the Moccamaster calls for, but it is within the range that experts in the field recommend to make a good cup.
It is also necessary to grind your own beans prior to brewing. You can make use of a manual coffee machine deals grinder, or choose a more automated model, such as the Baratza Encore, which has multiple grind settings and the hopper can hold entire beans.
The only downside to this product is that it's not dishwasher safe. This could pose a problem for some users. The stainless steel can be cleaned by hand. The OXO 9-Cup is a leading contender for the best home coffee machine drip coffee machines industrial maker because of its sleek design and easy to use interface.