The Best Coffee Machines For Home

There's no universally-fit-all coffee machine. This is why we've compiled our favorite picks for your 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 needing you to be familiar with the art of espresso-making. It's the best home coffee machine bean-to cup machine we've seen.

1. Rocket Appartamento

Rocket Appartamento is a top pick for those who wish 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 little counter space. It is built to last and has excellent quality and a small footprint. It is equipped with a 1.8 liter copper heat-exchange boiler and commercial E61 Group Heads so that you can steam your milk and brew coffee at same at the same time.

The machine looks fantastic as well, and has an insert for the side of the machine with engraved hot water and steam spouts. This is a refreshing update on the classic look of Rocket and is already impressive for a compact machine. It also includes the black pressure gauge, which indicates when the boiler is ready for use.

One drawback of this compact machine is that the drip tray and reservoir for water are smaller than most other machines. You will need to be careful when emptying and re-filling the machine. This is especially the case when you are using it often. This is a normal trade-off to have a smaller footprint, though it is not a problem that is unique to this model.

You can still brew plenty of coffee with this machine, and it can easily meet your demands. We recommend investing in a quality grinder, like the Baratza Sette Giante to improve consistency and taste. You can also use the machine in conjunction with an Rocket Portafilter to increase the tamping.

As a prosumer espresso machine The Rocket Appartamento is capable of making great drinks, and it's easy to create latte art. It is important to remember that this machine was not designed for novices. There is a small learning curve for those who upgrade from espresso machines that are appliance-grade. The heat exchanger is tricky to handle and you'll need to master the art 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 capable of drinking cold, purified water. The latter comes with a 2.25-liter water tank, which can be more difficult to refill than some of its competitors.

2. Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie

This machine is built to Lavazza's high standards. It is quick to reach brewing temperature, allowing you to make your first cup of coffee in just 35 minutes. The tank can be easily refilled with ease, since the lid can be removed to make a large hole. You can fill it with tap water if you want.

The Lavazza A Modo Mio is the smallest of the series, yet it packs a punch. It's priced less than PS100 at retail and is much less expensive than the Nespresso Essenza or similar machines from SMEG or Desea. The Jolie is a great alternative for those who don't have the space or funds for a traditional espresso machine, but still want to experience the authentic Italian espresso.

The Jolie is easy to use and occupies very small counter space. It's as easy as pressing one button to start the machine and again to start dispensing your chosen pod. There's a backlight that's on the button so that you can clearly see the amount of liquid that has been dispersed and you can choose to stop the process at any time should you prefer to drink your pod in smaller doses.

There's no steam wand included 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 workspace or in a kitchen with flatshare without disturbing others.

Pods aren't expensive, but there's a variety of blends to choose from to satisfy everyone from mildest to the most demanding espresso drinkers. You can find them in most supermarkets, along with regular grounds coffee machine makes and coffee machines prices beans. You can also purchase Lavazza A Modo Mio Compatible pods on the internet.

The Jolie and Milk is a sleek capsule machine with an integrated milk warmer and a frother. It comes in a box with a 75cm power cord and plug as well as a quick-guide and warranty sheet and a tester box containing nine Lavazza pods which include 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 a costly espresso machine. If you're willing to learn to use it and make it work, then this is a great home espresso maker. It performs better than many of the more expensive models. It's an excellent value for its class and is especially useful for those who aren't experienced enough to have an espresso machine that costs up to $100.

This model sits right in the middle of the line for Breville (their Oracle is the most expensive model at $2,199), but it's still a solid choice for baristas at home who are on a tight budget. It delivers plenty of tweakable features, and includes an integrated burr grinder, making the entire experience more affordable. It's also a single boiler machine, which means it can only do steaming or brewing at the same time.

Breville, an incredibly newcomer to the market for espresso machines, has rapidly earned a reputation for its high-quality appliances. This machine is no exception and offers enough control that it can be adjusted to allow aspiring baristas to develop their abilities without spending hundreds of dollars more than they have to.

The unit does not come without its quirks. The hopper is located on the side, not on the top of the model. It's not a big issue, but it can be a hassle if you need to dispense several shots at once. The rear placement of the tank makes it difficult to determine how much liquid remains.

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 drawback to the Breville Barista Express is its cost, which may be a hindrance for certain buyers. If you're seeking a cheaper option, check out our review of the Gaggia Classic or the La Pavoni Impresso. Both are equally capable and offer a bit more control than the Barista Express, but they'll cost you a fraction of what this Breville model can do.

4. OXO Brew 9-Cup

A high-tech, smart coffee machine that makes great coffee with a simple user interface. The sleek stainless steel design and backlit LED screen gives your kitchen a sophisticated design. It comes with one dial that lets you to program the amount of cups. There are two settings: 2-4 cups and 5-9 cups. Its brewing method is similar to pour-over, which most professional coffee machine aficionados believe produces the best coffee machine (just click the next article)-tasting coffee. The water is heated to the ideal temperature, and then poured evenly over the coffee machines small grounds with shower heads. The brewed coffee is then stored in the double-walled thermal carafe that can be kept for up to 60 minutes. The pause-and pour feature lets you remove the carafe while making your coffee and filling it with the right amount. The machine pauses the brewing process and displays a red light on its LED interface, until you return the carafe. The machine then begins brewing.

The OXO Brew 9-Cup coffee maker is certified by SCAA, which means it complies with the strict standards of SCAA's technical standards. The brew cycles it uses are the same as the Bodum Bistro and Technivorm Moccamaster 741 but it gives you more control over temperature and brewing time.

In our tests, the OXO Brew 9-Cup produced excellent drip coffee with 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 it falls within the range that coffee experts recommend for a great cup of drip.

It is also necessary to grind your own beans prior to making. You can make use of an old-fashioned coffee grinder or opt for a more automatic model, such as the Baratza Encore, which has different grind settings and an hopper that can hold whole beans.

The only drawback to this product is that it's not dishwasher safe. This could be a problem for some users. The stainless steel is still easy to clean by hand, however. The OXO 9-Cup is an excellent contender for the top drip coffee maker because of its sleek design and simple to use interface.