The Best Coffee Machines For Home

There is no single-size-fits all coffee maker that is perfect for every. We've put together our top picks, from an automatic that grinds your beans and packs them to semi-automatic machines that give you the most control over your espresso.

The Breville Oracle Touch strikes the perfect balance between automation and needing to understand the basics of espresso-making. It's the most efficient bean-to-cup machine we've come across.

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 espresso machine for prosumers is designed with limited counter space in mind. It offers top-quality build and the smallest footprint. It is equipped with an 1.8-liter copper heat exchange boiler as well as a commercial E61 group head, so you can steam milk while making espresso at the same time.

The machine looks fantastic too, and comes with an elongated side panel with engravings of steam and hot water spouts. This is an update to Rocket's original design that is already impressive for a compact appliance. It also has a black boiler pressure gauge to let you know when the boiler is ready to use.

The water reservoir and drip tray are smaller on this machine than other models. It is important to be careful when emptying and refilling the machine. This is especially true if you use it frequently. This is a trade-off that comes with having smaller footprint. It's not something that is unique to this model.

You can still brew plenty of coffee with this machine, and it will easily keep up with the demands of your customers. We recommend investing in a quality grinder, such as the Baratza Sette Gante, to increase consistency and flavor. You can also use the machine in conjunction with an Rocket Portafilter to improve tamping.

Rocket Appartamento, as a prosumer machine, makes excellent drinks and is simple to make Latte Arts. It is important to remember that this machine isn't designed for novices. There is a little learning curve for people who are upgrading from appliances-grade espresso machines. The heat exchange boiler could be a bit tricky to control and you'll have to learn 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, which allows you to always be capable of drinking cold, purified water. The latter comes with a 2.25-liter water tank that could be more difficult to fill than its competitors.

2. Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie

This machine is built to Lavazza's high standards. It is quick to reach brewing temperature, which allows you to make your first cup of coffee machines in just 35 seconds. The tank can be filled easily with ease, since the lid can be removed to create an enormous hole. You can fill it with tap water if that's what you prefer.

This is the smallest machine of the Lavazza A Modo Mio range, but it still is a powerful machine. It costs less than PS100 at the full price which is less than the Nespresso Essenza or similar machines from SMEG or Desea. This makes the Jolie an excellent choice for those with a limited budget or space for a traditional espresso maker, but who want to get their fix of authentic Italian espresso.

The Jolie is extremely simple to use and takes up only a tiny amount of counter space. Pressing a single button will begin the process. After pressing it again, it will start dispense the pod you have selected. 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 also manually stop the process should you prefer to drink your pod in smaller doses.

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

The pods aren't expensive, but they are available in a variety of blends that can be used by anyone from the mildest espresso drinker to the most demanding. They are available in most supermarkets along with regular coffee beans and ground coffee and you can also purchase Lavazza A Modo Mio compatible pods online.

The Jolie and Milk is a stylish capsule machine that has an integrated milk warmer and frother. It comes in a box with an 75cm power cable, 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 compact enough to fit under a cabinet or on the floor.

3. Breville BES870XL

At first glance, the Breville Barista Express looks like an espresso maker that's beyond the budget of many average consumers. But if you're willing to take the time to master its use, this is an excellent do-it-all home espresso maker that performs better than some of the more expensive models on the market. It's a good value for the money and is especially useful for those who aren't experienced enough to have an espresso maker that costs up to $100.

This model is priced below the top-of-the-line Breville Oracle (the most expensive at $2199) however it is an excellent option for baristas working on a budget. It comes with plenty of adjustable features, and comes with a built-in burr grinder to make the whole experience much cheaper. It's also a single boiler machine that means it can only do steaming or brewing at the same time.

Breville is a relative newcomer on the market for espresso machines, has swiftly gained a reputation as a top-quality appliances. This machine is no different and has enough control that it can be adjusted to let aspiring baristas develop their abilities without spending hundreds of dollars more than they need to.

There are some quirks however. For instance, the hopper on this model is positioned on the side of the unit instead of on top--which isn't a huge deal however it can be frustrating if you're trying to disperse multiple shots at a time. The rear position of the tank makes it difficult to know the amount of liquid left.

If you're willing to put in time learning to use the Breville Barista Express then it's an excellent option for any espresso lover at home. The only downside is the price, which could be a deterrent for certain buyers. If you're seeking a cheaper alternative, take a look at our review of the Gaggia Classic or the La Pavoni Impresso. Both are equally powerful and provide a bit more control than the Barista Express, but they'll cost you less than the Breville model can do.

4. OXO Brew 9-Cup

A high-tech smart coffee machine that makes great coffee using a simple interface. The sleek stainless steel design with backlit LED display gives your kitchen a sophisticated look. It features only one dial to program 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. The brewing process is similar to pour-over, which many coffee enthusiasts believe makes the most delicious coffee. The water is heated to a perfect temperature and poured over the grounds with a shower-head for uniform saturation. The brewed coffee is then collected in the double-walled thermal carafe, which can be stored for up to 60 minutes. The pause and pour function allows you to remove the carafe while brewing to fill your own cup. The machine pauses brewing and shows a red light for the carafe on its LED interface until you return it, after which it resumes brewing and is finished.

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

In our tests we found that the OXO Brew 9 Cup produced an excellent cup of drip coffee, with an entire carafe in just 7 minutes 41 seconds. This is a bit more than the 6 minutes the Bonavita Connoisseur or the Moccamaster requires, but within the range of time that coffee experts recommend to make a good cup.

You should also grind your beans before brewing. You can select a manual grinder or an automated model, such as the Baratza Encore. It has various grind settings, as well as a hopper for whole beans.

The only issue is that the carafe and the water reservoir aren't dishwasher-safe this could be a issue for certain users. The stainless steel is still easy to clean by hand, though. The OXO Brew 9-Cup's sleek style and user-friendly interface make it an undisputed contender among the best coffee machine drip coffee machine home makers.