The Best Coffee Machines For Home
There's no universally-fit-all coffee machine. We've compiled our top picks, starting with a superautomatic that grinds your beans and packs them to a semiautomatic which gives you the most control over your espresso.
The Breville Oracle Touch strikes a perfect balance between automatizing the process while requiring you to be familiar with the art of espresso-making. It's the most efficient bean-to-cup machine we've come across.
1. Rocket Appartamento
Rocket Appartamento is a great option for those who are looking to make espresso at home without losing quality. This prosumer espresso machine is designed with limited counter space in mind and combines outstanding build quality with a very small footprint. It comes with a 1.8 Liter copper heat exchange boiler and commercial E61 Group Head, so you can steam your milk and brew coffee machine best at same simultaneously.
The machine looks great 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 classic design, which is already impressive for a small appliance. It also comes with an black gauge for boiler pressure to show when the boiler is ready to use.
One disadvantage of this tiny machine is that the drip tray and reservoir for water are smaller than the majority of machines. It is important be extra cautious when emptying and refilling the machine. This is especially true when you are using it often. This is a trade-off that is a result of having a smaller footprint. This is not an issue that is specific to this model.
You can still brew a lot of coffee with this machine, and it will easily meet your demands. We suggest investing in a quality grinder, such as the Baratza Sette Giante, to improve 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 delicious drinks and it is easy to make Latte Arts. However, it's worth noting that the machine isn't made for novices, and there is an enlightening curve for those upgrading from appliances. The heat exchange boiler could be a little tricky to operate, and you will have to master the ins and outs of cooling flushes.
Both the Lelit Bianca and the Rocket Appartamento offer the option of connecting to a water supply that means you will always have clean, cold water that has been filtered for your drinks. The latter has a 2.25-liter water tank that can be more difficult to refill than its competitors.
2. Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie
This machine is built to Lavazza's highest standards. It is quick to reach brewing temperature, which allows you to make your first cup of coffee in just 35 minutes. The water tank can be filled easily, as the lid can be removed to make an enormous hole. It can be filled with tap water, if you like.
The Lavazza A Modo Mio is the smallest model in the range, but it packs a punch. It's priced less than PS100 at retail which is less than the Nespresso Essenza or similar machines from SMEG or Desea. This makes the Jolie a great option for those who don't have the money or space for an espresso maker, but who want to get their fix of real Italian espresso.
The Jolie is easy to use and occupies very little counter space. It's as easy as pressing one button to start the machine and again to begin dispensing your chosen pod. The button has a backlight to let you know how much you have consumed. You can also manually stop the process, in case you wish to drink the pod in smaller amounts.
There's no steam wand on this model, however you can add a milk frother (available separately) to add some creamy froth if you like. The machine is quiet, too and can be used in a small workspace or in a flatshare kitchen without disturbing others.
They aren't cheap, but there is an array of blends that will satisfy everyone from the mildest to the most demanding espresso drinkers. They are available in most supermarkets, along with regular coffee beans and grounds coffee. You can also purchase Lavazza A Modo Mio Compatible pods on the internet.
The Jolie and Milk is a smart-looking capsule machine that has an integrated milk warmer and a frother. It comes with a 75cm power plug and power cable, a warranty sheet along with a quick guide and a tester pack of 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 kept on the floor or placed under your cupboard.
3. Breville BES870XL
The Breville Barista Express appears to be a costly espresso machine. If you're willing and able learn to use it, then this is a great at-home espresso maker. It's far superior to most 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 machine yet--which can easily set them back another $100 or more.
This model is a bit below the top of the line for Breville (their Oracle is the most expensive, costing $2,199) However, it's an excellent option for home baristas on a budget. It comes with a variety of customizable features, and even an integrated burr mill, which makes it more affordable. It's also a single boiler that means it can only do steaming or brewing at one time.
Breville, an incredibly newcomer to the market for espresso machines, has quickly gained a reputation as a top-quality appliances. This machine is no different and has enough control to let aspiring baristas develop their skills without spending hundreds more than necessary.
There are some quirks however. The hopper is located on the side, not on the top, of this model. It's not a huge deal, but can be frustrating if you want to dispense several shots at once. The rear placement of the tank makes it difficult to see the amount of liquid left.
But if you're prepared to invest 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 downside to the Breville Barista Express is its price, which may be a stumbling block for some buyers. If you're looking for a budget option, we recommend the Gaggia Classic and the La Pavoni Impresso. Both are equally capable and offer a little more control than the Barista Express, but they'll cost you less than the Breville model does.
4. OXO Brew 9 Cup
A high-tech smart coffee maker with a user-friendly interface that makes great coffee. Its sleek stainless steel design and backlit LED screen give a sophisticated look to your kitchen. It has a single dial to program the number of cups you would like to make. It comes with the 2-4 cup setting and a 5-9 cup setting. Its brewing technique is similar to pour-over that many professional coffee machine enthusiasts believe is the best tasting coffee. The water is heated to the perfect temperature and then evenly poured over the coffee grounds using shower heads. The uk coffee machines brewed is then stored in the double-walled, thermal carafe for 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 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 has been SCAA certified, which means it meets the organization’s strict standards in terms of technology. Its brew cycles are about the same as those of the Bodum Bistro and Technivorm Moccamaster 741 but it lets you control the temperature and brewing time.
In our tests in our testing, the OXO Brew 9-Cup produced an excellent drip coffee with a full cup in just 7 minutes and 41 seconds. That's a little longer than the 6 minutes or less the Bonavita Connoisseur and the Moccamaster require, but still within the range that coffee experts recommend for a great cup of drip.
You must also grind your own beans prior to making. You can make use of a manual coffee grinder or opt for a more automatic model like 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 easily cleaned by hand, though. The OXO 9-Cup is a top contender for the best drip coffee maker because of its sleek design and easy to use interface.