The Best Coffee Machines For Home Baristas
Buying a coffee machine lets you enjoy a variety of coffee-infused drinks from the convenience of your home. There's a coffee maker that will suit any budget and taste, whether you prefer pods or filters.
This bean-to cup machine is a reliable machine. It offers an amount of control that's not often seen for a high-end model. It's a great option if you're looking for convenience and milky options without fuss.
1. Breville Barista Max
A mid-range bean-to-cup with a built-in grinder, Breville Barista Max+ VCF152 is a good choice for anyone who wants to learn how to make coffee in the correct method (rather than using pods or a less expensive espresso machine) and for those who want to upgrade from a less capable manual machine. It can make high-quality espresso and milk that is well-textured, and is simple to use with a little practice.
The Barista max+ comes with a huge drip pan and a separate trough to catch spilled grounds, and a convenient storage area to store additional equipment. It's also a solid-looking and well-built machine with all the parts that can be removed and clicking into place beautifully. Available in both a classic stainless steel and a chic silver.
It's designed with a professional feel and is influenced by commercial machines. Its features include Temp IQ Shot Control, which provides precise temperature for each cup, as well as the Tap & Go burr grinder on-demand that has 30 settings. It employs a preinfusion method to gently infuse ground beans to create a balanced, full flavour.
There's a useful guide in the instruction manual that describes how to calibrate the machine, which is important to do correctly to ensure a consistent, excellent cup of espresso. It also explains how you can perform the decalcification process which is crucial to keep your machine clean and in good working order.
The controls are simple to use. A dial lets you to set the machine's temperature for hot water by turning the knob to the right, or to start dispensing steam by turning the knob. The coffee spout is of sufficient height to fit a regular espresso cup or glass with a latte-style design, but not a jug. Therefore, you'll need to pre-infuse and dispensing your milk prior to pouring your espresso into larger cups for cappuccinos and lattes.
Breville only offers an one-year guarantee on the machine. If something goes wrong during that period, you will be responsible for the repair cost. This might be a reason to avoid some, particularly considering the price of the machine when it's new.
2. Smeg Bean-to-Cup
Smeg is synonymous with retro kitchen gadgets and 1950's style. But what coffee machine is the best's notable is that until recently Smeg's range didn't include the bean-to-cup model. This was until the introduction of this sleekly designed BCC02 model in September.
The bean-to cup coffee machine provides the entire range of your favourite drinks at the push of a button. It includes espresso, ristretto and Americano as well as hot water for tea and other hot drinks. All you need to do is put the desired amount of ground beans into the hopper, choose your beverage from the simple menu by using the flat buttons and press brew. It's simple and quick with minimal input and even comes with an alert that lets you know when to descale the machine or empty the grounds drawer.
Our former barista tried the Smeg Coffee-to-Cup. She was impressed with the ease of use and the fact that it can make milky coffees like cappuccino and latte. She was amazed by the speed at which it heated up and how it was silent. She was also happy that the process only took 45 minutes, and she could pick the strength of the drink. The only slight complaint was that the BCC02 does not come with a metal jug that you'll need to purchase separately.
The real benefit is the fact that this best bean to cup coffee machine under 500-to-cup machine does not require plastic pods or sachets, which means you'll be saving money as well as helping the environment. The Smeg Bean-toCup coffee machine comes in a range of covetable matt colours including taupe sparkling white, smouldering orange and now, new to the range, full black. You can match your coffee maker to your kitchen decor and effortlessly transform your cooking space while at the same time. It's definitely worth a look if you're a fan of the Smeg brand.
3. Gaggia Milano V60
This Gaggia Milano espresso machine is an excellent choice if you are a barista at home, or have an interest in espresso. It has a rapid heat boiler technology, meaning you can make espresso quickly and easily. It also comes with an expert steam wand for making great foamed milk for lattes and cappuccinos. You can also adjust your espresso's length, body, and grind settings to meet your taste.
This machine is a single-boiler model and was originally released in the year 1991. It is now one of the most sought-after espresso machines at best home espresso machine especially among baristas who work from home. It is well-known for its low price, simplicity and excellent performance. The design is sleek and simple, with some modern features. It's also easy to use and maintain.
The Gaggia coffee maker does not have the latest features such as PID or preinfusion which could make it appear a bit old-fashioned to some. However, it will offer excellent espresso and is a great option for those who prefer traditional design.
There are some key distinctions between the Gaggia and other models. For instance, it comes with a an forged chrome-plated brass portafilter handle. This is a nice touch that differentiates it from other home espresso machines. It also has the thermo-bloc boiler which is a nice feature for this price range.
In addition to the above features, this machine also has a removable water reservoir for easy refilling and maintenance. It also comes with a stainless steel infusion chamber that keeps the water at the correct temperature, which helps to make more flavorful espresso. It also comes with a high-end ceramic grinder that can help keep your espresso fresher for a longer period of time.
The coffee maker also comes with an automatic water level detector. This feature makes it simple to use the machine, and ensures you always have the tank full of clean fresh, clean water. This is essential to get the best coffee machines with pods results from your espresso.
4. Sage Barista
Sage is known for its ability to rethink how coffee machines work. The Oracle Touch is no different. It's a dual boiler that has an integrated grinder as well as an on-board barista. Oracle Touch is a well-balanced machine. While most bean-to-cup machines are designed to be convenient and not focusing on quality, Oracle Touch offers a balanced approach. The machine does all the grinding, dosing, and tamping tasks for you, while steaming and foaming milk. This allows you to get the most value from your chosen beans and avoids the kinds of disappointing results you may experience when using coffee that has been ground from the major supermarkets.
The Oracle has 30 grind settings, so you can choose the perfect level of fineness that is perfect for your drink. It also comes with a cradle that can hold the portafilter. This is a great extra for those who want to recreate the barista experience. Other features that are useful include the Razor Precision Dose Trimming Tool for wiping off any beans that are not needed. A stainless milk jug made of steel is included, as well as steam wands to create latte art.
You can choose from a range of beverages and the machine will recommend the proper grind size, brew rate and the temperature of your milk. This feature lets you save your preferred settings for later use. It takes away the stress that comes with finding the perfect cup. This model is a good choice for those new to espresso, since it will allow you to get the most out of the beans you select.
The machine is elegantly constructed with a stunning brushed-stainless-steel finish. It will look great on your countertop in the kitchen. It's a large machine at H41cm x W33cm x D38cm. It may be difficult to fit under some cabinets. It's worth measuring your space to ensure you're able to accommodate it prior to purchasing. Keeping the machine clean is fairly easy, but you'll need to clean down the steam wand and removeable drip tray. It's worth establishing an account with Sage to access weekly masterclasses and customized instructions to get the most out of your brand new coffee machine.