The Best Coffee Machines For Home
There is no one-size-fits-all coffee machine. That’s why we’ve rounded up our favorite picks for your home, ranging from a super-automatic that grinds and packs your beans, 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 be able to master the art of espresso-making. It’s the Best Coffee Machine bean-to-cup machine we’ve found.
1. Rocket Appartamento
Rocket Appartamento is a top choice for those who want to make espresso at home without making big sacrifices in terms of quality. This espresso machine for the prosumer is designed with limited counter space in mind and offers top-quality build and the smallest 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 at same at the same time.
The machine also looks great and features a round panel on the side with the steam engraved and hot water spouts. This is a refreshing update on Rocket’s classic aesthetic and is already impressive for a small machine. It also includes a black boiler pressure gauge to indicate when the boiler is ready to use.
The drip tray and the water reservoir tray are smaller on this model than other models. This means that you will need to be extra vigilant when emptying and refilling the machine, especially when you are using it regularly. This is a natural tradeoff for having a smaller footprint, though it is not a problem that is unique to this model.
This machine is able to handle your coffee needs. We suggest buying a good grinder, like the Baratza Sette Giante, to improve consistency and taste. You can also use this machine in conjunction with the Rocket portafilter to enhance the tamping process.
Rocket Appartamento, as a prosumer machine, can make delicious drinks and it is easy to make Latte Arts. However, it’s important to remember that the machine isn’t made for novices and there’s some learning curve for those upgrading from appliance-grade machines. The heat exchanger is difficult to work with and you’ll have to learn how to perform cooling flushes.
Both the Lelit Bianca and the Rocket Appartamento provide the option of connecting to a water source, which means you’ll always have cold, best coffee machine fresh filtering water available for your drinks. The latter, however, comes with a 2.25-liter water tank, which is 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 in less than 35 seconds. The water tank can be filled easily, as the lid can be removed to create an enormous hole. You can fill it with tap water if that’s what you prefer.
The Lavazza A Modo Mio is the smallest model in the models, but it packs a punch. It’s priced at less than PS100 at full price – that’s less than the Nespresso Essenza or similar machines from SMEG or Desea. The Jolie is a great option for those who do not have the space or funds for a traditional espresso machine, but still want to experience a real Italian espresso.
The Jolie is simple to use and requires small counter space. Pressing one button will activate the machine. When you press it again, it will start dispense the pod you’ve selected. The button has a backlight so you can see how much you have consumed. You can also manually stop the process, in case you wish to drink the pod in smaller portions.
The model isn’t equipped with a steam wand however, you can add creamy frosting to your milk by using an optional milk frother. The machine is quite quiet, too and can be used in a small workspace or in a kitchen with flatshare without disturbing anyone else.
The pods are not cheap, but they come in a variety of blends that will suit everyone – from the mildest espresso drinker to the most demanding. They are sold in most supermarkets along with regular ground coffee and coffee beans and 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 frother. It comes with a 75cm power cable and plug, a quick-guide and warranty card, as well as a test box of nine Lavazza pods: six roasts (two Qualita Rossa, two Lungo Dolce and two Delizioso) and two decaffeinated (Dek Cremoso). The machine is small enough to fit under a cupboard or on the floor.
3. Breville BES870XL
At first glance at first, the Breville Barista Express looks like an espresso machine that’s out of the budget of most average consumers. If you’re willing to learn to use it this is a fantastic home espresso maker. It’s more efficient than many of the more expensive models. It’s among the best priced in its class, and is particularly suitable for beginners who do not have an espresso maker yet. This could easily cost them $100 or more.
This model is a bit below the top of the range for Breville (their Oracle is the most expensive, costing $2,199) However, it’s a solid choice for home baristas who are on a tight budget. It comes with plenty of adjustable features, and has a built-in burr grinder, making the entire experience cheaper. It is also a single-boiler machine, which means that it can only perform one task at a 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 exception and offers enough adjustability to allow aspiring baristas to burnish their abilities without spending hundreds of dollars more than they have to.
The unit is not without its quirks. For instance, the hopper on this model is placed on the side of the unit, instead of on top. This isn’t significant, but it can be a little frustrating if you’re trying to disperse multiple shots at a time. The rear position of the tank makes it difficult to see the amount of liquid left.
If you’re willing to put in some time in learning how to make use of the Breville Barista Express then it’s an excellent option for any espresso lover at home. The only drawback is the price, which could be a deterrent for certain buyers. If you’re looking for a lower-cost alternative, read our review of the Gaggia Classic or the La Pavoni Impresso. Both are equally capable and offer a little more control than the Barista Express, but they’ll cost you a fraction of what this Breville model does.
4. OXO Brew 9-Cup
A high-tech smart machine for coffee with a simple user interface that produces great coffee. The sleek stainless steel design with backlit LED screen creates a chic kitchen look. It features only one dial to program the number of cups you would like it to make and includes two cup settings as well as a 5-9 cup setting. Its brewing technique is similar to pour-over, which most coffee enthusiasts believe makes the most flavorful coffee. The water is heated to the perfect temperature and poured over the grounds with a shower-head for uniform saturation. The coffee is stored in a double-walled carafe that can be kept for up to 60 minutes. The pause and pour feature lets you take out the carafe during brewing to fill your individual cup. The machine pauses the brewing process 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 an SCAA-certified coffee maker which means it meets the rigorous standards of SCAA’s technology. Its brew cycle is about the same length as the Bodum BISTRO and the Technivorm Moccamaster KBT 741, but it provides more control over temperature, brewing duration and also quality.
In our testing in our testing, the OXO Brew 9-Cup produced an excellent drip coffee and a full-carafe in 7 minutes and 41 seconds. This is slightly more than the time that the Bonavita Connoisseur or the Moccamaster calls for, but it is within the range that coffee experts suggest to make a great cup.
It also requires that you grind your own beans prior to making. You can make use of a manual coffee machines coffee grinder or go for a more automated model like the Baratza Encore, which has different grind settings and the hopper can hold entire beans.
The only downside to this product is that it’s not dishwasher safe. This could be a problem for some customers. The stainless steel can be cleaned by hand. The OXO 9-Cup is an excellent contender for the top drip coffee maker because of its sleek design and easy-to use interface.