Thurman Prosser

The Best Coffee Machines For Home

There's no one-size-fits-all espresso machine. We've rounded-up our top picks, from a superautomatic machine that grinds your beans and packs them into semiautomatics that give you the best control over your espresso.

The Breville Oracle Touch strikes a perfect balance between automatizing the process and requiring you to be knowledgeable about the art of espresso-making. It's the best bean-to cup machine we've come across.

1. Rocket Appartamento

Rocket Appartamento makes a great choice for those looking to make espresso at home without losing quality. This small-footprint espresso machine was specifically designed for people who have limited counter space. It is built to last and has excellent quality and a small footprint. It comes with a 1.8 milliliter copper heat exchange boiler and commercial E61 Group Heads so that you can steam your milk and brew your coffee at the same time.

The machine looks fantastic and has a round insert on the side panel with engravings of steam and hot water spouts. This is a fresh update on the classic look of Rocket and is already impressive for a compact machine. It also has the black gauge of pressure in the boiler to let you know when the boiler is ready to use.

One drawback of this compact machine is that the drip tray and water reservoir are smaller than the majority of machines. This means you'll need to be extra vigilant when emptying and refilling the machine, especially when using it frequently. This is a natural trade-off to have a smaller footprint, though, and not an issue specific to this model.

This machine can easily handle your coffee demands. We recommend buying a good grinder, such as the Baratza Sette Giante, to improve consistency and taste. You can also use the machine in conjunction with an Rocket Portafilter to improve tamping.

Rocket Appartamento, as a prosumer machine, can make some great drinks and it is simple to make Latte Arts. It's important to know that this machine isn't designed for beginners. There is a little learning curve for those who upgrade from appliances-grade espresso machines. The heat exchange boiler could be a bit tricky to manage, and you will have to master the basics of cooling flushes.

Both the Lelit Bianca and the Rocket Appartamento allow connecting to a water source, that means you will always have cold, fresh filtered water on hand for your drinks. The latter, however, has a 2.25-liter water tank, which coffee machines are best is more difficult to refill than some of its competitors.

2. Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie

As you would expect from the Lavazza machine, this one is made with quality in mind. It is quick to reach brewing temperature, which allows you to make your first cup of coffee in just 35 minutes. The tank is able to be filled, as the lid can be removed to create a large hole. You can even fill it with tap water if that's what you prefer.

The Lavazza A Modo Mio is the smallest of the series, yet it is a powerful machine. It's priced less than PS100 at full price - that's less than the Nespresso Essenza or similar machines from SMEG or Desea. This makes the Jolie an excellent choice for those without the budget or space for an espresso maker, but would like to experience the pleasure of authentic Italian espresso.

The Jolie is extremely simple to use and occupies just a little counter space. By pressing a single button, you can activate the machine. Pressing it again will begin dispensing the pod you've selected. The button is illuminated 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 amounts.

There's no steam wand included on this model, but you can make use of an optional milk frother (available separately) to add some creamy froth if you like. The machine is quite quiet as well and can be used in a small workspace or in a kitchen with flatshare without disturbing others.

The pods aren't expensive, but they are available in a range of blends that can be used by all - from the lightest espresso drinker to the most demanding. 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 sleek capsule with an integrated milk warmer. It comes in a box with a 75cm power cord and plug, a quick-guide and warranty sheet and a tester box containing nine Lavazza pods: six roasted (two Qualita Rossa, two Lungo Dolce and two Delizioso) and two decaffeinated (Dek Cremoso). The machine itself is small enough to be stored on a flat surface or slipped under your cabinet.

3. Breville BES870XL

The Breville Barista Express appears to be a high-priced espresso machine. If you're willing to learn how to use it this is a great at-home coffee machines espresso maker. It's more efficient than many of the more expensive models. It's among the best priced in its class, and it's particularly suitable for beginners who don't have an espresso machine yet. This could easily cost them $100 or more.

This model is priced below the top-of-the-line Breville Oracle (the most expensive at $2199), but is still an excellent option for baristas who are on a tight budget. It delivers plenty of tweakable features, and it even has a built-in burr grinder to make the entire experience more affordable. It's also a single boiler machine, which means it can only be used for brewing or steaming at one time.

Despite being a relatively newcomer to the espresso machine market, Breville has quickly made a name for themselves with their high-quality appliances. This machine is no different and offers enough adjustability to allow aspiring baristas to develop their skills without spending hundreds of dollars more than they should.

The unit does not come without its flaws. The hopper is situated on the side, not on the top of the model. It's not a major problem, but it could be a hassle if you need to give several shots at once. It's also difficult to know the amount of water left in the tank because of its rear position.

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 anyone who is a coffee lover at home. The only downside to the Breville Barista Express is the price which could be a deterrent for certain buyers. If you're looking for an affordable alternative, we recommend the Gaggia Classic and the La Pavoni Impresso. Both are similarly capable and offer a bit more control than the Barista Express, but they'll cost less than the Breville model does.

4. OXO Brew 9 Cup

A high-tech smart coffee machine with a user-friendly interface that makes great coffee. Its sleek stainless steel design and backlit LED display add a sophisticated design to your kitchen. It comes with a single dial that allows you to set the number of cups. There are two settings: 5-9 cups and 2-4 cups. The brewing process is similar to pour-over, which most coffee aficionados believe produces the most flavorful coffee. The water is heated up to the perfect temperature and then poured evenly over the coffee grounds using shower heads. The coffee brewed is then stored in the thermal, double-walled carafe for up to 60 minutes. The pause-and-pour function lets you to remove the carafe during making your coffee and filling it with the right amount. The machine stops brewing and displays a red carafe light on its LED interface until you return it. It after which it resumes brewing and is finished.

The OXO 9-Cup coffee maker comes SCAA certified, which means that it complies with the strict standards in terms of technology. The brew cycles it uses are the same as the Bodum Bistro and the Technivorm Moccamaster 741 but it lets you control the temperature and brewing times.

In our tests we found that the OXO Brew 9-Cup brewed a pot of excellent drip coffee machines coffee with a full-carafe of coffee machine office in 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 of time that coffee experts recommend for a good cup of drip.

It also requires that you 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 various grind settings as well as a hopper that holds whole beans.

The only drawback is that the carafe and water reservoir aren't dishwasher-safe this could be a issue for some users. The stainless steel is easy to clean by hand, but. The OXO Brew 9-Cup's sleek aesthetic and user-friendly interface make it one of the top contenders among best drip coffee makers.