The Best Coffee Machines For Home
There's no universally-fit-all coffee machine. We've put together our top picks, starting with an automatic 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 automating the process and making you familiar with the art of espresso-making. It's our top pick for a machine that makes coffee.
1. Rocket Appartamento
Rocket Appartamento makes a great choice for those looking to make espresso at home without losing quality. This espresso machine for the prosumer is designed with limited counter space in mind. It is built to last with a high-end build quality and the smallest footprint. It comes with a 1.8-liter copper heat exchange boiler and commercial E61 group heads so that you can steam milk and brew espresso simultaneously.
The machine looks great as well and features an elongated side panel with engravings of steam and hot water spouts. This is a new take on the classic look of Rocket that is already impressive for a small machine. It also comes with the black gauge of pressure in the boiler to indicate when the boiler is ready to use.
The water reservoir and drip tray are smaller on this model than others. You will need be extra cautious when emptying and re-filling the machine. This is particularly true if you use it frequently. This is a natural tradeoff for a smaller footprint, though, and not an issue that is unique to this model.
This machine can easily handle your coffee needs. We would suggest investing in a quality grinder, like the Baratza Sette Gigante, for greater consistency and flavor. You can also use this machine in conjunction with a Rocket portafilter to help improve the grinding process.
Rocket Appartamento, as a prosumer machine, makes some great drinks and it is easy to create Latte arts. It's important to know that this machine is not intended for novices. There is a slight learning curve for people who are upgrading from espresso machines that are appliance-grade. The heat exchanger can be tricky to handle, and you'll need to learn how to do cooling flushes.
Both the Lelit Bianca and the Rocket Appartamento allow connecting to a water supply, that means you will always have clean, cold filtered water on hand for your drinks. The latter model has a smaller 2.25-liter tank that is difficult to refill.
2. Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie
As you would expect from the Lavazza machine this one has been made with quality in mind. The machine is able to reach the brewing temperature quickly, so you can prepare your first cup in just 35 second. The tank is able to be filled, as the lid can be removed to make an enormous hole. You can even fill it up 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'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 ideal choice for those without the budget or space for an espresso maker, but who are looking to enjoy the benefits of authentic Italian espresso.
The Jolie is easy to use and occupies very small counter space. You only need to press one button to turn on the machine and again to start dispensing your chosen brew. The button has a backlight so you can see the amount you've consumed. You can also manually stop the process, if you want to drink the pod in smaller portions.
There's no steam wand available on this model, but you can add a milk frother (available separately) to add some creamy froth if you like. The machine is quite quiet also and can be utilized in a small area or in a kitchen with flatshare without disturbing anyone else.
They're not expensive, but there's an array of blends to choose from to satisfy everyone from mildest to the most demanding espresso drinkers. They are available in the majority of supermarkets, along with regular coffee beans best coffee machines and grounds coffee. You can also purchase Lavazza A Modo Mio Compatible pods on the internet.
The Jolie and milk is a sleek capsule machine that has an integrated milk warmer. It comes with a 75cm power plug and power cable, a warranty document and a quick reference, and a tester pack of nine Lavazza pods. Six are roasted (two Qualita Rossa and two Lungo Dolce) and two are decaffeinated. The machine is small enough to be placed under a cupboard or a flat surface.
3. Breville BES870XL
At first glance at first, the Breville Barista Express looks like an espresso machine that is beyond the budget of a majority of consumers. If you're willing to learn how to use it this is a great at-home espresso maker. It performs better than many of the more expensive models. It's the best value in its class, and it's especially suitable for those who don't have an espresso grinder yet, which could cost them another $100 or more.
The model is just in the middle of the line for Breville (their Oracle is the most expensive at $2,199) however, it's an excellent choice for home baristas on a budget. It's loaded with customizable features and even an integrated burr mill, which makes it more affordable. It's also a single boiler machine, meaning it can only perform one task at a time.
Despite being a relative newcomer to the market for espresso machines, Breville has quickly made their mark with their high-quality appliances. This machine isn't an exception and has enough control that it can be adjusted to allow aspiring baristas to burnish their skills without spending hundreds of dollars more than they should.
It's not without its flaws however. One example is that the hopper on this model is positioned on the side of the unit, instead of being on top. This isn't really significant, but it can be a little annoying if you're trying give multiple shots at once. The rear position of the tank makes it difficult to determine how much liquid remains.
If you're willing to invest time learning to use the Breville Barista Express then it's an excellent option for anyone who loves espresso at home. The only issue with the Breville Barista Express is its cost, which may be a deterrent for some buyers. If you're looking for a low-cost alternative, we suggest 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 you less than the Breville model can do.
4. OXO Brew 9 Cup
A high-tech smart coffee maker with a user-friendly interface that produces great coffee. The sleek stainless steel design with backlit LED screens provides your kitchen with a stylish appearance. It features a single dial to program the number of cups you would like it to make. It also comes with the 2-4 cup setting and a 5-9 cup setting. Its brewing technique is similar to pour-over that many coffee enthusiasts believe makes the most delicious coffee. The water is heated to the ideal temperature before being poured over the grounds using a showerhead to ensure uniform saturation. The coffee is stored 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 in brewing and fill your individual cup. The machine pauses the brewing process and displays a red carafe light on its LED interface until you return it. then resumes and finishes brewing.
The OXO Brew 9-Cup coffee maker is a SCAA-certified coffee maker, which means it meets the organization's rigorous technical standards. The brew cycles it uses are the same as the Bodum Bistro and Technivorm Moccamaster 741 but it gives you 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 that filled a carafe full 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 time range that coffee experts recommend for making a quality cup.
It also requires you to grind your own beans before brewing. You can use a manual coffee grinder or opt for a more automatic model such as the Baratza Encore, which has different grind settings and the hopper can hold entire beans.
The only issue is that the carafe and water reservoir aren't dishwasher safe and could cause issue for some users. The stainless steel can be cleaned by hand. The OXO 9-Cup is a top contender for the best drip coffee maker because of its sleek design and simple to use interface.