The Best Coffee Machines For Home

There is no one-size-fits-all coffee machine. We've put together our top picks, starting with a superautomatic that grinds your beans and packs them into 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 most efficient bean-to-cup machine we've found.

1. Rocket Appartamento

Rocket Appartamento is a top choice for those looking to make espresso at home without making significant sacrifices in terms of quality. This espresso machine with a small footprint was created for those with limited counter space. It has a great build quality and a small footprint. It is equipped with a 1.8 liter copper heat-exchange boiler and commercial E61 Group Heads so that you can steam your milk and brew coffee at same simultaneously.

The machine also looks great and has a round design on the side panel with engraved steam and hot water spouts. This is a modernization of Rocket's traditional design, which is already impressive for a small appliance. It also comes with a black pressure gauge that will let you know when the boiler is ready for use.

The drip tray and the water reservoir tray are smaller on this model than others. You will need be extra cautious when emptying and refilling the machine. This is especially true in the event that you frequently use it. This is a natural trade-off to have a smaller footprint, though this is not a problem that is unique to this model.

You can still brew a lot of coffee using this machine, and it is able to easily meet your demands. We would recommend investing in a good grinder, like the Baratza Sette Gigante for greater consistency and flavor. You can also pair the machine with a Rocket Portafilter to increase the tamping.

As a prosumer espresso machine, the Rocket Appartamento is capable of making delicious drinks, and it's simple to create Latte art. However, it's important to remember that the machine was not designed for novices and has 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 as well as the Rocket Appartamento have the option to connect to an water source, which allows you to be able to drink cold and filtered water. The latter, however, has a 2.25-liter water tank that is more difficult to refill than some of its competitors.

2. Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie

As you would expect from a Lavazza machine this one has been made with quality in mind. The machine can reach the temperature for brewing quickly, which coffee machine is best means you can make your first cup in less than 35 second. The water tank is also quick and easy to fill and the lid can be removed completely to create a large opening. You can fill it up with tap water if that's what you prefer.

The Lavazza A Modo Mio is the smallest model in the range, but it packs a punch. It costs 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 are looking to enjoy the benefits of authentic Italian espresso.

The Jolie is simple to use and takes up little counter space. Pressing a single button will start the machine. Pressing it again will begin dispensing the pod you've selected. There's a backlight that's on the button to ensure that you are able to see clearly the amount of dispensed and you can also stop the process at any time if you prefer to drink your drink 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'd like. The machine is also quiet and can be used to make coffee in a small kitchen or work space.

Pods aren't expensive, but there's a wide variety of blends to choose from to suit everyone from the mildest to the most demanding espresso drinkers. They are readily available in many supermarkets along with regular coffee beans and ground coffee and you can also purchase Lavazza A Modo Mio compatible pods on the internet.

The Jolie and milk is a sleek capsule machine that comes with an integrated milk warmer. It comes with a 75cm plug and power cable, a warranty sheet along with a quick guide and a test 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 cabinet or on flat surfaces.

3. Breville BES870XL

The Breville Barista Express appears to be an expensive espresso machine. If you're willing and able to master it and make it work, then 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 it's especially suitable for those who don't have an espresso machine yet--which can easily cost them $100 or more.

This model sits right in the middle of the line for Breville (their Oracle is the most expensive model at $2,199) However, it's an excellent choice for baristas at home who are on a tight budget. It delivers plenty of tweakable features, and it even includes an integrated burr grinder that makes the entire experience less expensive. It's also a single boiler, which means it can only be used for steaming or brewing at the same time.

Breville, an incredibly newcomer to the market for espresso machines, has rapidly gained a reputation as a top-quality appliances. This machine is no different and offers enough adjustable control to let baristas who are aspiring develop their skills without spending hundreds of dollars more than they should.

There are some quirks however. The hopper is on the side, not on the top, of this model. It's not a huge problem, but it could be a hassle if you need to disperse multiple shots at once. It's also difficult to see how much water is left in the tank because of its position at the rear.

If you're willing 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 issue is the price, which could be a turnoff for certain buyers. If you're seeking a cheaper alternative, take a look at our review of the Gaggia Classic or the La Pavoni Impresso. Both are similarly capable and offer a bit more control than the Barista Express, but they'll cost you only a fraction of the price. Breville model does.

4. OXO Brew 9 Cup

A high-tech, intelligent coffee maker that makes excellent coffee with a simple interface. Its sleek stainless steel design and backlit LED display add a sophisticated design to your kitchen. It has a single dial that allows you to program the amount of cups. There are two settings: 5-9 cups and 2-4 cups. Its brewing technique is similar to pour over, which most coffee enthusiasts believe makes the best tasting coffee. The water is heated to the ideal temperature and then poured over grounds using a showerhead to ensure uniform saturation. The coffee that is brewed is stored in the double-walled thermal carafe and can be stored for up to 60 minutes. The pause-and pour feature lets you remove the carafe while brewing and then fill your cup. The machine stops the brewing process and displays the red light on its LED interface until you return the carafe. The machine then begins brewing.

The OXO 9-Cup coffee maker comes SCAA certified, which means it complies with the strict standards for technical quality. The brew cycles it uses are the same as those of the Bodum Bistro and the Technivorm Moccamaster 741 but it allows for more control over temperature and brewing time.

In our tests, the OXO Brew 9 Cup produced an excellent pot of drip coffee that filled a carafe full in just 7 minutes and 41 seconds. It's slightly longer than the 6 minutes or less the Bonavita Connoisseur and the Moccamaster require, but it falls within the range experts in the field suggest for a decent cup of drip.

It also requires that you grind your own beans before brewing. You can use 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 downside is that the carafe as well as the water reservoir aren't dishwasher-safe this could be a problem for some users. The stainless steel is still easy to clean by hand, however. The OXO Brew 9-Cup's sleek aesthetic and user-friendly interface make it an undisputed contender among the top drip coffee makers.