The Best Coffee Machines For Home

There's no universally-fit-all coffee machine. We've rounded up our top picks for the home, ranging from a super-automatic that grinds and packs your beans to a semiautomatic that gives you the most control over your espresso.

The Breville Oracle Touch strikes a perfect balance between automatizing the process while making you familiar with the art of making espresso. It's the best bean-to cup machine we've found.

1. Rocket Appartamento

Rocket Appartamento makes a great choice for those who are looking to make espresso at home without having to compromise on quality. This prosumer espresso machine 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 Head, so you can steam your milk and brew coffee at same simultaneously.

The machine looks fantastic and has a round design on the side panel with engravings of steam and hot water spouts. This is a refreshing update on Rocket's classic aesthetic, which is already pretty impressive for a compact machine. It also has the black pressure gauge, which shows when the boiler is ready for use.

The drip tray and the water reservoir tray are smaller on this model than others. It is important be extra cautious when emptying and re-filling the machine. This is especially true if you use it frequently. This is a sacrifice that results in less footprint. This isn't an issue that is specific to this model.

You can still brew a lot of coffee using this machine, and it can easily keep up with your demands. That being said, we would recommend purchasing a high-quality grinder, such as the Baratza Sette Giante, for greater consistency and flavor. You can also use this machine in conjunction with the Rocket portafilter to improve the process of tamping.

As a prosumer espresso machine The Rocket Appartamento is capable of making some great drinks, and it's simple to create the latte art. It is important to remember that this machine was not designed for novices. There is a small learning curve for those who upgrade from appliances-grade espresso machines. The heat exchange boiler could be a bit difficult to control, and you will have to master the basics of 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 pure, filter-filtered water. The latter has a 2.25-liter water tank, which is more difficult to refill than some of its competitors.

2. Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie

As you might expect from a Lavazza machine, this one is made with quality in mind. The machine is able to reach the temperature of brewing quickly, so you can prepare your first cup in less than 35 seconds. The water tank is also fast and easy to refill by removing the lid completely to make a wide opening. You can fill it up using tap water, if you like.

The Lavazza A Modo Mio is the smallest model in the range, but it packs a punch. When you buy it at full price, it's priced at PS100 - which is less than the Nespresso Essenza and similar machines from SMEG and Desea. This makes the Jolie an ideal choice for those who don't have the money or space for a traditional espresso maker, but who would like to experience the pleasure of authentic Italian espresso.

The Jolie is easy to use and takes up little counter space. Pressing one button will begin the process. After pressing it again, it will start dispensing the pod you have selected. The button is illuminated to let you know the amount you've consumed. You can also manually stop the process in case you wish to drink the pod in smaller amounts.

This model doesn't come with a steam wand, but you can add some creamy foam to your milk with an optional milk frother. The machine is also quiet and can be used to make coffee in a small kitchen or work space.

They're not expensive, but there's a variety of blends available that will satisfy everyone from the mildest to the most demanding espresso drinkers. They are sold in most supermarkets along with regular ground coffee and coffee beans and you can also buy Lavazza A Modo Mio compatible pods online.

The Jolie and Milk is a smart-looking capsule machine that includes a milk warmer and frother. It comes with a 75cm plug and power cable, a warranty sheet 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 fit under a cabinet or on a flat surface.

3. Breville BES870XL

At first glance at first glance, the Breville Barista Express looks like an espresso machine that's beyond the budget of a majority of consumers. If you're willing to master it and make it work, then this is a great home espresso maker. It's more efficient than most of the more expensive models. It's a great value for the money and is especially useful for those who aren't experienced enough to own an espresso machine, which can cost up to $100.

This model is priced below the top-of-the-line Breville Oracle (the most expensive at $2199) However, it's an excellent choice for baristas who are on a budget. It has a lot of customizable features and even an integrated burr mill to make it more affordable. It's also a single boiler machine, which means it can only do steaming or brewing at one time.

Breville is relatively new to the market for espresso machines, has swiftly established a reputation for high-quality appliances. This machine is no exception, and it has just enough control to let new baristas develop their skills without spending hundreds more than is necessary.

There are some quirks however. The hopper is on the side, not on the top of the model. It's not a major problem, but it could be a problem if you wish to dispense multiple shots at once. The rear-facing position of the tank makes it difficult to determine how much liquid remains.

If you're willing some time in learning how to use the Breville Barista Express then it's an excellent option for any coffee lover at home. The only downside to the Breville Barista Express is its cost, which may be a deterrent for some buyers. If you're looking for a lower-cost option, check out our review of the Gaggia Classic or the La Pavoni Impresso. Both are equally powerful 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, intelligent coffee machine that makes great coffee using a simple interface. Its sleek stainless steel design and backlit LED screen add a sophisticated appearance to your kitchen. It features one dial to set how many cups you want to make. It comes with two cup settings as well as a 5-9 cup setting. Its brewing technique is similar to pour-over brewing, which coffee aficionados believe produces the most flavorful coffee. The water is heated to the perfect temperature before being poured over the grounds using a showerhead to ensure uniform saturation. The brewed coffee is then stored in the double-walled thermal carafe, which can be stored for up to 60 minutes. The pause and pour feature lets you take out the carafe while brewing to fill your individual cup. The machine pauses brewing and shows a red light for the carafe on its LED interface until you return it, get more info after which it resumes brewing and is finished.

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

In our tests we found that the OXO Brew 9-Cup made a pot of excellent drip coffee that was served in a full-carafe of coffee in just 7 minutes and 41 seconds. This is a little more than the time that the Bonavita Connoisseur or the Moccamaster requires, but within the range of time that coffee experts suggest to make a great cup.

It also requires that you grind your own beans before brewing. You can select an manual grinder or a more automated model like the Baratza Encore. It has various grind settings, as well as a hopper for whole beans.

The only drawback to this product is that it's not dishwasher safe. This could pose a problem for some users. The stainless steel is easy to clean by hand, though. The OXO Brew 9-Cup's sleek aesthetic and easy-to-use interface make it a top contender among the best drip coffee makers.