The Best Coffee Machines For Home
There's no universally-fit-all coffee machine. We've rounded up our favorite picks for your home, ranging from a super-automatic that grinds and packs your beans to semi-automatics that give you the best control over your espresso.
The Breville Oracle Touch is the perfect blend between automation and needing to know the ropes of espresso-making. This is our top choice for a bean-to-cup machine.
1. Rocket Appartamento
Rocket Appartamento is a fantastic choice for those looking to make espresso at home without sacrificing quality. This espresso machine for the prosumer is designed with the smallest counter space in mind. It is built to last with a high-end build quality and a very small footprint. It is equipped with a 1.8 milliliter copper heat exchange boiler and commercial E61 Group Head, so you can steam your milk and brew coffee at the same time.
The machine also looks great and has a circular design on the side panel with engravings of steam and hot water spouts. This is an update to Rocket's original design, which is already impressive for a compact appliance. It also includes a black boiler pressure gauge to show when the boiler is ready for use.
One disadvantage of this tiny machine is that the drip tray and the water reservoir are smaller than the majority of machines. 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 cost that is a result of having less footprint. It's not something that is unique to this model.
This machine is able to handle your coffee needs. We would recommend investing in a quality grinder, such as the Baratza Sette Gigante, for increased consistency and flavor. You can also pair the machine with a Rocket Portafilter to improve the tamping.
As a prosumer espresso machine, the Rocket Appartamento is capable of making great drinks, and is easy to make the latte art. It's important to note that this machine was not designed 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 master the art of cooling flushes.
Both the Lelit Bianca and the Rocket Appartamento provide the option of connecting to a water supply which means you'll always have fresh, cold filtering water available for your drinks. 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
This machine is built to Lavazza's high standards. It is quick to reach the brewing temperature, allowing you to make your first cup of coffee in less than 35 seconds. The water tank can be filled easily by removing the lid. be removed to make a large hole. You can also fill it with tap water if you want.
This is the smallest machine in the Lavazza A Modo Mio range however, it still packs a punch. At its full cost, it's less than 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 are looking to enjoy the benefits of authentic Italian espresso.
The Jolie is easy to use and takes up small counter space. Pressing one button will activate the machine. After pressing it again, it will start dispensing the specific pod you've chosen. There's a backlight that's on the button, so you are able to see clearly the amount of dispensed and you can choose to stop the process at any time should you prefer to drink the pod in smaller amounts.
There's no steam wand included on this model, however you can add a milk frother (available separately) to add some creamy froth if you like. It's also quiet and can be used to make coffee in a small kitchen or working space.
They aren't expensive, but there's a variety of blends available to suit everyone from the mildest to the most demanding espresso drinkers. They are available in most supermarkets, along with regular coffee beans and ground coffee and you can also buy Lavazza A Modo Mio compatible pods on the internet.
The Jolie and Milk is a sleek capsule machine that has an integrated milk warmer and frother. It comes in a box with an 75cm power cable, plug along with a quick-guide as well as a warranty sheet and a tester box containing nine Lavazza pods which include 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 glance, the Breville Barista Express looks like an espresso maker that's beyond the budget of a majority of consumers. If you're willing and able to learn how to use it, then this is a fantastic home espresso maker. It's more efficient than many of the more expensive models. It's a great value for the money and is particularly helpful for those who aren't experienced enough to have an espresso maker that can cost up to $100.
This model is priced less than the top-of-the-line Breville Oracle (the most expensive at $2199), but is still an excellent option for baristas on a budget. It comes with plenty of adjustable features, and comes with a built-in burr grinder that makes the whole experience much more affordable. It's also a single boiler machine that means it can only do steaming or brewing at one time.
Breville is an incredibly newcomer to the market for espresso machines, has quickly established a reputation for high-quality appliances. This machine is no exception, and it offers just enough adjustable control to let baristas who are aspiring burnish their abilities without spending hundreds of dollars more than they have to.
There are some quirks however. One example is that the hopper on this model is placed on the side of the unit instead of on top--which isn't an issue, but it can be a little frustrating if you're trying to dispense multiple shots at once. It's also difficult to know how much water remains in the tank due to its rear placement.
If you're willing some time in learning how to make use of the Breville Barista Express then it's an excellent appliance 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 an affordable alternative, we suggest the Gaggia Classic and the La Pavoni Impresso. Both are similarly capable and offer a little more control than the Barista Express, but they'll cost only a fraction of the price. Breville model can do.
4. OXO Brew 9-Cup
A high-tech, intelligent coffee maker that produces great coffee with a simple user interface. Its sleek stainless steel design and backlit LED screen add an elegant design to your kitchen. It comes with one dial that lets you to program the amount of cups. There are two settings: 5-9 cups and 2-4 cups. Its brewing method is similar to pour-over, which most coffee aficionados believe produces the best-tasting coffee. The water is heated to a perfect temperature and then poured over grounds using a showerhead to ensure uniform saturation. The coffee brewed is then stored in the thermal, double-walled carafe for up to 60 minutes. Its pause and pour feature lets you take out the carafe while brewing to fill your own cup. The machine stops the brewing process, and displays the red light on its LED interface, until you return the carafe. It then resumes the brewing process.
The OXO 9-Cup coffee maker comes SCAA certified, which means that it meets the organization’s strict standards for technical quality. Its brew cycles are about the same as those of the Bodum Bistro and get more info Technivorm Moccamaster 741 but it allows for more control over temperature and brewing time.
In our tests in our testing, the OXO Brew 9-Cup made an excellent drip coffee with a full cup in 7 minutes and 41 seconds. That's a little longer than the 6 minutes or less that the Bonavita Connoisseur and the Moccamaster require but well within the range that experts in the field recommend for a great cup of drip.
You should also grind your beans before brewing. You can use an old-fashioned coffee grinder or go for a more automated model like the Baratza Encore, which has multiple grind settings and a hopper that holds whole beans.
The only drawback is that the carafe and water reservoirs aren't dishwasher safe and could cause problem for certain users. The stainless steel is easy to clean by hand, however. The OXO Brew 9-Cup's sleek style and user-friendly interface make it a top contender among the top drip coffee makers.