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 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 needing you to be knowledgeable about the art of espresso-making. It's our top pick for a bean-to-cup machine.
1. Rocket Appartamento
Rocket Appartamento is a great option for those who want to make espresso at home without losing quality. This espresso machine for prosumers is designed with a limited counter space in mind and offers top-quality build 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 your coffee at the same at the same time.
The machine looks fantastic and has a circular panel on the side with the steam engraved and hot water spouts. This is an upgrade to Rocket's original design that is already impressive for a compact appliance. It also comes with an black gauge for boiler pressure to let you know when the boiler is ready to use.
One disadvantage of this tiny machine is that the drip tray and the water reservoir are smaller than those of other machines. You'll need to be careful when emptying and re-filling the machine. This is especially true if you use it frequently. This is a normal trade-off for having less footprint, however it is not a problem that is unique to this model.
This machine is able to handle your coffee needs. We suggest investing in a quality 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 enhance the tamping.
As a professional espresso machine The Rocket Appartamento is capable of making some great drinks, and is easy to make Latte art. It's important to know that this machine isn't designed for beginners. There is a slight learning curve for those who upgrade from appliances-grade espresso machines. The heat exchange boiler could be a bit difficult to control and you'll have to learn the basics of cooling flushes.
Both the Lelit Bianca and the Rocket Appartamento provide the option of connecting to a water source, that means you will always have cold, fresh water that has been filtered for your drinks. The latter, however, comes with a 2.25-liter water tank, which is more difficult to fill than its competitors.
2. Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie
This machine is built to Lavazza's highest standards. The machine can reach the temperature for brewing quickly, so you can make your first cup in just 35 second. The water tank is quick and simple to refill by removing the lid completely to make a wide opening. You can also fill it with tap water if that's what you prefer.
This is the smallest machine of the Lavazza A Modo Mio range and yet it is a powerful machine. It's priced less than PS100 at full price and is much less expensive 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 want to get their fix of real Italian espresso.
The Jolie is easy to use and takes up little counter space. By pressing coffee machines , you can activate the machine. When you press it again, it will start dispensing the specific pod you've chosen. There's a backlight on the button, so you are able to see clearly the amount of liquid that has been dispersed, and you can manually stop the process should you prefer to drink your pod in smaller doses.
This model doesn't come with a steam wand, but you can add some creamy froth to your milk using an optional milk frother. The machine is quiet also and can be used in a small space or in a flatshare kitchen without causing any disturbance to anyone else.
Pods aren't inexpensive, but there's a variety of blends to choose from to suit everyone from the mildest to the most demanding espresso drinkers. You can find them in many supermarkets, as well as regular grounds coffee and coffee beans. You can also buy Lavazza A Modo Mio Compatible pods on the internet.
The Jolie and Milk is a smart-looking capsule machine that includes a milk warmer and frother. It comes with a 75cm power plug and power cable, a warranty sheet and a quick reference, and a tester pack comprising nine Lavazza pods. Six are roasts (two Qualita Rossa and two Lungo Dolce) and two are decaffeinated. The machine itself is small enough to be stored on an even surface or placed under your cabinet.
3. Breville BES870XL
The Breville Barista Express appears to be a costly espresso machine. But if you're willing to put in the work to learn how to use it this is a fantastic do-it-all home espresso maker that is more efficient than some of the more expensive models available. It's among the best priced in its class, and it's particularly suitable for beginners who don't have an espresso grinder yet. This could easily cost them $100 or more.
The model is priced lower than the most expensive Breville Oracle (the most expensive at $2199) However, it's a good choice for baristas who are on a tight budget. It delivers plenty of tweakable features, and includes an integrated burr grinder, making the whole experience much less expensive. It's also a single boiler that means that it can only do steaming or brewing at the same time.
Breville, an incredibly newcomer to the market for espresso machines, has rapidly established a reputation for high-quality appliances. This machine is no exception and has enough adjustability to allow aspiring baristas to develop their abilities without spending hundreds of dollars more than they have to.
It's not without its quirks, though. The hopper is located on the side, not on the top of the model. It's not a big problem, but it could be a hassle if you need to dispense several shots at once. The rear-facing position of the tank makes it difficult to see how much liquid remains.
If you're willing to put in time learning to use the Breville Barista Express then it's an excellent option for any coffee lover at home. The only drawback to the Breville Barista Express is its price which could be a stumbling block for some buyers. If you're looking for a low-cost option, we recommend 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 you only a fraction of the price. 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 screen add a sophisticated look to your kitchen. It comes with one dial that allows you to program the number of cups. There are two settings: 2-4 cups and 5-9 cups. Its brewing method is similar to pour-over, which many coffee lovers believe makes the most flavorful coffee. The water is heated to the perfect temperature and then poured evenly over the coffee grounds with shower heads. The coffee is then brewed in the thermal, double-walled carafe, which can last up to 60 minutes. The pause-and-pour feature allows you remove the carafe while brewing and then fill your cup. The machine pauses the brewing process and shows a red light for the carafe on its LED interface until you return it, then resumes and finishes brewing.
The OXO Brew 9-Cup is certified by SCAA, which means it meets the rigorous standards of SCAA's technology. Its brew time is approximately longer than the Bodum BISTRO and Technivorm Moccamaster KBT 741, but it provides greater control over temperature, brewing duration and also quality.
In our tests in our testing, the OXO Brew 9-Cup made a pot of excellent drip coffee that was served in a full cup in 7 minutes and 41 seconds. This is slightly more than the 6 minutes that the Bonavita Connoisseur or the Moccamaster calls for, but it is within the range that experts in the field recommend for making a quality cup.
It also requires that you grind your own beans prior to brewing. You can opt for an manual grinder or an automated model like the Baratza Encore. It has various grind settings, as well as it has a hopper that can be used for whole beans.
The only issue is that the carafe and the water reservoir aren't dishwasher-safe this could be a problem for certain users. The stainless steel is easy to clean by hand, but. The OXO Brew 9-Cup's sleek aesthetic and easy-to-use interface make it an undisputed contender among the top drip coffee makers.