The Best Coffee Machines For Home
There's no one-size-fits-all espresso machine. We've rounded up our top picks for the home, from a fully automated that grinds and packs your beans, to a semiautomatic that gives you the best control over your espresso.
The Breville Oracle Touch strikes a perfect balance between automatizing the process while requiring you to be knowledgeable about the art of espresso-making. It's the best bean-to-cup machine we've found.
- Rocket Appartamento
Rocket Appartamento is a top choice for those who wish to make espresso at home without having to make huge sacrifices in terms quality. This small-footprint espresso machine was designed for those with small counter space. It combines excellent build quality with a compact footprint. It comes equipped with an 1.8-liter copper heat exchange boiler and commercial E61 group head, so you can steam milk and make espresso simultaneously.
The machine is also beautiful and features a round insert on the side panel with the steam engraved and hot water spouts. This is an upgrade to Rocket's traditional design, which is already impressive for a small appliance. It also includes a black pressure gauge that shows when the boiler is ready to use.
The drip tray and the water reservoir tray are smaller on this model than other models. This means you'll have to be vigilant about emptying and refilling the machine, particularly when you are using it regularly. This is a trade-off that comes with having a smaller footprint. This isn't something that is unique to this model.
This machine can easily handle your coffee needs. We suggest purchasing a high-quality grinder, like the Baratza Sette Giante to improve consistency and flavor. You can also pair this machine with an Rocket portafilter to enhance the process of tamping.
As a prosumer espresso machine, the Rocket Appartamento is capable of making great drinks, and is easy to create the latte art. It is important to remember that this machine isn't designed for novices. There is a little learning curve for those who upgrade from appliances-grade espresso machines. The heat exchanger can be 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 in a position to drink cold and filtered water. The latter, however, has a 2.25-liter water tank that could be more difficult to fill than its competitors.
- Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie
As you might expect from a Lavazza machine, this one is made with quality in mind. It is quick to reach brewing temperature, allowing you to make your first cup of coffee machines for offices in just 35 seconds. The water tank is also quick and easy to fill and the lid can be removed completely to create a large opening. It can be filled with tap water, should you wish.
This is the smallest machine in the Lavazza A Modo Mio range and yet it is a powerful machine. It costs less than PS100 at the 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 with a limited budget or space for a traditional espresso maker, but who are looking to enjoy the benefits of real Italian espresso.
The Jolie is extremely simple to use and occupies very little counter space. By pressing a single button, you can start the machine. When you press it again, it will begin dispensing the specific pod you've chosen. There's a light on the button so that you are able to see clearly the amount of dispensed and you can also manually stop the process in case you prefer drinking your drink in smaller portions.
This model doesn't come with a steam wand however, you can add creamy froth to your milk using an optional milk frother. It's also quiet and can be used to make coffee in a small kitchen or work space.
The pods aren't inexpensive, but they come in a variety of blends that can be used by anyone from the mildest espresso drinker to the most demanding. You can find them in the majority of supermarkets, along with regular coffee beans and grounds coffee. You can also buy Lavazza A Modo Mio Compatible pods online.
The Jolie and milk is a sleek capsule that comes with an integrated milk warmer. It comes with a 75cm power cable and plug, a quick-guide and warranty card, as well as a test box that contains nine Lavazza pods which include six roasted (two Qualita Rossa, two Lungo Dolce and two Delizioso) and two decaffeinated (Dek Cremoso). The machine is compact enough to fit under a cabinet or on a flat surface.
- Breville BES870XL
At first glance, the Breville Barista Express looks like an espresso maker that's beyond the budget of many average consumers. If you're willing to invest the time to master its use, this is an excellent espresso maker for home use that is more efficient than some of the more expensive models available. It's among the best priced in its class, and is particularly suitable for beginners who don't have an espresso grinder yet. This could easily cost them $100 or more.
This model is priced less than the most expensive Breville Oracle (the most expensive at $2199) However, it's an excellent choice for baristas who are on a tight budget. It comes with plenty of adjustable features, and has a built-in burr grinder that makes the whole experience much more affordable. It's also a single boiler machine, meaning it can only perform one task at a time.
Although it is a relatively newcomer to the espresso machine market, Breville has quickly made an impact through their top-quality machines. This machine is no different and offers enough adjustable control to let baristas who are aspiring improve their abilities without spending hundreds of dollars more than they should.
The unit has its flaws. The hopper is located on the side, not the top, of this model. It's not a huge issue, but it can be a hassle if you need to disperse several shots at once. It's also difficult to determine the amount of water left in the tank, due to its rear placement.
If you're willing to put in time learning to use the Breville Barista Express then it's an excellent option for any espresso lover at home. The only downside is the price, which can be a turnoff for certain buyers. If you're looking for a low-cost option, we recommend the Gaggia Classic and the La Pavoni Impresso. Both are equally capable and provide a bit more control than the Barista Express, but they'll cost only a fraction of the price. Breville model does.
- OXO Brew 9 Cup
A high-tech smart coffee maker that produces great coffee with a simple interface. Its sleek stainless steel design and backlit LED display add an elegant look to your kitchen. It has one dial that lets you to program the amount of cups. There are two options: 5-9 cups and 2-4 cups. Its brewing method is similar to pour-over brewing, which coffee lovers believe makes the most flavorful coffee. The water is heated to the perfect temperature and then evenly poured over the coffee grounds using a shower head. The coffee that is brewed is collected in the double-walled thermal carafe and can be stored for up to 60 min. The pause-and-pour function lets you remove the carafe while brewing and fill your cup. The machine pauses brewing and shows a red light for the carafe on its LED interface until you return it. then resumes and finishes brewing.
The OXO 9-Cup coffee maker is SCAA certified, meaning it meets the strict technical standards. Its brew cycle is about longer than the Bodum BISTRO and the Technivorm Moccamaster KBT 741, but it provides greater control over temperature, brewing time, and quality.
In our tests, the OXO Brew 9 Cup produced an excellent cup of drip coffee with the carafe filled in 7 minutes 41 seconds. This is a bit longer than the 6 minutes or less that the Bonavita Connoisseur and the Moccamaster require, but still within the range that coffee experts suggest for a decent cup of drip.
It also requires that you grind your own beans before making. You can select a manual grinder or an automated model such as the Baratza Encore. It has different grind settings and it has a hopper that can be used for whole beans.
The only downside is that the carafe and the water reservoirs aren't dishwasher safe and could cause issue 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 one of the top contenders among top drip coffee makers.