The Best Coffee Machines For Home
There's no one-size-fits-all coffee machine. We've rounded up our top picks for the home, 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 strikes a perfect balance between automating the process and needing you to be knowledgeable about the art of espresso-making. It's the most efficient bean-to-cup machine we've seen.
1. Rocket Appartamento
Rocket Appartamento is a fantastic choice for those who want to make espresso at their home without losing quality. This prosumer espresso machine is designed with limited counter space in mind. It offers top-quality build 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 your coffee at the same time.
The machine is also beautiful and has a round design on the side panel with engraved 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 indicate when the boiler is ready to use.
The drip tray and the water reservoir tray are smaller on this model than others. This means that you will have to be vigilant about emptying and refilling the machine, especially when you are using it regularly. This is a natural trade-off to have a smaller footprint, though, and not an issue particular to this model.
This machine can easily handle your coffee demands. That being said, we would suggest investing in a quality grinder, such as the Baratza Sette Gigante, to ensure consistency and better flavor. You can also pair this machine with an Rocket portafilter to enhance the process of tamping.
As a professional espresso machine, the Rocket Appartamento is capable of making great drinks, and it's simple to make latte art. It's important to know that this machine isn't intended for novices. There is a small learning curve for those who upgrade from espresso machines that are appliance-grade. The heat exchange boiler may be a bit difficult to operate and you'll have to master the basics of cooling flushes.
Both the Lelit Bianca and the Rocket Appartamento provide the option of connecting to a water source, which allows you to always have fresh, cold filtered water on hand for your drinks. The latter comes with a smaller 2.25-liter tank that is harder to refill.
2. Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie
This machine is built to Lavazza's high standards. The machine is able to reach the temperature for brewing quickly, which means you can prepare your first cup in just 35 second. The tank can be easily refilled, as the lid can be removed to create a large hole. You can fill it up using tap water, should you wish.
The Lavazza A Modo Mio is the smallest model in the series, yet it packs a punch. It's priced less than PS100 at the full price and is much less expensive than the Nespresso Essenza or similar machines from SMEG or Desea. The Jolie is a great choice for those who do not have the space or money for an espresso machine of the traditional type, but still want to experience an authentic Italian espresso.
The Jolie is incredibly simple to use and takes up very little counter space. You only need to press one button to start the machine, then again to start dispensing the chosen pod. There's a backlight on the button, so you are able to see clearly the amount of dispensed and you can also manually stop the process should you prefer to drink the pod in smaller amounts.
The model isn't equipped with a steam wand, however, you can add creamy froth to your milk using an optional milk frother. The machine is quiet, too, and can be used in a small workspace or in a kitchen with flatshare without causing any disturbance to anyone else.
They aren't cheap, but there is an array of blends to choose from to satisfy everyone from mildest to the coffee machine most demanding espresso drinkers. They are readily available in many supermarkets alongside regular coffee beans and ground coffee and you can also buy Lavazza A Modo Mio compatible pods online.
The Jolie and milk is a sleek capsule machine that comes with an integrated milk warmer. It comes in a box with a 75cm power cord and plug, a quick-guide and warranty sheet, and a test box that contains nine Lavazza pods that include six roasted (two Qualita Rossa, two Lungo Dolce and two Delizioso) and two decaffeinated (Dek Cremoso). The machine is small enough to be placed under a cupboard or on a flat surface.
3. Breville BES870XL
At first glance at first, the Breville Barista Express looks like an espresso machine that is not within the budget of most average consumers. If you're willing to put in the work to learn how to use it this is a fantastic espresso maker for your home that is more efficient than some of the more expensive models on the market. It's among the best priced in its class, and it's particularly suitable for beginners who don't have an espresso machine yet, which could set them back another $100 or more.
This model is priced less than the top-of-the-line Breville Oracle (the most expensive at $2199) However, it's a good choice for baristas working on a budget. It comes with plenty of adjustable features, and comes with a built-in burr grinder that makes the entire experience cheaper. It's also a single boiler that means that it can only do steaming or brewing at one time.
Breville is an incredibly newcomer to the market for espresso machines, has quickly earned a reputation for its high-quality appliances. This machine isn't an exception and has enough control that it can be adjusted to let baristas who are aspiring burnish their abilities without spending hundreds of dollars more than they need to.
There are some quirks, though. The hopper is located on the side, not the top, of this model. It's not a huge deal, but can be frustrating if you want to give several shots at a time. It's also not very easy to determine how much water is left in the tank because of its rear position.
If you're willing to invest some time in learning how to make use of the Breville Barista Express then it's an excellent option for anyone who loves espresso at home. The only downside to the Breville Barista Express is the price which could be a hindrance for certain buyers. If you're looking for a budget alternative, we recommend the Gaggia Classic and the La Pavoni Impresso. Both machines have similar capabilities and offer a little more control than the Barista Express. However, they cost less than the cost.
4. OXO Brew 9-Cup
A high-tech, smart coffee maker that produces great coffee with a simple user interface. Its sleek stainless steel design and backlit LED display add an elegant appearance to your kitchen. It comes with only one dial to program the number of cups you would like it to make. It also comes with a 2-4 cup setting 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 and then poured over grounds with a shower-head for uniform saturation. The brewed coffee is then stored in the double-walled thermal carafe that can be kept for up to 60 min. The pause-and-pour function lets you to remove the carafe during brewing and then fill your cup. The machine pauses brewing and displays a red carafe light on its LED interface until you return it. It then it resumes and completes brewing.
The OXO 9-Cup coffee maker comes SCAA certified, which means it meets the strict technical standards. Its brew time is approximately as long as those of the Bodum BISTRO and the Technivorm Moccamaster KBT 741, however, it has more control over temperature, brewing time and quality.
In our tests in our tests, the OXO Brew 9 Cup produced an excellent cup of drip coffee, with a carafe full in just 7 minutes 41 seconds. This is slightly more than the 6 minutes that the Bonavita Connoisseur or the Moccamaster requires, but still within the time range that coffee experts suggest to make a great cup.
It also requires you to grind your own beans prior to brewing. You can select a manual grinder or an automated model, such as the Baratza Encore. It has various grind settings, as well as an hopper for beans that are whole.
The only issue is that the carafe as well as the water reservoirs aren't dishwasher safe, which could be a problem for some users. The stainless steel can be cleaned by hand. The OXO 9-Cup is an excellent contender for the top drip coffee maker due to its sleek design and easy to use interface.