The Best coffee machines for home [read the article]

There is no single-size-fits all coffee machine. We've rounded up our favorite picks for your home, from a fully automated that grinds and packs your beans, to semi-automatics that give you the best control over your espresso.

The Breville Oracle Touch achieves the perfect balance between automation and the need to be able to master the art of espresso-making. It's the best bean-to cup machine we've come across.

1. Rocket Appartamento

Rocket Appartamento is a top choice for those looking to make espresso at home without making big sacrifices in terms of quality. This espresso machine with a small footprint was designed for those with limited counter space. It has a great build quality with a compact footprint. It comes with a 1.8-liter copper heat exchange boiler as well as a commercial E61 group heads so that you can steam milk while making espresso at the same time.

The machine also looks great and features a round design on the side panel with engraved steam and hot water spouts. This is an upgrade to Rocket's traditional design, which is already impressive for a compact appliance. It also comes with a black pressure gauge that indicates when the boiler is ready for use.

One drawback of this compact machine is that the drip tray and water reservoir are smaller than the majority of machines. It is important be cautious when emptying and re-filling the machine. This is especially true when you are using it often. This is a normal trade-off for a smaller footprint, though, and not an issue particular to this model.

You can still brew plenty of coffee using this machine, and it can easily keep up with the demands. That being said, we would recommend investing in a good grinder, such as the Baratza Sette Gigante for greater consistency and flavor. You can also pair this machine with an Rocket portafilter to improve the tamping process.

Rocket Appartamento, as a prosumer machine, can create delicious drinks and it is simple to make Latte arts. However, it's worth noting that the machine was not designed for novices and has a bit of a learning curve for those who are upgrading from appliances. The heat exchange boiler may be a bit tricky to manage and you'll have to master the ins and outs 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 capable of drinking cold and filter-filtered water. The latter comes with a 2.25-liter water tank that is more difficult to refill than its competitors.

2. Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie

This machine is built to Lavazza's high standards. It is quick to reach brewing temperature, allowing you to make your first cup of coffee in just 35 minutes. The water tank is also fast and easy to refill, with the lid detaching completely to reveal a large opening. You can fill it with tap water if that's what you prefer.

This is the smallest machine of the Lavazza A Modo Mio range however, it still is a powerful machine. It's priced at less than PS100 at full price which is less than the Nespresso Essenza or similar machines from SMEG or Desea. This makes the Jolie an ideal choice for those with a limited budget or space to buy a traditional espresso maker, but who are looking to enjoy the benefits of real Italian espresso.

The Jolie is extremely simple to use and takes up just a little counter space. It's as easy as pressing one button to turn on the machine and again to begin dispensing the chosen pod. There's a light on the button to ensure that you can easily see how much has been dispensed and you can choose to stop the process at any time should you prefer to drink your drink in smaller portions.

There's no steam wand on this model, but 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 work space.

Pods aren't cheap, but there is a variety of blends to suit everyone from the mildest to the most demanding espresso drinkers. They are readily available in many supermarkets, along with regular ground coffee and coffee beans and you can also purchase 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 a 75cm power cord and plug, a quick-guide and warranty sheet, and a test box of 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 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 out of the budget of most average consumers. If you're willing to learn to use it and make it work, then this is a great at-home espresso maker. It performs better than most of the more expensive models. It's the best value in its class, and it's especially good for novices who don't have an espresso machine yet--which can easily cost them another $100 or more.

This model sits right below the top of the range for Breville (their Oracle is the most expensive at $2,199), but it's still an excellent choice for baristas at home on a budget. It delivers plenty of tweakable features, and it even comes with a built-in burr grinder, making the whole experience much cheaper. It's also a single boiler machine, which means it can only do steaming or brewing at one time.

Despite being a relative newcomer to the market for espresso machines, Breville has quickly made a name for themselves by offering top-quality equipment. This machine is no different and has enough control to let budding baristas develop their abilities without spending more than necessary.

The unit does not come without its quirks. For one, the hopper on this model is placed on the side of the unit instead of on top. This isn't a huge deal, but it can be annoying if you're trying disperse multiple shots at a time. It's also not very easy to see how much water is left in the tank due to its rear placement.

If you're willing to put in some time to learn how to make use of the Breville Barista Express then it's an excellent option for any espresso lover at home. The only downside is the price, which could be a turnoff for some buyers. If you're looking for an affordable alternative, we suggest the Gaggia Classic and the La Pavoni Impresso. Both are similarly capable and provide a bit more control than the Barista Express, but they'll cost less than the Breville model can do.

4. OXO Brew 9 Cup

A high-tech smart coffee maker with a user-friendly interface that makes great coffee. Its sleek stainless steel design and backlit LED display add a stylish look to your kitchen. It features only one dial to program the amount of cups you want it to make. It also comes with the 2-4 cup setting and a 5-9 cup setting. The brewing method is similar to pour-over, which most coffee enthusiasts believe is the best tasting coffee maker price. The water is heated up to the ideal temperature, and then poured evenly over the coffee grounds using shower heads. The coffee brewed is then stored in the thermal, double-walled carafe, which can last up to 60 minutes. The pause-and-pour feature allows you to take the carafe out while brewing and then fill your cup. The machine stops brewing and shows a red light for the carafe on its LED interface until you return it. It then it resumes and completes brewing.

The OXO Brew 9-Cup is a SCAA-certified coffee maker, that means it is in compliance with the rigorous standards of SCAA's technology. Its brew time is approximately longer than the Bodum BISTRO and Technivorm Moccamaster KBT 741, however, it has greater control over temperature, brewing duration and quality.

In our tests, the OXO Brew 9-Cup made a pot of excellent drip coffee that was served in a full-carafe in just 7 minutes and 41 seconds. This is a little more than the 6 minutes that the Bonavita Connoisseur or the Moccamaster requires, but still within the range that coffee experts recommend to make a good cup.

It is also necessary to grind your own beans prior to making. You can use an old-fashioned coffee grinder or go for a more automated model such as the Baratza Encore, which has various grind settings as well as the hopper can hold entire beans.

The only drawback to this product is that it's not dishwasher safe. This could be a problem for some customers. The stainless steel is still easy to clean by hand, though. The OXO 9-Cup is a leading contender for the top drip coffee maker due to its sleek design and easy to use interface.