The Best Coffee Machines For Home

There's no one-size-fits-all espresso machine. We've put together our top choices, ranging from a superautomatic that grinds your beans and packs them to semiautomatics that give you the most control over your espresso.

The Breville Oracle Touch strikes the perfect balance between automatizing 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 found.

1. Rocket Appartamento

Rocket Appartamento is a top pick for those looking to make espresso at home without making big sacrifices in terms of quality. This espresso machine for prosumers is designed with the smallest counter space in mind. It combines outstanding build quality with tiny footprint. It comes with a 1.8 milliliter copper heat exchange boiler and commercial E61 Group Heads so that you can steam your milk and brew coffee at same at the same time.

The machine is also beautiful and has a circular insert on the side panel with engraved steam and hot water spouts. This is a modernization of Rocket's traditional design that is already impressive for a compact appliance. It also comes with a black pressure gauge that shows when the boiler is ready to use.

One drawback of this compact machine is that the drip tray and water reservoir are smaller than the majority of machines. This means that you will have to be vigilant about emptying and refilling the machine, especially when you use it often. This is a natural trade-off to have a smaller footprint, though, and not an issue that is unique to this model.

You can still brew a lot of coffee machines industrial using this machine, and it can easily meet the demands. However, we would recommend purchasing a high-quality grinder, like the Baratza Sette Giante, for increased consistency and flavor. You can also pair this machine with a Rocket portafilter to help improve the grinding process.

As a prosumer espresso machine The Rocket Appartamento is capable of making some great drinks, and it's easy to make latte art. It's important to note that the machine isn't designed for beginners and there's a bit of a learning curve for those upgrading from appliance-grade machines. The heat exchanger can be difficult to operate and you'll need to learn how to perform cooling flushes.

Both the Lelit Bianca and the Rocket Appartamento allow connecting to a water supply that means you will always have fresh, cold filtered water on hand for your drinks. The latter has a 2.25-liter water tank that is more difficult to refill than some of its competitors.

2. Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie

As you would expect from the Lavazza machine this one was designed with quality in mind. It is quic frother. It includes a 75cm plug and power cable, a warranty sheet along with a quick guide and a test pack of nine Lavazza pods. Six are roasts (two Qualita Rossa and two Lungo Dolce) and two are decaffeinated. The machine is small enough to be able to be stowed on a flat surface or slipped under your cabinet.

3. Breville BES870XL

At first glance, the Breville Barista Express looks like an espresso machine that's not within the budget of a majority of consumers. If you're willing to learn to use it and make it work, then this is a great home espresso maker. It's more efficient than most of the more expensive models. It's a good price for the class and is especially useful for those who aren't experienced enough to have an espresso maker that can cost up to $100.

This model sits right in the middle of the range for Breville (their Oracle is the most expensive, costing $2,199) however, it's an excellent option for home baristas who are on a tight budget. It's loaded with customizable features and even an integrated burr mill to make it more affordable. It's also a one-boiler machine, which means it can only perform one task at one time.

Breville is relatively new to the market for espresso machines, has swiftly earned a reputation for its high-quality appliances. This machine is no different and offers enough adjustable control to allow aspiring baristas to burnish their skills without spending more than they should.

It's not without its flaws, though. One example is that the hopper on this model is positioned on the side of the unit instead of being on top. This isn't really an issue, but it can be a little frustrating if you're trying to dispense multiple shots at once. The rear-facing position of the tank makes it difficult to determine how much liquid is left.

If you're willing to learn how to master the Breville Barista Express, it's an excellent, all-purpose appliance for any home espresso lover. The only drawback to the Breville Barista Express is its price, which may be a stumbling block for some buyers. If you're looking for an affordable alternative, we suggest the Gaggia Classic and the La Pavoni Impresso. Both machines are comparable in their capabilities and offer a bit more control than the Barista Express. However, they cost a fraction of the price.

4. OXO Brew 9-Cup

A high-tech, intelligent coffee machine that makes great coffee with a simple user interface. Its sleek stainless steel design and backlit LED display add a sophisticated design to your kitchen. It features one dial to set the amount of cups you want it to make. It also comes with the 2-4 cup setting as well as a 5-9 cup setting. Its brewing process is similar to pour-over, which most coffee enthusiasts believe makes the most delicious coffee. The water is heated up to the perfect temperature and then evenly distributed over the coffee making machine grounds with a shower head. The brewed coffee is then stored in a double-walled carafe, which can be stored for up to 60 minutes. Its pause and pour feature allows you to remove the carafe during brewing to fill your own cup. The machine pauses brewing and shows a red light for the carafe on its LED interface until you return it. It after which it resumes brewing and is finished.

The OXO 9-Cup professional coffee machine maker is SCAA certified, meaning it complies with the strict standards for technical quality. The brew cycles it uses are the same as the Bodum Bistro and Technivorm Moccamaster 741 but it lets you control the temperature and brewing time.

In our tests, the OXO Brew 9-Cup made excellent drip coffee and a full-carafe of coffee in 7 minutes and 41 seconds. This is a bit longer than the 6 minutes or less that the Bonavita Connoisseur and the Moccamaster require, but it falls within the range of time that coffee experts recommend for a good cup of drip.

It also requires that you grind your own beans prior to brewing. You can use a manual coffee grinder or opt for a more automatic model like the Baratza Encore, which has different grind settings and an hopper that can hold whole beans.

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