Our round-up of the best espresso machines and coffee makers has something for everyone. We have actually evaluated lots of pod makers, espresso machines, bean-to-cup and filter coffee devices to discover the best list.
If it’s a pod machine you’re after, we’ve got devices for most of the leading brands, consisting of Nespresso, Dulce Gusto, Tassimo and Lavazza. But we’ve got plenty of machines for purists, too.
Espresso and Coffee Machines: Buyers Guide
BEST ESPRESSO MACHINES
If you like using ground coffee, a conventional espresso machine is perfect. These resemble the substantial, old-school coffee machines you used to discover in coffee shops, but much smaller. They’re harder to use than pod coffee machines and bean-to-cup devices, however they’re normally less expensive, give you lots of control and the excellent ones produce great-tasting coffee.
Pros: Authentic coffee experience and great worth for serious coffee fans
Cons: Messier and more time consuming than other machines, and you need to take some time to learn how to make the ideal espresso.
BEST COFFEE POD MACHINES
These use branded ‘pods’ to produce coffee and often numerous other hot beverages. There are numerous brands of pods, such as Nespresso, Dulce Gusto and Tassimo, with various companies supporting different systems. Choosing your brand name is an important decision as some are more pricey than others, and all use different varieties and options. It’s worth trying a few to see which one you like the best.
Pros: Speed, simpleness and consistency
Cons: Pods are costly and you’re locked into a single system
BEST BEAN-TO-CUP COFFEE MACHINES
The idea is in the name– these machines grind fresh beans to produce coffee straight to your cup. They’re probably an excellent compromise in between an espresso machine that uses ground coffee and pod makers, since you can fill them up and not worry much about the mess. They likewise make brilliantly fresh coffee as you’re grinding beans instead of using ground coffee.
Pros: Fresh coffee straight from the bean, normally simple to use and less untidy
Cons: Big and expensive
BEST FILTER COFFEE MACHINES
Many filter coffee makers include a large container and a warming plate. They’re terrific for busy families, home offices or small workplaces where you desire decent coffee on tap throughout the day. But there are some ranges, such as one machine from KitchenAid which is created as a single-person machine for practical, good quality and inexpensive coffee on the go.
Pros: Instant coffee whenever you need it, excellent for busy coffee drinking homes, excellent worth
Cons: Less genuine than espresso and bean-to-cup devices
1. GAGGIA CLASSIC 2015
Type: Manual Espresso Machine
Best for: Purists on a budget
Gaggia is a huge name in coffee making and the Gaggia Classic 2015 is exactly what its name suggests, a traditional. It produces a few of the finest espresso you can discover at this price– its coffee is on par with even more pricey machines.
Its industrial look isn’t the most modern-day, but it has a traditional beauty. The primary difference between this 2015 version and the old one is a new aluminium boiler to avoid deterioration which it’s slightly less effective due to EU guidelines. It still makes an excellent espresso with a beautiful crema, however.
₤ 216.
2. KRUPS XP5620
Type: Manual espresso machine
Best for: Great espressos
Krups has a great track record for its coffee makers and this cost effective manual espresso machine does it no damage. This 15-bar coffee machine with auto-tamping and steam output is offered for just ₤ 80 in places.
As a manual machine it provides you lots of control without making things too complicated. An auto-tamper compresses your ground coffee with little mess, and the used coffee is simple to get rid of and discard in the bin.
If you want good-tasting coffee at an affordable price, it’s a great option.
₤ 180.
3. DUALIT ESPRESS-AUTO 3-IN-1 COFFEE MACHINE
Type: Hybrid espresso, pill and ESE pod machine
Best for: Flexibility and entertaining
This Dualit machine is an ingenious mix of espresso machine and pod machine, making it fantastic for individuals who like appropriate ground coffee but want to be lazy every now and again. The machine takes ground coffee, ESE pods and Dualit’s own NX pills, which are Nespresso compatible and include Fine Tea ranges.
This makes the machine very versatile and it looks wonderful, too. A generous 1.5-litre water tank means you won’t have to fill it frequently, and there’s a steaming wand for frothing milk. Connoisseurs will enjoy the control this machine gives them, however both ground coffee and pod coffee taste wonderful, making this a fantastic investment for any coffee fan.
₤ 192.
4. DELONGHI DEDICA
Type: Traditional espresso machine
Best for: Connoisseurs with lots of time
They state that good ideas concern those who wait, which’s definitely true in this case. The DeLonghi Dedica needs time, persistence, practice and a bit of extra effort to use effectively, but the coffee it produces is full-bodied, with a charming thick crema and a scrumptious aroma. If you value coffee more for its flavour and quality instead of its capability to rapidly prise your eyelids open in the early morning, this is for you.
However, we did discover that the boiler got too hot after prolonged use, briefly preventing us from making coffee completely. Draining the warm water repaired this problem though. Getting filters in and out of the machine wasn’t entirely simple either, making ground coffee really simple to spill. The ability to use ESE pills is a very welcome addition.
₤ 130.
5. AEG FANTASIA
Type: Lavazza Pod Machine
Best For: Great coffee and hot drinks
The AEG Fantasia could be one our favourite coffee devices today. It’s a 15-bar pod machine that supports Lavazza’s Modo Mio capsules. It has 36 settings so you can enjoy a customized cappuccino, lungo, espresso or latte and manage the quantity of coffee and milk.
But what makes this machine is the exceptional detachable milk container. Both it and steam pipe can be gotten rid of and are dishwasher safe, making cleaning the AEG Fantasia so much easier than many machines. The jug means you do not have to count on powdered milk pods like some makers, and it’s best for making hot chocolates and it can even froth cold milk for milkshakes.
Given the substantial number of features and excellent coffee it makes, the AEG Fantasia is outstanding value.
₤ 159.
6. KITCHENAID NESPRESSO ARTISAN
Type: Nespresso Pod Machine
Best for: The Style mindful and time bad
If you currently have a cooking area of matching KitchenAid appliances then the Nespresso Artisan is ideal for you. Like all its home appliances, it’s available in 6 colours, so you can match the colour to other products in the variety.
It also sports the iconic style that makes the brand name so popular. That and the high quality die-cast zinc and aluminium building represent its high price, but the style and build quality are in a various league to other Nespresso devices.
It has a large 1.4-litre water tank the pod bin can hold up to 14 pods, so it’s the best machine for amusing lots of individuals. You can select from six drink sizes, though there’s no milk function built-in.
₤ 215.
7. TASSIMO VIVY BY BOSCH
Type: Tassimo pod coffee machine
Best for: Small kitchens
The Tassimo Vivy is unbelievably cheap for such a flexible coffee machine, which is why we suggest it. Part of the Tassimo coffee system, it’s also super incredibly small– it’s just 30cm deep, 25cm high and 17cmm wide. It’s best for small kitchen areas and dens.
Like other Tassimo machines it’s also incredibly easy to use. It has simply one button and there’s essentially no heat-up time. The machine reads the barcode on each ‘T Disc’ to exercise the correct temperature level, quantity of water and developing time. The series of drinks is great, too, as it consists of coffee, tea, chai lattes, fruit and herbal teas.
If there’s a better machine for ₤ 40, we’re yet to discover it.
₤ 37.99.
8. NESCAFE DOLCE GUSTO PICCOLO BY KRUPS
Type: Dulce Gusto Pod Machine
Best for: Small kitchen areas or as a second machine
As its name suggests, the Piccolo by Krups is small. It has a 600ml water tank and is just 16cm wide, 22cm deep and less than 30cm high. It’s an adorable little thing, making it a terrific option for a small family of a couple of individuals or as a second machine.
What are the downsides? This is a manual machine, which means you have to control how much water is used for each drink. Each box of pods has a guide for how much water you should use, however it takes a little learning to get right. That small capability might start to upset if you begin using it more, too, but the quality cannot be faulted.
₤ 52.
9. Nescafe Dolce Gusto Melody III by DeLonghi
Type: Dolce Gusto Pod Machine
Best for: Style and benefit
The Dolce Gusto Melody 3 is more trendy and intriguing than a lot of coffee makers, which is great if you desire something that makes a statement. But it’s likewise an excellent pod coffee machine and becomes part of the Nescafe Dolce Gusto system, which includes loads of excellent coffee, tea and hot chocolate ranges to select from.
The Melody 3 has a decent-size 1.3-litre water tank and a 15-bar pump pressure, but our preferred feature is the adjustable drip tray that accommodates practically any size mug. This is an automated machine, so it’s dead easy to use, though there’s a cool system for customising the strength of each drink based upon your choice. In general, this is a great machine that’s hard to fault.
₤ 129.
10. NESPRESSO LATTISSIMA PRO BY DELONGHI
Type: Pod (Nespresso)
Best for: Latte and coffee drinkers
This Nespresso machine is the absolute supreme in pod coffee making. The key function is the fresh milk carafe and its automated lathering function, which is something you typically see on bigger bean-to-cup coffee makers. It also has an impressively high 19-bar pump pressure and you can change the quantity of milk, froth and coffee for each drink– it even remembers your choices for later on.
The high-pressure pump suggests this is a quick machine– it took us just 25 seconds to make a coffee and 40 seconds for milk beverages. As this is a pod machine it’s really easy to use, too. The quality of coffee produced using the Nespresso Grand Cru pods is excellent, and we particularly love the latte macchiatos the Lattissima Pro makes.
₤ 386.
11. SAGE BY HESTON BLUMENTHAL
Type: Bean-to-cup
Best for: Sophisticated coffee lovers
Bean-to-cup machines often value benefit over quality, however this Sage machine isn’t really like that at all. Like all Sage’s devices, it’s magnificently designed and thought-out and it produces terrific coffee.
This is an extremely tall dual boiler machine and, unlike lots of bean-to-cup makers, the grinder is separate from the developing machine. This makes it harder to use, however the results deserve the additional effort. We like the automated milk frother, nevertheless, that makes it a lot easier to make latte-style beverages.
This machine offers a barista experience but you do not require the experience to make it work, which is great.
₤ 1,439.99.
12. DELONGHI ELETTA CAPPUCCINO TOP
Type: Bean-to-cup machine with milk system
Best for: Lazy Cappuccinos and flat whites at the touch of a button
This bean-to-cup machine huges and costly, but it makes terrific espressos, coffees, lattes and flat whites at the touch a button. It’s the ideal machine if you desire lots of terrific coffee but without putting in much effort. It’s a versatile machine, too. You can manage how frothy the milk is and the strength of your beverages and the most popular alternatives have their own shortcut buttons.
This likewise a really easy machine to preserve and while it’s pricey, you’re not dependent on costly pod systems. Supplied you can accommodate its large footprint, and stomach its price, this bean-to-cup machine will thrill you and your guests whenever.
₤ 597.
13. DE’LONGHI AUTENTICA PLUS
Type: Slimline Bean-to-cup machine
Best for: Time bad people who don’t want a huge machine
The De’ longhi Autentica Plus is an accessible bean-to-cup machine that uses up much less area than competing makers. This isn’t a machine for the purists– it keeps things easy and fast– however it makes extremely nice coffee. Milk beverages take a little time to master, however this is an excellent machine if you want fresh coffee but don’t have the space for a substantial, complicated machine.
₤ 649.99.
14. KITCHENAID PERSONAL COFFEE MAKER
Type: Personal filter coffee machine
Best for: Fussy commuters and Starbucks addicts
The KitchenAid Personal Coffee Maker is something a bit different. This is effectively a single-person filter coffee machine. It’s developed to be used with a supplied insulated mug that you can take with you on the morning commute. There’s nothing stopping you from buying another mug for more than a single person, but it includes one to start.
It produces coffee that’s prepared to drink straight away, however which is still hot sufficient to include some milk before you leave. It’s a fantastic, practical alternative for anyone who requires their coffee fix in the morning, and the compact style looks fab, too. If you’re spending megabucks on an everyday Starbucks routine then consider this the ideal remedy.
₤ 84.
15. DELONGHI DISTINTA ICMI 211
Type: Filter coffee machine
Best for: Coffee with very little fuss
If you reside in a household of laid back coffee-drinkers, this could be the filter machine for you. The DeLonghi Distinta ICMI 211 is beautifully easy, both in style and function, making the coffee-brewing procedure as fuss-free as possible. The 10-cup capability allows you to make your favourite drink in big volumes however it’s not the quickest machine. The recyclable filter leads to minimal mess and helps you avoid those irritating paper ones, but you’ll likely find some fine grounds at the bottom of the jug and possibly your mug.
A fantastic function is the anti-drip system, which avoids any coffee from dropping onto the warmer and burning whenever the container isn’t really there. It likewise allows you to put the contents of the jug into your cup as often times as you desire during a single brew. The Aroma function substantially improves the flavour and smell of the batch, however you’ll have to have time on your hands when you use it because the water will be launched into the filter slower than typical.
₤ 79.99.
