Nothing hits the nail on the head like that first cup of coffee in the morning. A good cup of coffee can get you started on the right foot, but a bad one can leave a bitter taste in your mouth. However, home coffee machines are getting fancier by the month and can now deliver the perfect cup to your door for a fraction of the cost of a store-bought coffee.
According to research, the average cup of coffee in a café now costs £3.40, and we Brits spend £530 a year for coffee. In a household with more than one adult, these costs really start to pile up. When the cost of living hits, you may want to cut back. OK, a coffee machine is a substantial upfront expense, but it should save you a fortune in the long run.
Generally speaking, coffee machines can be divided into three groups: bean machines, capsule machines, and espresso machines.
Barista-style bean-to-cup coffee machines take whole roasted beans and grind them fresh, giving you a ton of control over your coffee. They also usually have a way to froth and steam the milk. These are the closest thing to what baristas employ in coffee shops. Some let you control how coarsely the coffee beans are ground, which affects the extraction and ultimately the flavor of the coffee. Some also let you scroll through the different coffees on the menu and make just the coffee you want.
Coffee machines are smaller than bean-to-cup machines and often have fewer bells and whistles, i.e. you can’t adjust the coffee to as much. However, they take up less space in the kitchen while still providing café-quality coffee and allow for a bit of creativity – they are more likely to have steam jets, allowing you to go wild with latte art if you want.
How We Tested the Best Coffee Machines
We spent a month testing nearly 20 coffee machines, across three main types. Honestly, we wanted to make a great cup of coffee. So we looked at the finished cup we could make (we’re far from trained baristas) from each machine. We also considered price – the price of coffee machines varies wildly, but so does build and quality, which is often reflected in the price. Only machines that justified their price tag made it into this roundup. The size of the work surface, ease of employ, and just plain stupid good looks also factored into our decision. Here are the coffee machines that ticked all the boxes.
The best coffee machines for 2024 are:
- The best coffee machine ever – Grind One capsule coffee machine compatible with Nespresso: £295, Amazon.co.uk
- The best automatic coffee machine – De’Longhi’s chosen exploratory automatic coffee machine: £999, Delonghi.com
- Best suited for coffee beans – Sage barista express impression: £724.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best for espresso – The Wise Man’s Child: £329.95, Amazon.co.uk
- Best for frigid coffee – Breville Iced and Warm Coffee Maker: £49.99, Currys.co.uk
- Best for diminutive budgets – Salter professional espirista espresso coffee machine: £99.99, Salter.com
