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The Best Coffee Machines For Home
There is no one-size-fits-all coffee machine. We've put together our top picks, 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 achieves the perfect balance between automation and needing to understand the basics of espresso-making. It's our top pick for a machine that makes coffee.
1. Rocket Appartamento
Rocket Appartamento makes a great choice for those who want to make espresso at their home without sacrificing quality. This espresso machine with a small footprint was designed for those who have small counter space. It has a great build quality with a compact footprint. It comes equipped with an 1.8-liter copper heat exchange boiler and commercial E61 group head so you can steam milk and brew espresso at the same time.
The machine is also beautiful and features a round design on the side panel with engravings of 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 the black gauge of pressure in the boiler to indicate when the boiler is ready for use.
The drip tray and the water reservoir tray are smaller on this machine than most other models. This means you'll have to be vigilant about emptying and refilling the machine, particularly when you are using it regularly. This is a sacrifice that is a result of having smaller footprint. This isn't a problem specific to this model.
This machine can easily handle your coffee needs. We suggest buying a good grinder, such as the Baratza Sette Giante to increase consistency and flavor. You can also pair this machine with the Rocket portafilter to help improve the grinding process.
As a prosumer espresso machine The Rocket Appartamento is capable of making some great drinks, and is easy to make the latte art. It's important to know that this machine is not designed for novices. There is a small learning curve for those who upgrade from appliances-grade espresso machines. The heat exchange boiler could be a little tricky to control and you'll have to master the basics of cooling flushes.
Both the Lelit Bianca as well as the Rocket Appartamento have the option to connect to an water source, allowing you to always be capable of drinking cold pure, purified water. The latter comes with a 2.25-liter water tank that could be more difficult to fill than its competitors.
2. Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie
As you would expect from the Lavazza machine this one was made with quality in mind. It is quick to reach the brewing temperature, allowing you to prepare your first cup of coffee in less than 35 seconds. The water tank is quick and simple to refill, with the lid detaching completely to make a wide opening. You can fill it up with tap water if you want.
This is the smallest machine within the Lavazza A Modo Mio range, but it still has a lot of punch. It costs less than PS100 at retail and is much less expensive than the Nespresso Essenza or similar machines from SMEG or Desea. This makes the Jolie an excellent choice for those without the budget or space for an espresso maker, but are looking to enjoy the benefits of real Italian espresso.
The Jolie is simple to use and requires little counter space. It's as easy as pressing one button to turn on the machine and again to start dispensing your chosen brew. The button is illuminated so that you can see how much you have consumed. You can also stop the process, if you want to drink the pod in smaller portions.
There's no steam wand available on this model, but you can add a milk frother (available separately) to add some creamy froth, if you'd like. The machine is also quiet and can be used to make coffee machines in a small kitchen or work space.
Pods aren't cheap, but there is a variety of blends to choose from that will satisfy everyone from the mildest to the most demanding espresso drinkers. They are available in most supermarkets alongside 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 stylish capsule machine with an integrated milk warmer and a frother. It comes with a 75cm power cable and plug as well as a quick-guide and warranty card, as well as a test box containing nine Lavazza pods: six roasts (two Qualita Rossa, two Lungo Dolce and two Delizioso) and two decaffeinated (Dek Cremoso). The machine itself is small enough to be able to be stowed on a flat surface or slipped under your cupboard.
3. Breville BES870XL
At first glance at first glance, the Breville Barista Express looks like an espresso machine that's not within the budget of most average consumers. If you're willing and able to learn to use it this is a great at-home espresso maker. It performs better than most of the more expensive models. It's among the best home coffee maker priced in its class, and is particularly suitable for beginners who do not have an espresso maker yet. This could easily cost them another $100 or more.
This model is a bit below the top of the range for Breville (their Oracle is the most expensive, costing $2,199) however, it's a solid choice for home baristas on a tight budget. It delivers plenty of tweakable features, and includes an integrated burr grinder that makes the whole experience much more affordable. It's also a single boiler, which means that it can only do steaming or brewing at the same time.
Despite being a relative newcomer to the market for espresso machines, Breville has quickly made their mark with their high-quality appliances. This machine is no different and it comes with enough control to let budding baristas hone their skills without spending hundreds more than is necessary.
The unit has its quirks. For one, the hopper on this model is placed on the side of the unit instead of on top--which isn't significant, but it can be a little frustrating if you're trying to disperse multiple shots at a time. It's also difficult to see how much water is left in the tank, due to its rear placement.
If you're willing to invest some time to learn how to use the Breville Barista Express then it's an excellent choice for anyone who loves espresso at home. The only drawback is the price, which could be a nagging issue for some buyers. If you're looking for an affordable alternative, we suggest the Gaggia Classic and the La Pavoni Impresso. Both machines have similar capabilities and offer a bit more control than the Barista Express. However, they are a fraction of the cost.
4. OXO Brew 9 Cup
A high-tech smart coffee machine with a user-friendly interface that produces great coffee. The sleek stainless steel design with backlit LED screens provides your kitchen with a stylish look. It comes with only one dial to program the amount of cups you want it to make and includes two cup settings and a 5-9 cup setting. Its brewing method is similar to pour-over, which most coffee machine makes lovers believe makes the most delicious coffee. The water is heated to the perfect temperature and then poured evenly over the coffee grounds using shower heads. The brewed coffee then collects in the thermal, double-walled carafe for up to 60 minutes. Its pause and pour feature lets you remove the carafe during brewing to fill your individual cup. The machine pauses the brewing process and displays a red light on its LED interface until you return the carafe. Then, it resumes the brewing process.
The OXO Brew 9-Cup coffee maker is certified by SCAA, which means it meets the organization's rigorous technical standards. Its brew cycle is about the same length as the Bodum BISTRO and Technivorm Moccamaster KBT 741, however, it has more control over temperature, brewing duration and quality.
In our tests we found that the OXO Brew 9 Cup produced an excellent pot of drip coffee, with a carafe full in just 7 minutes and 41 seconds. It's slightly longer than the 6 minutes or less that the Bonavita Connoisseur and the Moccamaster require but well within the range experts in the field suggest for a decent cup of drip.
It also requires you to grind your own beans before making coffee. You can make use of a manual coffee grinder or opt for a more automatic model, such as the Baratza Encore, which has different grind settings and the hopper can hold entire beans.
The only drawback to this product is that it's not dishwasher safe. This could be a concern for some customers. The stainless steel is still easily cleaned by hand, but. The OXO Brew 9-Cup's sleek aesthetic and user-friendly interface make it an undisputed contender among the best coffee machines for home drip coffee makers.