Updated: 05 July 2022.
The best coffee machines for 2023 to suit all budgets
Find the ideal bean-to-cup, espresso or pod model for you
If a steaming cup of joe is a vital part of your morning routine, it’s high time you got your hands on one of the best coffee machines. A cuppa not only tastes great, but it also has a plethora of of the best cross trainers for runners to buy for colourful kitchens for ardent runners, such as helping to shave seconds off PBs, Best espresso coffee machine for ease of use.
With a coffee machine, you can access espressos on tap without leaving the house — or even your bed thanks to some nifty app-controlled numbers — providing a cheaper, and more convenient, alternative to daily Starbucks trips, or disappointing instant coffee.
To help you decide which machine is right for you, we’ve compiled a handy buyer’s guide and even tested some of the top models on the market to bring you a list of our favourites. So, what are you waiting for? On your marks, get set, brew…
What type of coffee machine should I buy?
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Here’s what you need to know:
Bean-to-cup machines
These models do exactly what their name suggests, making tasty shots from coffee beans in as little time as possible. This ensures freshness and, as a result, full-bodied flavour. They can look a bit complicated from afar but most functions are autonomous — you’ll just need to put the beans in the grinder, select the right grind setting and hit go.
Most of these machines will have adjustable strength and size settings, meaning coffee enthusiasts have plenty of control, enabling them to find their ideal formula for a winning brew. They also tend to come complete with automatic milk frothers.
Pod machines
If you’re after a cuppa with minimum fuss, a pod machine should be your first port of call. They make single-serve coffees using pods or capsules containing pre-measured coffee grounds. To use them, just pop the pod in a designated hole or slot in the machine and shut the lid, piercing the pod. After this, the machine will push water through the grounds to extract the coffee before pouring an espresso.
There's no need to pre-grind coffee beans or measure out the grounds, these machines are as simple as they come. They also tend to come with an automatic milk frother, too (if you’re partial to a latte or cappuccino), and are usually the cheapest type of coffee machine.
Espresso machines
Opt for an espresso machine if you’re something of a coffee buff. They look like miniature versions of the machines you see in coffee shops, making them a classy addition to any kitchen, and draw flavour from loose coffee grounds rather than a pod.
When making a drink, you need to make sure you use the appropriate amount of coffee and apply the right amount of pressure when tamping it down. This requires more skill and effort but also gives you more control over the end product.
They will also usually have a steam wand, giving you total control over the milk being frothed — ideal for cappuccinos, lattes and macchiatos.
How we test coffee machines
We tested a range of market-leading bean-to-cup, pod and espresso machines, making an espresso and a cappuccino with each one.
When pulling an espresso, we looked at the consistency of the crema (the froth that sits at the top, similar to the head on a pint of Guinness), and volume of coffee, so you know you’ll get a delicious drink, every time.
Milk frothers were also put to the test, tasked with steaming both milk and a non-dairy alternative. After this, we took a temperature reading and left the milk for five minutes to check the stability of the resulting foam.
Sage Barista Pro
Going from bean to cappuccino in 93 seconds, our top-rated machine is sure to set a PB for your morning routine. A veritable multi-tasker, it can brew your espresso and steam the milk at the same time, cutting down time spent hanging around.
Our tester also loved its stand-out quality, easy instructions and neat accessory tidy beneath the generous drip tray; you’ll need it to store gadgets such as the coffee leveller that comes with the machine.
It delivered consistent brews, was easy to clean, while an online guide also helps you to adjust the grind to achieve a tailored taste. And with five different colours to choose from too – from white to an ink blue – you can even match it to your kitchen.
Key specifications
Type: Bean-to-cup
Cup capacity: 2
Water tank capacity: 2 litres
Pressure: 15 bars
Milk frother: Yes – steam wand
Beko CEP5152B Espresso Coffee Machine
The minimalists among us will love this espresso machine. It gets straight to the point with just two functions – one for expressing coffee and one for frothing milk. It does both quickly, but you have to manually stop it pouring and the milk nozzle drips a bit.
Our hot espresso had a thick crema and the steam wand froths plant-based milk just as well as dairy. It’s designed for ground coffee but can take ESE pods, too, giving you the best of both worlds at a very reasonable price.
Key specifications
Type: Espresso
Cup capacity: 2
Water tank capacity: 1.4 litres
Pressure: 15 bars
Milk frother: Yes – steam wand
Opal One Nespresso Pod Machine
This was by far the best pod machine we tested when it came to producing great-tasting espressos, and it also handled a range of speciality pods with consummate ease. We liked the control it gave us while making a cuppa, with the ability to change the brewing temperature and cup volume, making it a good fit for seasoned coffee-drinkers.
When extracting a third espresso on the bounce, it faltered somewhat with the extraction time slowing considerably. But if you’re after a pod coffee machine for one (or two) with a modest price tag, this won’t be beaten.
Key specifications
Type: Pod
Water tank capacity: 0.8 litres
Milk frother: No
Pod type: Nespresso
Programmes: Espresso, lungo
De’Longhi La Specialista Arte
Fancy yourself an at-home barista, but haven’t had any training? Let this slick-looking machine be your teacher. QR codes on the product’s manuals quickly take you online for hints and tips on how to create a café-worthy coffee and there’s even a dedicated YouTube channel with further tutorials on latte art.
The machine itself boasts a useful accessory compartment up-top, a dosing and tamping tool to help reduce coffee ground mess and wastage and a fast-heating steam wand. The accompanying milk jug is on the small side and there's not much info on how many grams of coffee each grind dose number takes, but for mastering exceptionally consistent double espresso volumes every time, it’s our top pick.
Key specifications
Type: Bean-to-cup
Cup capacity: 2
Water tank capacity: 2.5 litres
Pressure: 15 bars
Milk frother: Yes – steam wand
Breville VCF125 Barista Mini Espresso Coffee Machine
Neat and sleek, this petite machine is a stylish addition to any kitchen. It offers impressive performance, too, delivering a string of espressos at the ideal temperature and colour, with thick, robust cremas. The Barista Mini also impressed when it came to steaming milk, making it a worthy cappuccino companion.
It was quite noisy in use and the lightweight design meant we had to put our body weight against it when removing the portafilter to stop it moving across the counter. But, for quick and delicious espressos, it’s still a solid option.
Key specifications
Type: Espresso
Cup capacity: 1
Water tank capacity: 2 litres
Pressure: 15 bars
Milk frother: Yes – steam wand
This advanced machine is designed for coffee connoisseurs, with a classy metallic finish that screams quality. It’s filled with fancy functions, including control over variables such as extraction, milk texture and temperature and an LCD screen that walks you through the machine’s set-up and use.
These features don’t come cheap, but our expert tester felt the price tag was validated by the ability to personalise their brew. We found some of the preset volumes programmed for different drinks were slightly off but, if you know your stuff, this can easily be remedied with a bit of tinkering.
Key specifications
Type: Pod
Water tank capacity: 1.5 litres
Milk frother: Yes – automatic frother
Pod type: Yes – steam wand
Programmes: Best app-controlled bean-to-cup machine
Breville Barista Max + VCF153
Looking like it’s straight off a coffee shop counter, there are few as slick as this affordable bean-to-cup machine. Its integrated grinder has over 30 settings, so you can customise your brew to make it just right for you. Intuitive controls help too, showing if your grind size is too high or low on the digital display. Changing the brew temperature is a little more fiddly though.
It has a number of useful features, including a compartment under the drip tray for storing accessories. It’s quick to heat up and brew too. And if you like your cuppas milky, you’re in luck; the steam wand proved agile, giving milk a velvety, smooth texture.
Key specifications
Type: Bean-to-cup
Cup capacity: 2
Water tank capacity: 2.9 litres
Pressure: 15 bars
Milk frother: Yes – steam wand
Smeg ECF01 Espresso Coffee Machine
Smeg’s signature 50s design always goes down well with our testers, and this stylish espresso machine also impressed when it came to efficiency. It was simple to use and was quick to both heat up and build pressure.
It also steamed milk in no time at all meaning, whether you prefer an espresso, cappuccino or otherwise, your morning caffeine hit needn’t take an age. The espressos we pulled were the optimum temperature with a thick crema, and our expert taster picked out enjoyable malty aromas.
Key specifications
Type: Espresso
Cup capacity: 2
Water tank capacity: 1 litre
Pressure: 15 bars
Milk frother: Yes – steam wand
Grind One Nespresso Pod Coffee Machine
If you prefer to luxuriate in your coffee, rather than grabbing a cup as you bundle out the door, this is the machine for you.
Grind One’s latest offering is slow to heat up compared to other models, but it looks like something straight out of an Italian cafe and produces consistently high-quality espressos. It might be on the pricier side for a pod machine, but that extra investment buys you a quality bit of kit.
Key specifications
Type: Pod
Water tank capacity: 1.2 litre
Milk frother: No – optional extra for £50 more
Pod type: There are three main types of coffee machine: bean-to-cup, pod and espresso
Programmes: Espresso, lungo
Siemens TP705GB1 EQ700
You’ll be spoilt for choice with this Siemens, which comes with over 32 different preset brews to choose from on its touchscreen display. What’s more, you don’t even need to leave your bed to choose one; select and start brewing using the handy app. The touchscreen controls were easy to use, while the cup warmer and fold-out water tank handle for easy filling were welcome features.
There’s a milk frother for your cappuccinos, the integrated burr grinder has six settings, and it was also fairly quiet, though the steamer was flagged as a little loud. It’s also a tad fiddly to clean. But if you want a machine that can have a coffee waiting for you after you finish a morning run, then this is the machine to invest in.
Key specifications
Type: Bean-to-cup
Cup capacity: 2
Water tank capacity: 2.4 litres
Pressure: 19 bars
Milk frother: Yes
De’Longhi Dedica Style EC685M Traditional Espresso Machine
If you’re limited on kitchen space, try this slim silver De’Longhi. Our expert felt the espressos could have been more flavourful and aromatic, but the drinks were still well-bodied with robust cremas.
The steam wand is flexible, for once, but you can’t pour a shot and steam milk at the same time, meaning the whole process takes a little longer. The filter basket has an annoying habit of falling out of the portafilter when emptying it, too. Still, it’s a straightforward machine that pours two cups at once and also takes ESE pods.
Key specifications
Type: Espresso
Cup capacity: 2
Water tank capacity: 1.1 litres
Pressure: 15 bars
Milk frother: Yes – steam wand
De’Longhi Scultura ECZ351 Traditional Barista Pump Espresso Machine
We loved the De’Longhi Scultura’s simple, clean-cut design, and it carried this no-nonsense approach into its coffee-making. There are only two functions, coffee or steam, making it refreshingly easy to use.
Our taster felt the crema of the espressos we pulled was a little thin but said the overall flavour was pleasant. The Scultura steamed milk and non-dairy alternatives in less than 30 seconds, meaning fresh drinks were ready to serve in the blink of an eye.
Key specifications
Type: Espresso
Cup capacity: 2
Water tank capacity: 1.4 litres
Pressure: 15 bars
Milk frother: Yes – steam wand
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