10 best coffee machines to use at home

Whizzing up homemade cappuccinos and flat whites has never been so straightforward. Also, it’ll save you a small fortune on take-outs if your homemade coffee is up to barista standard.

A quality coffee machine can be a lifesaver for the sleepiest of mornings or could be the dream gift for the caffeine enthusiast in your life.

Here’s our roundup of the best coffee machines to keep you caffeinated this year.

1. Best overall coffee machine: De’Longhi Magnifica Bean-to-Cup Coffee Machine

“I have a De’Longhi Bean-to-Cup with the hot chocolate attachment. It's fantastic. It wasn't cheap, but I've got no regrets at all. There are two compartments – one for beans and one for ground coffee.”

“De’Longhi Bean-to-Cup here too. We love it and use it every day. I love Lavazza beans in it. It's so simple to use and no pod wastage. If it broke tomorrow, we'd buy the same replacement straight away.”

Consistently scooping the title of most-recommended coffee machine on the Mumsnet forums, this compact De'Longhi coffee machine will reliably brew cup after cup of perfect coffee, however you take yours.

Whether you consider freshly-ground beans a must or you've found your perfect pre-ground blend, the Magnifica is compatible with either and will automatically use the exact amount needed to make your coffee of choice.

The easy-to-use interface helps you customise your coffee by adjusting the strength and length of the espresso it produces. The milk frother can be tricky to master but, with a bit of practice, you'll be whipping up cappuccinos and lattes at home in minutes.

Don't let the prospect of cleaning a high-tech coffee machine deter you from investing. This one is quick and easy to clean thanks to the removable drip tray and brewing unit. It also has an automatic descaling programme that adjusts to local water hardness. Additionally, it comes with a two-year warranty for peace of mind.

• Dimensions: 37.5 × 28.5 × 36 cm

• Water capacity: 1.8 litres

• Coffee type: Bean-to-cup

• Milk frother: Yes

• Cup warmer: Yes

2. Best budget coffee maker: AeroPress Coffee Maker

“AeroPress makes great coffee and takes up very little space.”

“After a month of using the AeroPress, we retired the Tassimo machine forever. We don't own a stovetop or bean-to-cup machine, but the AeroPress is perfect for everyday use."

Beloved by bearded hipsters and Mumsnetters alike (and also possibly by bearded hipster Mumsnetters), this quirky little piece of kit has revolutionised coffee making.

Invented by a Stanford engineering professor, the AeroPress Coffee Maker works a bit like a cafetière – except your coffee is ready in just 30 seconds. Although its little travel pouch contains a baffling number of pieces, it's simple to use once you’ve got the hang of it. Place a round paper filter into the filter cap and attach to the chamber, fill the chamber with ground coffee and hot water, then plunge.

Once you've mastered assembling it and taking it apart, it's faff-free to use and quick and easy to clean too. It's also lightweight and portable, making it perfect for small kitchens and camping. The only negative? It’s manual and can only make one cup at a time.

• Dimensions: 13 × 13 × 27.99 cm

• Water capacity: 0.35 litres

• Coffee type: Filter coffee

• Milk frother: No

• Cup warmer: No

3. Best ground coffee machine: Breville One-Touch VCF108

“The Breville One-Touch is £149 in Currys at the moment and it’s a brilliant machine.”

This ground coffee machine is also compatible with coffee pods, making it perfect for indecisive types. We think the Breville One-Touch VCF108 is a great compromise machine if you fancy the hassle-free benefits of pod coffee making but would also like the option of using coffee grounds.

For the price, it’s a really stylish machine too – with the option to go for a blingtastic white and rose gold colourway. Choose from Espresso, Cappuccino and Latte settings for your perfect morning cup. There’s also an automatic milk frother and, handily, the milk tank can be stored in your fridge between uses.

• Dimensions: 13 × 13 × 27.99 cm

• Water capacity: 1.4 litres

• Coffee type: Coffee grounds and pods

• Milk frother: Yes

• Cup warmer: No

4. Best small coffee machine: Morphy Richards Coffee On The Go Filter Coffee Machine

“We've got a Morphy Richards Coffee To Go Coffee Machine. It looks quite cool with a stainless steel design and makes tea or coffee.”

This nifty little machine is more suited to a mad Monday morning than a lazy weekend lie-in. But if you’re looking for the ideal grab-and-go coffee, this budget-friendly mini Morphy Richards Filter Coffee Machine does the trick.

Be super organised by filling it with coffee grounds and water the night before so all you have to do is turn it on as you’re getting ready in the morning. By the time you’re dashing out the door, you’ll have fresh coffee in a thermal mug waiting for you. Just for you, mind, because it only brews one cup at a time.

• Dimensions: 16.00 × 13.50 × 23.00 cm

• Water capacity: 0.3 litres

• Coffee type: Filter coffee

• Milk frother: No

• Cup warmer: No

5. Best filter coffee machine: Melitta Filter Coffee Machine

“Melitta Filter Coffee Machine. Makes great-tasting and hot-drip coffee.”

A sensible choice, especially if you like to have your day’s coffee ready to pour one after another – or if you’re serving several caffeine fiends at the same time. This filter coffee machine makes 10 large cups and 15 small cups of your favourite brew.

Compatible with coffee grounds and filters, you can alter the strength of the coffee produced so you can cater for all tastes. It’s functional-looking rather than chic, but it does what it says on the tin. The reinforced thermal jug also keeps coffee warm for two hours so you don’t have to worry about drinking it all in one go.

• Dimensions: 29.50 × 30.50 × 47.80 cm

• Water capacity: 1.2 litres

• Coffee type: Filter coffee

• Milk frother: No

• Cup warmer: No

Read more: Tired of flat milk? Then head to our list of the best milk frothers.

6. Best barista-style coffee machine: Sage The Barista Express

“Sage bean-to-cup machine – game changer.”

“I've got a Sage bean-to-cup machine – expensive outlay, but we've more than recouped the cost on take-out coffee.”

Although coffee brewing is now considered an art, there's also a fair bit of science ingenuity too. This stainless steel Sage machine allows coffee-obsessives the chance to tinker with various settings, including a temperature control milk jug, in order to create their perfect cup. Sage is the brainchild of experimental chef Heston Blumenthal, after all!

That said, if you're new to the world of homemade barista-style coffee, don't be scared. You can simply rely on the automatic settings to produce delicious drinks. As one fan on the Mumsnet forums said: “We have a Sage Barista Express that we’ve had for a good few years now and it’s been so worth it, especially with DH and I stuck working from home these past few months. It’s pricey, but we’ve saved so much in takeaway coffees as we prefer the homemade ones so it’s kind of balanced out.”

This Sage coffee machine is also a great option if you like strong coffee, as it allows you to grind a head-buzzing 19 to 22g of coffee beans (compared to an average 11 to 13g) in order to deliver a flavoursome espresso with a real kick to it. It's no wonder sleep-deprived Mumsnetters love it so much.

• Dimensions: 31 × 40 × 33 cm

• Water capacity: 2 litres

• Coffee type: Coffee beans

• Milk frother: Yes

• Cup warmer: Yes

7. Best for Costa-style coffee: Tassimo by Bosch Vivy 2 Pod Coffee Machine

“We have the Tassimo Vivy and love it.”

If you’re hankering after a pod coffee machine but want to avoid Nestlé products, this brilliantly priced Tassimo machine should hit the spot. It’s the best budget pod coffee machine we’ve found.

Producing a wide range of hot beverages – including Costa lattes and Cadbury hot chocolate – at the mere push of a button, it has an adjustable drip tray so you can fit your favourite mug in there. It’s also self-cleaning – always a winner in our books.

Tassimo has 130 recycling points across the UK where you can recycle old capsules and most of their external packaging.

• Dimensions: 31 × 40 × 33 cm

• Water capacity: 2 litres

• Coffee type: Coffee beans

• Milk frother: Yes

• Cup warmer: Yes

8. Best coffee machine for lattes: Lavazza A Modo Mio Deséa Coffee Machine

“Just dropping in a vote for the Lavazza pod machines. The coffee is so much better than Nespresso – and I am very fussy about coffee.”

If you don’t mind shelling out a bit more for a pod coffee machine, the Lavazza A Modo Mio Deséa Coffee Machine gets great scores on review sites and with coffee fans.

Granted, it’s at the upper end of the pod coffee machine spectrum. But this all-in-one sleek machine has a built-in whisk that froths milk straight into your cup and you can also choose different froth levels, which means it’s the best pod coffee machine for lattes that we’ve found.

You can choose from three different types of black coffee – espresso, short espresso and long coffee – and five milky drinks – cappuccino, large cappuccino, latte macchiato, hot milk froth and cold milk froth.

One Mumsnetter on our forums recommended using Lavazza’s own-brand pods, saying: “Lavazza coffee is much nicer than other pod makers in my opinion – maybe because I lived in Italy for a bit and survived on it.”

• Dimensions: 19 × 35.2 × 50.3cm

• Water capacity: 1.1 litres

• Coffee type: Pods

• Milk frother: Yes

• Cup warmer: No

9. Best coffee machine for espresso: Gaggia Classic Pro

“I have a Gaggia Classic. It's a machine that's been around for many years and is recommended on many coffee websites.”

If you’ve always wanted to play ‘barista’ in your own home, this sleek, professional-looking machine should fulfil those ambitions.

Developed by Italian coffee makers Gaggia, it’s our favourite coffee machine for espressos as it has a ‘crema’ attachment so you can make a fully authentic Italian espresso.

The Gaggia Classic Pro certainly isn’t cheap but, as it’s compatible with coffee grounds and pods, you’ll be getting a two-in-one gadget for your money. With a brushed stainless steel body and wand, this is one machine you won’t be ashamed to have sitting on your kitchen worktop.

• Dimensions: 23 × 38 × 24 cm

• Water capacity: 2.1 litres

• Coffee type: Pods and coffee grounds

• Milk frother: Yes

• Cup warmer: You can store and warm espresso cups on top of the machine

Price: £399

10. Best environmentally-friendly coffee machine: Philips Senseo

“I have a Senseo machine. It uses pads that are like thick tea bags. We were in Spain on holiday in a villa and there was a Senseo machine in the kitchen. We fell in love with it and bought one. They are very popular in other European countries, but not so much here. I love it because there’s no mess and no plastic!”

This reasonably priced coffee machine is an excellent choice if you are a big ‘espresso crema’ fan and would like the convenience of pods but don’t like the idea of plastic containers.

The Philips Senseo uses fully compostable pads which are like tea bags. This coffee machine will also make two shots of espresso crema at a time so no one has to wait for their caffeine fix.

• Dimensions: 31.5 × 21.3 × 33 cm

• Water capacity: 0.7 litres

• Coffee type: Coffee pads

• Milk frother: No, but it deposits a ‘crema’ top on your espresso

• Cup warmer: No

How do I choose a coffee machine?

Key features to look out for when choosing a coffee machine are:

• What sort of coffee does it use – beans, grounds or pods?

• What sort of coffee does it produce – filter coffee or fancier coffees like lattes and flat whites?

• How much water can it hold?

• How many drinks can it make? Some coffee machines can make several drinks at once while others can only do one at a time

• How much space will it take up in your kitchen?

• How noisy is it?

• How much does it cost?

• How environmentally-friendly is it? Some people won’t consider pod machines due to the waste produced

Which type of coffee machine is right for me?

No one would blame you for feeling flummoxed by the huge variety of coffee machines out there. When choosing the right coffee machine for you, consider your lifestyle, your budget and your coffee-drinking habits so that you can narrow down the choices.

Here’s our rundown of the different types of coffee machine on the market.

Bean-to-cup coffee machine

If you regularly utter the words ‘artisan’ and ‘coffee’ in the same sentence, and want to recreate barista-style coffee, you’ll appreciate a bean-to-cup machine. Bean-to-cup coffee machines perform the essential tasks that take your coffee from bean form to being a delicious hot drink. They have built-in grinders, heat the water, and brew and dispense the coffee. If you like milky coffees, look for a model with a milk frother attachment.

Ground coffee machine

Ground coffee machines are significantly cheaper than bean-to-cup machines. They're ideal for those on a budget, and you can always use a separate coffee grinder if you’re keen on achieving the same fresh-from-the-bean effect without breaking the bank. Be warned though – grinding coffee is not a quiet activity.

Pod coffee machine

Alternatively, if you feel more at home in Costa than in your actual home, then a pod coffee machine will allow you to recreate your favourite coffee shop lattes and flat whites for a fraction of the price. Pod coffee machines use pre-packaged pods of ground coffee to create hassle-free hot drinks. Discarded pods can be an environmental concern as they are tricky to recycle in some areas.

Some Mumsnetters use and recommend Nespresso pod coffee machines. Nespresso is owned by Nestlé. Mumsnet refuses advertising from all Nestlé-controlled companies as part of the Nestlé Boycott, a campaign run by Baby Milk Action to put pressure on formula manufacturers to act responsibly – particularly in the context of developing countries. We haven't included any Nespresso machines in this roundup as part of our support for the boycott.

Pod/ground coffee combo

Some machines on the market can be used for brewing both pods and ground coffee, giving you the option to switch between both, depending on what you fancy.

Filter coffee machine

If you prefer to go low-key and old school, along with choosing something more budget-friendly, a filter coffee machine could be the answer to your coffee conundrum – providing you with low-fuss coffee at minimal cost. It will also allow you to brew up to six cups of coffee at once – excellent if you have a family of thirsty coffee drinkers or you just like to have your own morning’s caffeine hits ready and lined up.

Manual coffee maker

For great-tasting, cheap-as-chips coffee, you’ll have to put in a bit of effort. It may be tricky to get the hang of it at first, but a manual coffee maker has significant advantages over its more complicated relatives: it's eco-friendly, portable, and will still work in a power cut for starters.

How much should I spend on a coffee machine?

Ask yourself how much you’re willing to spend. You can splash some serious cash on a fully-automatic coffee machine for effortlessly-perfect flat whites at home, or opt for a manual coffee-maker for a quick, portable and inexpensive cup of joe.

A decent automatic bean-to-coffee machine will set you back around £300 – and you can spend upwards of £1,000 if you have the budget. You can find reasonable coffee pod machines for under £100, whereas premium pod machines can go all the way up to £400. You’ll also find budget manual options for around £30. There's an option for every budget and, whichever you pick, you'll still be saving money in the long-term compared to buying a daily takeaway coffee.

Our verdict: the best coffee machines to use at home

The best pod coffee machine is the Tassimo by Bosch Vivy 2 Pod Coffee Machine as it offers excellent value for money.

The best manual coffee maker we found also works well as a budget travel coffee machine – take a bow, AeroPress Coffee Maker.

The best filter coffee machine is the Melitta Filter Coffee Machine, which serves up a large volume of the caffeinated stuff in one go and keeps it steaming hot for two hours.

The best overall coffee machine is the De’Longhi Magnifica Bean-to Cup Coffee Machine, which makes a variety of scrumptious beverages including luxury hot chocolate. This stylish home coffee machine is consistently rated highly by Mumsnetters and home coffee machine reviewers alike.

How we chose our recommendations

Most of our recommendations for home coffee machines came from coffee fans themselves. We researched various coffee and gadget review sites, including Which?, to find the best-rated machines including budget coffee makers, bean-to-cup coffee machines, pod coffee machines and manual coffee makers. We also searched the Mumsnet forums for posts about which coffee machines Mumsnetters have tried, tested and loved.

Why you should trust us

We work hard to provide unbiased, independent advice you can trust. We do sometimes earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. This helps us fund more helpful articles like this one.