How you like your coffee can be a deeply personal thing - you want it strong, milky, or any number of other ways. A great way to take control of your cup of joe is to buy yourself a coffee machine so you can enjoy barista-quality drinks from the comfort of your home.
We've rounded up the very best coffee machines out there, which filter coffee makers, some Nespresso capsules and Dolce Gusto machines (baskets please) and which all-singing and dancing bean to cup machines that also make milk frothing so you can experience your latte at home .
While some of these machines are a bit on the expensive side, using beans and your own milk means you'll soon be saving money compared to a cup of expensive Starbucks or Costa coffee.
What is the best coffee machine for you?
Moccamaster filter Coffee machine
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How is the coffee filter? Then look no further. If you're looking for something really high-end, Technivorm with first-class finishes (various colors available). You can manually adjust the speed at which the coffee pours into the carafe and is strong enough to brew a full pot in a few minutes. The Moccamaster has a copper simmer heating element that heats up quickly and controls the brew temperature accurately.
Evidence Krups
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This well-designed bean-to-cup machine isn't cheap, but it's mega impressive - an external milk jug will deliver great milk and sour milk drinks (two at a time), and you can customize the drinks very easily (say you want an extra kick). It's one of the more compact grain-to-cup machines we've seen, too.
There is also a great app you can download and connect to your car via Bluetooth:
The application allows you to view various parameters and options, including setting the water hardness level when the machine automatically turns off, as well as being able to automatically turn on the machine at a certain time. The app also tells you when you need to clean your car or change the filter. Feature-packed yet not hard to use, Krups Proof is one of the best coffee machines we've used.
Smarter Coffee Machine 2.0
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If you're after all a bean-to-jar filter machine, the Smarter 2.0 is not only a decent machine, but it also gives you easy-to-use app-controlled items. You pay a slightly high price for this, however.
There is a real convenience to the machine that coffee is ready for you first thing in the morning.
Plus, it's great for smartphone notifications that tell you when your coffee is ready. These things are very useful, but perhaps the only smart features that give you a real edge.
There is a Google Home/Compatibility Assistant, but this is currently very limited as you can't start brewing coffee with a simple command.
Read the full review: smarter coffee machine 2.0 comment
On Nespresso Delonghi Lattissima one
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If you're looking for a machine that doesn't look like an industrial mixer, try this svelte Nespresso machine, available in White (actually creme) or mocha. Its genius lies in the fact that it also has a milk compartment for cappuccino ace or macchiatos, but cardinally the milk machine is self-contained so that the milk does not make the rest of the machine dirty. After each cup you can skim off the milk a little, easily tear it apart and wash it (dishwasher safe as well). This is an ingenious answer to more expensive machines that need to flush themselves all the time (and for you to empty the sump all the time as a result). If you want a slightly larger milk container, there are slightly more expensive models as well.
Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie And Milk
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This value machine builds on Lavazza's excellence in coffee and adds milk to the mix. This is a great choice if you want to make milk coffee, but also services such as coffee capsules.
The buttons can be pre-set though the cup rack is adjustable in height depending on whether you're a typical espresso drinker or you prefer a larger cup.
It is also designed not to take up too much space on the worktops, but to be quiet too - it emits only 44dB during the brewing phase.
Coffee maker Delonghi sculpture ECZ351
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There is one stylish coffee machine on the Delonghi sculpture ECZ351 coffee maker. Available colors include black, cream, white and grey, so there should be at least one that will match your kitchen décor, plus the 310 x 300 x 250mm dimensions mean it won't take up too much countertop space.
This machine supports ground coffee and ese pod formats and it can make espresso and cappuccino, the first of which it can make two at the same time.
This sculpture has a 1,4 liter removable tank, 15 bar pressure machine, and has a removable drip tray for easy cleaning.
You'll also find some handy features, with this one featuring a steam pipe, auto-off function and cup warmer just like the Miele, but no adjustable temperature function.
Francis Francis U3
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Rectangle Francis Francis U3 coffee maker, angled look makes it perfect for a modern kitchen.
Like the barrazzo of antique sculpture, this model is also available in several colors, but it is a little more daring with a lemon green model and an Orange option is available, along with black and white.
Model y3 introduces a capsule machine that uses iperEspresso illy capsules and claims to offer a "true espresso bar". It is smaller than the sculpture measuring 270 x 320 x 110mm and also a little cheaper. Removable tank 0.9 l capacity and machine pressure for this model is 19 bar.
You don't get warm cups from this model and there's no steam pipe, but the drip tray is removable, so again, cleaning should be nice and easy.
Nespresso Inissia
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The Nespresso Inissia coffee machine is good for those who are new to Nespresso. It's cheap and cheerful and it offers a simple, simple and comfortable design as well as a small 120 x 320 x 230mm footprint that allows it to be easily pressed against the side of your kitchen.
The Inissia capsule models, unsurprisingly, use Nespresso capsules and will make one espresso at a time, meaning if you have dinner you will be standing in your kitchen for a while.
It features a 19 bar pressure vending machine and it has a removable 0,7 liter tank and it's available in multiple colors including white, red, orange and blue.
When it comes to features, Inissia doesn't pack them in, with non-heating cups, adjustable temperature, a filter or steam tube, but not in the under £100 Mark with a removable drip tray and nice retro styling.
Liked? Check out 42 Kitchen Gadgets Every Smart Guy Should