The best coffee machines of 2024, expert tested and approved

The best coffee machine for you will depend on how you like your coffee, how big your budget is, and your design preferences. 

There's no shortage of amazing machines on the market, and as woman&home's Head of Shopping, I've tried and tested every product in this guide before including it. A coffee machine should be easy and intuitive to use, made to last, and of course, produce excellent coffee. And let's not forget some of the fun extras you could get in addition, such as a milk frother, coffee grinder, and smart technology that'll allow you to craft your ideal brew from anywhere.

Keep reading to learn more about the best coffee machines, plus some advice on how to choose a suitable one for your preferences and budget.

The best coffee machines, at a glance

Only have time for a short skim? Here's an abridged list of the best coffee machines, with quick links to buy...

Our pick of the best coffee machines to buy in 2024

Best coffee machine overall

Combining the best automatic features to make brewing user-friendly but still engaging, The Sage the Barista Touch Impress makes the art of espresso approachable. Advanced users can take delight in the manual settings like adjustable grind sizing and temperature control, with advice from the macine after each shot is pulled, as well as automatic dosing that will adjust depending on your grind size and the speed of extraction. 

The stately machine has a 340g bean hopper capacity that pulls into a conical burr grinder. You can make up to two shots of espresso at a time, but the water tank holds two litres so you don't constantly have to refresh. Once you tamp and insert the portafilter, the machine pre-infuses the coffee with the tiniest amount of water, which saturates the coffee better and gives it a better brew. From here, the grind size and pressure affect the extraction, which can be monitored via the pressure gauge, while electronic PID temperature control will make sure your espresso's temps turn out consistent every time. 

For lattes and such, the steam wand can be programmed for different milk types and desired textures. It steams completely hands-free, so all you need to do is pour. It's all operated by the immensely intelligent touchscreen control. 

Best filter coffee machine

For the smoothest cup of filter coffee you've ever brewed, you'll want to divert your attention to the Technivorm Moccamaster. 

Available in tons of colors to suit your style or kitchen decor, the Moccamaster quickly and quietly brews some of the best-tasting coffee we've tried. In fact, it meets the rigorous qualifications set by the Specialty Coffee Association to meet the Golden Cup Standard. It's a design-forward machine—the body style hasn't changed since its introduction in the 1970s—with a fuss-free design that puts the coffee it brews center stage. It only has two switches for simplicity, the power button and the option to choose between a full or a half carafe. 

So, what makes the Moccamaster KBGV Select worthy of its hefty price tag? For one, it's assembled by hand in the Netherlands, making for a sleek and unique design. It also features first-rate materials, such as a copper-heating element. It also has one of the longest warranties around, with five years. But the real beauty of a Moccamaster is that you should still be able to use it a decade from now, maybe more. And if a part does wear down, such as the plastic brew basket or the glass carafe, these items are easily replaceable or repairable, which in turn prevents perfectly good machines from being discarded into landfills. 

Best pod coffee machine

Lavazza makes fantastic coffee, so to combine this with a smart touch-controlled pod machine is a match made in heaven. The A Modo Mio Deséa is one of the more expensive pod machines you can buy, but it's build solidly with a user-friendly touch interface that can make a huge array of drinks. 

What makes this machine so smart is its in-built milk frother which can foam hot or cold milk, totally hands-free, with a carafe that plugs into the machine base that has a spinning frother insert to heat and texturise your milk. 

You can choose from different milk temperatures and textures with this machine, but even on the lower temperature side I found that my oat milk became a little hotter than I'd like since it can burn more easily than dairy milk. Other than that small hiccup, the Deséa is a delight to use. 

Best bean to cup coffee machine

The De'Longhi Rivelia is one of the smartest bean-to-cup machines on the market. It combines a sleek exterior (available in a range of lovely neutrals) with an incredibly intelligent operating system that learns your individual coffee preferences and adapts between users. The 3.5" full-touch colour display is smoothly animated with high-colour and interactivity, but it's not intimidating. The Rivelia can be as smart as you want it to be. 

You can add up to four user profiles to the De'Longhi Rivelia, and with this comes the ability to customise your desired brews from everything to the strength of your drinks to your desired temperature. The Rivelia comes with two 250g interchangeable hoppers that you can easily swap out between drinks, which is perfect for those who like to swap between caffeinated to decaffeinated drinks throughout the day. 

Best espresso machine

Sage's most affordable espresso machine, the Sage Bambino, offers huge value for those who want an entry-level espresso machine that can still match up to more premium machines when it comes to extraction. The machine comes with Sage's classic stainless steel exterior, as well as a powerful steam wand and four filters to choose from - two single, two double, two double-walled and two single-walled. 

The greatest downside of this machine is what it lacks, which is a bean grinder. Adding your grounds to your portafilter by hand can be messy, but you can also invest in a separate coffee grinder down the line if your coffee obsession deepens. 

Best coffee machine under £100

The beauty of Nespresso's Vertuo coffee machine line is that there is never a compromise between choosing coffee or espresso. You can have both, in one compact machine. The Vertuo Pop is particularly interesting as it is just  5.5" wide and also made with 54% recycled plastic. Nespresso is famous for its single-serve capsules, the Vertuo Next can brew five sizes: espresso, double espresso, gran lungo, coffee, and alto, plus, a new carafe size. 

The Vertuo machines brew through Centrifusion, a unique process that rotates the Vertuo capsules 7,000 times in a minute to extract the best brew. Each capsule also has a barcode that the machine reads and automatically adjusts according to the ideal temperature, cup size, brew speed, and more. All you have to do is open the machine, place it in the slot, and simply press the center button. It self-disposes in a separate tank that you won't have to bother with until the bin is full. From there, each aluminum capsule is fully recyclable, and Nespresso makes it even easier by providing each order with a mailer to send back used capsules.

Best smart espresso machine

The Breville Barista Max+ is a barista-style bean to cup machine that allows you to sensitively and intelligently grind your beans before brewing with an in-built timer. This timer allows you to identify whether your grind size is optimal - a fast extraction may mean you've gone too large, a slow extraction means your grounds are so fine that your coffee will come out muddy. 

What comes with these smart features is an intelligent system that allows you to fully embrace the art of brewing coffee, but of course you don't need to become fanatical to enjoy this machine. At the end of the day, it creates a great shot of espresso, and the steam wand is powerful enough to low even beginners to create sturdy but evenly-foamed milk. 

Best premium pod coffee machine

Combining a Sage-made automatic milk steaming wand with Nespresso's market-leading Vertuo pod system, the Vertuo Creatista Pod feels like a premium machine from the second you take it out of the box. It's finished in cool stainless steel and allows you to choose between three milk temperature and textures, which the machine achieves using a smart sensor that detects the temperature of your milk and the amount you've added to your milk jug. 

We tested this machine against a number of pod sizes and types, and it made live easy to know that the Vertuo system optimises extraction automatically for whatever pod you add to the machine. It does this using Nespresso's barcodes which are printed on every pod, so whether you're opting for a long coffee or a short shot of espresso, it's designed to get the best from every brew. We did note that the crema on these shots faded fast, but it's still thick and luscious upon brewing. 

Best budget coffee machine

If you're on a budget, we think you'll get a lot of bang for your buck with the Swan Retro One Touch Espresso Machine. It features an automatic milk steamer attachment that allows you to adjust the froth level using a dial on the top of the milk container. You can choose between six drink options and sizes, and the pressure gauge allows you to see how well you're extracting your grounds. 

Another thing we enjoyed about this machine was the cup-warming platform atop the machine, which makes a great home for espresso cups. Overall, the look is a winner, with a range of fun colours and a retro finish that's a welcome deviation from a lot of the more modern options in this guide. We did find that it felt a little cheap thanks to the plastic design, so we don't think it'll last as long as a more premium option.

How we tested the best coffee machines

We selected the following coffee machines in order to share products within a range of different prices, from budget to luxury options - and from well-known and more niche brands for a full representation of what's on the market. 

To evaluate the best coffee machines we looked at:

• Price tag—and subsequent value-for-the-money.
• Ease of use—is brewing a cup intuitive or do you need to pour through the manual?
• Special functions—can you customize cup size? Adjust strength? Program? 
• Design—coffee makers come in all shapes and sizes. Are you looking for something purely functional, or do you want something to match your personal interior taste?

Our Head of Shopping Millie Fender is a bona-fide coffee expert, with five years of reviewing the best machines in the market under her belt. Every product in this guide has been tried and loved by her, and she's made an effort to ensure that these machines have been tested for longer than just a few weeks by sharing machines among friends and colleagues for prolonged testing. If something goes wrong, she hears about it. Millie has been on trips to coffee machine factories with the likes of De'Longhi, and been to coveted coffee launches alongside brands like Sage and Lavazza. 

Are expensive coffee machines worth it?

We all hold a certain pride in our fancy coffee machines and trying out the latest coffee trends, but before you jump on the most luxurious machine, consider how often you'll use it, the features you plan to take advantage of, and if you're up for the maintenance that often comes with keeping these machines in shape. 

And while it just so happens that some of our favorite coffee machines fall on the expensive side, we have come across brewers that we like for under £50. We seek out special functions like the ability to control brewing parameters, the overall brewing process, or the presence of water filters as to what makes a high-quality machine. More expensive machines typically use more expensive materials such as stainless steel shells, or in the case of the Moccamaster, a copper-heating element. 

Sometimes a cheap coffee machine is a quick fix in a bind, but they usually struggle to get to the perfect temperature, or the heating element begins to burn out.  If you're reaching for a cup of coffee every day at home, why not invest in something that brews superior coffee? We also place a lot of expectations on our expensive machines with the intention that they will serve us for years. Note, it's not just the coffee machine that affects your coffee, but the beans, their size, and freshness level that can make or break your beverage. 

What type of coffee machine is best?

We've covered a wide amount of the types of coffee machines you can bring into your home. Now, we'll break down all of the different types of coffee machines and why one might be better for you than the other.

• Filter coffee machines—this makes your standard pot of hot coffee. Water is heated before being sprinkled over coffee grounds that then drips down into a carafe. A cup is usually identified as 150ml., so when you see a 12-cup coffee maker, it really makes 1.7 litres of coffee. 
• Pod coffee machines—loved for their convenience to brew just one cup of coffee at a time. They feature pods, which tend to cost more per cup than using a drip coffee maker, but they require little measuring or skill. 
• Espresso machines—encompass a wide variety of machines and brewing styles, but the most common is referred to as including semi-automatic, automatic or super-automatic. Semi-automatic requires places the responsibility of measuring grind, tamping, and timing the shot on you. Automatic machines automatically stop the water flow when at completion, but the grinding and tamping is still part of the art while super-automatic machines do everything for you at the touch of a button, from grinding to brewing to dispensing.  Espresso is a finely ground coffee that's brewed under pressure.