Best Coffee Machines 2024: Our Highest-Rated Coffee Makers

If you’ve been wary of bean to cup machines because they seem too complicated to use, the Rivelia could change your mind. Thanks to an intuitive touchscreen, it’s easy to personalise drinks and save favourites under different profiles. And when it comes to maintenance, the machine will guide you through the process. There’s a choice of 16 different drink options and once you set up your profile, the Rivelia will learn your habits and offer you your preferred drinks at different times of the day.

There’s even a Bean Adapt feature, which allows you to choose a bean variety and its roast type so the machine can tailor the brewing process. You can save up to six bean profiles.

There are some very useful hardware features as well. The Rivelia has a generous 1.4 litre water tank and swappable 250g bean hopper, so you don’t have to empty it if you want to use a different bean variety. The spouts are height adjustable to accommodate even a tall mug, and once you attach the included milk carafe, it’ll make lattes and cappuccinos to your liking.

However, the touchscreen is set into the top of the machine, rather than the front, which we’d prefer for accessibility and visibility. There’s also the fact that this is a very chatty machine that’ll remind you to put the milk back in the fridge and offer you drinks that it’s easy to choose for yourself. It might not be for everyone, but it’s a great option for people intimidated by the learning curve of more standoffish bean to cup machines.

If you don’t want the completely hands-off experience that a bean-to-cup will provide, and if budget is no concern, the Barista Touch Impress is our top pick. To avoid confusion, if you’re in the US, it’s sold under the Breville brand name, while in the UK, it’s Sage.

This semi-automated machine has an inbuilt burr grinder with a choice of 30 settings, but you’ll need to step in at that point and use a portafilter to get your espresso just the way you like it.

Still, there’s plenty of help along the way. The inbuilt LCD display features pre-defined options such as latte, flat white and cappuccino, and the machine will steam the milk automatically to the correct consistency and temperature.

Everything  – from the drip tray to the tamping lever – on this beautiful machine is high quality, and we found it a pleasure to use in our test. Our main reservation was about the slightly sluggish response of the LCD screen.

For a more budget-friendly, semi-automated machine, the Barista Max is our recommendation. Alas, it is not available in the US but if you’re in the UK, it is extremely well priced. It’s an espresso machine with a milk wand and inbuilt burr grinder, which is rare at this price point.

Beans go into the hopper on top and can be ground straight into the portafilter. It’s not quite as simple or convenient as an automatic bean-to-cup machine such as the Eletta Explore, but if you enjoy the coffee making process – even a little bit – it’s very satisfying to use. 

As it comes with an inbuilt milk wand, plus milk jug and tamper, you won’t have to shell out for any other coffee-making accessories. That’s a good thing as this is a large machine that will require a dedicated spot on your kitchen counter. But it’s solid and well-made and should give you very good coffee for a long time to come.

There are few smart coffee machines on the market – and with good reason. As yet, there’s no way to go completely hands-free. You’ll still need to pop in a coffee capsule and ensure the water tank is full.

But this Lavazza collaboration machine has an ingenious solution to make the most of its smarts. Instead of relying on limited app control, it has an inbuilt Amazon Echo device, including a speaker, so you’ll get full home assistant functionality alongside your coffee.

You can, of course, ask Alexa to make you an espresso and if the machine’s set up, it will. But really, it’s a clever way to incorporate an Alexa device into your kitchen counter set-up, and in this respect, it works. 

The machine is compact and easy to use but as there’s no frother or milk tank, it makes black coffee only. However, you can at least request some upbeat tunes while you enjoy your morning espresso.

There’s no getting around the fact that this is an expensive coffee machine – it’s especially pricey for a filter coffee maker. But it is robustly made and designed to be repairable, so it’s a great buy-it-for-life option. This also makes it a sustainable choice. It’s a very aesthetically pleasing option as well, with 21 different colour options.

It’s simple to use, with just two switches for controls. You can brew half a jug, or a jug of coffee and it’ll stay warm on the hot plate for 40 minutes.

If you’re not fussed about lattes or espressos and want to have coffee to drink all day, this is a stylish way to get it. If you’re in the UK and want a cheaper filter coffee maker, have a look at our reviews of the Russell Hobbs Buckingham and the Chester Grind and Brew, which has an inbuilt bean grinder.

We’ve tested a few Smeg coffee machines, including the more affordable Smeg espresso coffee maker and the Smeg bean-to-cup machine and we’ve found them all to be beautiful and functional.

But our current top pick is Smeg’s latest release, its espresso coffee maker with inbuilt grinder and milk wand. It’s a gorgeous machine that features Smeg’s signature retro styling and, more importantly, it brews great espresso.

Its clever design isn’t limited to aesthetics: it features a generous 2.4l water tank and a large, detachable bean hopper, as well as a clear pressure gauge, which is something you rarely find on machines suitable for beginner brewers. And speaking of beginner brewers, it comes with dual walled portafilter baskets, as well as single walled – if you use one of those you’ll be assured of a decent brew every time, even before you have the settings perfected.

Still, like all semi-automated machines, it can be messy and fussy, so don’t invest in one unless you enjoy the process of making espresso as well as drinking it.

This neat little espresso machine is not only budget friendly but compact (30 x 21 x 27cm). It can make two espressos at a time and has its own integral steam wand.

For its price, it makes very good coffee – but there’s a catch. There’s no automatic dispensing volume, so you’ll need to experiment to get a good shot of espresso. This makes it a great option for coffee enthusiasts who don’t mind learning to use the machine but less appealing to people looking for a quick brew.

There’s also a significant cool-down period between steaming milk and brewing coffee, so if you plan to make more than two coffees in one go, it’ll take a bit of time.

The K-Café Smart has a triple-tower profile, consisting of a pitcher-shaped water reservoir, a milk frother, and the coffee brewer itself. It’s easy to use and ergonomic to handle.

There’s a selection of brew volumes: 6oz, 8oz, 10oz, and 12oz. You can also adjust the temperature and brew strength with dedicated buttons for each. Via the mobile app, you can save settings for custom brew strengths and temps to avoid having to set them manually each time, but as the machine is so easy to use, we didn’t tend to opt for the app when we were testing it.

Our one reservation is that, while you can get a wide selection of K-Cups, meaning that this machine can brew a wide variety of good coffees, its espresso is distinctly lacking, so espresso fiends should steer clear.

The Lavazza Deséa is one of the very best pod/capsule-based coffee machines we’ve tested, even though it’s not the most expensive.

It’s stylish and well-made but more importantly, it makes a wide range of coffees from espresso to macchiato. The complexity means it takes a little while to get used to, but it’s pretty much a one-touch operation once you get the hang of it.

The Deséa produces consistent coffee and with the option to boost temperature and foam if needed. It also operates more quietly than any other coffee machine we’ve used.

If you’re looking for a Dolce Gusto machine, this is the best one available. Not only is it as compact and straightforward as the other machines in the range, but it has more brewing options, so you can tailor your coffee to your preference.

It’s fully automated and easy to use. You can choose from three drink temperatures, precisely calibrate the amount of water in your beverage, plus there’s the option of an espresso boost.