Coffee is big business, with an estimated 98 million cups drunk every day in Britain. In fact, we may be known as a nation of tea drinkers, but research from Statista suggests we now favour coffee over a traditional cuppa.
And as much as we enjoy popping out to a café for coffee and cake (it's basically self-care), having the best coffee machine at home is an essential for many of us — particularly first thing in the morning! Modern machines can whip up everything from a classic espresso to a soothing vanilla latte in seconds.
But they can be a big investment, which is why the Good Housekeeping Institute has tried and tested hundreds of models to find the best coffee machine money can buy, before putting together this handy guide including everything you need to know about making coffee at home.
Whether you’re looking for the best bean-to-cup coffee machine, the best pod coffee machine, the best espresso machine or even the best filter coffee machine – each model has its own strengths and weaknesses, so we’ve explained the pros and cons below. We’ve also included the features you need to consider before buying, along with our experts’ tried and tested picks in each category.
What kind of coffee machine do I need?
There are four main types of machine available: pod, espresso, filter and bean-to-cup.
We spoke to Ben Ferrao, co-founder of Repetition Coffee, to find out what we should be looking for when buying.
Bean-to-cup coffee machines
You should opt for a bean-to-cup coffee machine if you:
- want variety in flavours and blends,
- want coffee that bridges the gap between convenience and freshness, and
- are beginning to learn the complexities of coffee-making, including grind size, extraction, and milk steaming.
According to Ferrao, these machines tend to be the most expensive but are a worthwhile investment for coffee connoisseurs. Their main USP is their ability to grind coffee from beans in mere minutes, leading to unrivalled freshness.
You’ll also have more control over drink size, coffee strength and extraction time, to help you make the perfect cup.
Our best bean-to-cup coffee machines are listed below, but keep reading to learn more about pod, filter and espresso coffee machines.
Sage the Barista Express™ Impress Coffee Machine
Score: 95/100
Everything from grinding to tamping proved a cinch for our joint winner. Sage’s latest model has a sleek design and delivers quick, consistent espressos every time. Adjusting the volume of the pour and perfecting the milk steaming process took a bit of getting used to; however, that’s to be expected for this style of machine and didn’t put our experts off. Instead, they raved about the quality of their morning coffees.
De'Longhi Rivelia Automatic Bean-to-Cup Coffee Machine
Score: 95/100
Our experts were fans of the De’Longhi’s 3.5” full-touch colour display, 16 automatic drink settings and its ability to learn your coffee moods and offer a personalised menu throughout the day. It’s easy to use and efficient at making everything from espressos to cappuccinos. There are only seven grind settings, but most coffee-lovers should be able to find one to suit their tastes. All in all, this is an impressive machine.
Score: 93/100
With its ‘no frills’ design, this machine is simple yet effective. An espresso took 25 seconds to brew and with 13 grind settings, you’re sure to find one to suit your tastes. The automatic steam wand was tricky to get to grips with at first (the steam takes a few seconds to shut off after pressing the button), but once we got used to the timings, we could perfect our cappuccinos and lattes with ease.
Espresso coffee machines
Choose an espresso coffee machine if you:
- are taking your first steps into the world of speciality coffee,
- want to master the different variables that make a quality coffee, and
- want bragging rights when showing off your latte art.
The coffee-making process turns into a real experience with an espresso machine. “If you get it wrong, it can go really wrong; if you get it right, it can go really right,” says Ferrao. But, for those wanting to understand the science and art of coffee making, as well as achieving the greatest level of freshness, an espresso machine is a no-brainer.
Shop our best espresso machines below or keep scrolling for no-fuss pod coffee machines.
Score: 98/100
Achieving an impressive near-perfect score, De’Longhi’s espresso machine earnt its top spot on our list. Consistently excellent espressos impressed during testing, and the automatic milk system, which has three temperature profiles, made texturing milk effortless, creating a delicious, foamy finish our experts loved.
Sage Bambino Plus Coffee Machine
Score: 96/100
Pre-heating in just 60 seconds, this espresso machine is perfect for early morning caffeine fixes. It delivered consistent espressos with a good layer of crema, and texturing milk was a breeze, creating frothy milk in seconds. Removing the filter baskets from the portafilter was a little tricky, but a minor niggle that we can overlook.
Score: 92/100
This unique-looking Swan machine is a great option for speedy, consistent shots. It preheats in just 60 seconds and produces espressos with a delicious layer of crema. The manual steam wand might require a bit of practice, but we managed to create foamy milk without too much fuss, perfect for latte art.
Pod coffee machines
The final type of coffee machine that needs to be on your radar is a pod coffee machine. You should opt for one of these if you:
- want really fast coffee, and
- are looking for easy, dependable results.
These machines are simple to use and deliver consistent coffees, but they won’t give you the same level of control as other models. Ferrao also highlights that capsules aren’t the most “eco-efficient”. But, for no-fuss, no-frills coffee, a pod machine should be your go-to.
Find our top-rated best pod coffee machines below.
Score: 95/100
With a digital display showcasing the menu and brewing process, this makes prepping your morning coffee a breeze. It has 10 adjustable pre-set coffee styles, including Kyoto-style slow drip, as well as built-in scales for accurate and consistent espressos. While it’s a fairly complex (and impressive) machine that may take some getting used to, the instructions are clear and concise. Plus, there’s a compatible app offering recipe ideas and personalisation.
Score: 94/100
This easy-to-use machine is a great first-time buy. It’s sleek, compact, easy to set up and compatible with a wide range of speciality coffee capsules. The brew temperature and volumes were easy to tweak, and it poured accurate and consistent coffees. Our testers did find the lever to open the capsule holder very stiff and the machine was noisy compared to other models we tested, but those are small niggles for such an efficient machine.
Score: 93/100
Coming in under £100, this is a smart buy if you want top-quality coffee on a budget. The Intellibrew technology reads the unique barcode on each pod and automatically adjusts the brewing criteria to ensure you get the perfect drink every time. There’s no separate milk frother but there are pods to create all your favourite drinks, including lattes and cappuccinos.
Filter coffee machines
Finally, for straightforward models that make multiple cups of delicious hot coffee, consider the best filter coffee machines (aka drip coffee makers). These will appeal to those looking for:
- a simple, user-friendly, affordable way of making coffee, and
- a way to make larger quantities of coffee.
Most models can make up to 10 cups and feature “keep warm” settings so your second cup of the day doesn’t go cold in the pot while you’re drinking your first. Many also use cost-effective, reusable filters.
These are our best filter coffee machines for 2025.
Score: 89/100
With a 12-cup capacity, a 24-hour timer, and a “pause and pour” feature that stops the brewing process while you serve, this filter coffee machine is a worthwhile investment. Our coffee brewed nicely, and the jug’s wide spout made pouring straightforward too.
Score: 86/100
The front-facing, easy-to-use interface ticked lots of boxes for our expert tester. The slim, compact design won’t take up too much room on your countertop and convenient features include a descaling programme, automatic shut-off, and a “keep warm” setting.
Score: 85/100
Smaller households – take note. This budget-friendly machine brews two cups of coffee in a minute and a half and has the smallest minimum capacity of all the models we tried. However, its 10-cup maximum capacity ensures there’s plenty of coffee to go around when you’re entertaining.
Things to consider when buying a coffee machine
Coffee grinders
If you love the smell of freshly ground coffee, it's worth investing in a coffee grinder so you grind your own beans and use the grounds in your espresso or filter coffee machine. Some bean-to-cup machines feature a ground coffee function too, so it’s worth checking before purchasing if you’re planning on grinding your own.
The beauty of using one of the best coffee grinders is that they offer a wider range of settings than a coffee machine. This allows you to make different speciality brews where grinding to the right size is crucial in unlocking the flavour notes of the beans.
Check out our experts’ best coffee grinders.
Score: 89/100
This coffee grinder lets you adjust the grind time by 0.2 second increments and boasts 60 settings, covering everything from French press to espressos. Our fine grounds were precise in both weight and size, and minimal residue escaped from the grinder. The medium and coarse grounds could have been more accurate but it’s still a worthy buy.
Score: 87/100
With a UV filter on the hopper to protect your beans, this is practical and considered. There are only five settings, but they’re clearly labelled with coffee types, and you can start grinding at the push of a button. Like our winner, the finer grounds were most accurate and there was a bit of static build-up, which left a mess on the countertop – but we think the extra clean-up time is worth it.
Score: 79/100
At just £20, this Amazon Basics grinder is an excellent pick for first timers who don't want to spend over the odds. There aren’t any specific grind settings, but the responsive button and clear lid allow you to quickly stop grinding as soon as you reach the right consistency.
Milk frother
If your go-to coffee is a cappuccino or latte, you’ll want to pay attention to your milk frother. Whether it’s built into the machine or sold separately, these are the three main formats you need to consider.
- Automatic frothing: These machines allow you to froth milk at the touch of a button. They use a sealed, detachable plastic or glass jug, which can be easily cleaned. Some jugs have an adjustable spout that can pour milk straight into your mug.
- Frothing accessory: These are typically sold separately but deliver similar results to an automatic frother. However, rather than selecting a preset programme, you’ll need to pour your coffee and froth the milk manually to make your milky drink. Some frothing accessories can also whisk cold milk – perfect for iced coffees.
- Steam wand: For the coffee connoisseur, you’ll want to set your sights on a steam wand. This is what you typically see in your favourite coffee shops, and they allow total control over the texture of the milk. It will even allow you to produce the fine, glossy microfoam used for latte art. These milk frothers are usually found on espresso machines and come with a stainless-steel jug for steaming milk to the perfect temperature.
Personalisation
For more control over your cuppa, a bean-to-cup coffee machine is the best option. These allow you to adjust the strength and size of your drink, which is harder to do with a pod machine. Most models allow you to save the settings too, so it's easier to select your preferred coffee setting.
Automatic cleaning programmes
With so many different parts and dirt traps, cleaning a coffee machine can be a bit of a faff. That’s why it's important to consider an automatic cleaning programme when you’re buying a coffee machine. These handy preset programmes automatically flush out the entire system, with some taking just six minutes and others needing more than 20.
Price
The best coffee machines can be a hefty investment. From £90 up to nearly £2000, prices vary massively depending on the type, special functions and extra accessories included. It all comes down to personal preference and what features are most important to you. However, even the most affordable coffee machine can deliver a barista-style moment of bliss. Check out our best budget coffee machines for delicious drinks without the compromise.
Coffee pods and accessories
Once you’ve bought your coffee machine, you’ll need to consider the best coffee pods or beans for your tastes. And if you typically enjoy your morning mug en-route to the office, you may want to consider the best travel mugs for handbag-safe transportation.
How to make your coffee habits more sustainable
As a nation, we’ve developed a habit for fuelling up on coffee, either at home or out and about, but coffee production and waste can have a surprisingly large impact on our environment.
Once coffee has been extracted from bean-to-cup and espresso machines, you’re left with a small byproduct of compacted coffee. Instead of letting it go to waste, you could pop them in the compost bin and use it to fertilise the garden.
While the single-use nature of coffee pods may be offputting for some, there is some good news – most pod brands are easily recyclable. Both Lavazza and Nespresso have dedicated recycling points nationwide (locations can be found online) and Nespresso pods can also be recycled in store or posted back to the brand. Alternatively, take a look at our roundup of the best eco-friendly coffee pods.
How we test coffee machines at the Good Housekeeping Institute
We’ve sipped our way through hundreds of coffees to find the best machines. This involved pulling espressos, whipping up lattes, frothing cappuccinos and pouring flat whites from more than 40 top models. The consistency and efficiency of each model was assessed as they made specific beverages, allowing us to ensure they are capable of creating the desired flavour profile time and time again.
Whether testing bean-to-cup, espresso or pod machines, we use coffee with the same tasting notes — caramel, biscuit and chocolate. Our feedback is based on taste, aroma, body, and crema quality.
If the coffee machine has a steam wand or milk frother, we steam milk and dairy-free alternatives to see if it can create the correct textures and volumes for specific recipes. We also take a temperature reading to test whether it has reached the optimum heat for sweet, velvety milk.
Every test is conducted twice to check the consistency.
Megan is the Good Housekeeping Institute’s homes writer. She loves diving into the latest product releases to find the very best buys on the market. When she’s not writing about the newest gadgets and gizmos for your home and garden, you’ll find her cooking, running and exploring London’s foodie hotspots – or trying to make friends with every dog she passes. Megan has an MA in Magazine Journalism and has previously written for Stylist, Glamour, TimeOut, SquareMeal, and YOU magazine. You can find Megan on Instagram @meganlouisegeall and on X @megan_geall
