2021's Best Coffee Machines: Our list of the best bean-to-cup, ground and capsule machines

 

(Pocket-lint) - It may be a profoundly personal thing how you like your coffee - you may like it heavy, milky, or any other number of ways. A perfect way to take care of your Joe's cups is to buy a coffee machine for yourself so that you can enjoy barista-quality drinks from home comfort.

So, we've rounded up the best coffee machines out there, some filter coffee makers, some Nespresso and Dolce Gusto capsule machines (please recycle) and some all-singing and dancing bean to cup machines that also do milk frothing so you can taste your latte at home.

Although some of these devices are a little pricey, using beans and your own milk means that, compared to a more expensive cup of coffee at Starbucks or Costa, you will soon save money.

Which is the best coffee machine for you?

Moccamaster Filter Coffee Machine

Like coffee filters? Look no further then. If you fancy something really high-end, with its classy finish, the Technivorm (various colours are available). The pace at which the coffee flows into the carafe can be manually controlled and it's strong enough to brew a full pot of coffee in just a few minutes. The Moccamaster has a copper boiling element that is easy to heat up and accurately regulates the brewing temperature.

Krups Evidence

This well-designed bean-to-cup coffee machine is not inexpensive, but it is mega impressive - an external milk carafe means that it can produce excellent drinks based on milk (two at the same time) and that you can very easily customize drinks (say you want an extra shot). This is also one of the most portable bean-to-cup machines that we've seen.

There's also an excellent app that you can download via Bluetooth and link to the computer.

The app allows you to see different settings and choices, including setting the water hardness level quickly, when the machine can automatically turn off and when the machine will automatically turn on at a certain time. When you need to clean the computer or replace the filter, the app also informs you. Feature-packed but not difficult to use, one of the best coffee machines we've used is the Krups Proof.

Smarter Coffee Machine 2.0

The Smarter 2.0 is not only a good machine, but also offers you easy-to-use app-controlled components if you are after a decent bean-to-jug filter machine. However, you do pay a little bit of a price premium for that.

Getting a computer that has coffee ready for you first thing in the morning is a great luxury.

Similarly, getting mobile alerts that tell you when the coffee is ready is fantastic. Both aspects are all very helpful, but the only smart features that give you a real advantage are arguably the only ones.

There is compatibility with Google Home/Assistant, but it is currently very limited because you can not start brewing coffee with a simple order.

Nespresso by De'Longhi Lattissima One

Try this svelte Nespresso machine, available in white (actually cream) or mocha, if you're looking for a pod machine that doesn't look like an industrial blender. Its genius is that it also has a milk compartment for ace cappuccino or macchiatos, but the milk appliance is basically self-contained so that the milk does not dirty the rest of the system.

You can remove the milk bit after each cup, quickly take it apart and wash it (dishwasher safe, as well). It's a perfect solution to more costly devices that need to be rinsed all the time (and for you to empty the drip tray all the time as a result). There's also this slightly more costly model if you want a little more milk power.

Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie & Milk

This good value machine builds on the excellence of Lavazza in coffee and incorporates milk into the blend. If you want to make milky coffee, but still want the ease of coffee capsules, it's a perfect option.

Depending on whether you're normally an espresso drinker or you prefer larger cups, the buttons can be pre-set while the cup rack is height-adjustable.

It is also designed not to take up too much space on work surfaces and to be quiet, too - during the brewing process, it emits just 44dB.

DeLonghi Scultura ECZ351

One trendy coffee machine is the DeLonghi Scultura ECZ351. Usable colours include black, cream, white and grey, so at least one should match your kitchen decor, plus its dimensions of 310 x 300 x 250 mm indicate that it won't take up too much room on the work surface either.

This unit supports the formats of ground coffee and ESE pod and can generate espresso and cappuccino, the former of which it can do two at a time.

For fast cleaning, the Scultura has a removable tank with a capacity of 1.4 litres, a system pressure of 15 bars and a removable drip tray.

With this number, you will also find a few handy features, including a steam pipe, auto-off function, and a cup warmer like the Miele, but no temperature adjustable feature.

Francis Francis Y3

The rectangular, geometric look of the Francis Francis Y3 coffee machine makes it ideal for a contemporary kitchen.

Like the DeLonghi Scultura, this model is also available in a few colours, but with a lime green model and an orange version available, along with black and white, it is a little more adventurous.

The Y3 is a capsule machine that uses the capsule method Illy iperEspresso and claims to deliver "true bar-quality espresso" It's smaller than the 270 x 320 x 110mm Scultura, and it's also a little cheaper. The removable tank has a capacity of 0.9 litres and the pressure of the machine on this model is 19 bars.

You're not going to get warm cups from this model and there's no steam pipe either, but the drip tray can be removed, so cleaning should be pleasant and quick again.

Nespresso Inissia

For those new to Nespresso, the Nespresso Inissia is fine. It's cheap and cheerful, along with a compact 120 x 320 x 230mm footprint that allows it to be easily tucked to the side of your kitchen, and offers a simple, fuss-free design.

The Inissia is a capsule model that, predictably, uses Nespresso capsules and makes one espresso at a time, ensuring you can stand in your kitchen for a while if you have a dinner party.

It has a system pressure of 19 bars and a 0.7-litre removable tank and is available in a variety of colours, including white, red, burnt orange and blue.

The Inissia does not pack them in when it comes to features, with no warmer cup, adjustable temperature, filter or steam pipe, but it comes with a removable drip tray and a nice retro style.