Best Coffee Machine 2025: Enjoy barista-style coffee at home

If ever you needed more proof that Ninja has come to absolutely dominate kitchen appliances at large, the Ninja Luxe Cafe Pro Series ES701UK will probably put the matter to rest. This is one of those rare coffee machines that offers you all of the high-end features that true java aficionados appreciate but with Ninja’s eye for simplicity that makes those same features accessible to a wider audience.

On the surface, this is a true all-in-one coffee machine. With the ability to whip up espressos, filter coffee and even cold brew (yes, you read that right), so if you’re the type of person who already has several different types of coffee machines in their kitchen, or you only have a limited about of kitchen-top space available then this machine offers a great way to keep things compact. 

Like any of the best coffee machines, the ES701UK has an integrated grinder so you can enjoy the freshest ground coffee possible, one that’s bursting forth with flavour and will have you wondering how you put up with anything less in the past. As we’ve already mentioned, coffee pros will know exactly what settings they want to use when it comes to grinding the coffee, but if you’re not particularly well versed in such details then the ES701UK can do the work for you.

Thanks to the Barista Assist feature that’s onboard, the ES701UK recommends a specific setting for the grinder based on the type of coffee that you want. It even knows, without any input on your part, the amount of beans required for a particular drink. It all goes a long way to making sure that each cup of coffee tastes great, with exactly the type of strength and aroma that you’d want first thing in the morning.

If you prefer a taller coffee like a latte or a flat white, there is a built-in milk frother that can get the job done in next to no time. In fact, this frother also has a dedicated mode for sprucing up plant-based coffee, which requires a slightly different technique and is unfortunately overlooked by most other machines. There’s very little that Ninja hasn’t thought of, and it paves the way for a great all-round coffee experience.

The Ninja Luxe Cafe Premiere Series is one of the most versatile and easy-to-use coffee machines we’ve ever reviewed.

A truly all-in-one machine, with storage spaces for all its accessories such as filters and its cleaning disc, the Luxe Cafe Premiere Series also comes equipped with three single-walled portafilters for single, double and quad-shots of espresso.

You don’t need to be a trained barista to create the perfect cup of coffee either, thanks to Ninja’s smart Barista Assist technology and intuitive control panel which allows you to simply select the type of drink you’d like to make.

Once the handle is inserted into the grinder, Barista Assista technology will recognise the filter used and grind the correct amount of coffee accordingly. With 25 grind settings, the grinder ensures that there’s only a small amount of wastage, so you can save your precious coffee beans.

The control panel displays a huge range of drinks that can be made, including espresso, quad and over ice, plus classic and Americano. You can also adjust the drink size, from small (175ml) up to XL (530ml).

We were mainly impressed with the quality level of our drinks, with classic and filter coffees coming out smooth and rich. While we were especially impressed with its ability to make a cold brew in minutes, we did find that espressos came out slightly too hot even after we adjusted the settings.

There’s also a built-in milk frothing station, equipped with a steam wand and a dedicated jug with a whisk inside, much like the Nespresso Barista. This jug usefully has markings inside which shows the recommended milk level for each type of drink too.

We were seriously impressed with the milk frother as it not only made light work of perfecting dairy but also resulted in the best frothy plant milk we’ve ever achieved. That’s a serious accomplishment, as plant milk is notoriously difficult to froth.

Otherwise we found the Luxe is easy to clean and maintain, with reminders to run the descaling programme when needed.

Able to make everything from espresso to cold brew, and can froth both dairy and notoriously difficult plant milk to perfection, the Luxe Cafe Premiere Series is perfect if you enjoy variety in your caffeinated drinks or you live in a busy household with lots of tastes to cater for.

If you spend a decent chunk of your time ordering coffees down your local cafe and are starting to wish that you could just prepare barista-style beverages from the comfort of your own home, then you’re in luck. All that (and then some) is possible with the ultra-premium De’Longhi La Specialista Touch.

Sure, it might be a tad overkill for those who are perfectly content with Nespresso pod coffee, but this machine is meant for the folks who obsess over coffee beans, grind levels and temperature. In fact, even if you aren’t amongst that crowd but you’d like to be, then the La Specialista Touch can provide step by step instructions on how to make the perfect shot of espresso each and every time.

All of the information is conveyed via the handy touchscreen interface, from which you can access all of the machine’s main features. There’s automatic milk frothing available, although if you want a specific type of consistency in the milk then you can take over with manual controls.

If you don’t fancy an espresso, there are tons of options available right on the touchscreen, so you can quickly prepare a range of coffees including lattes, cappuccinos, flat whites and more. There’s even the option to make cold brew coffee during the warmer months of the year.

The built-in grinder also ensures that when you do want to brew a cup of coffee, the beverage itself will benefit from unparalleled freshness. The drinks that we brewed throughout the testing process were all delicious, and it’s hard to ever imagine making a bad cup of coffee with the La Specialista Touch in tow. Simply put, if you’re obsessed with good coffee then this is the perfect outlet for your fandom.

The Melitta Barista TS Smart is a top bean-to-cup coffee machine, capable of producing high-quality drinks – from spot-on espresso to enticing cappuccinos and lattes – all at the touch of a button. This machine has 10 user profiles, so everyone in your house can customise their favourite recipes. The “smart” part of the name refers to the Bluetooth app, which makes it easy to program your favourite drinks using your phone.

This machine has dual bean hoppers on top, so you can have different varieties for different drinks, or give two people in your home their favourite beans. This is a feature that we’ve only seen replicated on much more expensive machines.

What’s really important is that this coffee machine can produce excellent espresso that’s pretty much as good as you can get from a manual espresso machine. And, it’s rather good at steaming milk, too, producing excellent cappuccinos and lattes. If you want a huge variety of drinks but you don’t really want to have to do the job yourself, this is the bean-to-cup machine for you.

If you want no-fuss coffee delivered at the touch of a button, the Krups Evidence Eco Design EA897B40 is a well priced coffee machine that gets all of the basics right.

To keep the price down, the Krups Evidence Eco Design EA897B40 has simple touch button options for each type of drink, ranged across the front. That makes it easy to see what you’re doing, even if you don’t get the same calibration and modification settings as on a machine with a large touchscreen.

Most importantly, the Krups Evidence Eco Design EA897B40 makes good coffee. Shots of espresso are neat and delivered with the same quality time and time again.

Milk frothing is more basic, and you have to run the hose into a container holding your milk as no carafe is provided. Foam quality is decent rather than exceptional, but the taste isn’t bad at all.

You get more if you spend more, but for simple, straightforward quality, this is a great bean-to-cup coffee machine.

The De’Longhi Magnifica Plus is a brilliant mid-range, bean-to-cup coffee machine that’s easy to use and, most importantly, makes a delicious cup of coffee.

At 240x440x360mm, the Magnifica Plus is a compact machine which doesn’t take up much counter space. It’s cleverly designed too, as the 1.9-litre water tank slides out from the front so there’s no need to turn the machine around when refilling. In fact, the only time you’ll need to access the side is to remove the brew unit for cleaning. Otherwise, the coffee machine’s maintenance can all be done from the front. 

You’ll find a bean hopper on top, which takes a standard bag of coffee, alongside a chute for adding pre-ground coffee. While the Magnifica Plus is generally an automatic machine, you will need to adjust the grind setting manually to get the best possible results. 

Operating the Magnifica Plus is simple, thanks to the intuitive LCD panel which allows you to create profiles for up to four users, which houses their personal preferences. You can also select between drink options such as espresso, iced coffee and Americano. Alternatively, clip on the included carafe and select between milk options such as flat white, cappuccino and macchiato. 

Overall we found the De’Longhi Magnifica Plus made brilliant coffees at an optimum temperature, both with and without milk. Although with the latter, there’s not an option for latte art but you still benefit from a delicious milky coffee with minimal effort.

If iced coffees are your preferred beverage then we’d advise opting for the likes of the La Specialist Opera or Ninja Luxe Cafe Premiere Series instead. Rather than using cold water, the Magnifica Plus instead uses hot water to pour the coffee over ice instead, which doesn’t result in a particularly flavoursome cold brew.

If you’re looking for an affordable and easy way to make delicious coffees at home, then the De’Longhi Magnifica Plus is a brilliant choice.

Aside from the ability to make a good cup of coffee, there’s an argument to be made that the core function of any coffee machine should be convenience. After all, if a coffee machine doesn’t make the brewing process any easier then it’d be a much cheaper affair to simply make your coffee the old fashioned way. If you ascribe to that notion then you’ll love what the De’Longhi Rivelia brings to the table.

This bean-to-cup machine gives true coffee fans the chance to try out different blends on the fly thanks to its swappable bean hopper system. There are two bean hoppers included (although you can buy more separately), and they can be taken off or added to the machine at a moment’s notice, so if you decide that you want a different tasting coffee one morning, you aren’t stuck with the last beans you used.

To crank the convenience factor up a notch, the machine also boasts profiles wherein you can set your preferred coffee strength and amount, letting you pick right back up from where you left off, even if someone else has used the machine before you.

As a final cherry on top, the Rivelia can even let you know what milk frothing mode to use and the results from our testing were fantastic. So long as your budget can cover it, the De’Longhi Rivelia offers up a whole new level of coffee luxury.

There’s no doubt that a manual espresso machine is capable of better results than a bean-to-cup machine. While the Philips Barista Brew Espresso Machine is more expensive than an entry-level bean-to-cup machine, it’s good value for a manual machine that also has an integrated grinder.

This coffee machine also helps you make coffee. Once you’ve ground directly into the portafilter, the ‘calibrated’ tamper helps you get the right pressure on the beans, and then you can hit the single- or double-espresso button to get your desired drink.

We found that the Philips Barista Brew Espresso Machine produced excellent espresso with a thick, velvety crema.

Steaming is handled manually using the hard-to-reach dial on the side. It needs some practice to get properly textured milk, although the Philips Barista Brew Espresso Machine is capable of this.

If you like the ritual of making your own coffee, the Philips Barista Brew Espresso Machine is a good machine to get started with.

If you’re short on counter space but want the flexibility to make your own espresso manually (dare we say, properly), then the KitchenAid Artisan Espresso Machine is the machine for you.

A stylish model, this is one of the smallest espresso machines that we have reviewed. As with the company’s mixers, the KitchenAid Artisan Espresso Machine is available in five colours.

Function hasn’t been replaced by style: there’s a cup warmer, a generous 1.4-litre tank of water, and just four buttons: one for toggling between coffee, steam and hot water; one for selecting one shot or two; one for descaling; and one to start the selected mode.

Single- and double-walled filter baskets are in the box. Single-walled are for coffee you’ve ground yourself; double-walled are for pre-ground coffee and help keep the right level of pressure. Both single- and double-espressos are catered for in both formats.

Coffee quality is excellent and we got a nice thick crema, with the coffee pouring like hot honey. We love the way that the amount of coffee can be programmed, so you get consistent results each time. Steaming milk is straight forward, although you will probably need some practice to get the best results.

If you want quality manual espresso at a great price, then the KitchenAid Artisan Espresso Machine delivers that.

Pod machines are built for ease, not necessarily artistic ability. The Sage Nespresso Creatista Uno changes that, with a machine that gives you the ease that you’d expect from a pod machine, but the ability to free-pour milk to make your own creations like a professional barista. Taking a standard milk jug, the Creatista Uno can steam milk automatically; the pouring is up to you.

High-quality espresso comes at the touch of the button, with this model supporting Nespresso’s ristretto, espresso and lungo settings. Best of all, the coffee machine is excellent value and won’t take up much room on your worktop.

Even though there’s a lot to love about espressos, and nothing goes down smoother than a frothy coffee, the true aficionados out there know that if you want a proper cup of joe with plenty of flavour to boot then a filter machine is the only way to go. With that in mind, the Melitta AromaFresh II Therm Pro is our current top pick in this category.

Starting with the most important aspect – the Therm Pro is able to deliver a delicious cup of coffee. Our testing showed that a consistent temperature of 74°C was reached and the coffee itself was well developed, leaving us wanting for very little.

As an added benefit, the Therm Pro spreads the aroma of fresh coffee during the brewing process, whetting your appetite even further for that first all important sip. Where the Therm Pro really comes into its own however is with the included thermal jug.

This jug is able to keep coffee warm for up to two hours without requiring any electricity to keep it going. This means that if you enjoy having an early morning brew to kickstart the day, followed by a mid-morning coffee to keep the juices flowing then you won’t have to go through the brewing process a second time.

Thanks to the dial on top of the device, you even have control over the fineness of the grind, so if you want a stronger coffee that extracts as much flavour as possible from your coffee beans then you can have just that.

The obvious counterpoint to all of this is that if you prefer having just one cup of coffee a day and a more mild flavour at that then the Therm Pro probably isn’t for you. We were also slightly annoyed by the fact that there isn’t a simple way to empty the grinder, so if you have a few coffee beans left over you’ll have to grind them in order to safely clear the hopper. Still, these are small gripes on what is otherwise a tremendous filter coffee machine.

Handmade, the Moccamaster KBGT is designed to do one job: deliver perfect filter coffee time and time again. It’s rather industrial looking, and the parts don’t have the shine that rivals have, but the KBGT is a quality filter coffee machine for several key reasons.

First, everything comes apart easily. The filter basket, shower head and water tank can all be removed easily for cleaning, so this machine is easy to keep in its best condition. Secondly, it’s stupidly easy to use: put coffee into the paper filter, fill the water tank and then turn the machine on: excellent filter coffee pours out into the thermal carafe, which will keep the coffee warm for around three hours.

This machine can make 10-cups (1.25-litres) of coffee maximum, which is enough for a dinner party or just coffee-hungry families that like a brew through the day.

There are filter machines with more features, such as timers and grinders, but if you’ve got a good coffee grinder and care more about the final product than extras and looks, the Moccamaster KBGT is a solid workhorse.

With most coffee machines, there tends to be an understanding that to be great at a particular type of cup, a machine might not be equipped to cater to other tastes, so you have to pick and choose depending on which style of coffee you favour the most. By comparison, the De’Longhi PrimaDonna Aromatic is one of those rare all-in-one coffee machines.

It doesn’t matter if you want a latte, a flat white, filter coffee or even cold brew, the PrimaDonna Aromatic can make it. You can also froth cold milk for those hot summer days when only an iced coffee will do, so for a true year-round machine, this is the option to go for. What’s more, you don’t even have to be a coffee expert to know how to make the most out of it – this is a machine that does most of the heavy lifting for you.

When it comes to the grinding process, De’Longhi’s Bean Adapt software asks you a few quick questions about the type of beans that you’ve loaded in, and then decides on the best course of action to extract as much flavour as possible in your next cup. It’s a huge win towards getting barista-style coffee in just a matter of minutes.

That level of automation also extends to the milk frothing. Once you’ve selected your desired brew, the frothing is taken completely out of your hands as the machine knows the right amount of milk, frothing texture and heat to best pair with your chosen drink. It’s such a seamless process, and it makes the experience of entertaining guests that much easier (especially if everyone has different tastes when it comes to coffee).

On the control front, there’s a five-inch touchscreen on the machine which lets you select from the coffee types available, although if you’re at your desk and you want a fresh cup of coffee ready for you as soon as you walk up to the machine, then you can also indulge in remote controls via the accompanying smartphone app.

It might have a price that will make the casual consumer wince, but the Siemens EQ900 Plus is a powerful and flexible bean-to-cup coffee machine. It’s also designed to take away the annoying parts of owning a bean-to-cup coffee machine.

To that aim, the Siemens EQ900 Plus has Calc and Clean cartridges, so that the machine can automatically descale and clean itself.

Control is via the huge LCD panel on the front, which makes it easy to find and modify the style of drink that you want; important, given that this coffee machine can make 36 different drinks.

The results are excellent: perfectly smooth espresso with a velvety crema, and smooth foamed milk.

If you want brilliant coffee at the touch of a button but don’t want to deal with the usual maintenance that comes with a bean-to-cup coffee machine, this is the one to buy.