Malcolm Gladwell once said that it takes ten thousand hours to master anything. I’m not sure “practice helps” is that insightful and I don’t know if I’ve spent the equivalent of four hundred days testing coffee machinesbut i know i have tried many of them.
So many, in fact, that I can’t even remember the exact number I tried, but my editor, Mollycan confirm that as a team we’ve spent hundreds of hours in the test kitchen testing dozens of coffee machines.
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All of which means I’ve turned the art of finding a good coffee maker into a no-nonsense science. After years of testing and who-knows-how-many cups of espresso, this is actually what matters when buying a coffee machine.
1. Size
Perhaps a little obvious, but think about the size of the machine you want to buy. Before you roll your eyes, I don’t mean just checking to see if you have a little kitchen space, but actually measuring. Many coffee makers are designed for huge kitchen counters in the US, with extra cabinet space above.
(Image credit: Future)
You can see in the image above that a Ninja filter coffee machine designed for the American market, not quite suitable for my British kitchen. Despite the larger-than-average closet space in my apartment (brag, and yes, I’m sad enough to do the math), it’s still awkward to use. I had to take it out from under the cabinet every time I used it.
I can’t count the number of times I’ve unboxed a coffee maker to find it outperformed all my other appliances, especially large coffee makers like bean-to-cup models. I’ve sometimes had to sacrifice my toaster and kettle to find enough space, so it’s extremely important to measure before some giant coffee maker takes over your kitchen. Usually, the more features offered, the bigger the machine.
2. Main characteristics
It depends on what you want, so you may not need all of these, but there are some key features to consider.
If you want a good espresso, the coffee machine should be able to create at least 8 bars of pressure for a proper espresso – ideally it should be 9 bars. This spec is usually hidden somewhere on the product website because PR departments aren’t going to advertise that their machine can’t handle that much. The best machines will have accurate pressure gauges so you can be sure the coffee is at the correct pressure.
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For milk coffee, you need either a steam pipe or a milk frother. If you love making your own latte art, you want a steam wand. If you just want a good latte without getting involved, get a milk frother or a frothing jug – you won’t have to learn how to use a steam pipe, which is also difficult to clean.
The the best bean to cup coffee machines it will have built-in coffee grinders so you can have freshly ground beans in the correct 16g portion without having to grind or measure them yourself.
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A good bean-to-cup machine will combine all of these features, but they will be lacking in “automatic” machines such as capsule machines or filter coffee machines. It totally depends on the coffee you want.
If you only drink black coffee, there’s no point in buying a bean-to-cup machine that can make macchiatos and other milky coffees. Likewise, if you like lattes, you don’t want a filter coffee machine that makes gallons of black coffee.
3. Fake functions
I’ve had some broken conversations with PR departments about this: some “features” are just marketing jargon. There are machines loaded with features that don’t actually do what they claim.
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Any marketing that claims a coffee machine can make a “cold brew” in minutes is lying because a cold brew, by definition, requires hours of steeping. Many machines marketed with an “iced coffee” function do not have one at all; the machine just tells you to draw hot espresso over ice, which you can do yourself.
It is often the case that a machine that is marketed as being able to make 30 coffees can really only make espresso cups in slightly different quantities. It’s worth reading reviews to see if these bonus features are really useful or a marketing gimmick.
4. Ease of use
Therefore, it is extremely important to consider the difference between automatic and manual coffee machines. “Automatic” coffee machines rarely taste as good as an espresso machine, but they are much easier to use.
If the thought of picking on a WDT tool or antistatic spray bores you to tears, you need something automatic, like a bean-to-cup or capsule coffee machine, that will reliably produce the coffee you want.
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A key problem here, however, is that the automatic coffee machine doesn’t actually exist. Any machine that offers coffee “at the push of a button” is lying. A bean-to-cup or capsule coffee machine is about as close as you can get, but they still need some work.
Both should be loaded with coffee. Both should be flushed with cleaning regimens and both should be emptied and hand washed at least once a week to prevent coffee grounds from becoming moldy. It’s not backbreaking work, but it’s not automatic, and it’s never as simple as shaking a kettle.
5. Cleaning
Cleaning coffee machines can also be quite tedious. It’s a small thing, but many otherwise great coffee makers have subtle cleaning programs to remove scale and manually clean the tubes. Some particularly annoying examples have their own special cleaning tablets or chemicals, which is really just a way to get you to spend more money.
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The best bean-to-cup and pod models have easy cleaning modes, and a good espresso machine should be easy to clean by hand. Simpler methods such as cafetiere are often dishwasher safe, which saves a lot of trouble.
6. Price/quality ratio
With capsule coffee, you have to think about whether the capsule subscription is really worth it in the long run. Take Nespresso as an example; at the time of writing, a sleeve of Stormio Vertuo capsules costs nearly £7 for ten capsules. If two of you in the house drink one coffee a day, you’ll get through it for a work week. A coffee a day for a month costs more than £40, which quickly adds up in the current climate.
You can get a lot more coffee for your money with coffee beans or ground coffee; a cheap 270g bag of supermarket grounds should yield about 16 coffees, and they taste better anyway. If you have your heart set on a coffee machine, the most cost-effective way to do it is to use an espresso machine, filter or coffee maker.
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Appliance companies won’t thank me for this, but you should consider whether it’s worth buying a machine at all. Many people cope with instant coffee and milk. I usually have some fancy coffee machine on loan to review, but I rarely stop for instant; it’s cheap and faster than a machine, so I’m drinking it as I write this piece. It’s not tasty or glamorous, but it’s a lot more value for money than a £600 coffee machine, especially when some of them aren’t even that good.
Which coffee maker would I buy?
I think the old ways are the best. If you want really strong coffee, you can’t beat a coffee shop. The Espro P7 (£105 at Borough Kitchen) it’s still as good as it has been since the first time I tried it years ago. If you want to save a lot of money, give it a try Bodum Coffee Maker (£16 on Amazon); it costs under £20 and although it’s not as fancy as other options, it will make a liter of very good coffee. For stronger coffee, try a mocha pot – Bialettis (£36.69 at Amazon) are iconic and what I use but Vonshef (£15.99 at Amazon) is much cheaper.
Without a doubt, my favorite coffee machine is the Aeropress, which I reviewed range from last year. The Aeropress is affordable, portable, fun to use, and makes delicious, unique coffee. It’s faster and cheaper than most cafeteria or mocha pots, and it tastes amazing. There are ongoing costs for filter papers, but they are negligible compared to capsule coffee subscriptions. The only downside is that it’s for one serving (unless you buy Aeropress XL (£87.08 at Amazon)).
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For an espresso machine, keep it simple. Sage Barista Express Impress we have reviewed it has everything you need and nothing else; beginners and professionals alike can get a lot out of this machine.
Drip coffee doesn’t have to be fancy either. I’ve long loved the mid-century design of the Moccamaster KBG Select, which is easy the best filter coffee machine We tried, but your wallet is better off with a cheap machine like this Russell Hobbs Buckingham (£44 at Amazon).
For milk coffees, De’Longhi Eletta Explore is the best I’ve tried but painfully expensive; on Melita Latizia recently wowed me for a lot less, even though it’s not as stylish.
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For a capsule coffee machine I would choose Nespresso Lattissima One EN510. It makes lattes and cappuccinos and uses the original Nespresso capsules – I think they taste better than the Nespresso Vertuo capsules or competitors like Tassimo. Original Nespresso capsules are the industry standard; if you want to try coffee from Be bold or Raveyou need a machine that takes the originals.
Although you have to navigate the jargon and marketing gimmicks, there are great coffee machines out there – you just have to know what you’re looking for.
