If you’re anything like me, your day doesn’t truly begin until you’ve sipped your first cup of coffee – but, long gone are the days when we’d have to rely on instant granules for a caffeine hit.
Domestic espresso and bean-to-cup coffee machines have made it easier than ever to brew specialty roasts in our own homes – so much so that it’s become an integral part of our routine.
But, how much money do you really need to spend to get anything close to what you’d buy in a coffee shop?
As a former barista and Good Food’s resident coffee expert, I’m here to reassure you that you don’t need to spend thousands of pounds on the latest kit – a bag of freshly roasted beans (often priced at £10/250g) will have a bigger impact on what ultimately ends up in your cup.
Still, with so much coffee gear out there, knowing what’s actually worth your money can send you into a tailspin.
As an act of kindness (and not under the pretence of fuelling my own caffeine addiction), I’ve spent countless hours testing a range of coffee machines, gadgets and accessories to help you cut through the noise and find the right kit for your needs, space and budget.
Everything in this guide has my seal of approval and a coveted 5/5 star rating – but for a full look at everything we’ve tried and tested, you can check out Good Food’s guides to the best coffee machines, best bean-to-cup coffee machines, best espresso machines and best gifts for coffee lovers. Happy brewing!
Every coffee machine, gadget and accessory I’ve tested and rated 5/5 stars
Ninja Luxe Cafe Pro Series ES701UK
Available from Amazon (£674.07), Very (£699), Ninja (£699.99), Currys (£699.99), Argos (£700)
I’m kicking off this guide with a biggie: the Ninja ES701UK, an all-singing, all-dancing appliance that brews espresso, filter coffee and cold brew, setting it apart from any other machine on the market.
Don’t be fooled by its ‘techy’ interface – it’s remarkably easy to use and a great choice for beginners. In test, its automatic milk steaming was particularly impressive, producing ultra-silky, creamy microfoam for our cappuccinos, flat whites and lattes, which is difficult to achieve when you don’t steam the milk manually.
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Fellow Opus coffee grinder
Available from Borough Kitchen (£155), Amazon (£195), Harrods (£210)
Known for its sleek, minimalist range of coffee grinders, Fellow is undoubtedly one of the most aesthetically pleasing brands out there. But it’s not just about good looks: precision is where its products really excel, and the Opus is no exception.
This gadget has 41 grind settings, which means you can programme the grind size exactly to your liking, plus a volumetric dosing lid and spouted catch to reduce mess. As grinding is measured in seconds rather than cup size or dose, you’ll also need to weigh your beans beforehand, but for coffee aficionados this won’t be out of the ordinary.
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Lavazza Jolie Evo coffee pod machine
Available from Amazon (£57.89), Lavazza (£99)
If you want convenience over anything else, a coffee pod machine is the way to go and, in my experience, this model from Lavazza is the best of the bunch. It has a compact slimline design, which means it’s perfect for smaller kitchens, and it handles the basics impressively well.
To use, simply pop a Lavazza pod into the top of the machine, pull down the robust metal handle and hit the ‘on’ button, after which smooth, rich espresso with silky crema will pour from the spout.
You can extract as little or as much coffee as you want (depending on how much water is in the tank), which isn’t so ideal if you want a consistent dose every time, but does offer good versatility.
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Grind Cold Brew bottle
Available from Grind (£30)
Providing you’re happy to be patient, making your own cold brew at home is a simple process, made even easier with accessories like this bottle from Grind.
With it, you can produce up to five cups – simply put 50g ground coffee (about 7 tbsp) in the filter basket, add up to a litre of water and leave to brew. The recommended brew time is eight to 24 hours. Naturally, the longer you leave it, the more intense the flavour will be.
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De’Longhi La Specialista Touch
Available from De’Longhi (£699.99)
Most premium semi-automatic coffee machines will set you back at least £1,000, but this model from De’Longhi is a great-value option that still delivers bucketloads of quality. Semi-automatic means you’ll still get some level of automation (such as grinding, dosing), but the fun bits of the process – like tamping the grounds and steaming the milk – are left to the user.
A selection of accessories are included, too, like an additional drip tray, distribution tool, tamper, portafilter station and two filter baskets, plus a cleaning brush, stainless steel milk jug and trimming tool. If you’re less confident frothing milk, there’s even a temperature probe built into the steam wand.
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Sage the Oracle Jet
Available from Sage (£1,699.95), Currys (£1,699.99), Lakeland (£1,699.99)
For those with a much bigger budget to play with, this statement machine from Sage kicks things up a notch. Like the La Specialista Touch, it’s a semi-automatic model that offers both customisation and automation, but with even more sophisticated features.
Powered by Sage’s impressive ThermoJet fast-heating system, it offers a huge range of drink and grind settings, plus customisable features – for example, there are specific steam options for dairy, oat, almond and soya milk.
The Oracle Jet’s software can also be updated remotely: all that’s needed is a wifi connection, and whenever there’s an update available, simply hit the ‘install’ button and your machine will take care of the rest.
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ProCook milk frother
Available from ProCook (£69)
If you love milky coffees but don’t want to fork out for a machine with a steam wand, this ProCook milk frother is a handy gadget to have on your worktop.
It has a generous 400ml capacity – ideal if you want to make two drinks at once – as well as four pre-programmed settings for hot milk, hot foam, hot chocolate and cold milk.
It’s noisier and slower than other models I’ve tested, but produces superbly creamy results. I also love that the cup is dishwasher-safe, which is unheard of for most milk frothers.
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De’Longhi Magnifica S Smart Automatic bean-to-cup coffee machine
Available from Currys (£479.99), De’Longhi (£479.99)
Want great espresso without all the bells and whistles of a higher-spec, more expensive machine? This is the coffee maker for you.
There’s nothing particularly flashy about it; it just masters the basics really well, offering five functions – espresso, lungo, flat white, hot milk and latte – and a 1.8-litre water tank that pulls out from the front.
The spout is height-adjustable, so can accommodate a range of cup sizes. I also like that the steam wand manoeuvres forwards, making it easy to achieve silky microfoam or creamy cappuccino froth.
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Wilfa Svart Aroma Precision coffee grinder
Available from Kiss the Hippo (£125), Amazon (£129.85), Borough Kitchen (£135)
Made by Norwegian brand Wilfa, this grinder is a solid all-rounder for those who enjoy pour-over, French press or AeroPress. It comes with durable stainless-steel burrs, a 250g bean hopper and 32 grind settings, with clear labels on the front so you know roughly which grind size to aim for.
Like the Fellow Opus grinder above, it relies on a timer that’s adjustable via a dial on the front, allowing for ultra-precise results when dosing for a single cup. The container and tray even have UV filters to protect against sun damage, since light can damage the quality of your coffee beans.
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Fellow Aiden Brewer
Available from Amazon (£299), Healf (£303), Origin Coffee (£365)
I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Fellow’s first filter coffee machine when it launched last year, and it didn’t disappoint. It sports the brand’s signature matte black finish and minimalist aesthetic, and is wonderfully user-friendly.
It’s super-precise and technical, too (from Fellow, I’d expect nothing less), and during the set-up I was asked to input how far above sea level I was. This, apparently, is because water boils at temperatures below 100C at sea level, which can result in under-extracted coffee.
You’ll also be asked to input the roast level of your coffee beans (light, medium or dark) and the volume of coffee you want to make, after which the machine will recommend the weight of the grounds needed.
If this seems a bit like overkill, trust me when I say it’s worth it. The results I achieved in test were light, fruity and refreshing – the perfect filter coffee.
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Gaggia Classic espresso machine
Available from Amazon (£549)
Designed in Italy, the Gaggia Classic is pitched as a state-of-the-art at-home coffee machine – a statement I don’t disagree with.
Much of this is thanks to the impressive functionality hidden behind its stainless steel body – such as the solenoid valve, which controls the water temperature inside the filter holder – but you can also feel it in the parts for manually making coffee.
The chromed brass group and filter holder are the same size, weight and style of those used with professional commercial machines, and the three filters (single, double and ESE pods) require a solid clip, which means there’s no annoying rattling. Even with its state-of-the art style, this is still one easy-to-use machine.
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La Cafetière Roma
Available from Amazon (£22.39)
For fans of French press coffee, this stainless steel cafetière is a joy to use. I tested the four-cup cafetière, which easily filled in a couple of standard-sized mugs, but three-cup, six-cup and eight-cup versions of the Roma are also available.
Lots of thought has clearly gone into its longevity and environmental impact, too – every bit of the packaging it came in could be recycled, and extras like a spare mesh filter and generous 10-year guarantee are included.
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KitchenAid fully automatic espresso machine KF8
Available from Harts of Stur (£1,498.95), Harrods (£1,899), KitchenAid (£1,899)
The KF8 from KitchenAid is a fully automatic bean-to-cup machine, which means it will quite literally do everything for you (bar filling up the bean hopper, water tank and milk container).
It doses, grinds, tamps and extracts the espresso, then steams the milk to the correct texture depending on which drink you’ve selected – there are 12 to choose from, plus options for plant-based milk. The perfect piece of kit for anyone who wants fresh coffee plus convenience.
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Dualit handheld milk frother
Available from Lakeland (£69.99)
What I love most about this Dualit milk frother is its hot chocolate-making abilities, but it also does a particularly great job with barista oat milk, which is why I think it’s worth mentioning here. Compact and stylish, it operates quickly and quietly, achieving silky, thick microfoam in just 2 mins 14 seconds. If you’re a fan of an oat latte, it’s a great pick.
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Sage the Bambino Plus espresso maker
Available from Sage (£399.95)
If you aspire to own a Sage coffee machine but don’t have the budget for a full bean-to-cup model, the Bambino Plus is an excellent mid-range option – particularly if you already buy ground coffee or own a separate grinder.
Like any good espresso machine, it does take a little time to master. Basic tasks such as ‘one cup’, ‘two cup’ and ‘steam milk’ are well accommodated by its minimalist controls, but more in-depth commands, like setting the amount of coffee to the cup, might require some practice or a quick glance at the instruction manual.
As for the coffee, it produced barista-quality, well balanced espresso with glossy crema. A fantastic value machine in all.
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De’Longhi Eletta Explore
Available from Amazon (£949.99), Lakeland (£999.99)
A handful of coffee machines now come with iced drink options and cold-brew technology, but the De’Longhi Eletta Explore was one of the first to do so. With it, I made cold brew cappuccinos that were ultra-creamy and refreshing – exactly what you’d want to cool you down on a hot day.
This machine handles the basics well, too, brewing dark, rich espresso with silky crema. You can easily tweak the grind settings and water temperature to your liking, plus there’s an auto-cleaning function that rinses the spouts every time you use it.
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Bodum Bistro gooseneck kettle
Available from Amazon (£56.42)
For those who make pour-over coffee manually (using a Chemex or V60 for example), a gooseneck kettle is a must-have piece of kit, as it allows for controlled, super-precise pouring. This Bodum kettle is both elegant and modern, with a long spout and ergonomic thumb rest on the handle.
It isn’t temperature-controlled, so it’s just one simple flick of the switch to turn it on. Once boiled, leave it for a minute and the temperature should drop to roughly 94-96C, which is the perfect heat level for your coffee.
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La Cafetière Pisa
Available from Amazon (£22.29), Lakeland (£27.99)
Sporting a bright, cheerful design and smooth beechwood handle, the La Cafetière Pisa is definitely one of the most attractive French presses I’ve tested.
There’s a choice of six colours and, like the Roma, it comes with a spare mesh filter, 10-year manufacturer’s guarantee and fully recyclable packaging.
The 350ml model is ideal for one mug of coffee, but a larger eight-cup version is also available if you want a bigger capacity.
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Wacaco Exagram Pro coffee scales
Available from Amazon (£44.90)
Anyone who takes their coffee brewing seriously will have probably considered buying some coffee scales. This set from Wacaco is user-friendly and compact, with a clean digital display and three modes to choose from: normal, pour-over and espresso. There are also integrated weighing, timing and tare functions, and in test, I found it impressively accurate and seamless to use.
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Available from Amazon (£1,137.40), John Lewis & Partners (£1,199), Sage (£1,199.95)
As one of the slightly more affordable bean-to-cup models from Sage – though by no means cheap – the Barista Touch Impress is a tad smaller and more hands-on than the Oracle Jet, but still comes with some impressive automated features.
Built with Sage’s ThermoJet heating technology and sleek touchscreen controls, it also has cold-brew functionality and a couple of more unique drink options, including ‘shakerato’ (a frothy iced drink, popular in Italy) and espresso martini. The assisted tamping removes any guesswork out of dosing, too, as the machine autocorrects each dose for next time.
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