The best coffee machines

Hook up with the right home espresso hardware.

Best overall coffee machine
Delonghi Magnifica S
DeLonghi Magnifica S
4 out of 5 stars
4
🔥14% off🔥$699
$599
Type
Automatic espresso
Best cheap coffee machine
Delonghi Dedica Coffee Machine
DeLonghi Dedica Arte
3 out of 5 stars
3
🔥62% off🔥$529
$199
Type
Manual espresso
Best pod coffee machine
Nespresso Vertuo Pop
Nespresso Vertuo Pop
3.8 out of 5 stars
3.75
Starts at
$229
Type
Vertuo Nespresso pods
Best coffee machine for beginners
Sunbeam Barista Max
Sunbeam Barista Max
3.8 out of 5 stars
3.75
Starts at
$529
Type
Manual espresso
Best coffee machine accessory
Fergus Halliday
May 02, 2023
Icon Time To Read4 min read

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While Australia is famous for its coffee, more and more Aussies are making the choice to brew theirs at home rather than hit up their local cafe.

According to Nespresso, around 73% of Aussies are already making coffee at home in some form. The main motivation? 63% said that they switched out of a desire to save money. Given recent economic shifts and the clear price advantage that homemade espresso can have over the barista-bought alternatives, that shouldn't be too much of a surprise.

However, all that cash saved is worth nothing if the final product doesn't live up to the taste test. With that in mind, we've put together a comprehensive round-up of the best coffee machines you can buy in 2023.

Product
Our score
Price
Pump pressure
Coffee type
More info
3.8 out of 5 stars
3.75
🔥From $229
$183.20
15 barsPod coffee
3.8 out of 5 stars
3.75
From
$396
15 barsManual espresso
3.8 out of 5 stars
3.75
From
$505
15 barsManual espresso w/ grinder
4.3 out of 5 stars
4.25
From
$1298
19Manual espresso w/ grinder
3.8 out of 5 stars
3.75
🔥From $299
$269
15 barsPod coffee
4 out of 5 stars
4
From
$749
15 barsAutomatic espresso w/ grinder
4 out of 5 stars
4
🔥From $899
$649
15 barsAutomatic espresso w/ grinder
3 out of 5 stars
3
🔥From $529
$199
15 barsManual espresso
Amazon Mid-Year Sale

DeLonghi Magnifica S

Best overall coffee machine

Delonghi Magnifica S
DeLonghi Magnifica S
Simplicity is the name of the game when it comes to the DeLonghi Magnifica S, a coffee machine that consistently makes great cups of java with little to no thought required.
4.1 out of 5 stars
4.05
pro Super easy to use
pro Integrated grinder
con Pricey for a home machine
con Manual options may be too limited for some
Type
Automatic espresso
Grinder
Conical Burr
Pump pressure
15 bars
Starts at
$699

Pricing and availability only accurate as of last page update.

Priced at $749, the Magnifica S is a great option for consistent espresso at home that you don't have to think too much about. While it's on the pricier side for a home machine, the convenience factor and coffee quality make it a good buy for caffeine fiends who make multiple cups in a day.

Photo of TV remote and coffee mug that is humourously labelled with "Just One More Episode"

How we review coffee machines

Taking Nespresso's latest for a test drive is only part of our approach to reviewing coffee machines.

DeLonghi Dedica Arte

Best cheap coffee machine

Delonghi Dedica Coffee Machine
DeLonghi Dedica Arte
The DeLonghi Dedica Arte blurs the line between convenience and constraint. It's a great coffee machine at a great price, but it's not without trade-offs.
3.1 out of 5 stars
3.1
pro Sleek and slim design
pro Low warm-up time
con No grinder
con Stiff steam wand
Type
Manual espresso
Grinder
None
Pump pressure
15 bars
Starts at
$529

Pricing and availability only accurate as of last page update.

Although the friction of working without a built-in grinder makes the DeLonghi Dedica Arte a little difficult to recommend to first-time coffee machine owners, the slim chassis and high-performance hardware make it a steal at the low asking price. It's far from an all-in-one solution, but the results stand well above what similarly-priced options can offer.

Nespresso Vertuo Pop

Best pod coffee machine

Nespresso Vertuo Pop
Nespresso Vertuo Pop
The Nespresso Vertuo Pop is a cheaper, more colourful riff on its sophisticated sibling that delivers excellent results.
3.8 out of 5 stars
3.75
pro Fast & quiet
pro Smarter pod coffee
con Vertuo pods are more expensive
con Lacks the variety and personality of home espresso
Type
Vertuo Nespresso pods
Grinder
No
Pump pressure
15
Starts at
$229

Pricing and availability only accurate as of last page update.

If you're keen on pushing the quality of your pod coffee to the limits, it's hard to go past Nespresso Vertuo Pop. It's a colourful and capable machine that produces consistent and delicious results. You're going to be paying a little bit more than the average pod coffee machine demands, but if you care about your coffee, it's a surcharge that'll justify itself soon enough.

Sunbeam Barista Max

Best coffee machine for beginners

Sunbeam Barista Max
Sunbeam Barista Max
The Sunbeam Barista Max has everything you could hope for in a first coffee machine.
3.9 out of 5 stars
3.85
pro Built-in grinder
pro Includes tons of accessories
con Lack of grinder settings
con Cleanup can be messy
Type
Manual espresso
Grinder
Conical Burr
Pump pressure
15 bar
Starts at
$529

Pricing and availability only accurate as of last page update.

For those in search of the best place to start when it comes to making espresso at home, Sunbeam's Barista Max has everything you could possibly want. It's got tons of accessories, plus a built-in grinder and a design that makes it extremely to jump in and make a hobby of homemade espresso. It's sometimes a little messy to use, but it's all part of the process and the results go down easy enough.

Nespresso Barista Milk Frother

Best coffee machine accessory

Nespresso Milk Frother
Nespresso Barista Milk Frother
The Nespresso Barista Milk Frother is as decadent as it is desirable. Even if it is borderline exorbitantly expensive, the practical conveniences here chip away at the friction that typically comes hand-in-hand with home espresso.
4 out of 5 stars
4
pro Easy to clean
pro Connected app
con Recipe limit
con Expensive
Capacity
250ml
Starts at
$279

Pricing and availability only accurate as of last page update.

Even if you've set your sights on something a little more ambitious than pod coffee, the Nespresso Barista Milk Frother is an accessory well worth considering. It's expensive, but utterly indispensable once you find a place for it within your kitchen.

Other coffee machines we considered

Here are some other coffee machines we have considered.
Philips Series 2200
Philips’ Series 2200 LatteGo
If you want fast and consistent coffee results, then the Philips Series 2200 LatteGo is more than up to the task. It's fast, intuitive and offers ample room for variation, even if it falls short on experimentation.
4.1 out of 5 stars
4.05
pro Automatic cleaning
pro Consistent results
con Messy milk spout
con Limited controls
Type
Automatic espresso
Grinder
Conical Burr
Pump pressure
15 bar
Starts at
$899

Pricing and availability only accurate as of last page update.

Even if we wouldn't rate it above the Delonghi Magnifica S, the Philips Series 2200 LatteGo is still a reliable and hands-off machine that's easy to recommend to those seeking home espresso hardware that lets them think less and drink more coffee.
Recommended for your new coffee machine
These are the best sellers on Amazon that go with your coffee machine

*Pricing and deals only accurate as of last page update. 

Coffee machine buying guide

What to look for when comparing coffee machine

The short answer: by making (and drinking) a lot of coffee. The longer one: We spend some serious time not just using the coffee machines we review, but also thinking about the type of users they're for. We don't just read and regurgitate a spec-sheet. We take stock of what the landscape looks like, and how machines like the Sunbeam Barista Max fit into it.

Even if there are clear differences between home espresso machines like this one and cheaper pod-based options, those differences can be bridged by a thorough assessment of how successful both approaches are when it comes to solving the problem of delivering the quality homemade coffee possible with as little effort as possible.

For a full breakdown of our approach to reviewing coffee machines, visit this page.

Coffee machine FAQs

Here are the most commonly asked questions about coffee machines

Given that De'Longhi is currently our best pick for both the best overall and best cheap categories, we'd rate it as the best brand for coffee machines. That said, it always pays to look around and do your research. Not all consumers are alike, and some of the options might suit your specific needs better.

These days, the terms "coffee maker" and "coffee machine" get used fairly interchangeably.

However, for our purposes, a coffee maker is an appliance used to make American-style filter coffee while a coffee machine is designed to produce espresso.

A good coffee machine should last you at least five years. However, with regular maintenance, it's not uncommon for some to as long as ten years.

That said, reaching this kind of longevity does depend a lot on the style of machine, who the manufacturer is, and how much you take care of it over the long run.

Starbucks Nespresso pods will work in any Nespresso-style pod machine.

However, not all Starbucks pods are designed with the Nespresso pod in mind so be sure to check the label before you buy.

Fergus Halliday
Written by
Fergus Halliday
Fergus Halliday is a journalist and editor for Reviews.org. He’s written about technology, telecommunications, gaming and more for over a decade. He got his start writing in high school and began his full-time career as the Editor of PC World Australia. Fergus has made the MCV 30 Under 30 list, been a finalist for seven categories at the IT Journalism Awards and won Most Controversial Writer at the 2022 Consensus Awards. He has been published in Gizmodo, Kotaku, GamesHub, Press Start, Screen Rant, Superjump, Nestegg and more.

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