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There’s a better way to get your caffeine fix, from bean-to-cup to espresso machines
Nothing hits the spot quite like that first cup of coffee in the morning. A good cup of coffee can set you up for a day, but a bad one can leave a bitter taste in your mouth. Domestic coffee machines are getting snazzier by the month though, and can now deliver the perfect cup at home for a fraction of the price of a coffee in a high-street store.
According to research, the average cup of coffee from a café costs £3.40 these days and us Brits are spending £530 each per year on coffee. Across a household of more than one adult those costs really start stacking up. As the cost of living strikes, maybe you’re looking to reign in expenses. OK, a coffee machine is a big cost upfront, but it should save you a fortune in the long run.
Generally speaking coffee machines are split into three camps: bean-to-cup machines, pod machines and espresso machines.
Bean-to-cup, barista-style coffee machines take whole roasted beans and grind them fresh, allowing you a huge degree of control over your coffee. They also tend to have some way to steam and froth milk. These are the closet machines you’ll find to the ones you see baristas using in coffee shops. Some let you control how coarsely the coffee beans are ground, which impacts the extraction and ultimately flavour of your coffee. A few will also let you scroll through different coffees on a menu and whip up whatever you want.
Pod coffee machines are hugely convenient. They usually involve loading a pod (not all pods work in all machines, so do your research) and then pressing a button or two. And voila, your coffee is delivered. Pod machines don’t take up more space, and are often more affordable than other coffee machines. However, they don’t tend to offer milk texturization (creating steamed milk and microfoam). Some come with milk frothers, which produce an aerated foam that’s more bubbly than the type you’d get from a steam wand.
Espresso machines are smaller than bean-to-cup, and often have fewer bells and whistles, i.e. you can’t customise your coffee to quite such a degree. But they take up less space in the kitchen while delivering great coffee-shop quality coffees and allow you some creativity – they have steam wands more often than not, allowing you to go wild with latte art if you want.
We spent a month testing close to 20 coffee machines, across the three main types. What we wanted was a great cup of coffee, to be honest. So we looked at the finished cup we were able to produce (we are a far cry from a trained barista) from each machine.
We also took into consideration price – the price of coffee machines varies hugely, but so does the build and quality and this is often reflected in the price. Only machines that justified their price made the cut in this roundup. Size on work surface, ease of use and pure dumb good looks were also factored into our decision. Here are the coffee machines that ticked our boxes.
It grinds whole coffee beans on demand to produce a range of espresso-based drinks at the touch of a button. Grinding on demand allows the maximum flavour, aroma and freshness of the bean to be preserved, resulting in a superior cup of coffee that showcases the crema of the coffee – the natural “creamy” textured layer – sometimes lost in pod-based coffee machines or in manual brewing. Some of the more advanced bean-to-cup machines allow you to save your personal coffee preferences and can even be controlled via apps or your own home tech networks.
Yes and no. Each machine is different so do research using online videos and tutorials for any you have your eye on. Pure coffee machines are very easy to clean, requiring you to manually clear the coffee grinds from a removable panel, empty the drip tray and usually run a descaling or cleaning programme when prompted. Machines comprising milk pipes, tanks and steamers mean some more manual cleaning is required more often, though some machines do have automatic programmes for this too.
In recent years the coffee pod machine and capsule market has exploded – meaning lots of choice for the consumer and, well, confusion.
Before choosing your coffee pod machine it is important to consider how the features fit in with your lifestyle. Do you have a lot of counter space for an all-singing, all-frothing coffee machine? Or do you have only room for a compact design? Are you strictly an espresso person? Or do you not wake up until you’ve had your latte? How many people in your household will be using your machine, having how many cups a day? Will nothing short of a 1.5l water tank cut it? Make sure to research your options to find the perfect one for you.
The main differences between affordable and expensive espresso machines are the pressure control and temperature control features. Unlike cheaper machines, expensive models use a pump to deliver more precise pressure and dedicated heaters to ensure that water is delivered at a specific temperature – helping to ensure a consistent espresso every time.
We loved the Grind One coffee machine. It looks amazing, is easy to use and delivers reliably good coffee every time. It also feels well made and there’s not a scrap of plastic to be seen on it. If you’re after bean-to-cup, then it’s hard to fault the DeLonghi bean-to-cup machine. It’s easy to use and makes the perfect cup of coffee, taking up relatively little space on our work surface. We loved that it made hot and cold coffees.
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