The best coffee machines for modern kitchens

Who likes their coffee nice and strong? Actually, let’s rephrase that. Who doesn’t like their coffee nice and strong? Yes, we thought so. That’s why the Siemens EQ 500 could be your perfect machine.

Its premier feature is the "aromaDouble Shot" function, made for when you want some extra kick. In short, it grinds and brews two single shots instead of a double shot. That means less water, less bitterness, and more flavour.

The Siemens TQ503GB1 EQ 500 also comes equipped with a ceramDrive grinder, which grinds beans to an even consistency, bringing out nuanced, aromatic notes. It has an easy-to-use Coffee Select display, allowing you to choose whatever coffee you like — whether your preference is espresso, cappuccino, Americano, or flat white — while automatic milk frothing eliminates the need for a steam wand or frother.

It’s also very hygienic, with an autoMilk steam clean function that cleans automatically after every drink. In fact, this machine descales at the push of a button. It’s a system worth keeping clean too. The intricate iAroma System is designed to produce a great flavour every time.

There’s almost too much to get your head around with this machine. Its features go above and beyond. It's really flash and fancy. So, while it’s expensive — indeed, this is a serious coffee lovers-only price tag — the Melitta Barista TS Smart Coffee Machine is something special.

Let’s start with its most obvious features. It has a double cup pour, which makes it perfect for couples, plus a highly effective grinder, automatic self-cleaning, and an airtight double-bean chamber that ensures a rotation of coffee flavour. But what we love best are its smart features. With the Melitta Connect app (on both iOS and Android) you can remotely control your coffee-making.

If you’re the kind of coffee drinker who believes that variety is the spice of a coffee-based life, the Melitta Barista boasts 21 pre-set coffee recipes. You can tweak and customise these even more in the Melitta Connect app, and choose between pre-ground coffee or beans. When it comes to bean-to-cup, it doesn’t get much better — or smarter — than this hi-tech machine.

The L'or Barista Coffee Machine gives you two coffees for the price of one thanks to double shot capsules which pour two cups at the same time. It makes a range of coffee styles, too — choose from espresso, ristretto, latte, or lungo.

You don’t have to drink two cups at once, of course. This capsule machine works with either the L’or barista double shot capsules and L’or espresso single shot capsules. It works with Nespresso pods too, as a tasty bonus.

The machine has various customisable features and uses smart capsule recognition, a cool bit of tech that reads the L’or capsules and automatically tweaks settings to get the optimum favour. Other nice touches include an adjustable drip tray, 19 bars of pressure, and an integrated milk frother.

It's a perfect machine for a household of coffee lovers because there’s no waiting around for your cup with this double whammer. It's also great for couples who enjoy having a cup of coffee together in the morning.

Pod coffee machines are becoming the standard, propping up most kitchen counters like a kettle or toaster. One of the kitchen essentials. Of all the coffee capsule options, Nespresso is undoubtedly the class leader. And the Nespresso Vertuo Plus is among the most popular machines.

As you’d guess from the name, the machine uses Nespresso’s newer Vertuo pods. They have little barcodes that tell the machine exactly how to extract the coffee. In other words, great taste every time. The Vertuo offers different sizes — single espresso, double espresso, a gran lungo, a regular coffee, or an alto coffee — and a wide variety of capsule flavours, blends, and strengths.

It's all about convenience. That’s what makes these machines so popular. The Nespresso Vertuo Plus heats up in less than 15 seconds and makes great-tasting coffee at the push of a button. If you’re the kind of person who’s always in rush in the morning and needs that coffee hit double-quick (that's pretty much all of us, then), the Nespresso Vertuo Plus is a stellar choice.

The Barista Express by Sage is a serious coffee maker. It boasts a 15 bar Italian pump, a 1,600 watt thermo coil heating system, a 54mm tamper, a stainless steel conical burr grinder, and a 2-litre removable water tank.

A true espresso drinker knows there are a couple of things that can't be overlooked when it comes to a quality cup: freshness and grinding. The burr grinder is a Barista favourite, as it maximises the surface area of the grinds for optimal flavour. The Barista Express even allows you to adjust the grind and portion size, so you can go from fine to course depending on your preference. 

Once you choose your grind and pre-set your volume (single or double shot), the machine will make your espresso in less than a minute. Now that's fresh.

The Barista Express also comes with four single and dual wall filter baskets, one stainless steel milk jug, a cleaning kit, and a precision raze dose trimming tool and PID digital temperature control. Everything you need.

You can either use the dual-wall pressurised filters (to control pressure and optimise extraction) or, if you're more experienced, try using the non-pressurised single-wall filters to play around and make the brew your own.

OK, most of this list focuses on countertop espresso machines, but it would be a coffee-making injustice if we ignored this Bialetti Stovertop Espresso Maker. 

First, a disclaimer: The Bialetti doesn't technically make espresso, considering it's not able to build the amount of pressure necessary to technically qualify it as espresso. However, Bialetti does give tips and guidelines for how to brew its "moka" coffee to your liking (a mix between coffee and espresso).

The Bialetti comes in five size options: 1-cup, 3-cup, 6-cup, 9-cup, or 12-cup. The pot is made from polished aluminium and its eight-sided shape apparently allows it to "diffuse heat perfectly," which enhances that great coffee aroma. 

Part of the beauty is that it's nothing fancy. There's no electrics, no buttons to push. Just fill the bottom chamber with water, fill the second chamber with ground coffee beans, and put it on the stove and wait for the coffee. Boom.

It may take a little bit of trial and error in order to get the perfect cup, but once you have it down, you'll be wondering why you didn't give it a chance sooner. Ultimately, it's a great if you want something cheap and simple.

Sometimes you just want an appliance that does everything — an all-in-one machine that shoulders every part of the process. That’s what makes a machine like the EspressoWorks All-in-One Barista so brilliant.

It’s both an espresso and cappuccino maker with an integrated milk frother, electric grinder, and a selection of ready-to-brew drink options.

It’s got all the extras you need too, including a measuring spoon and tamper and both single and double shot baskets. It has even got cappuccino stencil templates for when you’re feeling a bit arty. Our favourite feature of all, however, is the fact it’s warmed up and ready to go in just 45 seconds.

The EspressoWorks All-in-One Barista is about making things easier. OK, there are quibbles: The grinder isn't attached like it is on other machines, and it seems basic compared to smart tech models, but it’s hard to argue with this level of convenience. It really is everything you need in one excellent machine.