The expertise behind such a providing means these machines are often giant and dear. However don’t be intimidated. We’ve damaged down the variations between bean-to-cup machines vs espresso machines. We stroll you thru what to search for and share our tried-and-tested prime picks of the very best bean-to-cup espresso machines beneath.
For extra espresso critiques, try our full information to the very best espresso machines that includes picks of the very best espresso machines and the very best espresso pod machines. For a bit inspiration, uncover the very best espresso subscriptions and the very best presents for espresso lovers. Make your individual selfmade espresso syrup utilizing our step-by-step recipe and uncover extra recommendation and purchaser’s guides on all the things from the highest British gins and finest English winery breaks to Gozney vs Ooni pizza ovens and finest small air-fryers in our critiques part.
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Finest bean-to-cup machines at a look
Finest bean-to-cup espresso machine for iced espresso: Sage the Oracle Jet, £1,699.95Best totally computerized bean-to-cup espresso machine: KitchenAid Absolutely Computerized Espresso Machine KF8, £1,899Best for chilly brew: De’longhi Eletta Discover, £999Best automated bean-to-cup espresso machine: Sage the Barista Contact Impress, £999Best for versatility: Jura Z10, £1,949Best for modern fashion: Smeg BCC02 bean-to-cup espresso machine, £499.99Best mid-range bean-to-cup espresso machine: De’longhi La Specialista Maestro, £999.99Best blowout bean-to-cup espresso machine: Sage the Oracle Contact, £2,099.95Best bean-to-cup espresso machine beneath £1,000: Smeg BCC13 bean to cup espresso machine, £649Best giant capability bean-to-cup espresso machine: Gaggia Cadorna Plus, £589
How to decide on the very best bean-to-cup espresso machine
Throughout the bean-to-cup world there are a few machine sorts, however all share the elemental aspect of getting a bean compartment and grinder.
Prime tip: retailer your espresso beans in an hermetic container and solely prime up the hopper with what you want. It will preserve the beans’ flavour brisker and provide you with higher flexibility over switching up the beans.
Bean-to-cup espresso machines: these deal with producing espresso; quick photographs of intense espresso brewed beneath stress. This kinds the elemental aspect to many espresso home classics.Bean-to-cup espresso machines: along with making espresso, these may embrace filter methods for making drip espresso and may include glass carafes, measuring espresso in cups moderately than single and double espressos.Guide bean-to-cup: this kind combines automation with a hands-on expertise, leaving the enjoyable bits so that you can do. For instance, loading and locking the portafilter and frothing the milk.Computerized bean-to-cup: fairly merely, as soon as you have chosen the drink you need, the machine does the remaining.
Finest bean-to-cup espresso machines to purchase in 2025
Sage the Oracle Jet
Finest bean-to-cup espresso machine for iced espresso
Star ranking: 5/5
Sage’s newest launch, the Oracle Jet, is kind of merely a pleasure to make use of. It is the model’s most high-spec espresso machine to this point with limitless spectacular options and a sleek design that will dazzle in any kitchen. The brand new options, primarily based on client suggestions and new expertise, embrace lights that illuminate the drip tray, Wifi connectivity for software program updates and cold-brewing expertise for making iced drinks.
This mannequin is extra compact than others in Sage’s Oracle vary and has a lever that pops the wheels out of the bottom of the machine, making it straightforward to maneuver round. The espresso itself is scrumptious, as we have come to anticipate from the model, with computerized options that make brewing the right drink a bit simpler, like a grind dimension which adjusts routinely.
KitchenAid Absolutely Computerized Espresso Machine KF8
Finest totally computerized bean-to-cup espresso machine
Star ranking: 5/5
There is no getting round that, with an RRP of slightly below £2,000, this espresso machine is an funding. However to your cash you get a machine full of expertise which permits full automation — the expertise is just like ordering a espresso at your native espresso store, however you do not have to alter out of your pyjamas.
Out of the field the machine appears trendy, if a bit boxy, and you may actually want a considerable amount of counter area to accommodate it. However as soon as unboxed, all it’s good to do is add water to the tank, add beans (or grounds) to the hopper, and choose your chosen espresso from the 12 on provide. The machine does all of the exhausting work from selecting the grind dimension, grinding the beans, tamping and extracting.
This machine can be choice when you’ve received a big funds and also you care extra about ingesting espresso than making it. When you’ve got a whole lot of espresso drinkers in your house, it might be excellent as every can arrange a profile.
De’Longhi Eletta Discover
Finest for chilly brew
Star ranking: 5/5
Whereas many bean-to-cup machines have choices for iced drinks, this De’Longhi machine stands out from the gang with its Chilly Brew expertise. On check, our chilly brew cappuccinos had been creamy with a powerful flavour, and completely refreshing on a sizzling day. The digital show is modern and communicates every step, like reminding you so as to add ice cubes earlier than brewing, which makes this machine a breeze to make use of.
The Eletta Discover is not only for iced espresso, although — the completed machine additionally produced a wealthy, darkish espresso with silky crema and simply the best degree of acidity. There are settings to regulate the temperature and grind relying in your desire, and when you reside in a big family you’ll be able to set title profiles for every common person of the machine with their favourites.
With a big footprint this might be finest suited to kitchens with ample countertop area. We had been barely upset by the packaging, which was largely unrecyclable plastic, however the machine does include recommendation on easy methods to clear and lengthen the lifetime of the machine which improved it is sustainability credentials. Learn our full De’Longhi Eletta Discover bean-to-cup espresso machine evaluation.
Sage the Barista Contact Impress
Finest automated bean-to-cup espresso machine
Star ranking: 5/5
Many bean-to-cup espresso machines attempt to tread a cautious line between comfort and customisation, usually choosing one of many different with guide or automated settings. This providing from Sage is the final word mixture of each, with a number of computerized settings, plus the choice to do issues extra manually if you want. This makes it a fantastic espresso machine for a family with blended espresso brewing talents, particularly as it can save you your favourites on totally different profiles.
The built-in assisted tamping took a short while to dial in, and it is value noting that you’re going to want to make use of espresso beans with a roasting date within the final 30 days to benefit from this machine, however as soon as we would accomplished the arrange course of, the espresso we made was scrumptious. The espresso was wealthy in flavour with a shiny crema, whereas the milk for our flat white was completely textured to supply a creamy end.
Jura Z10
Finest for versatility
Star ranking: 5/5
With 32 drink specialities the Jura Z10 is flexible sufficient to fit your each espresso temper, plus you’ll be able to regulate the brew time and energy of your drink relying in your desire. The machine could have extra choices than your native espresso store, however you do not want a barista’s talent set to benefit from it. When making a cappuccino you merely have to fill the jug along with your milk of selection, put within the steam wand and choose how lengthy you need to froth the milk for — then it does all of the exhausting be just right for you.
Get pleasure from a refreshing espresso in the summertime months? This machine has a chilly brew aspect that units it other than many bean-to-cup espresso machines. It produced an iced cappuccino which was creamy and full of flavour. It does the fundamentals nicely too, making a traditional espresso which was darkish in color with well-balanced acidity and a thick crema. Learn the total Jura Z10 espresso machine evaluation.
Smeg BCC02 bean-to-cup espresso machine
Finest bean-to-cup for modern fashion
Star ranking: 5/5
Identified for its giant white items and assertion kitchen staples, Smeg has a powerful popularity for making environment friendly and trendy home equipment, like its ECF01 espresso machine. The model’s first-ever bean-to-cup espresso machine would not deviate from this, carrying the identical iconic design and curved traces with out dominating kitchen area.
It is the smallest bean-to-cup on check, merely providing 4 management buttons and eight selectable capabilities, a steam wand moderately than an inner milk tank, and a dial for adjusting the grind degree from its espresso bean retailer. The steam wand angles outwards to be used in mugs, cups or glass jugs. The espresso produced is full of flavour. We wish one in our personal kitchens. Learn our full Smeg BCC02 bean-to-cup espresso machine evaluation.
De’Longhi La Specialista Maestro
Finest mid-range bean-to-cup espresso machine
Star ranking: 5/5
This De’Longhi is extremely suave, designed with magnificence and in thoughts of counter-top storage. It packs 19-bars of stress into its stainless-steel outer.
The espresso grinding is all executed routinely relying on the filter basket you load and it additionally provides ‘good tamping’ that will help you obtain even compression of the grounds. An actual stand-out was its pre-infusion capabilities, which varies relying on the espresso perform chosen and density of its espresso dose. The end result was a brief and darkly moreish espresso shot adorned with flavourful crema. Learn our full De’Longhi La Specialista Maestro evaluation.
Sage the Oracle Contact
Finest blowout bean-to-cup espresso machine
Star ranking: 5/5
This Sage is a premium instance of a guide bean-to-cup espresso machine which mixes automated pre-sets with refined personalisation options. There are 11 complete pre-sets on provide, plus the choice to save lots of your individual tailor-made espresso presets for ease. Relying on the filter basket you’ve loaded, this machine routinely grinds and doses the espresso.
The grind and dose of espresso are adjustable per drink, as is milk froth temperature and degree. A stainless-steel jug is supplied for this. While it’s an funding value, this machine fulfils the elemental necessities of manufacturing a fantastic cup each time, while providing you with room to personalise the espresso. Learn our full Sage Oracle Contact espresso machine evaluation.
Smeg BCC13 bean to cup espresso machine
Finest bean-to-cup espresso machine beneath £1,000
Star ranking: 4.5/5
The trendy fashion, pastel colors and brushed stainless-steel end make this espresso machine strikingly engaging proper out of the field. As soon as it was located in our kitchen we had been struck with how a lot smaller it’s in comparison with many different fashions of this fashion we’ve got examined, with a compact footprint and peak. Do not be fooled by its small stature nevertheless — it nonetheless packs a punch.
It pulled a extremely top quality espresso with a wealthy, well-balanced flavour. It provides computerized milk frothing moderately than a steaming wand, which implies a barely thinner microfoam texture than we often search for, plus no alternative to practise your latte artwork.
If you happen to’re in search of a mid-range bean-to-cup machine with automated components you would be hard-pressed to discover a higher choice.
Gaggia Cadorna Model Plus
Finest giant capability bean-to-cup espresso machine
Star ranking: 4/5
Made in Italy, the Gaggia Cadorna Plus is a step up from the Magenta mannequin featured beneath, in each dimension and performance. It is unmistakably Gaggia, carrying the purple traces and chrome highlights that outline the model’s assertion look whereas providing a big 1.5L water tank that is loaded from the entrance and a large display interface with tactile buttons for choosing its six preset coffees.
Its inner ceramic burr grinders had been surprisingly quiet throughout use. The milk steaming wand is a guide, stainless-steel Pannarello design that dispenses sizzling water for teas or lengthy coffees along with steam for frothing and heating milk. The choice to regulate the aroma depth of the espresso and create a tailor-made coffee-based drink is an attention-grabbing perform not usually seen on bean-to-cup machines, and refers back to the amount of floor espresso per cup – nice for espresso aficionados however one thing that additionally felt a bit pointless.
Out there from:Amazon (£689)
What’s the distinction between bean-to-cup espresso machines and espresso machines?
Conventional semi-automatic espresso machines encourage the constructing of fundamental barista abilities and require a extra hands-on strategy to loading portafilters and utilizing pre-ground espresso.
In distinction, the very best bean-to-cup espresso machines are totally automated, freshly grinding complete beans to deliver you a cup of espresso on the contact of a button, with alternatives to personalise components of the drink. The outlay price with a bean-to-cup machine might be larger however balanced by the effort and time saved to realize a dependable cup each time.
There are some bean-to-cup fashions which permit for top ranges of versatility and customisation. Many will allow you to select your grind dimension, temperature and extra, and we have seen a development in fashions which let you prevent preferences, so you’ll be able to have your espresso precisely as you prefer it however on the contact of a button.
What to search for from a bean-to-cup espresso machine
Adjustable grind degree: the grind dimension of espresso impacts the espresso’s flavour and depth, so could be modified to finest go well with the kind you want finest. For instance, espressos fare finest with finely floor espresso, whereas filter espresso requires a medium-coarse grind.
Duo-drip trays: this not solely implies that cups and mugs of various sizes could be accommodated, however that conventional espresso cups are supported to catch the liquid with out splashes; due to this fact defending the necessary crema layer.
Milk frother: not all bean-to-cup espresso machines provide an built-in milk frother system, so when you like milky espresso classics finest, look out for computerized frother methods or a milk steamer wand. If you wish to get a separate one, we have tried and examined the very best milk frothers right here.
Floor espresso choice: when you run out of complete beans however have a bag of floor espresso handy, having ground-coffee adaptability is available in very useful.
Environment friendly grinders: whether or not ceramic or burr, bean grinders ought to be fast and environment friendly, so even once they’re loud, the noise is short-lived. On the lookout for a separate grinder to get the very best outcomes to your beans? Strive our tried and examined espresso grinders.
Intuitive interface: when there are such a lot of components of an espresso to regulate, easy capabilities and settings ought to be straightforward to navigate and preserve experimenting enjoyable.
Programmable drink choices: when you’ve discovered the right mixture of grind-size, brew temperature and aroma depth to your style, it’s nice to have the ability to save presets so your favorite espresso could be returned to simply.
Twin bean compartments: some machines provide containers for various bean intensities to be stored. Normally it is for darkish and lightweight roast beans, however when you’ve a member of the family who solely drinks decaf, one area could be utilised for these.
How we examined bean-to-cup espresso machines
All of the bean-to-cup espresso machines featured on this evaluation had been the very best performing home equipment from a longlist of 10. All had been examined in managed situations utilizing complete roasted Columbian espresso beans, and scored out of 5 towards standardised criterion, together with:
Efficiency: the flavour, aroma and temperature of the espresso wanted to be gratifying, so each espresso and espresso perform was examined to evaluate this. Bitterness, acidity or weak spot had been scored down.
Worth for cash: efficiency and flexibility play into this one. These home equipment could also be one of many largest investments you make to your kitchen, so the value should really feel proper.
Ease of use: all had been scored from unboxing, so that they needed to be easy to unpack with easy-to-follow directions. When the number of settings is so broad, intuitive controls make the expertise enjoyable. Every thing from milk-wand vary of movement to adjustable drip trays and entry for refilling the water tank and bean hoppers had been thought-about.
Comfort: is likely one of the greatest promoting factors for purchasing a bean-to-cup espresso machine, so extreme complication affected scoring.
Amount of supplies: flimsy build-materials don’t warrant a excessive price ticket and make issues troublesome to wash. Additionally they have an effect on the longevity of an equipment’s life.
Design and aesthetic for retaining on the countertop: bean-to-cup machines are usually very deep and broad, so design performs into this.
The common scores out of 5 determined every product’s general star ranking. The extra standards performed into our determination making.
Number of functionsKitchen footprintEase of cleaningAdvanced featuresPackaging
All costs-to-run calculations had been executed towards the variable tariff on the time of testing (16.6p/kWh), which can have since modified – learn extra on the present power value assure charges.
Wish to study extra about turning into an skilled at-home barista? Learn our guides right here:
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