Fancy yourself a coffee snob but tired of buying mediocre takeaway coffee? The easiest way to give up buying coffee at your local café is to have café quality coffee at home. That’s right, you can become an at-home barista when you have the tools to do so! From pod-filled to fully automatic, here are our best coffee machines for 2023.
Buying a coffee machine is an exciting time for any coffee lover – and quite often an investment. Before feasting your eyes on something sparkly and handing over your hard-earned cash, you must know exactly what kind of coffee machine you want. Because they’re not all quite as easy as just pressing a button…
Best coffee machines: which one is for you?
- DRIP FILTER COFFEE MACHINE – a drip filter coffee machine brews already ground coffee, filtering it through to a glass jug and keeping it at a hot drinking temperature for a couple of hours.
- POD COFFEE MACHINE – a small unit coffee machine which takes pre-measured coffee pods, typically making one cup of coffee at a time. A good option for taking on holidays with you.
- MANUAL / SEMI-AUTO COFFEE MACHINE – a semi-automatic coffee machine means you have to measure, grind beans, tamp the puck and froth your own milk. It’s a very ‘active’ way to make coffee.
- FULL AUTOMATIC COFFEE MACHINE – a fully automatic coffee machine is the dream machine that does all the work for you at the press of a button! Many will say these are the best coffee machines because they barely require any skills!
Your coffee is only as good as your beans
It needs to be said that having one of the best coffee machines around is only part of the coffee-making experience. Even the best coffee machines can make not-so-great coffee if you don’t have fresh coffee beans. And where can you find the best coffee beans? From a local roaster of course (or even your local café)!
Best coffee machines in 2023
De’Longhi Clessidra 2-in-1 Drip and Pourover Coffee Machine
RRP: $199
WHERE TO BUY: De’Longhi
TYPE: Drip coffee machine
Sporting a unique hourglass design, the Delonghi Clessidra is sure to be a showstopper on your kitchen bench. Introducing a new state-of-the-art brewing process, you can brew up to 10 cups with the high-capacity carafe at the touch of a button. It’s fantastic for those who love a full-bodied long black and one of the best coffee machines for caffeine purists!
Smeg Espresso Manual Coffee Machine
RRP: $499
WHERE TO BUY: The Good Guys
TYPE: Manual + pod machine
Those who love the signature retro 50s look Smeg kitchen appliance will LOVE knowing that their coffee can be met in the same style. Compact in size, the Smeg coffee machine can be used with either ground coffee or paper coffee pods for added convenience. It’s such a vibe and is available in several colours to match other Smeg appliances.
Nespresso Vertuo Plus and Barista Milk Frother
RRP: $509
WHERE TO BUY: Nespresso
TYPE: Pod machine
A coffee machine you can make frothy hot chocolate in? YOU BET! The Nespresso Vertuo Plus does it all from espresso to hot chocolates, all poured from a single Nespresso Vertuo capsule. It delivers perfect coffee every single time, with the machine reading the capsule barcode for specific brewing specifications. To finish it off, the Barista Milk Frother makes light work of getting that milk just right. Simply pour and press!
Sunbeam Mini Barista Espresso Machine
RRP: $289
WHERE TO BUY: The Good Guys
TYPE: Manual coffee machine
A cafe-inspired machine for the home kitchen, the Sunbeam Mini Barista Machine is a fantastic starting point to get a feel for making espresso coffee at home. The 58mm group head is the same size as a commercial coffee machine, just wrapped in a compact size, perfect for your kitchen bench. Featuring a powerful steam wand, you’ll be velveting silky warm milk and making cappuccinos in no time.
Breville Barista Express Impress
RRP: $899
WHERE TO BUY: Breville
TYPE: Semi-automatic
It’s as though Breville has taken their super popular Barista Express machine and made it BETTER. Sporting a new, innovative tamp system, manual espresso making (dosing and tamping) is easier and less messy with the Breville Barista Express Impress. An impress it does, with intelligent dosing and no more troublesome tamping – the machine does it for you at the pull of a lever. Bliss!
De’Longhi Magnifica Evo Titan Coffee Machine
RRP: $999
WHERE TO BUY: De’Longhi
TYPE: Automatic
The Magnifica Evo Titan is everything you’d expect from a De’Longhi experience with its advanced technology, authentic beverage making and sleek design. With seven one-touch recipes available you’ll make the perfect Italian espresso and a full menu of other coffee and milk beverages at the press of a button. Plus you’ll have long-lasting milk foam thanks to the exclusive LatteCrema System.
Breville The Oracle Touch
RRP: $4299
WHERE TO BUY: Breville
TYPE: Fully automatic
Breville The Oracle Touch is a fully automatic machine and the jewel in the Breville crown. Users easily select from a full menu of café favourites – latte, espresso, americano, flat white and cappuccino. You can even brew to your own taste, save the settings and name it in the menu so it’s easy to replicate shot after shot. Touch screen and so easy to use, it’s fail-safe ANYONE in your family young or old could use this gem – it’s one of the best coffee machines getting around!
That’s more coffee than you can stir a spoon with! We hope you’ve found a machine to suit you, your needs and your budget in our 2023 roundup of best coffee machines.
Have some fun tasting all sorts of coffee beans and remember, becoming an at-home barista does take a little time and practice. You can’t expect to get it right on the first (espresso) shot!
