It sounds unserious to everyone else, but coffee drinkers will know that your morning brew really is that serious.
A cup of Joe exactly how you like it can mean the difference between a good and a bad start to the day, and that’s everything.
While you might suffer through the office machine coffee at work, when you’re at home you deserve to be able to make yourself a brew that rivals your favourite coffee shop.
Whether you prefer to keep it simple (pushing a few buttons for your morning brew), or you want to embody the role of barista for the day; we’ve rounded up the best coffee machines to shop in 2026, including bean to cup options and espresso machines from some of the top brands like Nespresso, Sage, and De’Longhi.
How we tested the best coffee machines
Dayna McAlpine/ Honey Jane Wyatt/Honey Jane Wyatt
It’ll come as a surprise to exactly no one that here at HuffPost we are regular coffee drinkers – and we don’t take it lightly.
Over the past few months (nay, years) the HuffPost team has been testing out some of the best coffee machines on the market, from new launches to bestsellers, to make sure they find the perfect home brew.
Each tester was asked to think about how easy the machine was to use, its size, the number of drink options it had, and maintenance such as cleaning and topping up tanks.
Our favourites are rounded up below.
The best coffee machines to shop now
Best Sage coffee machine
Boasting eight coffee modes via a handy touch-screen display, it’s easy to select and personalise your favourite type, as you can either go with the preset coffee or change the temperature, strength, and milk texture.
Not to mention, you barely have to do any work with the milk wand – simply fill the right sized jug and leave it there until your milk emerges whipped to perfection. Like magic.
+ Really simple to use
+ The ‘favourite’ setting is great for if you’re in a rush in the morning
+ Looks sleek and elegant
+ Only takes a couple of minutes to warm up
– Can be a little loud
– Needs descaling and filling up the water tank often.
Dimensions: 40 x 31.9 x 31.4 cm.
Best De’Longhi coffee machine
If your main passion is really excellent Italian coffee with basically zero effort, allow us to introduce De’Longhi’s touch screen bean to coffee machine, which our tester Dayna McAlpine says makes you feel like you’re “living in the future”.
That front-facing screen has everything you need to understand each step of your coffee making, as it gives you a quick lesson on how to make the perfect cup of coffee, including choosing from 15 grind settings, three temperature settings, and five milk textures.
If that all sounds a bit much for you, don’t worry, because it also comes with nine pre-set recipes, from an americano to a macchiato, for what they promise are “cafe-quality results”.
+ De’Longhi’s smallest bean to cup machine
+ Tastes as good as coffee from a coffee shop
+ Comes with a tamp, tamp mat, and brush to keep things clean and precise
+ Much cheaper than your coffee shop habit
– Instructions could be clearer
– Hopper is fiddly to empty
Dimensions: 44.5 x 38 x 37cm
Best small espresso machine
When you’re tight on space, the last thing you want is for the thing designed to wake you up to be an eyesore taking up counter space.
This mini coffee machine from the brains behind ‘Italy’s favourite coffee’ is exactly what you need when you don’t have an appliance garage to hide your things away in.
As well as being so easy to set up that a two-year-old could do it, it’s pretty quiet, and makes smooth but strong coffee from the compact custom pods.
+ Barely takes up any space at all
+ Three colours to choose from
+ Can pour an espresso or lungo
– Doesn’t come with a milk frother.
Dimensions: 33 x 21 x 12.4cm.
Best budget espresso machine
If you’re craving the experience of a pro coffee machine, but don’t have the money to put towards it right now, ProCook’s got you covered.
This coffee machine makes the perfect starter for those who are less savvy, and comes in at just £199.
“It has coffee shop level performance with absolutely zero fuss,” shares our tester, Dayna McAlpine. “As someone who’s had top level machines, it makes a perfectly great cup of coffee – showing that simple is sometimes best!”
As well as looking as sleek as its more expensive models, this machine has an easy to use display, so you can pour a single or double espresso in an instant. It’s also loaded with powerful nine bar pressure, so your coffee comes out perfectly balanced and, so you can practice your latte art technique, the steam wand is completely manual.
+ The display is not at all fussy or complicated – just enough settings for a single or double espresso
+ Super good value for money considering the coffee tastes delicious
– Not as many options as other machines, but that’s what makes it great.
Dimensions: 30 x 33 x 26.5cm.
Best family coffee machine
Make everyone in your house happy with this machine that ticks all the boxes. It has a whopping 13 drinks to choose from, including as many hot or iced espresso drinks you can think of, and it also has an option for cold brew.
“It’s enough to make you never think about buying a takeaway coffee again,” says our tester, HuffPost UK’s head of content Dayna McAlpine.
“Unlike a lot of at-home machines, you can put two different types of bean in this machine at once and choose between them when making your coffee,” she explains.
“This is particularly useful for having a set of decaf beans on the go as well as the strong stuff! It’s also the only coffee machine I’ve used that really gets plant-based milk right.
“But the big thing for me, as a certified lazy person, is that it’s self cleaning.”
+ Minimal upkeep, and all parts can be removed and are dishwasher safe
+ Looks sleek and professional
+ So many options to choose from – you can even pick a froth style (dreamy)
+ Can customise and save your favourite drinks to keep coming back to them
+ Great value for money
– Water tray needs emptying and refilling often.
Dimensions: 56 x 38 x 50.3cm.
Best pro coffee machine
This serious piece of gear is not as intimidating as it may look. “It’s really easy to use – even I can use it, which says a lot as I’m easily confused by instructions,” says parenting editor Natasha Hinde, who tested the machine.
Naturally, its hefty size means it can take a few minutes to heat up, but it’s totally worth it. ”The coffee is barista-level coffee, maybe even better,” Natasha adds. “Coffee shop coffee now rarely compares.”
Not only is the espresso smooth and delicious, but the cool-to-the-touch steam wand produces velvety hot milk in seconds, without the risk of burning yourself when you go to clean it.
+ Easy to use even though it is pro level
+ Comes with a metal tamp so your coffee compresses perfectly before brewing
+ Tastes delicious
+ Steam wand helps you achieve the perfect milk for latte art
– Takes up a lot of counter space
Dimensions: 27.4 x 42.5 x 36cm.
Best small Nespresso machine
No, we haven’t just included this because it’s pink… Seriously! This sweet little Nespresso machine uses original pods, and pours them in your choice of an espresso or a lungo.
It takes slightly longer than the Vertuo to heat up, at 25 seconds, but it’s not exactly like you’ll be tapping your foot.
Not to mention, it’s energy saving, as it’ll switch itself off after just nine minutes of use. Easy.
+ Small and compact, and she’s a cutie
+ Easy to use, with just one button
+ Perfect for espresso or black coffee lovers
– No milk function, unfortunately.
Dimensions: 11.3 x 37.2x 27.7cm.
Nespresso
Best app-controlled coffee machine
Iced coffee fans, listen up! If you enjoy an iced latte as much in the winter as you do in the summer, Nespresso’s latest drop will deliver.
After a mere three second heat up, the machine is ready to make your choice of seven coffee sizes, depending on the type of pod you’re using. It also has an option to pour your espresso over ice.
For even more precision over your morning brew the machine syncs to the Nespresso app (I know, another app) so you can decide how long you want it, and if you prefer it to be made cooler or hotter than the average.
It also unlocks a whole range of recipes for your pods, so you can feel like you’re ordering from a very custom menu in your own home, and who doesn’t want that?
+ Not too big, so it won’t take up too much space on your countertop
+ Heats up quickly, so you don’t have to wait around
+ The app is genuinely useful, and avoids the machine having too many buttons you don’t know how to use
+ Water tank is 1.4L so won’t run out quickly, unlike other Nespresso machines
+ Easy to connect to WiFi and Bluetooth
– Beware it uses a Vertuo pod rather than an original Nespresso pod.
Dimensions: 22 x 49 x 25.5 cm.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login