DOMESTIC Coffee Machine

[Crowstalker]

I am after a decent domestic coffee machine for regular home use, not mad expensive but not cheap rubbish either.

Ideally it should have a steam wand and be able to produce half decents cuppas.

I have had a look online but having never owned one i dont know what is rubbish or good.

If you have one you can recommend I am all ears.

 

[hoodwink]

I have a Sage, it was expensive but it is really really good. way better than half decent.

 

[.25-06]

It's a bit old school but one of these hexagonal style are pretty good. No frothy straw though.

Amazon product ASIN B092NQQL1P

 

[DeerOnDeck]

Save your money and get a french press mate. Far nicer brews

 

[Andyquadra]

Save your money and get a french press maid. Far nicer brews

I'd have thought an Italian maid would have made better coffee

 

[Tom_Ov]

I have a De'Longhi, which has served well for about 5 yhears. They consistently do v well in the reviews. Its this one

I've actually just upgraded to a Sage (the Barista Touch) and can confirm it is awesome but in a different price bracket (I got vouchers through work otherwise it wouldn't have been a goer!)

 

[vitalspark]

I've this bean to cup one.

De'Longhi Eletta Cappuccino Fully Automatic coffee machine ECAM44.660.B | De'Longhi UK

Savour every moment with the Eletta Cappuccino coffee maker and customise your cup of coffee with the touch of a button.

www.delonghi.com

Makes a great coffee, espresso, latte, hot chocolate etc and one button cappuccino. Hot water outlet is great for preheating cups but not so great for making tea as not quite hot enough

 

[stubear]

How much do you want to spend?

You can get a Sage for about £300 which will do you well (that’s what I have) but you can spend loads - the Lelit Bianca is a great machine but about £2k

 

[Dave31]

It depends on the budget. I can recommend the Sage Barista express. I think it was around 400. You can pay silly money for them though. I've had a couple of De'longhi ones in the past that have been around the 100 mark and have brought nothing but disappointment and sub standard coffee.

 

[GWP]

I have an electric kettle and a wife

 

[Millerich]

I have a De'Longhi, which has served well for about 5 yhears. They consistently do v well in the reviews. Its this one

I've actually just upgraded to a Sage (the Barista Touch) and can confirm it is awesome but in a different price bracket (I got vouchers through work otherwise it wouldn't have been a goer!)

Same here.

 

[T.eddie]

I have a sage as well the barista touch I think, was about 1k on a black Friday deal a couple of years ago and wouldn't go back, had nespresso and other pod ones before but they don't even compare to it in my opinion

 

[K.H - Tikka]

The most important part of a coffee machine (other than decent coffee), is the operators ability to use the steam wand. That is unless you’re just making espresso’ or americano’ etc. In which case you just need a French press/decent filter (pour over) setup.

If it were me, I’d find a decent milk steamer and any espresso maker and buy them separate to one another. Why? It’s easy enough to push water through a sealed filter… I have a manual one for camping which makes as good espresso as any other machine. Okay I have to warm the water separately but that’s fine!

Of course you may want a big machine, many do and I can see why… but if you just want good coffee, you don’t really need it.

K.H

 

[Essexsussex]

It's a bit old school but one of these hexagonal style are pretty good. No frothy straw though.

Amazon product ASIN B092NQQL1P

I use this with one of those nespresso milk warmer / frothers for the milk. Perfect. For me anyway.

 

[norcan]

What would you consider “mad expensive” for an espresso setup?

 

[The Singing Stalker]

You are all spawn of the devil with your supping of the liquid poison

Tea dammit tea. It is the saviour.

ahem.

 

[devon deer stalker]

I have this John Lewis Pump Espresso Coffee Machine, Stainless Steel to be honest it's pretty damned good, I couldn't justify a Sage, but my mate has one and they and really excellent.

 

[Wmjas]

Another vote for the breville/sage machine had one for years and it’s awesome.

 

[soulboy1957]

I'm the owner of The Kent coffee company limited and we probably sell 100+ commercial espresso machines a year.

Me I've got a Sage Creatista in my kitchen that uses nespresso pods, can't fault it.

 

[User00035]

I have a Breville mini-barista. It's brilliant for the price (£170 - Currys in Boxing day sale) and produces high street coffee bar standard brews for a fraction of the price. Cheap doesn't necessarily mean bad. The crucial factor is how many cups you need to make at a time. Though mine has a commercial sized basket and press and is great for one person, it's long-winded for multiple cups. The milk jug is one-cup - two at a push - and the warming plate is very basic and doesn't get very warm. And it's very noisy. They make a larger version that will handle three or four cups at a time but it's more than twice the price.
For a single person I'd recommend the simple version. If a family are using it all the time you need something bigger and more sophisticated. And more expensive.

However, going by my electricity bill, a barista machine is much more efficient than boiling a kettle as it heats on demand precisely the water you need for each cup.
I also have a Delonghi grinder which is excellent but with the choice of quality grounds available off the shelf I question the benefit off home grinding unless you're home roasting as well. Grinding freshly roasted beans is a game changer.

I'd recommend a barista machine though. Since I had a blood pressure scare and decided to forsake caffeine and go decaf, I've discovered the joys of enjoying retail quality coffee at any time of day. A rich, creamy cup of coffee in the evening without having to worry about your sleep being impacted is a very civilised experience.