If you’re looking to buy the best coffee machine in the UK for your home, or you're simply looking to upgrade your existing machine, you've come to the right place.
You’ll need to consider several important factors before making your new purchase, so I put together this article to help you choose the best coffee machine for your needs.
Today as the founder of Balance Coffee I want to talk about the best coffee machines money can buy.
I have spent over 12 years working in the heart of the coffee industry with some of the best coffee roasters across the UK.
I also spent six years working exclusively with espresso machines. So am well placed to deliver this expert guide so you can pick the best coffee machine for your kitchen counter.
With that said, here are my top recommendations using my 12+ years of experience.
| Product | Benefits | where to buy |
|---|---|---|
Sage Barista PRO |
|
SHOP NOW |
Sage Barista Touch |
|
SHOP NOW |
Smeg Espresso Machine |
|
SHOP NOW |
James Bellis Background
I worked for one of the world's most iconic Italian coffee machine brands, 'Sanremo Coffee Machines', so I have tonnes of world-class experience when it comes to choosing the right machine.
What do you think makes the best home coffee machine?
Coffee is very subjective, so it really depends on your taste preference first. For example, are you a black coffee drinker?
Do you prefer flat whites? These are really important questions to ask yourself before you hit ‘buy’ on a machine. In this article, we cover the four main types of coffee machines that are available.
We also share some pre-purchase considerations you'll need to think about. Such as power, counter-space, manual vs automatic, plus more.
By the end, you'll have all the info you need to create the perfect barista experience from the comfort of your own home!
So let’s get started.
What to consider when Buying a Coffee Maker
There are a few important things you'll want to think about about before you start looking for the best coffee machine online.
We've broken these down so that you choose the right machine the first.
Wholebean or Ground?
This may seem obvious, but deciding whether you want to buy speciality coffee beans whole or ground coffee will impact the type of coffee machine you decide to buy. How?
Well, if you can't be bothered to grind your coffee fresh (we recommend you do for flavour), then you won't need to buy a bean-to-cup coffee machine or a machine that has a built-in coffee grinder.
But if you don't plan on grinding the beans yourself, I have assembled the best ground coffee beans for espresso.
You should check it out because all the beans are freshly ground once you order, package, ship and delivered to your doorstep.
Price/Budget
It's good to determine your budget and the price you will pay for your new home coffee machine upfront.
If you're looking to make excellent cafe-quality coffee at home, you'll need the best coffee machine on the market.
If you're a big coffee drinker and spend money in cafes or at work, you may save money by replacing your coffee shop habit with coffee at home.
And assuming you made that swap, then you also want to read this blog post on the 11 coffee kitchen appliances for coffee makers.
With a huge shift in the work-from-home culture, it could be the perfect time to consider investing in a home coffee machine.
I have one suggestion to help you figure out whether you should buy a machine or not.
There’s the cost of buying coffee beans, milk and some basic maintenance but it’s likely worth the investment.
Want to get straight to our recommendations and prices? Click here to let us take you there.
Location & Counter Space
Where will your new coffee machine be situated? On the kitchen counter, in a utility room, or an outdoor space?
Once you’ve decided on the location, you’ll need to ensure enough space for depth, width, and height to fit in your machine.
Carefully measure the footprint you are working with, and don’t forget to allow enough room for additional accessories, such as a coffee grinder.
Finally, ensure you allow some counter space for some small accessories such as a coffee tamper, tamp mat, and coffee scales (this is often overlooked).
Plumbed or Tank Option
There are generally two options to choose from when buying the best coffee machine for home use. Let’s start with the plumbed option.
For example, if you choose a high-end espresso machine, you'll likely need to think more carefully about plugging the machine into your mains water feed. This will likely add on(£100) and will need replacing periodically.
The tank-fed option is great if you don’t have the space under the counter or if you simply want an all-in-one solution. The good news? Not all espresso machines require a plumbed option.
For example, the Sage Coffee Machines have a built-in water tank which you'll manually re-fill each day to keep your water supply fresh.
Power Requirements
Luckily, most coffee machine brands in 2025 and beyond have carefully thought about kitchen requirements, so most of the best coffee machines you buy are plug-and-play via your usual kitchen plug socket.
However, it's best to double-check as some larger machines may require a higher power solution.
Cleaning
A clean machine equals delicious coffee. Choosing a machine with a simple cleaning process is another top tip.
Let’s be honest: not many of us enjoy cleaning, so choosing a machine with a straightforward cleaning process will make all the difference and ensure longevity from your purchase.
Reliability & Warranty Support
This is a really important consideration because all machines run into technical trouble at some point, even the best coffee machine in the UK.
Coffee machines are just sophisticated kitchen kettles. Over time, they build up with limescale and clog up which will need de-scaling, servicing or replacing.
Choosing a reliable and trusted manufacturer who offers fantastic service support is one of the most important aspects to consider when purchasing your home coffee machine.
Luckily, we've included trusted brands in this article to help you buy the best coffee machine.
Four Types of Coffee Machines
There are four main coffee machine types that you can choose from.
Each type naturally has its pros and cons, so it's important to think about your coffee-making style and preferences.
But don't worry; we've covered everything for you below.
- Espresso Machine
- Bean to Cup Machine
- Pod Machine./ Capsule Machine
- Filter Coffee Machine
1. Espresso Machine
Espresso machines are one of the best coffee machines UK citizens can afford to spend on.
Why? Well, if you are like me, you prefer your coffee to be made fast and easy.
The biggest question you'll need to ask yourself with an espresso machine is, "Do I love properly made coffees like espresso, flat whites, and cappuccinos enough to invest?
If so, you'll need an espresso machine to execute the drinks, as you can't make those menu drinks without it. 
Pros:
First up is the famous espresso machine. In terms of the coffee quality, you just can't get better. But why?
Quality Coffee
Made from durable components, the espresso machine is designed to be stable and durable. Investing in an espresso machine is the way to go if you care about creating a home barista experience inside every cup.
Drink Diversity
The great thing about an espresso machine is that you can make a huge range of coffee drinks that you might find on the coffee shop menu.
Espresso, Americano, Flat Whites, Cappuccinos, Hot Chocolates, Mochas and more. Great if you have your family and friends around and want to pull something different out of the bag.
If you want to show off, why not make espressos martini at home with your new purchase? I do!
Experimentation
Are you a big coffee fan? Do you enjoy tasting and learning about different coffees and their origins?
An espresso machine allows you to experiment at home, and you may find yourself with a new hobby.
At Balance we have a discovery coffee subscription whereby you'll receive an exciting new flavour delivered each month to your door.
These coffees are a mix of the most rare and exclusive coffees in a season that month.
Latte Art
Producing latte art on top of your favourite milky coffees is another big benefit of owning an espresso machine.
Do you want the luxury of pouring yourself a heart-shaped flat white in the morning?
If so, then the steam power from an espresso machine is second to none. Some dedicated espresso machines for lattes are even designed to give you perfect foamy results.
Crafted to make the perfect micro-foam texture, you'll enjoy sipping on your creamy morning latte with your hand-poured shape.
Plenty of latte art superstars have great tips and tutorials on YouTube, so you can learn from home.
There are other milk foamers or frothers available. However, you'll never get the same texture because the machines are not powerful enough to create high-quality steam pressure.
Cons:
Price / Cost
There's no doubt about it; compared to manual coffee brewers, they are certainly pricey.
A decent home espresso machine will set you back somewhere between £400 and £6,000.
Now, this is a big gap, so you can certainly find something to suit your budget. Many payment solutions are available, such as Buy Now and Pay Later.
Counter Space
Losing some of that precious kitchen counter space is another consideration. But what would you rather do? A toaster or that perfect coffee every morning? I know what I'd choose.
Ease Of Use Making your morning flat white is surprisingly quick on an espresso machine (60 seconds), but you'll need to enjoy this coffee-making process.
If you like pushing a button for a quick hit, the bean-to-cup machine may be the best solution.
The Best Espresso Machine
If you're looking for the best espresso machine, we've compiled a short list of the most recommended machines to buy.
1. Eagle One Prima Coffee Machine by Victoria Arduino - RRP £5,040
2. The Cube by Sanremo Coffee Machines UK - RRP - £3,800
3. Dual Boiler Machine by Sage - RRP - £1,195
4. The Barista Pro by Sage - RRP - £699
5. The Bambino Plus by Sage - RRP - £399
2. Bean to Cup Coffee Machine (No 2 Best Coffee Machine UK)
If you're looking for an easy way to make great coffee at home, then a Bean to Cup machine might be for you.
This section discusses the pros and cons and shares the best bean-to-cup machine options that money can buy.
Pros:
Convenience
One of the best things about a bean to cup coffee machine is the convenience. If you lead a busy lifestyle or just want the machine to do the work, then it's probably a good route to go down.
Automation
One of the main differences between an espresso machine and a bean cup is the manual vs automatic aspect.
There's undoubtedly a drop in quality using a bean-to-cup machine, but you might only notice it if you're a real coffee aficionado (aka fussy about your coffee).
One common misconception is that a bean-to-cup makes coffee faster than an espresso machine. It's not necessarily the case.
But don't get me wrong. Pushing a button to get your morning coffee is a faster, more convenient 'hack'.
Freshly Ground Coffee Another benefit of the bean-to-cup machine is the built-in coffee grinder.
Your bean-to-cup allows you to buy some of the best coffee beans online, which is an immediate upgrade in quality if you currently drink ground coffee.
Cons:
Price / Cost
Compared to some of the filter coffee machines or manual coffee brewers, they can still be pricey and take up some potentially precious counter space.
However, a good coffee machine will likely be an essential investment if you're working from home.
Prices for Bean cup machines vary, but they sit somewhere between £200 and £3,000.
Again, you'll likely find a solution within your price range, and you can use many payment solutions, such as Buy Now, Pay Later with Klarna or Clearpay.
Milk Quality
One downside to the bean-to-cup solution is milk quality.
By quality, I mean that silky, creamy texture you get from your local coffee shop - nothing beats it.
With an espresso machine, you use a high-powered steam wand to texturise the milk and produce something spectacular in your morning cup (image below).
However, some great bean-to-cup machines textures the milk well nowadays. We've shared our top five recommendations on the best bean-to-cup machine you can buy.
The Best Bean-to-Cup Machine
If an automatic solution is up your street, you'll look for the best bean to cup coffee machines. Here's a short list to help you explore the best option.
1. The Oracle Touch by Sage - RRP - £1999
2. TI353201GB by Siemens - RRP - £429
3. The Automatic Espresso Machine by Smeg - RRP - £399
4. Magnifica S by De'Longhi - RRP - £335
5. Solo Perfect Milk by Melitta RRP - £286
3. Pod / Capsule Machine
Pod coffee machines comprise a huge part of the UK coffee at-home market. They provide a great balance between affordability and ease of use.
You can undoubtedly make a quick coffee in the morning with a pod machine. Below, we explore the best pod machines for you to explore before purchasing.
The Best Pod Machine
Below, we share the advantages and disadvantages of pod coffee - plus our list of the top 5 capsule machines so you'll get the most out of that morning hit.
Pros:
Price
Pod machines are generally small and do a simple job of making capsule coffee. For this reason, they are more straightforward and one of the more affordable options on our expert guide to finding the best coffee machine.
Convenience
Similarly to a bean-to-cup machine, a pod coffee machine is highly convenient. You simply buy coffee pods, insert them into the machine, and press brew. Within 25-30 seconds, you'll have an espresso ready to go.
Perfect if you're on the move or need to get out of the house early and take that morning shot of coffee.
Speed
One of the great things about capsule coffee machines, otherwise known as pods, is the speed.
You can always heat up milk separately and add it to the pod espresso shot, but it's a great solution if you have places to be.
Flavour
Pods are getting better in flavour than before, because technology allows greater freshness. However, the golden rule to finding the best coffee pods is 'roast date'.
Most coffee roasters import the pods using coffee from countries overseas. Often, this will impact the coffee quality compared to regular whole-bean or ground coffee roasted in the UK.
Another big tip is to avoid buying pods from the supermarkets. They are typically left in storage for long periods before they hit the shelves, impacting quality.
Buy online to get the best flavour coffee pods at home if you can.
Cons:
Price
Some coffee pods are quite expensive when you work it out on a 'per cup' basis. For example, buying high-quality beans or ground will cost you approximately 50p per cup (before adding milk), which is affordable.
Nespresso pods, for example, cost about 45p per pod. The difference in quality is not comparable, so you'll want to think about the best option.
Quality
Coffee Pods produce decent-quality espresso. However, it's ultimately pre-ground coffee added inside a capsule.
Ground coffee is never as good as whole coffee because it quickly begins to deteriorate. You'll never get better than buying whole beans, but that's entirely up to you.
Compatibility
There are some challenges around finding the right-sized coffee pods to fit your coffee machine.
This is one of the downsides to pods and is a common mistake people make.
Particularly if you buy a new machine and they fit a more unknown size.
You won't experience this problem with coffee beans or ground, but double-check when you're buying your coffee pods online that they are compatible with your pod machine.*Price - High to Low.
1. Smeg Espresso Machine - RRP - £319
2. Opal One Capsule Machine - RRP - £129
3. Next Coffee Machine by Vertuo - RRP - £149
4. Happy Real Black by Tassimo - RRP - £105
5. Multi Capsule Coffee Machine by Potts - RRP - £99
4. Filter Coffee Machine (No 3 Best Coffee Machine UK)
Finding the best coffee machine will be at the top of your radar if filter coffee is your thing.
Filter coffee Is typically suited to 'black coffee drinkers'; however, you can always add a dash of regular or oat milk for the perfect white americano.
Your shiny new filter coffee machine needs to do the very simple job of delivering hot water over freshly ground coffee to create delicious brewed coffee.
Design is a big factor because you'll want your machine to fit your kitchen's aesthetic. Do you want something quick and simple?
Thinking about ease of use and cleaning is another key consideration. If a filter coffee machine sounds right, you'll want something simple to use that produces a great result.
Pros:
Price
Filter coffee machines have fewer parts and technicalities than espresso and bean-to-cup machines.
This means the prices are more affordable. Read on to find out the prices and five recommendations for your home's best filter coffee machine.
Convenience Like a bean-to-cup machine, the filter coffee maker is very convenient.
You can add your freshly ground coffee to your filter inside the machine and press go. Within a few minutes, you'll have tasty coffee in your favourite morning cup. The beauty is that the filter machine gives you a hands-off approach.
Ease Of Use The coffee brewing process for a filter coffee machine is between 2 and 5 minutes, depending on how much coffee you make.
But the main benefit is that once you've pressed brew, it will automatically do its thing, meaning it's one of the easiest ways to make great coffee at home.
Taste Filter Coffees From Around the World
One of the great things about filter coffee is that you can drink it black. If you're not a fan of milk in coffee, it's a popular choice. The benefit is that you can taste the coffee for all its natural flavour.
Take the Balance Coffee Subscription, for instance. You can taste rare and exclusive coffees from around the world brewed in your new filter coffee machine.
Cons:
Price / Cost Compared to some of the filter coffee machines available, such as a manual coffee brewer. This option can still be pricey.
They can also take up some precious counter space. However, investing in the best filter coffee machine is a good decision if you're working from home.
Prices for Bean cup machines vary, but they sit somewhere between £200 and £3,000. Again, you'll likely find a solution within your price range, and you can use many payment solutions, such as Buy Now, Pay Later with Klarna or Clearpay.
Not Designed for Milky Drinks
Filter Coffee Machines are great for black coffee drinkers. If you enjoy foamy, milky coffees such as flat whites, lattes or cappuccinos then the filter coffee maker is probably not the best solution, Why?
Filter coffee is brewed with gravity alone - the result is that it's both lighter in body and mouth feel, which isn't the best base for adding milk.
This is why espresso works great. It's brewed under high pressure (9 bars) and gives you the perfect base to add milk.
The Best Filter Coffee Machine
*Price - High to Low
1. The Automatic Espresso Machine by Smeg - RRP - £399
2. Classic Plus Coffee Maker by Wilfa Svart - RRP - £159
3. Wifi Smarter Machine - RRP - £199
4. Elegance Duluxe by Melitta Aroma - RRP - £94
5. CD Black Overflow Coffee Maker by Moccamaster - RRP - £272
If you've decided that filter coffee is your favourite style of coffee, or you'd prefer to find something at a lower cost, then, a manual coffee maker might be the best option. They are affordable, easy to use, and clean, too.
To see all of the manual filter coffee brewers available, head to our popular blog on coffee accessories, which explains everything you need to know.
Also, why not make the most of your coffee machine using the finest coffee beans?
We've compiled a list of the top 11 best espresso coffee beans in the UK.
Best Coffee Machine UK Conclusion
Drinking coffee becomes much easier with the best coffee machine the UK can offer.
This means you wake up every morning without stressing to get your favourite coffee.
Imagine how great you would feel when this is the case. It's all starting to make sense, right?
It's over to you now! What is the best coffee machine in the UK, in your opinion?
Comment below with your thoughts, and I will follow up with you.
I hope you enjoyed this expert guide to finding the best coffee machine UK online?
